Response to Subject: 25GB tape backup

Tue Jun 8 09:21:12 CDT 1993 Regarding the Contemporary Cybernetics CY-8500 We have been using our 8mm off and on for about 9 months now. It works well on our system. There are a couple of buts.... Although, I understand there is a larger capacity on the tape drives being put out now our 8mm is only 2.5 Gig - or with Compression 5 Gig, but on our Sperry 5000/90 running Unix 5.3 we have been unable to use the 5 Gig capability (compression) - the device goes to sleep. When we use the device for it's 2.5 Gig capability it works. We do not have additional back-up software and are using tar and cpio. We had both a streamer tape and a 9-track tape and installed the 8mm on the same controller as the 9-track. The 8mm will work as long as the 9-track is OFF. There is an ONL/OFL bottom on the back which makes the 8mm on or off line. All 4 cables are connected to the back of the 8mm therefore the ofl on the 8mm should make the 9-track available and vice-versa. This is not true. If the 8mm is off line and the 9-track is electrically turned on and on-line - the 9 track works fine. If the 9-track is electrically turned off and the 8mm is on line it works fine. However, even though we have sent it back to the manufacturer 2 times, we cannot leave the 9-track on electically. We leave the 8mm on all the time and put it off line to work with the 9-track. This is acceptible because we do not have to use both at the same time. They use the same device name. /* ******** */ Cheryl Gross Red River Army Depot Information Center cheryl@redriverad-emh1.army.mil 903-334-3518