8mm Tape Media (was RE: CODE/400 - TCP)

[Neil Palmer <npalmer@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dean, 

IMHO 8mm is the best media you could select for an alternate IPL device
(yeah, we've all heard about long term storage problems on 8mm, just
like your VHS tapes at home, but are you going to be reloading a system
or doing a release upgrade from a 10 year old 8mm tape ?).  I've
reloaded several systems from 8mm tapes after a disk failure and (using
a program I copy into QSYS) once the OS/400 is reinstalled I call one
program and leave it for half a day to restore everything unattended.

The reason 8mm is so great for release upgrades is that IBM stacks ALL
your code (LIC, OS/400, & Licensed Program Products) on ONE tape.  Yes,
IBM COULD distribute 1/4" tapes on the 1.2GB or 2.5GB tapes and fit it
all on one tape, but they don't.  Low density is 120MB and high density
is 525MB and that's all they support for program distribution.  I also
know that the 1/2" Cartridges don't have all the release on 1 tape, I
believe because they distribute them in 3480 format.  And they don't
distribute anything on 3570 tapes.

With everything on one 8mm tape you start the release upgrade, and you
could even do this remotely with a PWRDWNSYS *IMMED RESTART(*YES)
IPLSRC(D), and go out and entertain yourself for the whole day (or
around 5 or 6 hours) and just come back to load the PTF tape.  Then go
away for several more hours, come back the next morning and do your
complete backup.
No screwing around sitting waiting to change umpteen 6250bpi reels
-(hey, at least they aren't 1600bps like the 14 reels I had to use to
install V1R1 pre-release and GA code, and you almost ALWAYS ended up
with a media error the first 2 or 3 times through, despite cleaning the
stupid drive after every tape).   :-)

I actually miss the release updates I used to do from 8mm on my 9402-400
and wish I could still get RISC updates on 8mm, as you need to sit
around and change the damn CD's several times to get through an update
(maybe if they ever support DVD's as you also wished ?).

As to the labelling problems, what happened ?  Tapes 1 thru 6 labelled
as 6 thru 1 ?  Actually, if they do have youngsters producing these
things give 'em a break !  First off they probably haven't seen 1/2"
reels before, then they had to dust the cobwebs off the 1/2" tape drive
!   :-)


Neil Palmer                                AS/400~~~~~      
NxTrend Technology - Canada   ____________          ___  ~     
Thornhill, Ontario,  Canada   |OOOOOOOOOO| ________  o|__||=   
Phone: (905) 731-9000  x238   |__________|_|______|_|______)   
Cell.: (416) 565-1682  x238    oo      oo   oo  oo   OOOo=o\   
Fax:   (905) 731-9202       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
mailto:NPalmer@NxTrend.com    AS/400  The Ultimate Business Server      
http://www.NxTrend.com

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dave Mahadevan [SMTP:mahadevan@fuse.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 1998 7:30 PM
> To:   Neil Palmer; midrange-l@midrange.com
> Subject:      Re: CODE/400 - TCP
> 
> 
> 
> Neil Palmer wrote:
> 
> > You mean to tell me 1/2" reel is the ONLY media your system can
> handle ?
> > Assuming you didn't manage to get the 80 column card reader attached
> !
> > :-)
> >
> >
> 
> Yup.  Good reliable 1/2".  I have 8mm for backup.  But I dont trust it
> as
> much as the 1/2".  Maybe old technology but reliable,durable and
> works...
> When we are forced to  [Neil Palmer]  R ISC, I plan to become bold and
> courageous with CD
> (maybe IBM will introduce a DVD for the AS/400 by then :-) )
> 
> What is so amazing with the mismatched label is it is the first time I
> have
> had this problem with IBM in all my years (not telling how many)
> dealing
> with them.  Maybe IBM software mfg at Mechanicsburg, PA is being
> reorganized
> with brand new college guys/gals?
> 
> 
> --
> Thank You.
> 
> Regards
> 
> Dave Mahadevan.. mailto:mahadevan@fuse.net
> 
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