[net.micro.att] Backing-up and transferring DOS files

rdr@inuxh.UUCP (Robert Rindfuss) (10/07/86)

Here at AT&T GSL, we do software development on an assortment of
6300s, 6300+s, and AT clones.  We each have a machine at work, and
another at home.  The problem is when we go home at night, we need to
take along updates of files that changed during the day.  These files
are spread across many directories, and often may exceed 10 MB.
The problem is how to do this quickly and easily.

Our first fated attempt was to get a Plus Development 20M HardCard to share.
This is fast, especially with the XCOPY command in IBM DOS 3.2.  But
if we format the HardCard for IBM DOS 3.1 or 3.2 (the only thing that will
run in the ATs) then we can't read the card in the AT&T machines.  And
vice-versa.  We haven't been able to find a version of DOS that will work
in all the machines *and* also be able to read and write the HardCard.

Second attempt was similar to the first - make cables for each machine to
bring out it's HD controller's cables for a second bare hard disk, and move
the harddisk from machine to machine.  Also fast.  But same results.
Apparently IBM DOSs write on the harddisk slightly differently than
AT&T DOSs.

Getting more desparate, there are two alternatives:  floppies (oh gawd no)
and a tape backup system for each machine.  So for the questions:

Floppies:   I've seen software (e.g. Fastback) that makes backing up
tolerable on floppies.  Which ones are likely to work on all the different
machines?   and also work comfortably across multiple directories copying
only those which have been modified since a certain time?

Tape backup:  What units have you used? Does their support software permit
backing up only certain files across multiple directories automatically
(no cds to each directory) and how long does it take to do, say, 10M of
those files?

I'll post a summary in a couple weeks.  Thanks in advance..

Bob Rindfuss
AT&T Graphics Software Labs
...ihnp4!inuxh!rdr
(317) 352-6147