sandyb@marque.UUCP (Berger) (05/12/86)
Newsgroups: mod.computers.vax Subject: Re: Questions about the HSC-50 and the TA81 Summary: Expires: References: <8605102347.AA29393@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> Sender: Reply-To: sandyb@marque.UUCP (Berger, Sandy) Followup-To: Distribution: Organization: Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI Keywords: In article <8605102347.AA29393@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> jbredese@CARLETON.CSNET (John Bredesen) writes: >We have a VAXcluster (VMS v4.3) with two TU80s (hooked directly to two of the >VAXes) and four (soon five) RA81s (hooked to an HSC-50). We will be getting a >TA81 tape drive this summer and I have a few questions about it. We will be >putting the TA81 on the HSC. We've been running four TA78's on HSC50's for several months now so I'll try to answer most of your questions. >1) I have heard you can do physical disk to disk copies on the HSC, but can > you do disk to tape (and vice versa) on the HSC without a host? It's actually the other way around. I know of no current way to use the HSC to do disk to disk copies. However, V2.50 of the HSC software includes BACKUP and RESTOR programs which allow the backup and restoration of disk to/from tape. >1a) If so, is the tape in backup format so it can be used by the host later > on? The format is unique to the HSC and cannot be used by the host. Files can not be restored on a selective basis. It's all or nothing and the HSC must be used for the restore. >1b) Also if so, how long would this take for an RA81? I've done two HSC backups now from our system disk, an RA81, with a little less than 100,000 free blocks. I've never had to use the RESTOR program so can't comment on that. The BACKUP took a little over 15 minutes. This is with two TA78's so that when the first tape starts rewinding, the next tape can begin writing. If you have only one tape drive, this time will increase a bit. >2) What manuals are available for the HSC software v250? > Field Service has only supplied the release notes and says that there > is no other documentation. I've heard that there is a manual for all > the utilities on the utilities tape. The stuff on that tape is almost > useless to me without a manual. I obtained a manual called "HSC V2.50 Release Notes", order number AA-X703D-TK, with many hastles from DECDirect. This does have the documentation for the SETSHO, BACKUP, and RESTOR utilities among some minor others. >3) Has anyone heard of a newer version of the HSC software? Is one available > now? Is one available soon? The latest HSC software that I have heard of is 2.50. That's what we're running. >4) What is the performance of the TA81 tied to an HSC versus a TA81 tied > straight to the VAX? I don't have any hard numbers here but we are convinced that the performance on the HSC50 is much better that before. Sandy Berger Marquette University Computer Services Division 517 N. 14th Street Milwaukee, WI 53233 UUCP: ...!seismo!uwvax!uwmacc!uwmcsd1!marque!sandyb or ...!ihnp4!attmail!glmndd!marque!sandyb