peter@astol.astro.lu.se (Peter Linde) (05/29/91)
We are interested in connecting an EXABYTE drive to our HP 835 system. One reason for choosing EXABYTE is for transporting data to institutes that already have such devices. We are aware of some companies that can provide HP-IB interfaces for such drives, but it seems both costly and inefficient. Now SCSI is becoming available for the 835 (following the HP-UX 8.0 release), consequently EXABYTEs should be possible to connect directly, providing a suitable driver can be found. Also, SCSI has been around on 300s for a long time, are there any EXABYTES connected to such machines? Or do we all have to switch to 4 mm DAT drives? Any illuminating information is welcome. Peter Linde ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Peter Linde Tel: +46-46-104701 Lund Observatory E-mail: peter@astro.lu.se (Internet) Box 43 Fax: +46+46-104614 S-221 00 Lund Sweden ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
cochran@hpcupt1.cup.hp.com (Bob Cochran) (06/01/91)
The 8.0 SCSI tape driver (tape14.c) does not support EXABYTE drives, although the first tape drive it worked on was an EXABYTE. The code that permitted simple I/Os to EXABYTE still exists in the source product and is disabled via "#ifdef EXABYTE" statements.
se@IKP.Uni-Koeln.DE (Stefan Esser) (06/05/91)
In article <67870030@hpcupt1.cup.hp.com>, cochran@hpcupt1.cup.hp.com (Bob Cochran) writes: |> The 8.0 SCSI tape driver (tape14.c) does not support EXABYTE drives, although |> the first tape drive it worked on was an EXABYTE. The code that permitted |> simple I/Os to EXABYTE still exists in the source product and is disabled |> via "#ifdef EXABYTE" statements. That's ridicolous! We collect all data from our experiments on EXABYTEs, as do lots of other nuclear physics institutes (we collect typically 50GByte/week). I remember SCSI for our HP 9000/835 'becoming available' within few month, several times over the last 2 years. It took HP more than 1 year to completely deliver the ordered hardware. We urgently needed SCSI, and when it became obvious it wouldn't be available soon, HP suggested buying a 9000/3xx with SCSI and accessing the peripherals via ethernet! After learning that even HP-UX 8.0 doesn't support variable sized partitions and now, that the EXABYTE won't work, it has become obvious, that HP is unable (or unwilling) to deliver what we NEED. It seems to be a specialty of HP, to know their customers' needs better than the customers themselves. Even if HP considers DAT the better choice, I want the freedom to buy and use the drives that *read my data*. Not being able to use EXABYTEs means - further upgrades of our 9000/835 are useless - we can't use the else very impressive 9000/700s. I don't doubt, that the 9000/700 will sell well. But I very much doubt, that HP will stop loosing market share, the way they ignore customers' needs. Stefan -- Stefan Esser, Institute of Nuclear Physics, University of Cologne, Germany se@IKP.Uni-Koeln.DE [134.95.192.50]
ianhogg@cs.umn.edu (Ian J. Hogg) (06/05/91)
In article <1991Jun5.145748.110969@rrz.uni-koeln.de> se@IKP.Uni-Koeln.DE (Stefan Esser) writes: >In article <67870030@hpcupt1.cup.hp.com>, cochran@hpcupt1.cup.hp.com (Bob Cochran) writes: >After learning that even HP-UX 8.0 doesn't support variable sized partitions >and now, that the EXABYTE won't work, it has become obvious, that HP is >unable (or unwilling) to deliver what we NEED. It seems to be a specialty >of HP, to know their customers' needs better than the customers themselves. >Even if HP considers DAT the better choice, I want the freedom to buy and >use the drives that *read my data*. > I agree. At some meetings with HP about 1 1/2 years ago I asked when they were going to support Exabytes. They said they had no plans unless their cus tomers demanded it. I immediately demanded it. They still don't support it. >Not being able to use EXABYTEs means >- further upgrades of our 9000/835 are useless >- we can't use the else very impressive 9000/700s. > - I can't backup 2.2 - 5 Gb of data unattended. >I don't doubt, that the 9000/700 will sell well. But I very much doubt, that HP >will stop loosing market share, the way they ignore customers' needs. > Do any of the third party suppliers hav support for the PA machines? I used drivers from Perfect Byte on our 300's with very good results. I never quite succeeded in figuring out the all the bits on the minor number for the unsupported scsi tape driver. I think everyone should tell HP that they need support for Exabytes. If they don't get it, we'll go out and buy a Sun or Dec to hang it off. (I just happen to know that Exabytes work on those machines right out of the box). >Stefan >-- > Stefan Esser, Institute of Nuclear Physics, University of Cologne, Germany > se@IKP.Uni-Koeln.DE [134.95.192.50] -- =============================================================================== Ian Hogg ianhogg@cs.umn.edu (612) 225-1401
hm@hcshh.hcs.de (Hellmuth Michaelis) (06/08/91)
In <1991Jun5.155022.3843@cs.umn.edu> ianhogg@cs.umn.edu (Ian J. Hogg) writes: >Do any of the third party suppliers have support for the PA machines? Yes, there is an Exabyte Tape-drive available which connects to the HPIB-Bus using a HP7974 or DAT-Tape emulation for 2,5 or 5 Gb Exabytes. Please mail for further details. >I think everyone should tell HP that they need support for Exabytes. I think that this is not the point. What you (and everyone else out there..) need is an __OPEN__, __WELL-DOCUMENTED__ and __SUPPORTED__ SCSI-Bus on the HP-PA Machines ! Still waiting for SCSI.... hellmuth -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hellmuth Michaelis HCS Hanseatischer Computerservice GmbH Hamburg, Europe e-mail: hm@hcshh.hcs.de tel: +49 40 5501075 fax: +49 40 5591486 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hellmuth Michaelis HCS Hanseatischer Computerservice GmbH Hamburg, Europe e-mail: hm@hcshh.hcs.de tel: +49 40 5501075 fax: +49 40 5591486 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
hardy@golem.ps.uci.edu (Meinhard E. Mayer (Hardy)) (06/11/91)
I saw thjis a few days ago ... are we going to get loops upon loops from "Fidonet"? Can someone put a stop to this? Greetings, Hardy -------****------- Meinhard E. Mayer (Hardy); Department of Physics, University of California Irvine CA 92717; (714) 856 5543; hardy@golem.ps.uci.edu or MMAYER@UCI.BITNET