[comp.sys.apollo] SCSI adaptors, floppy drives

braner@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Moshe Braner) (08/12/89)

I'd like to find out what is available in the following
categories for an Apollo Domain 3500 workstation.  Both
hardware and the necessary software would need to be
found.

SCSI adaptor: we have a portable SCSI tape drive that could be
used for backing up the hard drive in the Apollo.  How can we get
it connected?

Floppy drive: this is another backup option, and could also serve
for easy Apollo (and the net) <--> IBM PC/AT file transfer.
Can one get a 1.2 Meg 5.25" or a 1.44 Meg (or 720K) 3.5" drive?
Can it read/write MS-DOS format files?  Or only UNIX files?  Both?

Thanks.

- Moshe Braner

Cornell Theory Center, 265 Olin Hall,
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853	USA
(607) 255-9401
<braner@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu>		(INTERNET)
<braner@crnlthry>			(BITNET)

reb@quintro.uucp (Roger E. Benz) (08/14/89)

In article <8610@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> braner@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu (Moshe Braner) writes:
>I'd like to find out what is available in the following
>categories for an Apollo Domain 3500 workstation.
>
>Floppy drive: this is another backup option, and could also serve
>for easy Apollo (and the net) <--> IBM PC/AT file transfer.
>Can one get a 1.2 Meg 5.25" or a 1.44 Meg (or 720K) 3.5" drive?
>Can it read/write MS-DOS format files?  Or only UNIX files?  Both?
>

Apollo has a floppy available that will meet your needs.  It can read
write MS-DOS high dense floppies if you get the hardware or software
PC compatibility products.  It does not read/write low dense floppies
very well.

As for UNIX floppies you can either mount the floppy, use wbak/rbak or tar.

The cost, if you have a hard disk, is about $500 for the floppy.  The PC
software emulator is about $500 and the PC hardware emulator is $2K-$3k.

-- 
Roger E. Benz		   Phone = (217) 223-3211
Quintron Corporation	   Quincy, Il
UUCP: tiamat!quintro!reb@uunet or quintro!reb@lll-winken 

hollaar%basset.utah.edu@wasatch.utah.edu (Lee Hollaar) (08/14/89)

In article <1989Aug14.142109.1781@quintro.uucp> reb@quintro.UUCP (Roger E. Benz) writes:
>In article <8610@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> braner@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu (Moshe Braner) writes:
>>Floppy drive: this is another backup option, and could also serve
>>for easy Apollo (and the net) <--> IBM PC/AT file transfer.
>>Can one get a 1.2 Meg 5.25" or a 1.44 Meg (or 720K) 3.5" drive?
>>Can it read/write MS-DOS format files?  Or only UNIX files?  Both?
>>
>
>Apollo has a floppy available that will meet your needs.  It can read
>write MS-DOS high dense floppies if you get the hardware or software
>PC compatibility products.  It does not read/write low dense floppies
>very well.
>
>The cost, if you have a hard disk, is about $500 for the floppy.  The PC
>software emulator is about $500 and the PC hardware emulator is $2K-$3k.

There is a program I wrote called PCdisk that supports high and low
density MS-DOS floppy disks without the need for the Apollo software
or hardware emulator.  Its cost is less (and performance better) than
the Apollo products: $200 for the first node and $100 for nodes after
that.  It can also support a 3.5" floppy, if want to add a non-standard
drive to your node.  (My DN4000 has a cartridge tape in the node and
a 5.25" and 3.5" floppy in an auxiliary cabinet.)

If you want more information, send me mail or write to:
	Contexture, Inc.
	PCdisk Information
	Post Office Box 58721
	Salt Lake City UT  84158

ALBRECHT%caliph@UMIX.CC.UMICH.EDU (Steve Albrecht) (08/24/89)

Roger Benz (reb%quintro%tiamut.uusp@uunet.uu.net) stated in a recent
message that mounting, wbak/rbak, or tar to high density floppy is
an acceptable backup solution.

While I have not tried this yet under SR10 (or SR9.7, either), I did
extensive tests under SR9.6 and found that sizable items stored on
floppies by any of these methods were almost always unrestorable
without data losses.

Until this situation is amended, DON'T COUNT ON FLOPPY BACKUP!

Besides, cart tape is (somewhat) faster.



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