[comp.unix.aux] AUX drives and backup

uucibg@swbatl.UUCP (3929) (02/05/89)

I'm seriously considering getting A/UX in the near future.  As a result, I
need to look into large harddrives (I'll be doing development work) and some
form of backup.

I'm sure this subject has been hacked to death, so I'd be quite happy if some-
one would forward the previous responses; but on the off chance, here goes:

What hard drive systems work with A/UX?  Do all SCSI systems work (seems 
at least possible)?  If they do, do some demonstrate better performance under
A/UX than others?  How about backup systems?  I naturally want to save as
much on price as possible, but I also would like good reliability.

Has anyone found there to be a maximum threshold on average seek times and
such in order to get "good" performance ("good" being defined by the individual
here)?  It seems like there would probably be a frustration threshold but I
don't have a good feel for where it would be.  30ms?  25ms? 20ms?  Are there
factors more important than average seek time?  What sort of interleave factors
work well (or what sort of seek times/interleave factor combinations)?

I know you can get A/UX in tape, drive, or floppy format: any strong reasons to
prefer one over the other? As I recall, Apple's 80meg drive with A/UX was
rather pricey.  I currently have a Mac II with an Apple (color) monitor (256
colors) and an Apple 40meg internal drive.  I'm considering both the PMMU
upgrade and the II -> IIx motherboard upgrade (probably minus the drive
upgrade for at least a while).

I'm very much a software type, but I'm very willing (and quite interested)
to learn more about the hardware considerations.  I'd appreciate any and all
information.  I'm not sure if the rest of the mac-oriented net is interested
in this or not, so e-mail to me and I'll summarize if interest/amounts seem
great enough.

Thanks mucho,

Brian R. Gilstrap                     ...!ames!killer!texbell!swbatl!uucibg
One Bell Center Rm 17-G-4             ...!bellcore!texbell!swbatl!uucibg
St. Louis, MO 63101
(314) 235-3929
#include <std_disclaimers.h>