LTO tape drive, quick question,

[Gary Adcock]

[Fred Jodry] “(Gary or David, this topic should be spent, erasable in a couple of weeks, late October).”

Fred, I have no idea what this means…

I am recommending that people look at Cache-A system for simple, easy to use LTO.

gary adcock
Studio37

Post and Production Workflow Consultant
Production and Post Stereographer
Chicago, IL

https://blogs.creativecow.net/24640

[Fred Jodry]

“I am recommending that people look at Cache-A system for simple, easy to use LTO.”
I`m sure that buying a unit with a Xeon booster computer permanently biting it`s fangs into the LTO`s rear end is all of the above but for those of us that have already built the computers it`s nice to buy just pairs of the needed drives. That isn`t $9,600 , and for only one drive.

[Gary Adcock]

So Fred,

Since you asked the original question- you can once again complain about my comments without adding anything to the discussion.

what did you find that was better on a Mac.

I do not build computers- there are companies that do it better than I do, what do they say.

if you can afford an Alexa ( you post on that forum too) 9K for a tapeless backup system is nothing.

gary adcock
Studio37

Post and Production Workflow Consultant
Production and Post Stereographer
Chicago, IL

https://blogs.creativecow.net/24640

[Fred Jodry]

Sorry to be so hard on you Gary, rather it would be nice if someone else had something helpful. I`d be editing an Alexa or previous model before I`d buy one. The manufacturers should sell their products at several tiers much though switching on a booster Xeon right into the backup is a terribly good idea. Better than having an unadjustable render farm become even more unevenly used when it`s time to backup or restore. Tape backup has returned as the way to go.

[David Battistella]

LTO is a tough one and it really depends on your needs. As a low end solution you could consider getting a SCSI card and a run an LTO -3 or LTO 4 at less cost.

Compatibility and future proofing is a concern. Quantum has been making LTO for a long time and offer internal and external drives. Research the software available to write the archives.

I’ve seen it done a bunch of ways from low to high end, but it’s best to first define your needs and the kind of volume you will be dealing with.

The system Gary mentioned is an excellent solution for broadcast and post houses who need to back up a lot of data on a daily basis.

For lower volume consider quantum and SCSI card to keep costs down. Buy high quality tapes in bulk and make two tapes of each archive or run the complete verification if you only write one tape.

David

Peace

[Fred Jodry]

David, that commentary list is flawless. IBMs, Dells, and Quantums probably show up in equal amounts.

[David Battistella]

I even took a serious look at LTO 3A because I thought it would be nice to access the drive at all times to pull off footage or files or whatever.

I think a protected raid solution is a better way to go if you want that kind of access to data.

LTO is for the long term and peace of mind on a shelf.

David

Peace

[Mel Feliciano]

I was considering one of the Chache-A systems. They are pricey because they are backup/archiving appliances as oppose to off-the-shelf independent parts. Still, I would rather go with a LTO-5 drive and an Atto SAS HBA card.

For software, I was thinking on the Tolis Group BRU PE. This version runs on Mac OS X and offers additional benefits when used with Final Cut Pro. The only problem is that it is a proprietary system which limits interchangeability.

For Windows 7, a company called Xendata announced the X1500 bundle which promises the same functionality as the Tolis Group alternative, but using the POSIX tar format, making it more open.

Just recently, I discovered something called LTFS, which seems like the answer to all our prayers. All you need is a free software you can download from the HP or IBM sites, an LTO-5 drive, the HBA card and the computer of course (it can be the same one you use for editing if you have an available PCIe slot). This will let you use your archive system just like any jump drive; interchangeable with Mac OS X and Linux (they are working on a Windows version)and with drag-and-drop operability.

For a Mac Pro, the best option would be: HP Lto-5 drive, Atto Serial Attached SCSI (sas) card, and the LTFS firmware. They are proven to work well together.

For good deals on the required hardware and media, check https://www.backupworks.com/

[Fred Jodry]

Mel Feliciano (quote): “All you need is a free software you can download from the HP or IBM sites,…”
Mel, just be sure you don`t, EVER, put a production computer you expect to handle many terabytes of shows, nor merely a few tv dvds or radio shows, onlined to the internet. I usually don`t use Windows for tv production, either. By the way, which is the latest LTO type which can be outfitted to SCSI? Is it LTO4 or is it LTO5? Fred