Tim Gerhard
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COW Coin
Forum Replies Created
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Acronis is a cheap solution from a big company.
Archiware is more tailored to M&E, but yeah it’s expensive.
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An LTO tape library configured somewhat as a “Tape NAS” would be ideal. I’m vendor neutral and deal with all the software and hardware vendors. A disk system that only spins up when you need to access files isn’t quite a thing, other than single hard drives that’ll be in a semi-sleep state, but performance is terrible, and the words “archive” and “hard drives” do not go together.
Archiware P5 Archive Edition using LTFS would be similar and as David mentioned you can pick and choose files to send to cloud storage for remote workers.
Another option is a XenData server using LTFS as well, but this is a rack appliance that attaches to the tape library.
Both are great options and have their differences.
Feel free to contact me if you’d like to discuss in more detail.
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I’d reach out to Maxx Digital, they will be able to sell you a SAS card.
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You might be able to use YoYotta’s TAR restore function to retrieve your files. https://yoyotta.com/help/demo.html
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If you’re using an IBM tape in an HP drive it can be throwing the write errors on LTO6. If you keep getting cleaning warnings, then the head can be bad on the drive.
Using the wrong media type ruins the head over time.
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For 40TB a NAS with a cloud backup would be perfectly fine. QNAP is a great choice.
With BackBlaze be warned that it is not for backups only and not archive. You must keep the original data on the source NAS or they delete it from the cloud backup eventually.
I’m an LTO tape guy, but wouldn’t recommend it in your situation unless it’s what you really want. LTO doesn’t really shine for cost until you hit around 60TB+ for archiving. You mentioned your environment is typically 40 degrees Celsius typically. LTO tapes should be stored up to 25 degrees Celsius long-term and when in use 32 degrees Celsius, so you’d have to manage the temperatures wherever you’re operating and storing tapes if you used them.
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Tim Jones,
I’m a bit curious how you took me stating that Thunderbolt 3 has a certification for Windows and MAC, and saying it’s relating to your M1 driver? The OP was mentioning it didn’t work on Windows for him as well and I noticed OWC advertises Windows compatibility, while not holding Intel / Thunderbolt certification for Windows per the Intel website.
If a software company closes down sales and support that means their software is dead. If someone attempts to resurrect it later, then it’s semi-alive when that happens, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a large amount of users have moved on, as anyone serious about their data would have done so immediately.
My performance statement isn’t clear or accurate? IBM clearly rates 300 MB/s for half-height and 360 MB/s for full-height. Just because you can pull a few extra MB’s during a very specific case (using dead software) doesn’t mean that the incorrect information should be advertised.
How is an opinion on if you should have great faith in support from a company with no experience in the LTO tape drive space, versus any established LTO tape drive OEM misleading? The OP already said that he contacted support with no response to his questions. I know first hand that the M&E space isn’t like dealing with the IT space, and you generally have to provide more support, and you have to be ready for a quick response, or you’ll lose customers fast.
You may want to re-read what I’ve said, because all the responses you’re giving are going off-base and blindly accusing me of misinformation when everything I’ve said can be verified by multiple legitimate sources. I’m a bit surprised OWC’s PR team would allow these kind of responses for public view.
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I’d say talk to Media Transfer Service in NY to safely move the tapes over.
http://mediatransferservice.com/
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You potentially have a bad drive or bad tape cartridge.
Since you said HP LTO6, I have to ask. What brand of cartridges are you using? You need to be using metal particle (MP) tapes in an HP LTO6. Sony and other off-brands made the MP LTO6 tapes before, but they’ve stopped making them for quite a while. If you have IBM or Fuji those are Barrium Ferrite (BaFE) and will cause harm to your HP LTO6 drive.
Try running HPE Library & Tape Tools (LTT) to run a diagnostic on the drive as well.
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Thunderbolt 3 devices require a strict certification for both Windows and MAC. OWC has not passed certification for Windows, so that’s why you’re probably not getting anywhere. MagStor is the only Thunderbolt 3 drive certified for Windows, and also has Apple M1 compatibility to boot.
Anyone serious about preserving their data shouldn’t use dead software that is out of business. A YoYotta license runs you less than $490 and they offer top notch support on their software, and have a wealth of vendor-neutral hardware knowledge.
I’d suggest returning that Mercury PRO LTO if you can. They just released it in September or so and it isn’t certified for Windows or working on M1 MACs yet, while they’ve had plenty of time to do so.
I’m also a bit surprised by the amount of misleading information on the Mercury Pro product page.
360 MB/s native speed is inaccurate. The OWC Mercury PRO uses a Half-Height tape drive, which is limited to 300 MB/s. Only full-height LTO8 drives run at 360 MB/s that’re commonly only used in enterprise tape libraries. This isn’t what you’re getting with a Mercury PRO.
5 Year Warranty badge everywhere, but it’s only for the enclosure
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Industry leading support, you already saw the level of response you get. Every other brand responds same business day generally.
Windows Compatibility – Already covered that above. No certification per Intel’s website.
Full disclosure – I represent MagStor, and our company ONLY deals with tape drives. Do you want to buy a complicated storage device from a company that has a spread out focus on accessories/docks and is attempting to make an LTO drive? Or do you want to deal with a company that is laser focused with years of experience?