multiple tape drives with ISC 386/ix

[Paul Guthrie]

In article <1624 at ctisbv.cti-software.nl> pim at cti-software.nl (Pim Zandbergen) writes:
>Now that we have customers with 60 MB, 120 MB and 150 MB tape drives,
>I am faced with a problem. We want to (1) WRITE 60 MB tapes (for software
>distribution), (2) WRITE 150 MB tapes (for efficient backups), and
>(3) READ everybody's tapes. 
>The scenario I have in mind is to have an Archive VIPER SCSI
>tape drive for (2) and (3), and a regular Wangtek 60 MB drive,
>or an Archive 60 MB SCSI drive for (1).
>Is there any reason why one of these configurations could not work?

This should work.  The VIPER 150 can read both 150 and 60 MB tapes
(I *have* tried this), but indeed only write the 150 MBs.  The dual
config should work, especially if you use the wangtek or archive
with its own controller, as this uses a different driver, different
major device number, and different /dev entry names.  I can't vouch 
for how running two SCSI tapes work, although theoretically that too
should work, just as long as you assign different SCSI IDs.  Let
us know what you find out.


-- 
Paul Guthrie
chinet!nsacray!paul