Epoch like filesystem

[Dick Karpinski]

In article <L$1%B%^@rpi.edu> rodney at sun.ipl.rpi.edu (Rodney Peck II) writes:
>In article <QAX%GY^@rpi.edu> I said:
>>... once our jukebox arrives (we're getting the 10 platter 1 gig/platter
>... 10 disk 600meg erasable disks are very popular and are standardized.
>... $17,000 including 10 disks (a $2000 value) ...

That works out to 6,000 megabytes for $17,000 or about $3/meg online
but you can do just as well with high capacity fixed disks and have
no 6 second delays etc.  The very largest WORM jukeboxes bring that
cost/meg down below $1, but the entry cost is >$200,000.  I can 
understand using removable platters, but the jukebox doesn't yet 
make sense to me.  Why would you want the extra hassles and delays
when it doesn't result in any cost savings?

On the other hand, a generic Epoch like filesystem makes a lot of 
sense to me, effectively replacing both backup and archiving with a
more capable and self-maintaining approach.  

I'm holding out for LaserTape using digital paper ($0.01/meg) in
3480 like 4"x4"x1" cartridges holding a few hundred feet of 1/2 inch
write once digital paper.  This is expected to appear in the next
year or so in the $20-40k price range with 50,000 megabytes/cartridge
and with a 10 cartridge loader.  This gives 1/2 a terabyte online
with similar delays to the jukebox.  It makes more sense to me.

Dick