Hello all,
Thanks to the following people for their responses:
jacy_at_fluid.mro.dec.com
Harald Lundberg (hl_at_tekla.fi)
Rene Walpen (walpen_at_decds.epfl.ch)
Tim W. Janes (janes_at_signal.dra.hmg.gb)
alan_at_nabeth.cxo.dec.com (alan_at_nabeth.cxo.dec.com)
The answers I got fell into three main groups:
o The "Use this backup product" group. These folks recommended either
DEC's network backup product (currently called Polycenter Networker
Save and Restore, I think), or Legato's Networker software. Problem
is, Legato's product doesn't support OSF/1; because... DEC ported
Networker to OSF/1, and called it Polycenter Networker Save and
Restore! So, we're talking about one product here.
o The "Use SCSI/CAM Layered Products" group. These folks recommended
we purchase the SCSI/CAM Layered Products software from DEC, which
appears to be a couple drivers that support WORM drives, and changer
mechanisms for tape and optical media.
o The "Write it yourself" group. This person noted that the SCSI/CAM
interface could be used to write a little ditty to do the deed, and
directed me to:
speckled.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de:/pub/scsi/ultrix
to pick up a SCSI access library that the author (Wolfgang Barth -
wob_at_specklec.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de) had written to bring an Exabyte
loader to life on Ultrix. At least it would be a starting point of
sorts...
Well, I don't really *need* the functionality in Polycenter Networker
Save and Restore, I just want to be able to control the operation of the
TZ877's loader. So, sorry group #1, but it's not the solution for me.
I figured that picking up the SCSI/CAM Layered Products software would
be a good compromise (ie, pay a (hopefully) reasonable sum for a driver I
felt should have shipped with the operating system) until I looked at the
SPD for this bad boy. Contrary to some of group #2's beliefs, this sofware
*does* require a license for use - it requires one to purchase (and license)
one of the following products:
o POLYCENTER NetWorker Save and Restore for DEC OSF/1 AXP
o POLYCENTER Hierarchical Storage Management (HSM) Solution for DEC
OSF/1 AXP
o Recognition XDP Storage Manager V2.0
I was disappointed (but alas, not suprised - this *is* DEC we're talking
about, after all) to see that this little bit of hanky-panky essentially
cripples the full utility of the TZ877 unless you decide to fork over
additional dollars for the above software. And these ain't no $100
shrinkwrap products! Group #2: good try, but what is technologically
straightforward is not always easy to implement in corporate America.
That leaves me in my current position, which is to roll my own. I'm
getting the bits and pieces together as we speak, and will probably not
bother to write a driver, just a little app that speaks directly to
/dev/cam. Someone on this list recently mentioned that they did this very
thing for Ultrix, and that they had gotten the command set for the TZ877's
loader already. I've sent mail to this person - hopefully they'll be able
to help me out. Otherwise, I'll be back here asking for some more help...
Thanks, everyone, for helping me out on this one!
Ed
--
Ed Bailey, Information Systems and Networks
(contracted to: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Internet: bailey_at_niehs.nih.gov
BITnet: BAILEY_at_NIEHS.BITNET
Voice: (919)361-9422, extension 239
FAX: (919)361-9136
Received on Fri Jan 20 1995 - 14:30:59 NZDT