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List:       linux-admin
Subject:    Re: _Old_ tape drive type.
From:       Adam Daniel <adamd () forensicdata ! com ! au>
Date:       2002-11-14 0:46:18
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Sorry about the late reply to this one ..been on holiday.

I convert this type of tape all the time ..they are QIC tapes and can be
read on almost all tandberg 1/4" SLR type tape drives (they used to be TDC
drives) we have quite a few here (TDC4222's and TDC4220's) the main
difference in the drives being the compression.

If you plug one of these into a scsi card and have ST support, then it'll
just come up as a /dev/st* device node and you'll be able to dump the data
straight off.

Be careful ..there was a type of HP QIC tape that ran in the opposite
direction to the normal tandberg/wangtek/mountain drives ..if its one of
these tapes, then a normal QIC drive will despool it straight away as it
uses different PEOT markers (holes in the tape that tell the drive where
the Physical End of Tape is) These tapes are HP branded and ive only come
across them once or twice, so it should be fine.

Once you've dumped the data, then you'll have the problem of what backup
format they are in ..if your lucky its something simple like tar or MTF.

depending on where you are, there should be someone offering a conversion
service to convert these into a newer format.

if your in the UK ..try these guys:

http://www.intermedia.uk.com/

they've been around for a looong time and have some windows software (now
called MMPC) that will read more tape formats then i care to mention.

Good luck

Adam Daniel

Technical Consultant
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On 5 Nov 2002, Paul Furness wrote:

> Hi.
>
> I'm wondering if someone can help me with an identification problem.
> This is not strictly a linux specific problem, but there is so much
> accumulated knowledge and experience on these mailing lists that I
> figure someone might know this. Besides, I need to use linux to solve
> the problem once the hardware is ID'd. Anyhow, here's the problem:
>
> I've just been handed a stack of very old tapes with some data on that,
> apparently "...would be worth getting back if at all possible."
>
> The tapes are all the same physical size (6 inches by 4 inches by 5/8
> inch thick), and may be all the same capacity. some of them are 3M
> tapes, type number DC6150 (marked as 150MB) and DC600A (marked as 60MB).
> Some of the others came from British Telecom and are labeled as DC600HC
> but don't state a capacity. They are all marked as being 620ft log.
>
> I've never seen or used tapes like these, and I know we have no drive
> here that will take them. But in order to try and get hold of a drive
> that will read them, I need to know what I'm looking for.
>
> All I have manged to get so far for web searches is that they are
> _possibly_ QIC tapes, and that they might go in a 5.25 tape drive, but
> I'm not really any nearer knowing the make/model of tape drive or where
> I might get one.
>
> Anyone remember using these and know what type of drive I need? Failing
> that, do you know someone who might be able to tell me? I know that they
> were used by Reading (UK) University for backups and data distribution
> and I think they are probably about 8-10 years old, although they could
> be a lot older. This data is some of the original material that was used
> when MPEG-1 was being created.
>
> Any and all pointers would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Paul.
>
>
> --
> Paul Furness
>
> Systems Manager
>
> Steepness is an illusion caused by flat things leaning over.
>
> -
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