WORMS and the like and archiving

[Bruce K. Haddon]

There has been a lot of discussion recently (in this group and elsewhere)
about high capacity backup and archiving devices, largely of the WORMS
variety, but also including 8mm video and the like.  For regular dumps we
have gone over completely to using Exabytes, with some initial equipment
problems, but with large gains in convenience, cost, and handling.  And
now we are contemplating installing SMD disks, to increase our already 4 -
5 gigabyte online capacity.

But what we are really interested in now is a true archiving capability,
which is the topic I have not seen discussed amongst the above subjects.

By "archiving capability" I mean permanent, secure, off-line storage, with
desirable features such as:-
	- user option to request archiving of files;
	- online "directory" of archived material (something similar to a
	  "symbolic link" to the archival location in the former directory
	  location would be nice);
	- retrieval system (preferably one that batches and sorts the
	  retrieval requests so that operator intervention is needed
	  only at predictable times);
	- simple operation in a multiserver, networked environment (need
	  I say "NFS");
	- administrative control of migration of little used files to
	  archive  (i.e. as Administrator, I wish to be able to dictate
	  that files meeting specifiable age requirements will forcibly
	  be moved to archival media);
	- administrative control of exception from archival migration;
	- costs for equipment, media, and software about an order of
	  5db down on the cost of forever adding online storage; 

I would appreciate any direction to sources or suppliers  of hardware
and/or software for such a system (commercial, private, or otherwise):
with sufficient interest (and sufficient interesting responses) I will
summarize later.

Bruce K. Haddon  [{mcvax!}cernvax!cgch!wbkh]
Wissenschaftliches Rechen Zentrum/R-1045.3.28
Ciba--Geigy AG/Basel/Switzerland    +41 61/697 8027