should we reuse mag tapes?

[WELTY RICHARD P]

Date:  5-MAR-1987 13:48
From: Richard Welty
Sender: WELTY
Subject: Re: should we reuse mag tapes?
To: info-unix at brl.arpa@smtp
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I see that my previous message was trashed by a mailer somewhere --
here is an attempt to reconstruct it:

> System Mangler <mangler at csvax.caltech.edu> writes:

>If the data is valuable you should make multiple copies.  No media
>is perfect.  Once you understand this, it becomes clear that the
>tape drive used to make the copies is more critical than the tapes
>(all backup copies made on a broken tape drive will be unreadable).

In fact backup copies made on a misaligned tape drive may be readable,
and tapes made elsewhere may not.  In addition, if a FE fixes the drive
and realigns it, old backup tapes may cease to be readable.  Whenever
a drive is installed, always double check the alignment.

			-- Richard Welty (welty at ge-crd.arpa)

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