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- Path: sparky!uunet!usc!news.service.uci.edu!unogate!mvb.saic.com!info-multinet
- From: DSROBERTS@BIIVAX.DP.BECKMAN.COM (Don Roberts)
- Newsgroups: vmsnet.networks.tcp-ip.multinet
- Subject: Re: SLS and Multinet
- Message-ID: <01GTRZ3G0L4M8ZEHAG@BIIVAX.DP.BECKMAN.COM>
- Date: 21 Jan 1993 10:15:12 -0800
- Organization: Info-Multinet<==>Vmsnet.Networks.Tcp-Ip.Multinet Gateway
- X-Gateway-Source-Info: Mailing List
- Lines: 49
-
- >>>Since I am looking for automatic backup software
- >>>(under vax4200/3800 vms5.5 multinet3.1D, NO DECNET at all),
- >>>I have been suggested that SLS (Storage Librarian System) from DEC is
- >>>a really nice product which does everything from automatic scheduling,
- >>>to keeping histories of which files are on which tapes. Is this product
- >>>can be used in Multinet NFS environment? I think it might be helpful
- >>>to get your recommendations before I talk to DEC sales representive.
- >>We have no direct experience with it here at TGV; you might try
- >>posting this to Info-MultiNet and seeing if anyone there has some
- >>suggestions.
-
- >I have been involved with field tests of SLS ever since version 2.0 hit the
- >stands years ago. 2.2 should be shipping now (at least, 2.2A is, I believe)
- >and it has built-in support for RTF (Remote-Tape Facility) from Touch
- >Technologies. This allows remote tape drives to be seen on a local machine,
- >but requires DECnet (can't do it with Multinet).
-
- 2.2a is on the January CONDIST
-
- >The problem with using SLS and something like, RMTALLOCATE is that SLS likes to
- >know lots of things about the tape drive you're using, and likes to be able to
- >allocate a drive based on its device type. As far as I know, this cannot be
- >done using the RMT server process.
-
- >However, you can configure SLS to use your allocation/backup procedures, and
- >just have it do scheduling and history tracking. This may be something you're
- >interested in, and it (SLS) is very good at that.
-
- We've used both SLS and it's evil twin*, TAPESYS (Software Partners/32, SLS was
- derived from this product). We even found the backup configuration files are
- mostly cross compatible, so SLS hasn't deviated much. I also haven't seen a
- way to deal with RMT tapes, but it shouldn't have trouble with NFS. We use it
- with THRUWAY disks, and it has no problem seeing those, and we've used it with
- several odd setups. There is much flexibility with the product and works quite
- well. We chose to go with TAPESYS because we feel a greater development effort
- is being made by SP/32 than DEC is with SLS, and you get better support (IMHO).
-
- I'd recommend a demo, but there is a GREAT deal of setup involved and you need
- to be real serious if you want to do this. It's definitely not a plug and play
- product.
-
- *This is an "in-joke" between me and the TAPESYS support people :-)
-
- Don Roberts Internet: dsroberts@beckman.com
- Beckman Instruments, Inc. Phone: 714/961-3029
- 2500 Harbor Bl. Mailstop X-12 FAX: 714/961-3351
- Fullerton, CA 92634 Disclaimer: Blame me, not Beckman.
- "Abortion isn't a 'choice', it's the slaughter of the innocent"
-
-