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Xref: sserve comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage:13300 comp.periphs.scsi:26343 comp.sys.next.hardware:13553 comp.os.linux.misc:28876 comp.os.linux.help:63799 comp.os.386bsd.misc:3985 comp.os.386bsd.questions:14260 Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage,comp.periphs.scsi,comp.sys.next.hardware,comp.os.linux.misc,comp.os.linux.help,comp.os.386bsd.misc,comp.os.386bsd.questions Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!msuinfo!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!ix.netcom.com!netcom.com!aturner From: aturner@netcom.com (Aaron Turner) Subject: Re: SyQuest SQ3270S for Data Exchange? Message-ID: <aturnerCys9Hr.GG6@netcom.com> Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest) References: <CyrpHu.2FB@prz.tu-berlin.de> Date: Sat, 5 Nov 1994 07:15:27 GMT Lines: 55 In article <CyrpHu.2FB@prz.tu-berlin.de>, Thomas Wolfram <wolf@prz.tu-berlin.de> wrote: > >Hi, >I would like to use my SyQuest SQ3270S, i.e. the cartridges, >for exchanging data. Sounds natural but what happens if >different SCSI controllers in the different computers are >using different heads/sectors translation schemes (e.g. >Adaptec controllers make every SCSI disk to appear to have >64 heads and 32 sectors, but not all SCSI controllers >do the same) and this information is stored in any way in >the respective partition when it's formatted? The potential problems depends on the SCSI cards in use, translation tables, and method of access. For example: I've formated a SyQuest 88 cart using a Seagate 8bit adapter that formats the cart to a greater capacity than the Adaptec 1542 will. However the Adaptec during normal DOS read\writes won't have any problem. But if I use a prgm called "DUP" that uses SCSI BIOS calls to do a _exact_copy_ of a cart that was formated on the Seagate, the Adaptec won't copy about the last 300K. As I understand it, if the cartridge can be read\written to, then you don't have a problem. If the cartridge looks like crap, then it wont work. There is a way to get by this- you write a device driver that does the translation for you. If you use you SyQuest drive under DOS, that's half of the job of SQDRIVER.SYS. If you have the know-how I can probably get the info to program the driver from SyQuest- I work there. > >Even DOS stores the number of heads >and sectors in the "boot" sector of the respective >partition. Does this cause any problems when using the >cartridges in different computers? > >What about the BSD file system of NeXTSTEP? Is exchanging >cartridges possible? Dunno. Never tried it, nor have the capacity to. > >What about the Linux file system? I've swapped carts in my system, I just umount, then mount the new cart. Works great- though I doubt that it would work well for the root. Aaron Turner, MIS ***************************************************** SyQuest Technology * --Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that * aka: aturner@netcom.com * which is adequately explained by stupidity. * sophmore@Cal.St.Univ.Hayward ******************************************* * Disclaimer: The views expressed are my own and do * Finger for AOL & CI$ * not neccessarily reflect those of my employer. * email addresses & PGP *****************************************************