The good news is: the wait is still tolerable. The bad news is: the verification pass usually takes as much time as the copy itself. Writing goes relatively quickly-again, the Ultrium 1840/ATTO H380 tag-team manages a real-world data rate of about 120 MBps, but BRU also needs time to verify that your data has been accurately written to the tape. Then just hit BRU's Archive button, and watch it go work writing the data to tape. To get started, just drag any files/folders from the Mac's Finder into BRU's Archive window, and then type in a name for your Archive session-for instance, "Wrestling B-Roll". The Mac operating system (Windows, too, for that matter) doesn't work with tape drives natively, so I need BRU to control the HP Ultrium and read/write data to its tape.īRU is a full-featured backup application, but its beauty is its simple QuickArchive mode, which provides a clean, streamlined interface for writing data to tape. The final ingredient in my LTO4 cocktail is backup software called BRU Producer's Edition ($499), from the TOLIS Group. Since I'm archiving video from a single Mac, though, I opted for a zippy SAS-connected LTO drive. The drawback of an Ethernet connection is that it's only half as fast as SAS, but that may be worth it if you want to archive video from multiple workstations. One more thing: most LTO4 drives use SAS or SCSI interfaces, but a few drives, such as CacheA's PrimeCache ($7,995), can connect to your computer or network via an everyday Gigabit Ethernet cable. The R380 is a great way to make the most of the Mac Pro's rather paltry 3 spare expansion slots. If your Mac is running low on free card slots, ATTO also sells a highly-rated RAID card called the R380 ($1,095), which includes two SAS ports that can drive either a 4 or 8-drive RAID and an LTO4 drive simultaneously, at high speeds. Although the card is designed for an 8x slot, you can install it in a 4x slot if it's just running a single LTO4 drive. You do have to install a driver to use it (unless you're running the new Snow Leopard OS, which comes with drivers built in), but the card runs cool, has no fan, and doesn't interfere with the Mac's ability to sleep. ![]() The Ultrium drive connects to a computer via a Mini-SAS cable, so I installed an ATTO Technology H380 card ($395) into my Mac Pro to gain two SAS ports. If cost is a major concern, though, the 1760 is still a great option. Note: HP also sells a smaller, less expensive "half height" drive called the Ultrium 1760 ($2,749), but I chose the 1840 because its max speed is about 20MBps faster, and it runs about 12 db quieter. That's okay, though, because I can just turn it on when needed, and my backup software finds it immediately-no need to reboot the computer. Given the noise, the 1840 isn't something I want running all the time on my desk. When the drive is searching the tape, there's also a little robotic whir thrown in for good measure. When the Ultrium is on, you can definitely hear its fan I'd say it's about as noisy than a typical 8-drive RAID, and definitely more noisy than a Mac Pro tower. All you really have to do is gently nudge your LTO tape into the Ultrium, and the drive takes it in. The 1840 is as simple to use as a Fisher-Price toy-the front of the unit sports a Power button, a tape Eject button, and a couple of status LEDs. HP sells the 1840 with either an Ultra320 SCSI or SAS interface, but I chose the SAS option because it delivers top-speed through a single cable, without any configuration headaches that I associate with other SCSI formats. ![]() And it's got a confidence-inspiring 3-year warranty. It's a speed-demon as far as LTO4 drives go, delivering up to about 120MBps of real-world throughput. The 1840 is a "full-height" external drive that's about 12.5" inches long, 9" wide and 5" tall, and can easily fit on your desktop. Many companies make LTO4 drives, but I chose the HP Ultrium 1840, which has a list price of $3,999 (naturally, it can be found at online retailers for much cheaper). You can buy it yourself piece-meal, or buy it as a bundle from one company (TOLIS Group, Here's how the various components work together. After months of research, I've found a Mac-based LTO4 solution that's working great on a single workstation. LTO's real problem has been the confusing and risky process of finding the right LTO4 drive, the right interface card, and the right backup software, and see them all work reliably together. In fact, a fast, reliable LTO4 system can be had for under $3,300, which is reasonable for most professionals. There is, however, a problem with LTO4 tape-and it's not really the cost.
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