Driver for Overland tape library

[Ric Moore]

On Thu, 2007-01-04 at 15:14 -0500, Net Llama! wrote:
> On Thu, 4 Jan 2007, Tony Alfrey wrote:
> > Net Llama! wrote:
> >> On Thu, 4 Jan 2007, Man-wai CHANG wrote:
> >>>> No, it need not be tapes.  Backups should be:
> >>>> 1.  performed regularly (depending on how often files on the system may change)
> >>>> 2.  be kept off-site  (that means not in the same building -- some big
> >>>> companies like Fedex, etc., will have two data sites, one with
> >>>> accounting data, one with tracking data, and back up between the two
> >>>> sites -- located in two different states).
> >>> At home, I am using 2 harddisk to back up everything. I use them
> >>> alternatively. For more critical data, I keep a copy on DVD-RW.
> >>>
> >>> Tapes require special storage facilities, or they would be oxidized(?).
> >>
> >> On which planet is this?
> >>
> >
> > This planet.  He's confusing the general deterioration of the adhesion
> > of the magnetic oxide on the tape with the fact that the stuff on the
> > tape is already oxidized, but magnetic tape does deteriorate.  Ask any
> > audio recording studio in LA where they put tape that they expected to
> > have usable 10 years down the road.  I can personally attest to the
> > oxide layer literally falling off the backing of old tape when taken out
> > of the vault and run through the transport.
> 
> Exactly.  The tape is already oxidized.  The problem is deterioriation 
> over time due to age, not oxidation.

The magnetic ferrous is oxidized for sure, right from the get-go. But,
cannot the adhesive also succumb to the ravages of oxygen as well?? That
would be oxidation in the classic sense... time isn't a chemical that
reacts, combining with oxygen is a reaction known as oxidation. It
doesn't have to be with just iron. With no accelerator, it could take
years to oxidize. Ric
-- 
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