The sneakernet era
may be coming to an end, but network administrators may occasionally want to carry DAT drives to different locations because of no direct network link or a disruption in the communications line.
ADPI, Parallel Storage Solutions, and Valitek provide tape drives with handy (no pun intended) carry-on straps and
parallel connection ports
, in addition to the SCSI port. It's reassuring to know that you can attach your DAT drive to any computer on your network, even when you do not have a SCSI controller, to restore a badly needed file.
It is often difficult
to pinpoint the specific problem when a SCSI device fails to be recognized. It can be as simple as an
improper SCSI termination
, or the terminator is not receiving the proper po
wer signal. Having an LED indicator on the ``active'' SCSI terminators to show whether they are receiving the right amount of power eliminates the guesswork when there is a problem. The tape drives from Dynatek Automation Systems, FWB, Optima Technology, and Storage Dimensions come with terminator power LEDs. (The Optima's LED is on the back of the drive itself rather than on the terminator.)
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