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Reading 9-track tapes on OpenVMS?

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The Question is:

 
We have a dead VAX 785 (what a suprise) and have a need
to read some of our old 9 track VMS backup tapes.
I may be able to fix the 785 (we have parts from
others that went on before) but time and money for my
time to do it isn't likely. We have 1 seat of OpenVMS
on an Alphastation 500. Can I hook up a 9 track tape unit on it?
The one I have in mind is an Sun scsi unit from
a Sun 4/490. My last option that I can think of
is to use an outside company that does this kind of stuff.
Do you know of any?
Thanks

The Answer is :

 
  There are SCSI tape drives that allow various nine-track magnetic tapes
  to be read.  The TSZ07 is one such option.  (Retirement of the TSZ07 is
  expected to occur in February of 1999, though a replacement product is
  expected to be made available on specific platforms.)
 
  Before considering an attempt to configure and use a third-party tape,
  please read through the previous discussions of problems seen here in
  Ask The Wizard -- SCSI device integration and testing is potentially an
  entirely non-trivial and time-consuming project, and if you already have
  no time available, the Wizard would not recommend this approach.

  
     
     answer written or last revised on ( 22-JAN-1999 )
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