[Info-vax] Databases versus RMS

[Paul Sture]

On Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:12:34 -0500, Bob Koehler wrote:

> In article <jmp8pu$gpt$1 at dont-email.me>, David Froble
> <davef at tsoft-inc.com> writes:
>> Paul Sture wrote:
> [...]
>>> 
>>> Oh, the guy didn't have any tape backups because he "didn't trust tape
>>> backups".
>>> 
>>> 
>> It's hard to trust something you didn't do ....
> 
>    I've been amazed at how many programmers don't understand tapes,
>    don't trust tapes, don't use tapes, don't know how to use tapes, ...
> 
>    And if I didn't have a product with the built-in cross checking and
>    redundancy of VMS BACKUP, I wouldn't trust them either.

Indeed.  When BACKUP came along we had loads of customer requests to 
start distributing our software via that rather than COPY (and FLX was in 
the mix too - bad memories of that getting the density correct).

>    Meanwhile, all kinds of folks trust disk resident backups.  I saw a
>    very convincing demonstration from a backup vendor once at a DC
>    VMSLUG meeting:
> 
>    The speaker brushed a tape casset off the top off the podium.  After
>    it banged on the floor, he claimed that he might have to replace the
>    case, but he had a lot of confidence that he could read the tape.
>    Imagine if a disk experienced that fall.

Indeed.  Last year I had a ruggedised, allegedly shock-proof portable USB 
disk fail on me when I placed a pen on top of it.



-- 
Paul Sture