5
External 68 Pin SCSI connector located on
68 pin SCSI cable connector required to
the back of the VXA-2 Packet Tape Drive
connect to the VXA-2 Packet Tape Drive
8. What training is required to operate the new device?
The Exabyte VXA-2 Packet Tape Drive is designed for operational simplicity to eliminate any
training requirement. Operating the VXA-2 Packet Tape Drive is similar to operating DDS drives.
The only operator intervention necessary is inserting and removing tapes. Ejecting a tape involves
simply pressing one button.
The intuitive four LED display on the VXA-2 Packet Tape Drive indicates its operational status. The
product manual includes an interpretation table of LED patterns for easy reference.
Operator interaction in the backup process occurs primarily through the backup application’s user
interface. Because your current backup application will likely support the VXA-2 Packet Tape
Drive, your day-to-day backup procedures will remain unchanged.
9. How will VXA technology affect my backup window?
The VXA-2 Packet Tape Drive data transfer rate is twice as fast as a DDS-4 drive, and four times
as fast as a DDS-3 drive. Provided that the server can supply data at the rate of 12 MB per
second, allowing the data to be compressed to the drive’s transfer rate of 6MB per second, the
backup window will be reduced by half from DDS-4 and one-quarter from DDS-3 times.
10. How many new tapes will I need?
Unlike DDS tape cartridges, VXA Packet tapes are available in four standard lengths, facilitating
accurate fulfillment based on the capacity required for your application. The smallest VXA-2 tape
cartridge offers the same capacity as a DDS-4 tape, and 66% more capacity as a DDS-3 tape
cartridge. The following table compares the four VXA-2 tape capacities to DDS-2 and DDS-4
tapes.
Capacity (GB) Uncompressed/Compressed
DDS-3 125 Meters
12/24
DDS-4 150 Meters
20/40
VXA-2 Model X6
20/40
VXA-2 Model X10
40/80
VXA-2 Model X23
80/160
If your backups meet the following criteria, you can replace your DDS tapes one-for-one with VXA-
2 model X6 tapes:
· Your backup does not exceed the capacity of a single DDS-3 or DDS-4 tape
· You do not anticipate adding new storage in the foreseeable future
· You do not anticipate adding servers or workstations to the new backup scheme using the
VXA-2 Packet Data Tape Drive
You should consider purchasing larger VXA-2 tapes if one of the following applies:
· Your current DDS-3 or DDS-4 full backup tapes are near capacity
· You anticipate adding storage within the next two years
