B
Product Notes for Novell,™ MS-DOS,™and Windows NT™This appendix provides information for the system administrator. It should be read before installing and using the SWXTE tape drive SBB with a host system operating under the Novell, MS-DOS, MS-DOS/Windows or Windows NT operating systems.
The StorageWorks 8505 8mm Cartridge Tape Drive is available as three packaging options: SWXTE–AA, SWXTE–AB, and SWXTE–AC. These options are referred to collectively in this appendix by the name SWXTE. (Section 1.2 of this guide summarizes these packaging options and defines SBB.)
The SWXTE tape drive SBB utilizes the standard SCSI-2 command set to interface to the PC- based host system. Thus, the host system must be equipped with a SCSI adapter to properly interface the tape drive with the host. For example, the host SCSI adapter might interface the computer’s EISA bus to the SCSI-2 port of the SBB.
A host PC SCSI adapter is normally supplied with a compatible software driver for use with its operating system. When operating under the Novell and MS-DOS or MS-DOS/Windows operating systems, the software driver must be pre-loaded according to the SCSI adapter manufacturer’s installation procedure to ensure a proper interface between the tape drive SBB and the host. In addition, a user-level tape read/write software program may be required to implement tape support under the Novell, MS-DOS, MS-DOS/Windows, or Windows NT environments. There are many commercial software products available that provide host or network-based data backup and restore, archiving, data logging, etc. functionality for these operating systems.
Before purchasing a user-level software product, ensure that the tape drive SBB is supported by that product (see note below). Commercial software vendors usually publish a supported hardware list, or have telephone technical support personnel that will answer questions regarding compatibility of a particular tape drive or other storage devices. When choosing a software product suitable for your application, follow the software vendor’s installation procedure to implement support for your tape drive SBB.
This product is supported under Windows NT, versions 3.1 and 3.5, by adding the "Exabyte 8500 series (SCSI-2)" tape device option. Follow the Windows NT "Add/Remove Tape Devices" procedure to add this support.
Finally, if your host is operating under Novell Netware, Novell, Inc. provides a software product called “Server Backup” with some of its operating system products. This program has been found to work well with the SWXTE tape drive SBB.
NOTE
The SWXTE–AA, SWXTE–AB, and SWXTE–AC tape drive packaging options are functionally equivalent to the EXABYTE model 8505 10 GB 8mm tape drive. Commercial software products that support the 8505 will usually work with the SWXTE.
