Backing Up with Tape Drives: Security Is What Counts

Tandberg SLR100

The SLR100 from Tandberg is derived from the QIC streamers and has a similar mechanical design. Its recording format is called QIC-100. The basis of the tape is an aluminum-cast base that protects against twisting. The drive itself also has an aluminum-cast frame. With 50 GB net capacity, the SLR100 is right on the border of the category divisions in the testing field. According to the manufacturer, the SLR100 reaches a transfer rate of 5 MB/s. In the test, we achieved very nearly that, at 95 percent.

Driver support is relatively voluminous. Windows NT/ 2000 is supported, as well as Solaris 2.x, HP-UX 10.20 and Netware.

In performance terms, Tandberg's SLR100 leads the category of drives up to 50 GB by a wide margin. That is largely due to the good test results it achieved in archiving and restoring large quantities of data. But when it comes to restoring individual files, it only scores a middling ranking.

Compared to the other candidates in the category of up to 50 GB, the SLR100 is expensive (around $2000), and so is the cost of storing 1 GB of data ($2.07). Its excellent performance puts Tandberg first in the test rankings.