[ale] Tape RAID?

[James P. Kinney III]

Since the write to tape is slow compared to write to HD, is it feasible
to make a tape RAID process? I have seen several similar things in the
enterprise realm but they were not quite what I'm envisioning. They
would do multiple stream backups. All of one file would be on a single
tape. The next file might be on a different tape.

I'm thinking an evenly split data/parity spread across the array of tape
drives. This would provide all the joys of RAID for a low cost/GB backup
system. The aim is to have a tape system that can accept a data stream
as fast as the hard drives can deliver it.

This would be a real PIA to do using different tape drives that write at
different speeds. But if the drives all are equivalent, the RAID kernel
code can be reused to split up the data stream and then a hack on the
delivery part to support the tape parameters.

Feasible? Bad idea? Been done already? Jim should not try to think
before the second cup of coffee has been fully ingested?
-- 
James P. Kinney III          \Changing the mobile computing world/
CEO & Director of Engineering \          one Linux user         /
Local Net Solutions,LLC        \           at a time.          /
770-493-8244                    \.___________________________./
http://www.localnetsolutions.com

GPG ID: 829C6CA7 James P. Kinney III (M.S. Physics)
<jkinney at localnetsolutions.com>
Fingerprint = 3C9E 6366 54FC A3FE BA4D 0659 6190 ADC3 829C 6CA7
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