Product Reviews

Tandberg Data has had some success recently in bringing QIC technology into the spotlight. I was impressed with the MLR1 drive (reviewed issue 32, p162) which offered a hefty 13Gb native capacity and a fast 90Mbytes/min throughput. The SLR5 is Tandberg's next QIC drive and is aimed at standalone high-end PCs and medium to small networks.

Coming in at the top of the Panther range of QIC drives, Tandberg offers the SLR5 as a viable and cheaper alternative to DAT DDS-2. Using chunky 5.25in QIC cartridges with a native capacity of 4Gb, the SLR5 has a quoted top speed of 400Kbytes/sec. This equates to a modest 23.5Mbytes/min, which is around 30 to 40 per cent slower than DAT drives. In Tandberg's favour, however, the medium is far more reliable and hard-wearing than DAT. Cost projections over a few years will show substantial savings, as QIC media doesn't have to be replaced as often.

Available only as an external unit, the SLR5 is well built with a solid plastic shell. There's no motorised loading - flip down the large front panel, slot a cartridge in and push the panel shut until it locks. Connection is via the rear-mounted 50-pin Centronics-style SCSI-2 sockets, and Tandberg includes a SCSI cable as well. However, unlike

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the excellent backup software bundle included with its MLR1 drive, you get nothing with the base SLR5 kit. You can purchase Tandberg's Storage Solution package, which includes virtually every Seagate backup product, but this will add a further £93 to the initial cost.

For testing I used two Fujitsu Teamservers - a Pentium Pro 200 C640i running NetWare 4.1 and a Pentium/75 C450i with Windows NT Server 4. An Adaptec 2940 Ultra Wide PCI adaptor card was used for connection, and both systems had Seagate's Backup Exec and Cheyenne's ARCServe installed to test for compatibility and performance. I had no problems on the NetWare system, with the drive recognised by both products, although Backup Exec will require an updated NLM (NetWare Loadable Module) copied over from the supplied floppy. Tandberg also provides a Windows NT driver which you'll need for Backup Exec. ARCServe is less picky as it uses its own generic drivers, although you should have the latest service pack.

Unlike many manufacturers, Tandberg quotes native performance for the SLR5, which I found easily achievable on both systems. I saw the best average backup speeds of 28.5Mbytes/min on the Windows NT system, which improved slightly to 30.5Mbytes/min during verification. It's important to take into account the latter operation, as all data secured to tape should be compared to disk to ensure that the copy is valid.

For sheer performance, DAT definitely has the upper hand. However, a long-term comparison will show that, although your backups will take longer, the SLR5 can work out cheaper to run. Initial outlay for the drive is also lower by some £200. Considering the superb build quality, the SLR5 cartridges are cheap as well; at £18 each, they're only about £6 more than DAT tapes and you can expect them to last at least twice as long.