I have to access some vital information through a third party. The information is stored on a tape drive that dates from around earliest 1982. The only other information is that "datatrax" is used. I do not know what the term refers to nor do I have any specs at all. The third party has refused my request for the data as it would take "literally days." This is from someone I know not to be very computer literate and I suspect that I'm being put off.
Is it possible that it could take days to recover the data? The data is still recorded from two months ago from a shop that processes on average 400 customers a day.
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I don't think I have enough data to answer the question accurately. The only reference that might match is this.
It refers to an old sun tape drive called datatrax and that it's a QIC-150 drive. Unfortunately, the link with a picture doesn't work anymore. I'm not sure if this is what they were talking about or not as I also found a link that talked about DataTrax as an information retrieval system.
Sure, it could take days. That is, if they don't know what they're doing and have a highly inefficient organization. Add that they don't seem to care and it sounds like that's what you've got.
If telling them that a backup expert said "bullocks" will help, then tell them I said that. If not, then I'm not sure I can help much.
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This was first published in March 2004