Re: Interesting idea

--- In [email protected], Tony Harminc <tharminc@...> wrote:
>
> On 10 October 2010 17:10, idc3009i <idc3009i@...> wrote:
> 
> > I think there might be a problem in attaching 3350s to a 3090, even if you could find any. �The place I was working when the 3350s were phased out did so because the new machine was not capable of supporting them for some reason. �I don't remember exactly why this was, but they also had to get rid of the MSS at the same time because it was tied to the 3350s for staging space (a pity really because it was quite amusing watching it work).
> 
> IIRC the MSS supported only 3330s... But I may not RC.
> 
> Tony H.
>

The 3330s were the removable packs which the MSS emulated.  They actually worked off of a wide (5 or 6 inches) magnetic tape on a single reel.  This was presented to the system as a 3330V device type.  When accessed, the robot arm loaded the tape cartridge from its cell inside the unit to a reader and staged it to 3350 from where it was accessed.  De-staging was the reverse of the process.  Lovely to watch it in action... there was even a window in the side!