How to transfer data FAST?

[Zane H. Healy]

> So tell me, what are the really cool methods to transfer data between a 
> PC and a real PDP11 at a reasonable speed? SCSI controller and SCSI 
> disk? Something else? Ethernet?
> 
> Or is a backup over serial line a normal thing...?

It helps that I have SCSI Controllers on my operational PDP-11's.  I use
removable disk trays that allow me to move the HD's between PDP-11's, and
more importantly to hook them up to a Unix box, at which point I can use
'dd' to back them up.  The resulting disk images can be accessed via SIMH,
E11, or burned to a CD-R and accessed on the real PDP-11 HW.  I've managed
to boot and install RT-11, RSX-11M, and RSX-11M+ from CD-R.  I've yet to
figure out how to do that with RSTS/E.  I also typically have either a TZ30
(half-height SCSI TK50 drive), or a TLZ06 (4mm DAT) drive hooked up.  I
prefer to use DAT, however, RSTS/E software doesn't really like trying to be
installed from DAT.

Ethernet using either TCP/IP or DECnet is another option that I use to
transfer data, but I try to only use that for small amounts of data.  One of
these days I plan to go wireless with my PDP-11.  I'd also like to see if I
can't get a SCSI DVD-ROM drive running, but considering the difficulty with
getting a CD-ROM drive to work, I have some doubts on getting that to work.

		Zane