Ocean Drilling Program: Information Services: Shipboard Computing

Computing Environment

Data Collection

Software

Communications

Shipboard Laboratories

Data Backup and Transfer

Legacy information for 1985-2003

The following backup devices are officially supported on the ship:

CD-ROM recorders (one free CD provided for each shipboard scientist, additional CDs can be purchased on board)
8 mm Exabyte tape drives (for Unix Workstations)
4 mm DAT tape drives (for Unix Workstations or Macs with Retrospect)
230 Mb Magneto-optical (MO) drives (for PCs and Macs)
1.4 Mb Floppy Drives (for PCs and Macs)
100 Mb Zip* Drives (for PCs and Macs; media not available for sale on board)
1 Gb Jaz* Drives (for PCs and Macs; media available for sale on board)

*For the Zip and Jaz drives, we provide support only for data transfer, not for continuous use. We also encourage scientists to bring their own Zip or Jazz drives.

Scientists are encouraged to ask about data storage formats before they leave their home institutions to ensure successful transfer of data at the end of the cruise. ODP also advises scientists to bring blank recording media (Zip, MO, or Jazz cartridges; Exabyte or Data tapes; 3.5 inch diskettes; or writable CDs) as only a very limited supply is maintained on the ship.