>    Our RS/6000 ADSM server currently utilizes a 3494 in support of ADSM
> backup. It's configuration is (1) L10 with a 3490 C2A tape drive and (1)
> D10 with a 3490 C2A tape drive.
>    The time has come to expand the 3494 and I would like to use the 3590
> tape drive technology. From what I have read, I can mix 3490's and 3590's
> within the same 3494. In other words, I want to add a D12 frame to the
> 3494 with 3590 B1A tape drives.
>    Can anyone confirm support for this, or offer advice on how ADSM will
> work in this environment?

We had a similar situation last year: We had a 3494 L10 with one drive
unit (called feature code #5300, now replaced by D10), one storage unit
and one 3490E drive built into the control unit. Then, after doing some
model upgrades, two 3590 drives were built into the drive unit. I am not
sure about the numbers: do we have a L12 with a D12 now?

Anyway, some experiences:

 Our ADSM server uses all 3490E and 3590 drives. Works fine. Just keep in
   mind, that the ADSM server automatically assignes a new category for
   the scratch 3590 tapes: it is the existing 3490E scratch category + 1.
   This category should not be used by another application!

 IBM was not able to connect the 3590 drives to the existing 3490E drive.
   We thus had to connect the 3590 drives to a separate SCSI controller.
   This is bad: Even if we are willing to spend a second SCSI controller,
   we would prefer to connect each 3590 drive to a different one, thus
   connnecting one to the 3490E drive.

 During the upgrade, a new OS/2 was installed on the library controller.
   Afterwards, the library's data base was lost. (A backup had been made, but
   it could not be restored.) So a complete re-inventory was done after
   the installation, which ejected all tapes not wearing a type label
   (1, E or J). To put them back into the library, one has to supply the
   label and type via a menu on the console.

Reinhard Mersch                     Westfaelische Wilhelms-Universitaet
Universitaetsrechenzentrum, Einsteinstrasse 60, 48149 Muenster, Germany
E-Mail: mersch AT uni-muenster DOT de                   Phone: +49(251)83-2488