Depending on what your storage needs are will tell you what you want.
For me, in general, I avoid DLT tapes at all costs.  They are clumsy
and fragile, but they do hold 35GB native.  The problem with that is
if you want to retrieve a file off a DLT, it may be at the end of the
tape.  With a DLT the queue-up time is much long than any of the magstars,
and the search time is even worse, so be prepared to wait several minutes
to retrieve one 3KB file.  With the magstar's I wait about 1 minute to
get a file (and that include robot seek time).

Another thing to consider is the life span of a heavily used tape.  The
magstar's can be used over and over with less tape wear.  A DLT needs
to be rotated after so many uses.  Also the heads of a DLT drive wear
out quicker, so you will have to get them refurbished every now and then.
Oh yeah, don't ever drop a DLT from 3 feet or higher.  The little tines
in the tape break and you are out of luck.  The 3590 or 3570 form factors
are tough (trust me I know heh)

Don't get me wrong, I think the DLT has its niche in the storage field.
It excels at little used; long term "cold" storage due to the price per
megabyte of storage.  A DLT costs like $100USD/70GB (2:1 compression),
which is $1.4USD/GB.  A 3590 costs like $65USD/30GB (3:1 compression),
which is $2.2USD/GB.  Then you have drive costs where the 3590's are
like 3x more expensive than a DLT.

One thing you might want to look at are the 3575 libraries.  They are very
reasonably priced, and the 3570 tape is very slick.  They restore small
files in less than a minute due to the fact that the tape queues-up in
like a few seconds, and it is 1/2 through the tape from the get go.

One last note.  ADSM is an IBM product.  Magstar is and IBM product.  Do
you think you will have any software compatability/support issues if you
stay with the same vendor?  I have to say this about IBM, they support their
products very well.  I think the 3570 will be IBM's flagship for the next
5 year or so.

Really it comes down to:  you get what you pay for.  I believe in the
philosophy that, "No one ever got fired for buying the best".

These are just my thoughts,

-ben
Fred J Stellabotte wrote:
Fred J Stellabotte wrote:
>
> Hi All ...
>
> We are in the final stages of purchasing ADSM ... we were planning to
> use DLT (StorageTek 9714), but IBM and one of their vendors is making it
> very attractive($$$)  to use IBM's Magstar ...
>
> It seems that if I use the StorageTEK 9714 Library with (60 Tapes) I must
> purchase
> the "Extended Device Support". But If I use IBM's Magstar Library with the 
> same
> capacity (but 240 tapes) I don't have to purchase the Extended Device support
> ...
>
> With the quotes I am working with the Magstar Unit is more expensive but the
> total
> quote comes out less because of the Extended device support.
>
> Are there any real benefits to using Magstar ..???
>
> What is the average cost of the Magstar Tape vs the DLT tape ..???
>
> Is having a smaller tape a plus with ADSM ...?
>
> Is Magstart really faster in recovery as the Vendor Claims ..???
>
> Will IBM Abandon the technology ..???
>
> Thanks so much .....
>
> -Fred
>
> ____________________________________________________________
> >| ==  Fred J. Stellabotte
> stellabotte AT hazeltine DOT com
> >| ==  Manager Technical Support
> >| == _______________________________________________________
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