Hi Dennis,
We have been using 3590 with MVS for a couple years and as you pointed out
even though they are very reliable and an excellent peformer they may be
too costly for the configuration your setting up. I'd recommend you take a
look at the IBM Magstar MP libraries.
The technology is based on the 3590 Magstar and is also designed for speed
and reliability. The difference is the Magstar MP libraries are not that
much more expensive than DLT libraries. They don't hold as much per
cartridge but if reliability, transfer rate, and speed to the first byte of
data are important I'd give Magstar MP a look. In the backup business we
all tend to focus on how much a tape can hold when that may not always be
the most important feature. Here's some info from Strategic Research
comparing Magstar MP to DLT and others. The Magstar MP the article talks
about is the B model MP drive which was rated at 2.2MB/sec uncompressed.
The new C model drives are rated at 7MB/sec uncompressed.
We have been using a Magstar 3575-L06 library with two C model drives in a
smaller NT configuration than yours with very
good results so far.
http://www.sresearch.com/105420.htm
Good luck,
Jeff Connor
Niagara Mohawk Power Corp
Syracuse NY
Dennis Schaffer <Dennis.Schaffer AT MUTUALOFOMAHA DOT COM> on 11/20/98 11:36:20
AM
Please respond to "ADSM: Dist Stor Manager" <ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU>
To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
cc: (bcc: Jeffrey P Connor/IT/NMPC)
Subject: Recommendations and Costs for DLT Library/Drives
I'm planning to supplement/replace my current Exabyte 8mm tape libraries
and drives next year with some form of newer/better (specifically, more
reliable) technology. I don't have to make any decisions right now but I
need to put some money in the budget and am looking for input on $$$.
I'm running four ADSM/Windows NT V3.1.1.3 servers and that number will
probabably increase by two or three next year. Each server holds about
600Gb of backup data and we backup about 55Gb to each server daily. We
backup 140 Windows NT and (a few) Macintosh clients.
I'm interested in either smaller libraries that would be dedicated to each
ADSM server or larger libraries that could be shared by two or more
servers.
I've reviewed some of the archive messages on this subject and it appears
that my best choice for reliability (and maybe speed) is IBM 3590 and it
appears that a few people are doing that (with NT servers) but not many,
probably due to cost. Cost may be a factor with us, as well.
The more probable scenario for us, from a cost point of view, is DLT
technology or possibly AIT. It appears that STK products seem to be pretty
popular with the members of this list but there are probably other
possibilities, as well.
Would anyone be willing to provide recommendations for products that have
worked well for you? And, more importantly, can anyone give me a ballpark
figure for costs of their favorite solutions?
Thanks in advance for your input.
Dennis Schaffer
Mutual of Omaha
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