OK, expert storage specialists,
I'm in a bit of a bind here.  I have proposed a new storage solution for the
IT department and I'm getting some flack on pricing.  Here's what I
proposed:
A new 3494 library with 4 3590 E tape drives
A new IBM F50 ADSM server with TSM 3.7
Cost is in the neighborhood of $350,000.
Here's what we currently have:
1 ADSM server (an IBM S7A) that also runs Oracle and SAP
StorageTek 9714 with 6 DLT 7000 drives

The problem we currently have:
8 Unix servers
14 NT servers
and a 400 GB Oracle/SAP database that gets backed up every night through SQL
Backtrack to ADSM.
Copy storage pools are created for file systems and SAP production data
every day.
3 more Unix servers and at least 7 more NT servers will be added before Jan
15, 2000.
As it stands right now, the 9714 is totally booked.  The box works all day
and all night.  I've done everything I can to improve performance.  The best
transfer rate I get is during the copy storage pools and at best it's 11GB
an hour.  Eventually some of the 400 GB will be archived with HSM.  Finding
time in the schedule to do this now is impossible.

My proposal was to leave ADSM on the Oracle/SAP machine and connect the 3494
to it.  This machine would then only backup SAP and create off-site storage
pools for it.
The new F50 would run only ADSM and it would be attached to the current
9714.  It would back up all of our file servers that the current SAP machine
is doing and all new boxes that come on line.

So is this a good idea?  Any other thoughts?  What would be better or more
cost effective?
Management is having trouble dealing with a none glamorous piece of hardware
(that will only save their butts down the line).  They don't see that now
though.  They only see this box that costs a fortune and doesn't carry any
users.

I, personally, want to stay just with an IBM solution because I am sick of
the finger pointing that goes on now with our StorageTek unit.  StorageTek
is constantly blaming IBM for the problems with the library and IBM is
constantly telling me that the problem is with our StorageTek library.

What other solutions are available?  I looked at StorageTek and IBM but not
any other competitors.

Thanks.

Regards,
Jeannine Walter

Purina Mills, Inc.
St. Louis, MO
314-768-4181
Jeannine_Walter AT Purina-Mills DOT com <mailto:Jeannine_Walter AT Purina-Mills 
DOT com>