This is a long one, but I would like to get some opions on the following.

Currently we have a total of 4 tape silos being used to perform backups.

We also have NetBackup software running with 3 different hardware platforms
and 4 different servers (2 master and 2 media).  Each platform requires a
different version of NetBackup.

I am putting together a proposal to try to replace the two media servers and
one of the master servers with a single new master server and two silos (a
new silo and one of the existing silos).  The goal is to end up with a
single platform (maybe two operating systems) and two different master
servers.

The new silo would use IBM 3590 tapes (like the master server that will
remain untouched throughout this process), which we seem to have far fewer
problems with than the DLT7000 tapes the other silos are using.

My strategy is to load up the new server (debating whether to go with
Solaris 8 or 9), load up Netbackup on the new server, test the system out
thouroughly and everything works ok, migrate the information in the database
from the old master into the new one (the old systems must continue working
while the new one is being implemented).

Was wondering if this seems like a reasonable plan.

If is reasonable, do you think it would be too risky to try to pull this off
in-house or should I turn this over to Veritas professional service.  My
major concern is the merging of the database so that the new master will
recognize all of the backup information from the old one (costs reduction is
a major reason why this is being considered by management in the first
place, so any costs that can be avoided helps our case).

TIA
emajr