3590 Magstar...

I am running ADSM on MVS 3.1.2.0 (OS/390 2.5) with Magstar 3494 libraries
(one primary tape pool, the other my electronic vault/copy pool).   My copy
groups are DFSMS controlled System Managed Tape storage groups.  Everything
is automated.  I am getting a utilization range of FULL tapes between 10 -
68 gigabytes (this depends upon the file types on the tape) with
compression on standard 3590 cartridges.   With just about a year of this
venture underway I can truthfully say that there have been zero tape media
or drive problems.  All maintenance is proactive with microcode fixes
applied as soon as they become available.  Another ADSM server on AIX
running on an SP/2 has been using Magstar 3494 with 3590 drives for over
two years with similar success.  Each environment can be recovered at our
Business Recovery site using manual 3590 drives.  Using a Magstar 3494
allows you to leverage your asset across multiple systems if you need to do
that.  Since the 3494 (and the 3590 drives within it) can be partitioned
across multiple platforms (we use one across MVS, SP/2, and AS/400) you can
achieve your storage requirements in one footprint.  IBM offers non-library
rack mounted 3590 tape subsystems for the server world too.

There are a lot of large capacity media offerings and I will confess that I
don't know much about the AIT, DLT, etc. world.   What I do know is that
price, speed and automation are certainly factors to consider, but do not
overlook the "speed to data" factor -- how fast can I get to my data when
needed.   The Magstar 3590 uses serpentine longitudinal recording that
produces 128 tracks of data on the media with fast search capability across
the tape to data rather than traditional search for data along the length
of the tape (and for long tape this can be a long time).

Also, don't overlook the Magstar MP (3570 or 3575) tape subsystem.  Same
technical ideas in a different footprint.

By the way, I don't work for IBM...just a satisfied customer.

Jim Hood ... Shared Medical Systems ... Malvern, PA