ADSM-L

Re: Window Client - Time Change bug

2001-03-01 18:30:57
Subject: Re: Window Client - Time Change bug
From: Tab Trepagnier <Tab.Trepagnier AT LAITRAM DOT COM>
Date: Thu, 1 Mar 2001 17:30:18 -0600
Wanda,

I feel your pain on the costs and licensing.

Our VAR needed TWO MONTHS to provide a quote that they could explain to us for
upgrading our ADSM 3.1 system to TSM. This is with about 140 clients, so we're
talking "medium" size at most.  Not only has Tivoli adopted their "value points"
pricing system, but then they sell the points in "lots".  So we got quoted for
four items of 250 points each totaling some $36,000 when we weren't asking to
buy "four" of anything.  After WEEKS of research, it turned out that our client
point total was 1241, which was quoted as four "lots" of 250 points each, plus
241 lots of one point each.

The library list shows our 3575-L06 as a library needing the advanced library
license.  That's about $15,000 to license the use of a $25,000 library!

Our VAR is STILL trying to clarify some licensing issues with TSM 4.1 for us.
We were promised Tivoli documentation regarding our licensing situation about
two weeks ago and haven't received it yet.  Our VAR is pretty good, so I'm
guessing their still trying to decipher Tivoli's scheme.

Sheesh...

Tab








"Prather, Wanda" <Wanda.Prather AT JHUAPL DOT EDU> on 03/01/2001 03:46:03 PM

Please respond to "ADSM: Dist Stor Manager" <ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU>

To:   ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
cc:    (bcc: Tab Trepagnier/Corporation/Laitram/US)
Subject:  Re: Window Client - Time Change bug




I have no suggestions at the moment, except to pray the re-release of the
4.1.2 client works, and we can get it tested and distributed on an emergency
basis to over 100 clients in less than a month....


Sadly, after being a rabid fan of TSM for several years now, I have finally
started recommending to some people that they NOT install it.  One situation
in particular was an office environment that converted to all Win2K
machines.  We can't get reliable unattended backups there with the Win2K
client, and there is no point in paying the current TSM cost for a system
where somebody has to be trained to do manual backups every day, or manually
check each scheduler log every day.  And I can no longer use my primary
selling point for TSM - that i KNOW the backups WILL WORK if I'm not there
to watch them.  They may work, or they may not, and will still merrily
report success back to the server.

Tivoli Marketing is making it impossible to champion this product any more.
The current licensing scheme is so bizarre that you can't get the same quote
from any two Tivoli reps.  (I was given a quote of $465 for one desktop
Linux client running on a 130MZ pentium.  I don't think so, Joe.  And we got
another quote for system with 50 clients that was so absurdly wrong we just
threw it away and called somebody else.)   And Tivoli reps in the area have
made it clear they are interested only in Fortune 1000 customers.  And I
think that is what they will eventually get.

It's a shame, because I know how much good work has gone into the server end
of this product, and I think it is still the best of breed.  But I think
there may be a lot of sites, including this one, where there will be serious
consideration of an alternative product when the contract comes up for
renewal.


My opinions and nobody else's....

Wanda Prather



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