I have worked with many customers with many types of tape libraries.
The 3584 (now known as the TS3500) is my favorite.
I don't think you can buy anything better, or easier to use.

If you are connecting to your 3494 via SCSI cable, you won't see much 
difference in behavior.

If you are using the TCP/IP application for library communication, that goes 
away and you communicate through one of the drive cables, there is no separate 
connection to the library (I know that sounds weird at first, don't worry it's 
easy.)

You have none of the library "categories" that sometimes cause you grief; you 
can logically partition the library via it's very nice, clean web interface 
without  that, just using volser ranges. 

Externally what you'll see different is the absence of the external console and 
internal PC; that is all on boards or in firmware now.
The robot is also dramatically faster.    
Operationally, with TSM I think the syntax of the checkin command is somewhat 
different.

Just as robust/reliable as the 3494.

If you expect to have multiple servers/apps using the library, go ahead and pay 
for the ALMS feature; library partitioning works much better/easier with it.

Shorter answer:
Better, faster, simpler to use.


Wanda
-----Original Message-----
From: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager [mailto:ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU] On Behalf Of 
Lee, Gary
Sent: Friday, May 02, 2014 3:40 PM
To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
Subject: [ADSM-L] looking for experiences with the ibm 3584 library

Looking at updating our tape libraries for other rojects which might use ltfs.
We currently have the ibm 3494 library with 3592-e05 (ts1120) drives.

It seems that we must go to the 3584 to get access to lto type tapes, yet keep 
using our e05s for tsm.

I would like to hear others experiences with the 3584 with or without tsm. If 
possible, compare and contrast with the 3494.

Thanks all for the assistance.