I generally like the TS3500, but have had some issues in the last 12 months.

Two close to identical libraries in two sites running mainframe TS1120s
under mainframe VTL and LTO5's for TSM.  We upgraded from LTO3 to 5,
upgraded the VTL and added mainframe drives and added storage frames of
both kinds.  The storage frame upgrade necessitated gripper and library
microcode upgrades. This happened in many changes over 6 months always with
the test library first.

One library was upgraded with no issues.

The other library has had multiple issues including slot and gripper
failures, inability to use the LTO5 IO ports (combination hardware and
software for that one) and repeated "software" failures including repeated
errors reported on the VTL and mainframe side of things that will not clear.

The resolution process for these is cumbersome.  Local engineers, one of
whom is the country tape top gun, are at the mercy of the "plant" and
repeatedly have to confer with them.  They also seem to think nothing of
wiping the library database and re-scanning, and have done it multiple
times.  Unless you have good separation of the tapes in your logical
libraries  by range, this can cause operational issues, and did, with some
tapes being assigned to the wrong logical library and overwritten as TSM
thought they were scratch.  There is no easy way to save the information
beforehand, though I have come up with some scripts using the java command
interface and shell scripting to do this.

It has all taken far too long and has been far too disruptive.  However, I
can't say that other vendors are any worse or better.  It just is if you
are unlucky.  I think this particular library ( and of course it is the
production one, not the test one) was made on a Friday and is haunted :)

Regards

Steve

Steven Harris
TSM Admin
Canberra Australia.