RE: NAS or Tape for backup?

Someone suggested using QuadStor for a Virtual tape library.

It looks like a decent product and claims to support most of the
devices/libraries that it should. Support looks at best sketchy (email and
telephone "on a need basis")

The size of the system you run it on can get quite large allowing for any
number of tape images and it looks to support most of the tape types you
would care about.

Then the pricing comes through. $2400/Yr. subscription for each system/node
it is backing up. So a three partition system over three years would be
$21,000. Now add in the cost of the hardware and Linux support and you've
easily matched the cost of other VTL systems. If you have a 5 year lease
on your equipment (I see many of those now) the cost goes up to $36,000 and
you still don't have the rights to run the software without the
subscription. Yes there is maintenance on the other systems too, so in the
end they work out about the same, except you have to own, build, and
maintain your own hardware.

Looks like a reasonable solution and maybe for a single node it makes sense
since the capital cost of the VTL is spread over multiple years, (less the
cost of the base system to run it on) but it is certainly not a low cost
provider in that space.

--
Jim Oberholtzer
Chief Technical Architect
Agile Technology Architects


-----Original Message-----
From: MIDRANGE-L [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
rob@xxxxxxxxx
Sent: Friday, February 13, 2015 7:12 AM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Re: NAS or Tape for backup?

On AS/400's thru IBM i on Power 8 I have used reel-to-reel, 1/4"
cartridge, 3570, 3580, 3590, 7mm, LTO, LTO3, LTO4.
I try to look a little more long term, compromised slightly with the price
of cartridges. For example, 7.2 of IBM i drops a lot of tape drives. LTO
4 is still supported but LTO 5 was already out when we migrated from LTO 3.
LTO 5, being more of the latest, was more expensive.
What gets me is that many of the older media is way more expensive than new
LTO 4 cartrides.

We do use TSM for backing up our PC's and wintel servers. We run TSM on
Power 8 AIX.

We looked at some sort of network storage device. I think my boss wanted to
caddilac it up by having one in our two Indiana data centers with another
replicated at some cloud type thing. We also wanted it to be BRMS friendly.
Add all that, and a significant amount of data, and it gets rather pricey.

Rob Berendt
--
IBM Certified System Administrator - IBM i 6.1 Group Dekko Dept 1600 Mail
to: 2505 Dekko Drive
Garrett, IN 46738
Ship to: Dock 108
6928N 400E
Kendallville, IN 46755
http://www.dekko.com





From: "Gary Kuznitz " <docfxit@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: 02/12/2015 04:23 PM
Subject: NAS or Tape for backup?
Sent by: "MIDRANGE-L" <midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx>



I'm ready to purchase a backup solution for a 9405 520.
I have seen NAS devices in the past. I'm wondering if they are a good
solution for a
small i5. This is one I have seen:
LENOVO Iomega ix2 2-Bay 4TB NAS-2 x 2TB, Ethernet Port Interface, Supports

RAID, 1x USB 3.0 Port, 2 x USB 2.0 Ports, Device to Device Data
Replication, Cloud
Technology -70A69001NA-70A69001NA-CA
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8
511566


Does anyone have anything good or bad to say about them?

If I didn't go that route what tape drive would someone recommend?
Probably in the
LT04 or LT05 . I don't feel a need to spend a lot of money for the latest
and greatest.
Even a used one would probably do.

They have quite a few models. I'd like to hear from people that have good
experience
as well as bad so I don't have problems with backups all the time.

Thank you,

Gary Kuznitz