--On March 2, 2007 10:31:33 AM +0000 Anthony Worrall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Hi This is not strictly an amanda question but I thought I would see if any one has any views on SDLT-4 compared to LTO-3. We are currently looking at replacing our tape devices an are looking at SDLT-4 which seems to be about the same price as LTO-3 but offer twice the capacity. Has anyone got any experience of these drives. I am told by our supplier that they are selling many more LTO-3 than SDLT-4. Is it just that SDLT-4 is newer is there some reason?
SDLT-4 (DLT-S4) may cost less $/gb but it still costs more per tape. So unless you're actually using that much tape it may noe be as attractive as it seems. Several other issues with DLT-S4 are the relatively slow rated speed of 60MB/sec (LTO3 is rated at 80, and I routinely see 60 in production, I'd see more if I had faster hosts). Also I don't know, but last I checked DLT still had to be streamed at the rate they were at.
Though the biggest reasons LTO is outselling DLT/SDLT is SDLT is viewed as being end of line first, and secondly, Quantum is the ONLY supplier of DLT drives. LTO is available from HP/Compaq, IBM, and, yes, Quantum. LTO-3 also has atleast one advantage for (capable) libraries, each cartridge has a contactless (read... RFID like) memory that can report the tapes last known condition, as well as user data. in theory atleast an LTO drive or library has only to read this tag to decide whether-or-not it can read the tape, and if it even should. DLT and SDLT have the problem that if you load an older generation cartridge than your drive supports you may destroy the heads.
LTO has a slightly smaller cartridge too. Though for the 'desktop' user this isn't a big deal, but if you've got a tape library, it makes a pretty big difference in the number of tapes you can put in your library.
Cheers Anthony Worrall
-- "Genius might be described as a supreme capacity for getting its possessors into trouble of all kinds." -- Samuel Butler