SUMMARY: DLT 4700 (upgrading internal drive)

Hi,

thanks to Peter, Jay and Matthew,

     I receive 3 replies (see bellow), 2 suggesting to buy a new/larger
library/autoloader and 1 that said the upgrade could be possible. I had
reviewed the specs for DLT4000/7000/8000 and got the same as Jay told us
here. About 50-68 pins SCSI difference, using an convertion connector will
be possible to override this problem with penalty on througput (I think
will be at least the same as using DLT4000 drive, with no convertion on
50-68 pins). Unhappilly no experience on real upgrade on such DLT drives ;
-(
     As an additonal info, I was looking DLT drives  with LVD/SE SCSI and
found DLT8000 drives from US$ 1280 to 4625 and problems to find DLT7000
drives (internal drives only).

     Regards,

Sergio Luiz Novaes
LCC/UFMG - CENAPAD-MG/CO
Tel: +55 31 3499 5391/4910
Fax: +55 31 3499 5390

#### Replies

Hi

Biggest problem is going to be the fact that the 7000 & 8000 are 68 pin
drives and the 4000 is a 50 pin. Suggest you look to getting second user
L280 or L9.

Peter



On Tue, Oct 22, 2002 at 02:59:54PM -0300, algol@lcc.ufmg.br wrote:
> Hi Managers,
>
>    We got a SUN DLT4700 library (autoloader) with an internal old DLT4000
> drive. We need replace/upgrade this internal drive but we prefer to get a
> DLT7000/8000 or a new DLT drive to this library. What is the recommended
in
> this case? some experience changing the old DLT with a new one? using new
> drives on this old library will work fine?

I looked into doing this with our old library, an ATL L200 with
DLT4000.  This was 6 months ago.

After downloading all the DLT4000/7000/8000 mechanical and electrical
specs from Quantum and reviewing them, I came to these conclusions:

The mechanical mounts and tape opening match up, so the new drive
will physically fit.

Quantum does not make every drive with every SCSI flavor, and they are
not priced the same.  In my case, the old DLT4000 and the library are
HVD.  DLT8000 is available in LVD and HVD, but HVD is *expensive*.
Most DLT8000 drives available are LVD.

I was not able to find a DLT-8000 "internal" drive for less than US
$5000.  [Note, I just did a little checking today, and had no problem
finding TH8AH-YF drives at US $2000-2200.  Quantum has *really* dropped
the price, and the situation is very different today.]

The electrical interfaces (SCSI, power, library I/F) are *not*
identical in location.  It looked like I would be able to make
it work, but it would take some time.

In my case, I decided not to try it; the drive (at that time) was
nearly the same price as an SDLT or LTO drive, and I did not have
the time to spare to intregrate the different electrical connections
in the old enclosure.

We bought a new LTO library instead.

--
Jay Lessert                               jay_lessert@accelerant.net
Accelerant Networks Inc.                       (voice)1.503.439.3461
 Beaverton OR, USA                                (fax)1.503.466.9472


I don't believe there is an upgrade path for that library.

Your better bet would be to get a new library. There a number of single
drive
libraries with under 20 slots.

__
Matthew

### End replies
_______________________________________________
sunmanagers mailing list
sunmanagers@sunmanagers.org
http://www.sunmanagers.org/mailman/listinfo/sunmanagers