MSL4028 Ultrium 3000 vs 3280

[CLEB]

I am looking at upgrading the tape modules in my MSL4048 libraries from LTO4 to 5.

Would it be better to go for the 3280 FC modules or the 3000 SAS modules connected to a SC44Ge HBA? The server is a Proliant DL580G5.

I have a dual fabric FC infrastructure that I could connect the libraries into.

[Marino Meloni_1]

if you have a FC infrastructure, better to use the FC version, you will be able to expand the use of the MSL in the future, as the FC allow you to share the library between various server, allowing to backup each of them directly. If you use the SAS model, all the backups will have to go via LAN to the media server than sent to the library.

[Curtis Ballard]

The key differences are:
3280 - Full height designed for high load counts and a higher duty cycle than the half height drives

3000 - Half height better density at the same performance

FC/SAS - Fibre channel has better length and supports connecting to multiple hosts easily. SAS only supports multiple hosts with blade servers in the same chassis at this time and won't ever support the lengths that FC does.