Hi I like to compile a list of what hardware needs to be changed/maintained and when. I will start with the following. Please add whatever you have in mind so that we can share with others
UPS battery : 3 years Disk array cache battery : 3 years?? Server : 5 years?? Tapes : ?? expressed as read / write cycles instead? Rack ventilation fans : ??
There are embedded pre-failure and moitoring sensors in most modern server/storage/.... equipment. Check logs and thresholds regulary to keep you hardware workable.
tpaes - I have used, and have read elsewhere, that 100 writes is a good number for tape usage.
Cleaning tapes should only be used the number of times recommended by the manufacturer - I have had old cleaning tapes destroy drive heads.
Servers and disks are more a function of support and systems demands. If a server/disk model goes off of HP support, I replace it as soon as possible. If HP contiues support, and there are no performance issues, then the system is kept indefinitely. More common is that the server gets maxed out and needs to be replaced because of slow performance - theis seems to occur every three to five years, depending on the app.
