First, lets clear up one thing: For most MVS shops this is a non issue.
The 3490 drives going off maintenance are not models that were most
widely used by MVS shops. The Fxx models are the somewhat peculiar
models (previously discussed in this forum) that actually have the
hardware capability of writing both 18-track, 3480-mode tapes and
36-track, 3490E-mode tapes (from RS/6000 or AS/400), although they can
only write 36-track 3490E-mode tapes from MVS (because MVS doesn't
recognize the existence of a device that can act like both a 3480 and a
3490E).
Yes, DVD capacity is greater than the compressed capacity of a 3490
cartridge and cheaper than a 3490 cartridge, but ...
few shops have the capability of writing or reading DVD data to or from
MVS without manual file transfer being done by someone, versus tape
availability to automated batch and long-established procedures for
physical security of tapes. Manual file transfer methods may be
acceptable when dealing with one or two transfers, but this is not a
reliable or practical technique for a large shop with many transfers.
Having your data on a DVD media readily readable and writable by every
potential hacker with a PC also introduces additional security breach,
data corruption exposures that should first be considered and addressed
before using this for exchange of sensitive data.
Many shops may have both 3490E and the newer 3590 capability, but it
doesn't make economic sense to use an expensive 3590 cartridge (also
more sensitive to mishandling) when a 3490 cartridge will more than hold
all the data (nor does it make economic sense to use dozens of 3490
cartridges when a few 3590 carts will do the job). With relatively
small files, the mount/unmount time may be more significant than the
actual data transfer rate, and the mount/unmount time of 3590's exceeds
than that of 3490 drives.
The bottom line, however, is you do what is necessary to support
required data transfers to customers or government agencies. State
computer centers tend to be a major hangup to technology change, because
they are constrained by what State legislatures allow them to do, not by
what may be the best technical solution. It hasn't been but a few years
since we finally got all State governments to drop requirements for
sending data on 6250 bpi reel-to-reel tapes.
R.S. wrote:
...
I just got this announcement that the 3490-F1A (and others) will be
going off maintenance services on June 30, 2007.
...
My english is to poor to be tendentious, make allusions, etc. In Polish
I also prefer straightforward speaking.
Regarding to the question: 3490E are so small-capacity, so it is simply
too slow and to small for nowadays requirement. Yes, I know there are
small shops somewhere - OK, I know MS-DOS installations with 386 CPU and
4MB of RAM. I know people still using diskettes. I have 5.25 diskettes
in use. In 3174. But I am pretty aware it is really obsolete. I bought
in in second hand, never had any support contract. My support is spare
box (more than 1) and I know it's NOT mission-critical.
I also have 3490E for software installations. Almost all of vendors
*except IBM* can offer some alternative to IBM tapes. Unfortunately,
here in Poland Shopz does not offer products as well. Even IBM started
using DVDs and other media.
However even if you keep 3490E just for installation tapes, it's *not*
mission-critical (installation can wait a day or even week). So, this is
my definition of serious customer or rather serious usage.
I would like to remain my previous sentences: it is possible to use the
drives without support, it is possible to buy another one from second
hand and could be much cheaper than maintenance contract. So - why worry
about eos ?
I would also mention quality of IBM service. I don't know worse. And
more expensive.
--
Joel C. Ewing, Fort Smith, AR [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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