Dell PowerVault 120T DLT-7000 Review

The PowerVault 120T DLT-7000 is a fully automated, high-performance, high-capacity, seven-tape, random access autoloader/mass storage system designed to provide unattended and on-line/off-line data storage, archiving, backup, and restoration of vital system files and data.  The PowerVault 120T DLT-7000 is designed to be used with low and mid-range servers and networks.  The PowerVault 120T DLT-7000 is compatible with operating systems (OS) and environments that support the SCSI Ultra Wide (UW) interface, requiring either direct OS support, or a suitable application program; i.e. tape backup program such as Veritas Backup Exec, or Computer Associates ARCServe.

The PowerVault 120T DLT-7000 is a High Voltage Differential (HVD) device, and must have an HVD SCSI adapter such as the Adaptec 2944UW or Adaptec 3944UW. Connection of low voltage differential (LVD) or single-ended SCSI devices to the adapter will cause the bus and/or devices to become nonfunctional. The PowerVault 120T DLT-7000 supports the DLT IV 40GB (native)/ 80GB (compressed) tape backup media.

Installation & Performance:

I use three Dell server platforms to host the three PowerVault 120T DLT-7000 Autoloaders:

(1) Dell PowerEdge 6450 rack mountable server with one Adaptec 2944UW SCSI card, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, and Computer Associates ARCServe 2000 Tape backup software.

(1) Dell PowerEdge 6400 free standing server with one Adaptec 2944UW SCSI card, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, and Computer Associates ARCServe 2000 Tape backup software.

(1) Dell PowerEdge 6400 free standing server with two Adaptec 3944UW SCSI cards, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, and Veritas Backup Exec for Windows Server Version 9.1 Tape backup software.

Although each PowerVault 120T DLT-7000 can handle up to seven DLT IV tapes, I only load five, opting to not perform backups on the weekends, and Full backups after hours.  Though rated to perform back-ups at some 36GB an hour actual throughput even of the host servers is considerably less; the three connected to my servers average 2.7GB per hour.  Throughput when backing up from the network is considerably less then 2.7GB per hour, averaging 216MB per hour via a 100Base-T Ethernet TCP/IP sub-net.

My Viewpoint

Given the choice, I would rather have the PowerVault 120T DLT-7000 then not.  Utilizing an autoloader-or three in my case-greatly simplifies the often complicated and time consuming process of backing up system and data files.  Thought slower by far then advertised the PowerVault 120T DLT-7000's still meet our backup needs.

PowerVault 120T Specifications:

Tape Backup Technology

• DLT7000 tape autoloader

Media

• Up to seven DLT IV cartridges

Storage Capacity

• Uncompressed:  245GB (DLT7000)
• Compressed 490 GB (DLT7000)