How Serviceable are Tape Drives?

I'm contemplating an auto-loading tape drive as part of a backup strategy. This would be my first experience with tape backup. The cost-effectiveness of tape drives seems to depend on the assumption that they will provide many years of service. I'm having a difficult time assessing how many years of service to expect from a tape drive, however. They've got lots of moving and wearing parts to break, which implies that they ought to be repairable; but the product literature doesn't say much about repairs. Specifically, I'm looking for an answer to the following questions:

1. Is it common to repair failing auto-loading tape drives? If so, who typically does the repairs? (manufacturer, third-party, in-house?) Also, how available are spare parts?
2. If they're not commonly repaired, how do I assess how long a tape drive might last?
3. Are there some brands or lines of auto-loading tape drives that are more reliable or serviceable than others?

Background: I'm mainly basing my understanding of tape drive maintenance on my experience with laser printers. Some entry-level printers are clearly not worth repairing at all. On the other hand, I'm still maintaining a few LaserJet 4V printers that are relatively straightforward to repair. I'm wondering where auto-loading tape drives fit on that spectrum.

Solution 1:

These devices fail and certainly have a finite life.

I've deployed a few of the HP 1/8 Autoloader units in SAS and SCSI variants. You're correct in the assumption that lots of moving parts increases complexity and creates opportunities for failure.

• The tape drive module on the 1/8 autoloader is field-replaceable. I've had five of them fail across 20 units.
• I've also had issues with the robotic mechanisms...
• Keep firmware up-to-date.
• Run cleaning tapes every so often.
• The autoloader units have a web interface and logging. Pay attention to errors.
• If you purchase, be sure to buy an HP Care Pack warranty uplift or make sure you have 3+ years of support.
• Traditional LTO tape drives tend to die after 3-4 years of regular use in my environments.
• The autoloader units failed sooner than that.
• There are only a few firms who manufacture the drive mechanisms. These are all usually Quantum-built, so in reality, none is better than the other.
• Don't expect to self-service any of this. That's why you're buying brand-name gear. Make proper use of the warranty.

Solution 2:

My experience is with the Dell TL2000 and 124T. The TL2000 is still running strong and coming up on 3 years, but once the warranty runs out I will replace it or extend the warranty. The 124T would die every year or two and we would have Dell come out to replace it. I'm looking forward to transitioning to removable disk backups for off-site storage once I can find one that is compatible with Data Protection Manager. Make sure you get a good warranty and plan to keep it under warranty.