Tape libraries from various manufacturers may look alike and even act alike in terms of their core functionality, but look under the hood and you'll find real differentiation in the embedded software (aka firmware), that drives this hardware. As a result, purchase decisions should be based not just on hardware feeds and speeds, but also on software functionality that enhances the value of the underlying platform. Why? Because only software features, not hardware capabilities, empower libraries to minimize operational and management complexities and costs associated with data storage. It is library software, for example, that enables the flexible configurations that let organizations effectively leverage and manage library investments across distributed offices or internal departments. It is library software that enables the partitioning of a single library that lets you consolidate management of multiple libraries. It is library software that enables remote management of any library from any Web-enabled PC. And it is library software that ensures optimized performance of the library itself and of the interface between the library and the SAN or storage management software.
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