Network Tape Backup Question

Howdy all,

Got a quick question for the Network Admins.

Currently we use a 20/40 DAT "DDS-4" tape as a backup for our network file-server and exchange server(Total of 2 Servers). We run a full backup on Monday (approx 110 Gigs[full backup now takes 5 tapes]) then we do differentials Tues-Fri. Rinse and repeat, with a 2 week rotation.

Now the problem, the tape drive died Monday during the backup. I finally got the tape out last night through some convoluted fashion of pulling the plug out and then holding the eject button and plugging it back in and powering up yada yada.

Anyway the drive died again last night, I have tried 5 different tapes so that rules out the tapes.

I need to find a new backup devices. I am leaning towards the HP SDLT 320 which gives 160 native and upto 320 GB compressed. But these drives are alot of money. Between the drive and the tapes its gonna run me around $5,000.00.

Does anyone know of a more wallet friendly storage device, maybe in the $ 2,500.$3,000.00 range?

Or am I just being silly, this is the main and only file server for our office. If this dies we are dead.

Thanks
Dangles

Something like this?

http://www.dell.com/content/products/pr ... l=en&s=biz

Thanks Lucassix,

That's not bad, though I wish it was a little bigger storage wise, since I am already at 110GBs. But for the money its nice, and even if I needed to do a 2 tape swap it would be better then the current 5 tape swap that I do now for the full back up.

Thanks
Dangles

**edit**

I just poked around a little more on Dell's site, looks like this might just fit the bill -

http://www.dell.com/content/products/pr ... l=en&s=biz

Thanks Again!
Dangles