Subject: RE: 3592 Tape Cartridges
From: Kevin Corkery (kcorkery@live.com)
Date: Tue Aug 18 2009 - 12:56:29 EDT
Dave ... We sort of do that using a 3590 tape. We take all of our backups to VTAPE in VSAM space then offload everything to a single 3590 high density tape for offsite storage. We formerly accomplished much the same thing on a Flex/ES system by offloading all out backups to a SDLT tape. You could opt for a tape server device and use a PC based archive methodology either to a tape device or to an attached external disk. This has the advantage of using a very fast and operatorless tape system and reduces your physical handling to maybe one tape or external disk subsystem per day. The cost of these external disks are becoming really cheap. Of course, there's security issues that must be addressed but nothing that can't be overcome. BTW, the "real hardware" solution isn't too bad considering that any D/R arrangement will always support an IBM tape solution of some kind; the other tapeless solutions may not be so readily supported but that really doesn't matter is you're providing your own backup site. -----Original Message----- From: owner-vse-l@Lehigh.EDU [mailto:owner-vse-l@Lehigh.EDU] On Behalf Of David Stuart Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 12:35 PM To: VSE Discussion List Subject: Re: 3592 Tape Cartridges Bob, Billy, et al, I don't argue getting rid of real tape. But, using an SDS device like Billy, or an MDL like Bob, or a VTA, or a ???, you need someplace to replicate the data to. We don't have that. There was a building the County was setting up for that purpose (alternate/emergency data center), but they have decided that it won't work, is not viable (someone pointed out it was in an earthquake liquifaction zone), etc. So at this point, my only really viable method to be able to restore in a 'disaster' situation is real, physical tape. We have Jeff Barnard's Opti-Tape, and we're moving as much of the 'on-site' tape data sets to Opti-Tape as we can. Thanks, Dave Dave Stuart Prin. Info. Systems Support Analyst County of Ventura, CA 805-662-6731 David.Stuart@ventura.org >>> <Rbotsis@aol.com> 8/18/2009 5:58 AM >>> Dave, I don't know the cost of the unit/s that Billy mentioned nor any of the others (VTA from Universal, CUB from Fundamental and who knows what others), but at WAVV Bus-Tech had a session about their ENTRY level (may be all you need) MDL or whatever they called it. They stated that the entry level was probably going to be priced around 40K. I told them I doubt they'd sell many at that price. Maybe they reconsidered, maybe not. As Billy pointed out and he only touched the surface, getting rid of REAL tape and EVERYTHING associated with it, IS the way to go.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b25 : Wed Sep 02 2009 - 20:20:10 EDT