3592 tape drives

There are seven generations of 3592 tape drives: TS1160 (Model 60G), TS1155 (Model 55G), TS1150 (Model E08), TS1140 (Model E07), TS1130 (Models E06 and EU6), TS1120 (Model E05), and J1A. All generations of 3592 tape drives and cartridges can reside in the same TS3500 tape library frame.

Each generation of drive offers an increased data rate and increased native capacity from the previous model, in addition to other enhancements. Each generation of drive also offers dual-port Fibre Channel host attachment interfaces. This feature provides flexibility in an Open Systems environment because the drives can directly attach to Open Systems servers with Fibre Channel attachments. All TS1120 and later tape drives are encryption capable; however, some TS1120 tape drives require feature code 5592 or 9592 in order to be encryption capable. Refer to Table 1 for details about these and other 3592 tape drive features.

All 3592 tape drives include an RS-422 library interface port for communication with the TS3500 tape library. The 3592 tape drives use the Statistical Analysis and Reporting System to isolate failures between media and hardware. The TS1130 and later tape drives (3592 Models E06, E07, E08, 55G, and 60G) also come with an Ethernet port; however, use of this port for service or remote monitoring is not supported in a TS3500 tape library environment.

A 3592 tape drive cannot read or write to a 3590 High Performance Cartridge Tape (media type J) or to a 3590 Extended High Performance Cartridge Tape (media type K).

Table 1 shows the basic features of each generation of the 3592 tape drive.

The 3592 tape drives provide the following performance, capacity, and availability features:

N+1 power supplies

When installed in the TS3500 tape library frame, this helps to increase drive availability in the event of a power failure.

Media reuse

The 3592 tape drives can reuse different types of tape and multiple densities (logical formats) across various drive generations. For a matrix of read and write compatibility by cartridge and format type,, see Mixing media in drives.

Speed matching

When operating in a host environment where the net host data rate is less than the maximum drive native data rate, 3592 tape drives automatically perform dynamic speed matching to minimize backhitches. Dynamic speed matching adjusts the native data rate of the drive as closely as possible to the net host data rate (after data compressibility has been factored out). A reduction in backhitches improves system performance.

HRTD

The HRTD directory structure, located in 3592 tape drives, allows the drive to have fast and consistent nominal and average access times for locate operations.

Channel calibration and on-the-fly adaptive equalization

To gain optimum performance, channel calibration allows the drive to automatically customize each read and write data channel. The customization compensates for variations in the recording channel transfer function, for media characteristics, and for read and write head characteristics. Initial calibration settings are calculated and stored at the time of manufacture. For optimum error rate performance, TS1120 and later tape drives also use on-the-fly adaptive equalization hardware on an ongoing basis to adjust the read equalization response.

Recursive accumulating backhitchless flush

The TS1120 and later tape drives use an algorithm known as recursive accumulating backhitchless flush (or non-volatile caching) to increase effective data rate performance from host servers that force explicit synchronize operations during write operations.

Backhitchless backspace

Backhitchless backspacing enables some backspace operations to be virtualized without physical backhitching. If you write and overwrite multiple trailer labels, this firmware feature provides major performance improvements. For more information, refer to the appendix about WORM behavior in the IBM 3592 Tape Drive SCSI Reference.

Capacity scaling

If you want to exchange capacity for improved access times, 3592 tape drives support multiple format options, such as scaling and segmentation modes. These tape drives can sense and report the scaling state of current medium by using the SCSI Mode Sense command and specifying Mode Page X'23'. Capacity scaling is only offered on the JA, JB, JC, JD, and JE media types.

For the exact Mode Select commands and settings necessary to invoke scaling, refer to the IBM System Storage Tape Drive 3592 SCSI Reference.

WORM

The 3592 tape drives support write-once-read-many (WORM) behaviors and format attributes. The following WORM cartridge types are supported: JW (full length), JR (short length), JX Extended WORM cartridge (for TS1120, TS1130, and TS1140 tape drives), JY Advanced Type C WORM cartridge (for TS1140, TS1150, TS1155, and TS1160 tape drives), and JZ Advanced Type D WORM cartridge (for TS1150 and 1155 tape drives), and JV Advanced Type E WORM cartridge (for TS1160 tape drives). WORM cartridges are factory-formatted as WORM cartridges and may not be converted to data cartridges. The 3592 tape drives allow append operations to data already on WORM cartridges, but do not allow data to be overwritten under any circumstances.

Capacity-based and position-based LEOT reporting

The TS1120 and later tape drives use enhanced logic to report logical end-of-tape (LEOT) data. The drive reports LEOT based on a combination of indicators of capacity-based LEOT and position-based LEOT. These drives monitor the total accumulated physical tape files written to the cartridge and report the LEOT based on the capacity-based LEOT value, rather than reporting LEOT based on the physical position on the tape (position-based LEOT). To summarize, this technique reports LEOT based on the amount of compressed data that is recorded to the cartridge and reduces the variation in the amount of data recorded before LEOT is issued. For applications that use LEOT to stop the write process, a more consistent capacity is recorded to the media. For a higher percentage of the time, this process allows tape copies to complete without overflow.

Enhanced format for recording error-correction codes (ECCs)

The logical formats of TS1120 and later tape drives offer improved error-correction-code capabilities over the 3592 J1A and LTO formats by increasing the power of one of the two orthogonal Reed-Solomon ECCs that protect the data on tape. The correction power of the inner code is approximately double that of the 3592 J1A and thus offers superior reliability of the data.

Drive mechanical and electrical reliability

The mechanism of the TS1120 and later tape drives is specified at a mean-cycles-between-failure rate of 300,000 cycles, which is the highest reliability rating in the industry. The mechanism contains special mechanical and electrical features to prevent damage to the media on power-down or reset. These features also prevent the dropping of the leader pin or other thread failures during similar interruptions. It also tolerates extremely high vibration and shock environments without data loss or degraded operation.

Multiple subsystem and automation support

The 3592 tape drives and their cartridges support multiple automation libraries and can be easily transported between environments.

Data compression

The 3592 tape drives use the data-compression method known as streaming lossless data compression algorithm. The compression logic for TS1120 and later tape drives operates at more than twice the overall transfer rates of the 3592 J1A tape drive.

Data buffer with read ahead feature

The 3592 J1A tape drive includes a data buffer of 134.22 MB (128 MiB). The TS1120 tape drive includes a data buffer of 536.87 MB (512 MiB). The TS1130 tape drive and TS1140 tape drive each include a data buffer of 1.07 GB (1 GiB). The TS1150 tape drive, TS1155 tape drive, and TS1160 tape drive include a data buffer of 2.15 GB (2 GiB). Along with enabling performance characteristics in buffered Write and Read commands, the data buffer also supports a Read Ahead feature. When the drive processes a command to locate or read a block, the drive automatically continues to stream down the tape and read ahead until the data buffer is full. This allows subsequent Locate or Read commands to be fulfilled from the data buffer at faster speeds, rather than requiring access to the tape.

Offboard data string searching

The TS1120 and later tape drives can search the data content of host server records for string matches. The function is called offboard data string searching because the data search workload can be performed offboard from the host. Each drive performs a search at its own respective maximum data rate. This greatly reduces the amount of data transfer and host search times.

Encryption

All TS1130 and later tape drives are encryption capable, which means they can convert data into a cipher that ensures data security. With IBM® feature code 9592 or 5592, TS1120 tape drives are encryption capable as well. To perform encryption, the drive must be encryption-enabled by your selection of one of three methods of encryption management. A key is required to encrypt and decrypt the data. How a key is generated, maintained, controlled, and transmitted depends on the operating environment where the TS1120 and later tape drives are installed. Some data management applications are capable of performing key management. For an alternative solution, IBM provides a key manager that works in conjunction with the keystore of your choice to perform all necessary key management tasks. There is no recovery for lost encryption keys.