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Tape Manager for z/VM

IBM Tape Manager for z/VM

Manage, monitor and protect your tape devices, tape volumes and tape mount requests

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IBM Tape Manager for z/VM® is a management tool that automates and organizes tape storage operations on z/VM systems, enabling efficient tracking, allocation and retrieval of tape resources. It streamlines backup and restore processes by optimizing tape usage, supporting both physical and virtual tape environments for enhanced data protection and accessibility.

IBM Tape Manager for z/VM maintains a centralized catalog of tape resources, streamlining tape management across multiple z/VM systems with a single tape volume catalog. It monitors tape usage, alerting users when resources are low or catalog disk space is nearing capacity, helping ensure optimal tape availability. Tape Manager supports both standard label (SL) and nonlabel (NL) tapes and is compatible with manual tape devices and physical and virtual tape libraries from IBM, Oracle StorageTek, EMC and Luminex.

What's new New Function APARs for the z/VM Platform
Benefits
Centralized and secure tape management

It consolidates tape resources across multiple z/VM systems with a single, unified catalog, while protecting tape resources through RACF, other External Security Managers (ESM) or its internal security manager to enhance data security.

Enhanced resource monitoring and dynamic sharing

It proactively monitors tape resources and disk space, providing alerts to prevent shortages, while supporting dynamic sharing of tape devices with other z/VM and non-z/VM systems, maximizing resource availability and efficiency.

Broad compatibility and flexibility

It supports both SL and NL tapes, along with physical and virtual tape libraries from IBM and other vendors. Also, it includes valuable utilities for data security erasure, catalog verification and automated tape library (ATL) content verification, helping ensure robust and adaptable tape management across diverse environments.

Features
Tape cataloging

Organizes tape information in a central tape catalog, making it easy to track, allocate and retrieve tape resources across the z/VM environment. This centralization reduces the complexity of tape management by providing a single point of control for all tape resources.

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Cross-system management and dynamic device sharing

Manages tape resources across multiple z/VM systems and allows dynamic sharing of tape devices with other z/VM and non-z/VM systems, enabling consistent and efficient resource sharing across various systems in the network.

Explore managing tapes Tape drive sharing considerations for Tape Manager

Resource monitoring and alerts

Monitors tape usage and catalog disk space, providing notifications to prevent shortages or capacity issues and helping ensure tape availability. With proactive alerts, administrators can address potential issues before they impact operations, improving overall reliability.


Standard and nonlabel tape support

Supports both SL and NL tapes and allows authorized users to issue mount requests, including NL and Bypass Label Processing requests, for greater operational flexibility.


Compatibility with manual and automated tape devices

Provides support for both manual tape devices and automated libraries, allowing integration with a range of setups depending on infrastructure and operational needs. This flexibility supports various tape handling workflows, whether fully automated or manually managed.

Explore IBM Automated Tape Libraries

Support for multiple tape library vendors and security utilities

Works with physical and virtual tape libraries from vendors such as IBM, Oracle StorageTek, EMC and Luminex, and includes utilities for data security erasure, catalog verification and ATL content verification. This multivendor compatibility, combined with security tools, helps ensure reliable data protection and streamlined operations across diverse tape environments.

Technical details

IBM Tape Manager runs on all supported versions of z/VM. Tape Manager supports all VM-supported tape media types and their hardware, including 3590s that use robotics.

Resources

An overview of IBM Tape Manager for z/VM and DFSMSRMS z/VM in a TS7700 tape grid environment.

An overview for Tape Manager for z/VM showing the ability to share a single catalog of tape volumes across multiple z/VM LPARs.

Enable the RACF FACILITY Class for use by IBM Backup and Restore Manager for z/VM.

An overview of Tape Manager for z/VM and TS7700: managing scratch volumes to free cache.

Explore hints and tips for installing IBM Tape Manager for z/VM.

z/VM disaster recovery testing with an IBM TS7700 Tape Grid, IBM Backup and Restore Manager for z/VM, and IBM Tape Manager for z/VM.

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Manage, monitor and protect your tape devices, tape volumes and tape mount requests with IBM Tape Manager for z/VM.

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