Magnetic Tape Volumes and Libraries

DFSMS provides the following functions for magnetic tape devices and tape libraries:

Software support: DFSMS supports many types of magnetic tape drives. You can use IBM® tape drives in the stand-alone environment, an automated tape library, or manual tape library. Each type of magnetic tape cartridge has a unique media type and recording format. For more information, see the publication for your IBM tape drive.
Tape label support: DFSMS can process magnetic tapes with IBM standard labels, nonstandard labels, ISO/ANSI labels, and tapes with no labels. For more information on tape labels and ISO/ANSI standards for tapes, see z/OS DFSMS Using Magnetic Tapes.
IEHINITT utility: IEHINITT writes IBM standard or ISO/ANSI labels on tape volumes. For more information on IEHINITT, see z/OS DFSMSdfp Utilities.
EDGINERS utility: You can use the EDGINERS utility in DFSMSrmm to initialize your tape volumes instead of using IEHINITT. EDGINERS provides several functions that IEHINITT does not. For more information on EDGINERS, see z/OS DFSMSrmm Implementation and Customization Guide.
IFHSTATR utility: IFHSTATR formats and prints information about tape volume errors from SMF records. For more information on IFHSTATR, see z/OS DFSMSdfp Utilities.
MSGDISP, SYNCDEV, NOTE, and POINT macros: These macros control operation of the IBM magnetic tape subsystems that use tape cartridges. For more information on these macros, see z/OS DFSMS Macro Instructions for Data Sets and z/OS DFSMSdfp Advanced Services.
MVS system commands: MVS™ system commands display the status of tape devices. For example, the DEVSERV command tests all paths to a device and displays information about the logical status of each path on the system console. The operator can use this information to diagnose problems in the I/O subsystem. For more information on console commands, see z/OS MVS System Commands.
Tape block count checking: Block count checking compares the number of tape blocks calculated and detects discrepancies between them. Magnetic tape subsystems maintain block count information for both reading and writing to improve tape reliability. For more information about block count checking, see z/OS DFSMS Using Magnetic Tapes.
Interactive Storage Management Facility: You can use ISMF to define attributes for system-managed tape libraries and storage groups interactively. You can also use ISMF to create, save, and restore lists of tape volumes in libraries.
DFSMSrmm TSO/E subcommands: Use the DFSMSrmm TSO/E subcommands to manage removable media. For more information, see z/OS DFSMSrmm Managing and Using Removable Media.
Volume mount analyzer: The volume mount analyzer produces reports that show the mounts and tape usage at your installation. For more information, see z/OS DFSMS Using the Volume Mount Analyzer.
Virtual Tape Server: The virtual tape server (VTS) system combines the random access and high performance characteristics of DASD with outboard hierarchical storage management and virtual tape devices and volumes. The VTS provides significant reductions in the number of physical cartridges, devices, and automated libraries needed to store data. For more detailed information on VTSs, see z/OS DFSMS OAM Planning, Installation, and Storage Administration Guide for Tape Libraries.
Peer-to-Peer Virtual Tape Server: A Peer-to-Peer VTS (PtP VTS) automatically copies the data stored on newly-created or updated tape volumes in each of two interconnected VTSs. This dual-volume copy function improves data availability and data recovery, while being transparent to applications and host processor resources. For a more detailed description of the PtP VTS, see Virtual Tape Servers, Devices, and Volumes.
Outboard Policy Management: Outboard policy management functions use the existing SMS management constructs to effectively manage the VTS physical and logical tape volumes. You assign construct names using ACS routines. The VTS manages the tape volumes through the construct names that are passed to the library during mount processing. See Outboard Policy Management for a more detailed description of outboard policy management.

For further information about system-managed tape libraries and tape drives, see z/OS DFSMS OAM Planning, Installation, and Storage Administration Guide for Tape Libraries.