RE: OS/400 Media and Storage Extentions

Catherine,

Below is some text from the V5R1 system manual.  The feature is
essentially a prerequisite for BRMS and for some kinds of coding for
library storage devices.

Regards,
Andy Nolen-Parkhouse

- Start of quote --------------------
For software developers who want to customize their own storage
management applications, Media and Storage Extensions provides an API to
enable application monitoring and control of media usage, including
volumes to be selected and volume expiration dates. The API also enables
fast search for IBM 3480, 3490, 3490E, and 3575 tape drives.

An API is provided to handle the interruption that occurs when an
application tries to open a database file that has been migrated to
off-line media. The API enables an on-demand recall of a database file
from offline media to DASD and resumption of the application.
Application changes are not required.

These APIs provide support to use or build applications to manage tape
usage and the recall of data from offline media to DASD. This feature is
a prerequisite feature to Backup Recovery and Media Services for iSeries
(BRMS/400) (5722-BR1). It is also required when developing Hierarchical
Storage Management (HSM) dynamic retrieval functions.
- End of quote ---------------------

>       We have an AS400 S20 with OS400 rel 5.1   I'm finding a new op
sys
> feature called Media and Storage Extensions, which installed along
with
> 5.1
> but apparently we didn't receive a permanent license key for.  Do any
of
> you
> know what this feature is, specifically, and what it would do for us
> beyond
> what the normal "SAVE" functions supplied with base OS400 would do?
TIA,
> your help will be much appreciated.  We're mystified as to what this
thing
> is.