Re: Compatibility between different vendors VTL solutions -- MIDRANGE-L

I would check into the migration feature though. I am not aware, but could be wrong, that it actually migrates the tapes between VTLs.

When we move tapes between VTLs we do this:

Hook VTL #1 to an IBM i Partition.
Hook VTL #2 to that same IBM i Partition.

DUPTAP from VTL #1 to VTL #2.

Maybe not the slickest or simplest but it CAN easily be coded in a CL program for example. AND it works.

Downside of course is that both VTLs must co-exist in the same DC at least for a while.

- Larry "DrFranken" Bolhuis

www.Frankeni.com
www.iDevCloud.com - Personal Development IBM i timeshare service.
www.iInTheCloud.com - Commercial IBM i Cloud Hosting.

On 2/12/2020 4:34 PM, Laurence Chiu wrote:

Thanks that's very helpful. I was aware of DSI as a suggested replacement
for IBM's VTL but I didn't know there was an migration path available.

Will be interesting to know how you could migrate the volumes created by
IBM's VTL in one data center to another one some several thousand
kilometers away.

On Thu, Feb 13, 2020, 9:47 AM Steinmetz, Paul via MIDRANGE-L <
midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Laurence Chiu

You may want to check this out.

DSI VTLs are available for purchase in IBM i environments and can replace
IBM ProtecTIER(r).

IBM resells Dynamic Solutions International virtual tape libraries for IBM
i environments

https://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/cgi-bin/ssialias?htmlfid=897/ENUS218-064&infotype=AN&subtype=CA

Paul

-----Original Message-----
From: MIDRANGE-L <midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of
Laurence Chiu
Sent: Wednesday, February 12, 2020 2:48 PM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Compatibility between different vendors VTL solutions

I just found out that in location A which is two sites, ProtecTier is used
as the VTL solution to backup one site and transmit backups to second site.

We are creating a new site but want to be able to transmit backups from
that site as well as restore many years of backups. From my research it
appears today ProtecTier is no longer sold by IBM. If it uses a proprietary
backup format then we will face some challenges getting today data
transferred. If it's standard tape them I guess one way or to dump the
virtual backups to a physical tape (s) and restore from that.

On Wed, Feb 12, 2020, 9:06 AM Rob Berendt <rob@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Tough to know where to begin with that last question...
In a BRMS managed shop I would need to see some explanation as to why
anything would be saved to a save file and then saved to tape (virtual
or otherwise).

Ignoring that, when you use a VTL (Virtual Tape Library, not to be
confused with a tape device or a virtual tape image catalog) the IBM i
thinks it's saving to an IBM tape library. To the IBM i this tape
library could have one or more drives. And the IBM i thinks the
library could have a vast number of tape cartridges loaded into the
tape library. So the IBM i sends the data to the VTL like it was a
mylar tape library. Now, how the VTL stores the data on it's disk
drives is it's own business and is very proprietary between brands.
And how they replicate the data between two VTL's of the same
manufacturer is again proprietary and is NOT done by DUPMED or
DUPMEDBRM. Therefore you cannot just plop a VTL from a different

manufacturer in there and have them duplicate the tapes between each other.

Rob Berendt
--
IBM Certified System Administrator - IBM i 6.1 Group Dekko Dept 1600
Mail to: 2505 Dekko Drive
Garrett, IN 46738
Ship to: Dock 108
6928N 400E
Kendallville, IN 46755
http://www.dekko.com

-----Original Message-----
From: MIDRANGE-L <midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of
Laurence Chiu
Sent: Tuesday, February 11, 2020 2:45 PM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
<midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Compatibility between different vendors VTL solutions

CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do
not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender
and know the content is safe.

This is somewhat vague but why I asked about VTL solutions I was told

this.

Backups are managed using BRMS.

The application saves the DB to a Save file and then saves the Save
File to tape. So perhaps the storage appliance is only being used as a
virtual tape device replicating what you would do with a physical tape

or autoloader?

So the formats are not proprietary?

On Tue, Feb 11, 2020, 1:47 PM DrFranken <midrange@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

It would be 'very unlikely' that two different VTLs could exchange
data unless they were both connected to an IBM i partition where you
could utilize DUPTAP from one to another.

From the three vendors that I've worked with significantly the
format of the data on disk as well as the connection between systems
are very different between them. I expect that difference would
extend to virtually all vendors.

- Larry "DrFranken" Bolhuis

www.Frankeni.com
www.iDevCloud.com - Personal Development IBM i timeshare service.
www.iInTheCloud.com - Commercial IBM i Cloud Hosting.

On 2/10/2020 4:36 PM, Laurence Chiu wrote:

I am in a situation where in one data center there is a VTL
solution. I want to implement in another data center a VTL
solution and then copy

all

the tape backups from the first to the second data center.
Assuming the backup is using BRMS do I need to keep the same
hardware solution at

each

DC? So for example if one DC is using say a Dell VTL could I use
DSI

at

the second and still be able to migrate and use all the backups
taken

on

the Dell?

I'm actually trying to find out what specific VTL solution is used
in

the

first DC but thought I would ask the generic question to know my

options.

Thanks

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