Re: Virtual Tape - spanning volumes

Jerry,

If you have the initial image loaded and just need to perform the DSPTAP, as Rob mention, you need to list each volume changing index.

RSTUSRPRF, RSTLIB, RSTCFG, RST, RSTDLO can span on multiple volumes, but you need to list the volume names.

If you are trying to restore from Option 21 you have some options on this "non-vtl" cloud provider.

1) You can use DSI iSCSI VTL, but it's expensive and you need on on each end (your site and the cloud). This VTL can be hosted on a Linux on Power VM.
2) You can use BRMS + ICC -  Is it complex? Yes.
3) You can perform a SAVE option 21. Is it complex? Yes, but less steps compared to BRMS procedure.

With options 2 and 3 you'll need a Virtual Optical image catalog for the SAVSYS part.
BRMS uses a mix : SAVSYS with Virtual Optical and the rest is saved on Virtual Tape.
...or you can use GO SAVE 21 with Virtual Optical for all your save process, but you need to create big enough optical images.

How can you restore and access the image catalog with the SAVSYS on restricted state or IPL from network? You need a second (and temporary) IBM i to host the Image Catalog and publish with NFS.

If you are using IBM Cloud services there's a RedBook comming with all these steps and alternatives.

You can contact me on private if you need more details .