Some think it unlikely that advances in storage such as optical disks will ever totally displace tape and with that in mind, Santa Clara, California-based Hitachi Data Systems Inc has launched a service aimed at helping customers improve tape storage operations. The Technical Assistance Program/Tape Optimization Service analyses tape use and recommends how to optimise tape operations. Should a customer choose Hitachi Data, which is owned by Hitachi Ltd and Electronic Data Systems Corp, to implement the proposed offering, the company will provide ongoing monitoring and reporting to ensure that the optimisation objectives are met. Also in the tape field, the company has launched the 7492E, an addition to its Cartridge Tape Subsystem Series which complements the 7490E and 7491E subsystems. The 7492E is a rack-mounted subsystem that supports up to two 36-track transports and two Extended Serial Adaptors and/or parallel adaptors. It includes an eight-cartridge removable Automated Magazine Loader that can back up a maximum of 38.4Gb of data non-disruptively. The 7492E will be available next quarter.
Parallel adaptors
The 7490E and 7491E subsystems support up to 16 36-track transports, eight Extended Serial Adaptors, and 16 parallel adaptors. The 7490E has a 12-cartridge removable Automated Magazine Loader. The 7491E offers an integrated Automated Cartridge Loader compatible with the autoloaders on IBM Corp’s 3490 tape units, says the company. The entire Cartridge Tape Subsystem Series is supported on S/390, S/370 and compatible processors. Tape support is expanded also to enable connections to AS/400 9406 and 9404 processors when configured with the 2644 attachment feature. Hitachi Data says this capability enables the sharing of a common resource between processing systems for high-performance backup and archival operations. A comprehensive set of system-managed library products is also planned. The Media Manager Series will support automated and semi-automated environments. The products are fully compatible with IBM Corp software, it says, and will support current and future tape subsystems, multiple tape media types, and will provide for enhanced remote support capabilities, Hitachi promises. The first of the automated libraries will be available in the third quarter of 1995. It will store approximately 2,000 to 9,000 cartridges and support the 7490, 7490E and 7491E tape subsystems. The second automated library, available in the fourth quarter next year, will support the 7492E subsystem and store approximately 300 to 3,000 cartridges. A library manager for semi-automated environments that will be fully compatible with IBM’s 3495 M10 product and will support its own tape subsystems is planned.
