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CNS /Update Newsletter Feature
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As reported in /Update's January 2007 issue (http://docweb.cns.ufl.edu/news/n0451/n0451.html), CNS has embarked on a project to replace the IBM 3480 magnetic tape cartridge drives storage technology with a faster, more robust hard-drive-based "Virtual Tape" system (VTS). The VTS is a software simulation of IBM 3480 magnetic tape drives that runs on a Unix system and stores the tape volumes as files on open systems disks.
In the wake of the man-made and natural disasters of the last few years, recovery of data and information after such a crisis has been on everyone's minds. The VTS is one way that CNS is working to ensure the integrity of your data. The VTS features off-site TSM backup of all VTS tape images in case of site disaster.
In addition to the off-site backup, VTS offers features that should help you get your jobs run more safely, efficiently and economically.
VTS is as much as two times faster than the 3480 magnetic tape for writing, and up to three times faster for reading. There are also reduced mount times, generally only one second, since there is no wait for an operator to physically load your tape. This will reduce job run times, allowing more work during the increasingly crowded overnight batch window.
More virtual drives are available, allowing more simultaneous work, and again helping to reduce job run times.
Good news for CNS (and for our customers!) Reduction of the tape library and future removal of drives will free up floor space. Less power consumption and heat load means less overhead for CNS and more good news for our customers.
Large tape volume size will allow customers to eliminate multi-volume datasets and all the problems associated with them.
See CNS's VTS page at http://mvs.cns.ufl.edu/mvs
for more information. We recommend that all interested users wishing to
participate in e-mail discussions subscribe to VTS-DISCUSS-L by sending a short e-mail
to LISTSERV@LISTS.UFL.EDU with
the command SUBSCRIBE VTS-DISCUSS-L
yourFirstname yourLastname as the body of the
message. The example below illustrates (approximately) how your
subscription request should appear.
TO: LISTSERV@LISTS.UFL.EDU
FROM: you@your.email.address
SUBJECT: Ignored
SUBSCRIBE VTS-DISCUSS-L
yourFirstname yourLastname
We welcome your comments and suggestions on this and all CNS documentation. Please send your comments to: