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Abstract
The explosive growth of stored data, the increasing value of the data, and the fact that it is often distributed over multiple heterogeneous servers has created significant problems for backing up and archiving data. Also, the increased pressure for more productive IT time and less time for administrative tasks means that there is more data to backup in less time.
This IBM Redbook explains how tape drives and tape libraries can use storage area networks (SANs) to solve these problems. It explains how you can exploit SANs to attach, share, and exploit IBM tape subsystems and tape libraries. The ability to share tape libraries across many hosts creates a tremendous financial advantage that can be an immediate benefit of implementing SANs in your enterprise. You can often achieve significant cost savings and increase data security by implementing the tape sharing and extended distance capabilities of SAN. This redbook also includes a practical description of the products and components that were made available with the IBM SAN product rollout.
For a definitive guide to SANs and their implementation, refer to the redbook Designing an IBM Storage Area Network, SG24-5758. Although the primary focus in this redbook is on SAN tape solutions, you must also understand advances in SAN-attached disk storage, advances in copy functions, and storage management software.
Table of contents
Chapter 1. Storage area networks
Chapter 2. Tape in the SAN environment
Chapter 3. SAN building blocks
Chapter 4. Tape building blocks
Chapter 5. Tape solutions
Chapter 6. FICON attachment of IBM tapes
Appendix A. Fibre Channel discussion
Appendix B. Terminology and other basics
Appendix C. IBM SAN Data Gateway implementation