Quantum Data Protection for IBM i Systems

MT-C DATASHEET N° DS5180X0200-001

MT-C LMS Solution for Physical and Virtual Tape Libraries

IBM System i (AS/400) are today in operation in a large numbers of companies around the world

for their critical business applications.

Those companies that span from small, to mid-size, to large enterprises have also deployed open

systems applications and want to gain the freedom to share today’s most advanced tape libraries

and VTL in a heterogeneous system environment.

For almost as long as IBM Systems i have

been implemented, the challenge of inte-

grating these systems into the broader

enterprise backup process has existed.

Backup technologies developped mainly

for the open-systems like deduplication,

power managed storage, and electronic

vaulting of backup data are continuing

to advance. As such, many backup manag-

ers are asking about bringing System i

into the backup mainstream to improve

backup and recovery while managing

costs.

MT-C solutions make this simple by

offering the possibility to mutualize a

wide range of third party backup and

restore resources from the world's leading

technology provider Quantum with IBM

System i.

The MT-C Data Protection solution for IBM

i is based on Client-Server software in

order to provide greatest flexibility and

modularity of operations.

The solution is based on:

- a Storage Appliance to drive physical or

virtual tape libraries

- a Client Library Management Software

to have a seamless integration with

customer backup process.

BENEFITS HIGHLIGHTS

Maximise storageMT-C Solutions maximizes the usage of tape storage

resources by sharing Tape Library, drives and volumes

among multiple hosts.

Reduce costsLibrary resource sharing reduces capital equipment,

maintenance and operating costs.

Protect legacy systemsThe MT-C Data Protection Solution, through its flexible

client/server architecture, supports legacy technologies

to protect capital investments in libraries, drives and

software.

Performance EnhancementMT-C Solutions significantly reduces backup windows,

increases data reliability of Backup and Restore and

higher performance with VTL / Dedupe Appliance.

Increase InteroperabilityMT-C Solutions is designed to interoperate with major

operating systems, backup/recovery software and

HSM applications to support heterogeneous system

environments.

Seamless integrationThe MT-C solutions has a non disruptive integration into

customer’s Backup and Restore Management procedure.

The installation and the configuration of the solution is

very simple.

MT-C DATASHEET N° DS5180X0200-001

The operations from a single host or from multiple hosts are controlled by a Client Library Management Software (LMS) developed and supplied by MT-C.The Storage Appliance LMS/5180 receives LMS/Client requests and converts them into the appropriate format for storage resource. In return, the Storage Appliance receives the return code from the storage resource and sends it back to the requesting Client.The LMS solution is involved in the COMMAND PATH only and performs automated mounts of volumes in drives/unmount of volumes from drives upon request (from a TMS, an operator, a control program, ...).The LMS solution is not involved in THE DATA PATH. The data path consists in a PHYSICAL connection between the Host adapter (Fiber Channel) and the drives in the library (i.e. physical drives in a library or VDrives in VTL).

COMPONENTS OF THE SOLUTION

LMS/400 clientThe LMS/400 client software enables the LMS/5180 Library Manager to manage applications running in IBM i (AS/400) environments. It expands majors OS/400 Tape Management Systems connectivity to Virtual Storage Appliance and delivers also an automation of standard OS tape commands.

SUPPORTED CLIENT ENVIRONMENTS• IBM i OS (OS/400) V5R4, V6R1, V7R1 and V7R2

IBM iBRMS/400LMS/400

LMS/5180 Library Manager

LAN TCP/IP COMMAND PATH

x86 ServerBackup Server

Quantum DXiVTL

Quantum DXiVTL

Quantum ScalarTape Library

DATA PATH

FC Switch

LMS/5180 Library ManagerThe MT-C LMS/5180 Library Manager is the state-of-the-art backup storage consolidation platform which can handle requirements from even the most complex environments. LMS/5180 imple-ments a wide variety of data protection schemes and tape library or VTL consolidation, thus eliminat-ing the need to dedicate devices for specific backup purposes.

SUPPORTED TAPE LIBRARIES• Quantum DXi VTL (4700, 6700, 6800, 6900 and 8500)• Quantum Scalar Tape Libraries (i500 and i6000)

LMS/5180 BUILD-IN TECHNOLOGY

Customized Operating System based on LinuxThe LMS/5180 Library Manager runs on a Customized Operating System (COS) based on Linux.COS is the MT-C Customized Operating System built with the set of packages required by the LMS/5180 to run.It has been designed to offer optimized security and functionality. This allows quick boot and fast operations without useless overhead. COS also greatly reduces the threat of being attacked as there is a limited number of modules running and open to attacks.

Security HardeningSecurity has been tightened by implementing the internal COS firewall and wherever possible, by running propri-etary communication protocols under TCP/IP (i.e. LMS protocol between LMS/Clients and LMS/5180, Graphical MTC Console, …).Security hardening allows the LMS/5180 Library Manager to run behind a firewall while the requests/replies between the various elements flow across that firewall. Firewall security is performed by configuring the LMS/5180 built-in iptables firewall. Additional protection may be performed by external firewall(s).

Optional disaster recovery featuresThe Disaster recovery feature is an important fault tolerance function of mission-critical systems that rely on constant accessibility.

This optional feature allows to have a complete replication of the Control Data Set to the backup system that mimics the operations of the primary system.

Easy installationThe LMS/5180 Library Manager offers an easy installation and upgrade procedure with dual-boot feature.This feature allows to install or upgrade a new version of the LMS/5180 appliance while keeping the production version for fallback.

Virtual Appliance ReadyThe LMS/5180 Library Manager can be deployed as a physical appliance or as a virtual machine under VMWare.This feature allows to maximize IT efficiency, reduce opera-tional costs, integrate business continuity and automatic failover protection.

User friendly administrationThe administration of the LMS/5180 Library Manager is accessible through a web-based interface that can be accessed locally or remotely.The LMS/5180’s intelligent desktop offers an intuitive graphical user interface, simplifying the whole appliance configuration and management.

Control & MonitoringThe LMS/5180 user interface allows also to review the activity on the appliance (i.e. the connected clients, the active commands, etc) but also to monitor the different

ressources (memory, cpu, disks, bandwith...)This interface allows also to manage the tapes within a Tape Library or VTL (i.e. mount tape, eject tapes...).

Advanced logging and tracing facilitiesThe LMS/5180 has got advanced logging and tracing facilities to diagnoze easily wrong behaviours or errors.Those logs and traces are in text format and are friendly readable.

SMTP and SNMP alertingEmails alerting (SMTP) and/or SNMP alerting is also config-urable in the LMS/5180 Library Manager. When an event, warning, or error occurs on the LMS/5180, it reports the real-time alert to the SNMP management stations or send an email to the list of defined recipients.This feature allows for example to inform the support that there is an issue with the standby LMS/5180.

SCSI, FC and iSCSIThe LMS/5180 Library Manager supports major tapes libraries or VTL that can be controlled by SCSI, FC or iSCSI.

MT-C is a storage connectivity provider for the mid-range (IBM i) and mainframe (IBM z/OS, z/VM and z/VSE) market.MT-C offers since more than 20 years the opportunity to interface and consolidate multiple heterogeneous hosts systems environments to storage tape libraries and virtual storage appliances. We have a long history in developing products and interfaces, especially in the area of Tape Robotics in IBM zSeries Mainframe and IBM i (AS/400) Server. MT-C is headquartered in Belgium and handles multiple language and multicultural business environment missions. MT-C is an international company with worldwide customers.

Parc Industriel d’Alleur, Phone: +32 (0)4 264 03 94 Rue du Parc, 50/E Fax: +32 (0)4 264 07 37B-4432 Alleur info@mt-consulting.comBELGIUM www.mt-consulting.com

About MT-C

MT-C DATASHEET N° DS5180X0200-001

USER

Tape Management

System (BRMS)

USER EXIT

Daily Weekly

Monthly Backups

LMS BACKUP

OS/400 Tape

Commands

Break Message Handler

LMS/400 Menus

LMS/400 Client Software

LMS Appliance

Virtual Tape Library

LMS/400 STANDARD FEATURES

Tape Management SupportLMS/400 Client software is supported by existing

Tape Management systems such as IBM BRMS/400

and supports backup tools and methods (SAVLIB,

GO SAVE and IPL).

LMSBACKUPLMS solutions in conjunction with the Virtual

Tape Library are the tailored virtual tape solution

package for small to medium enterprises with

iSeries/i5 systems. With LMSBACKUP, MT-C

proposes an easy-to-use Tape Management System

trimmed down to optimal efficiency and tailored

for small iSeries/i5 infrastructures.

Standard AutomationA facility called Break Message Handler automates

the mounting of specific or scratch volumes for

OS/400 standard tape commands (SAVxxx or

RSTxxx).

User FriendlyThe LMS/400 Client software offers the user a set

of Menu driven-commands to use most of Library

features interactively with tape selection screen.

Easy IntegrationControl Language command interface and an

application program interface allow independent

software vendors to easily integrate LMS/400 with

their applications.