TS3500 Tape Library

IBM Storage Infrastructure, Storage

The IBM® TS3500 tape library is a highly scalable, stand-alone device that provides reliable, automated tape handling and storage for both mainframe and Open Systems environments.

An individual library, or library string, consists of one base frame and up to 15 expansion frames and can include up to 192 tape drives and more than 20 000 tape cartridges. The flexibility to connect multiple library strings to create a shuttle complex greatly increases opportunities for growth, as well as the maximum cartridge capacity. In addition to scalability, the TS3500 tape library offers the following enhancements:

• Enhanced data accessibility through dual accessors that increase speed and provide failover protection
• Enhanced data security through support for tape drive encryption and write-once-read-many (WORM) cartridges
• Increased storage capacity with high-density (HD) frames that greatly increase capacity without requiring more floor space
• Increased growth flexibility with shuttle technology, even in physically constrained environments
• Greatly increased cartridge capacity in a shuttle complex without the need for additional tape drives.

The TS3500 tape library comes with several tape drive, frame model, and feature options to meet your specific needs. Some additional features of the TS3500 tape library are listed here:

• Ability to attach multiple simultaneous heterogeneous servers
• Remote management using a web browser or the TS3500 Command Line Interface program
• Remote monitoring using Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
• Multipath architecture
• Drive/media exception reporting
• In-depth reporting using the Tape System Reporter
• Host-based path failover
• Up to 224 I/O slots (16 I/O slots standard)