IBM LTFS Extends Support

IBM LTFS (LTFS) Library Edition (LE), Storage Manager (SM), and Enterprise Edition (EE) support new IBM TS4500 tape libraries models. LTFS EE now offers support for IBM TS3310 tape libraries.

LTFS Library Edition and Storage Manager support TS4500 tape library
IBM LTFS Library Edition (LTFS LE) V2R1 supports the new TS4500 tape library. LTFS LE enables mounting of the library as a file system and index for data, while the file manager manages the automation and provides OS-level access to all the content in the library. LTFS LE is based on the LTFS format specification, enabling tape library cartridges to be interchangeable with cartridges written with the open-source, single-drive versions of LTFS. LTFS LE trial software is available on a limited basis through your IBM representative.

IBM LTFS Storage Manager (LTFS SM) V1R1 data management is focused on media assets, including video, using IBM tape libraries with LTFS LE. LTFS LE V2R1, or later, is required with the installation of LTFS Storage Manager V1R1.

LTFS SM provides storage lifecycle management of multimedia files using IBM LTFS which can help reduce video archive costs.

IBM LTFS EE expands support to the TS4500 and TS3310 tape libraries.

LTFS EE is designed to enable policy management of tape as a storage tier in a GPFS environment, helping encourage the use of tape as a critical tier in the storage environment.

LTFS EE can be used as an operational storage tier accessible by disk-based applications. Using LTFS EE to replace disks with tape in tier 2 and tier 3 storage can improve data access over other storage solutions as it improves efficiency and streamlines management for files on tape.

LTFS EE can play a role in reducing the cost of storage for data that does not need the access performance of primary disk. By replacing tier 2 and tier 3 disk storage with tape, organizations can achieve a operational efficiency and cost effectiveness compared to the cost of equivalent disk-based environments. LTFS EE simplifies the use of tape by making it transparent to the user and manageable by the administrator under a single infrastructure.

With the release of LTFS EE, software maintenance renewals for LTFS EE can be automated through a services contract. Feature number 9000 must be included on the software maintenance registration Product ID (PID) to indicate the desire to participate in this auto renewal process. Auto renewal services are not available in all countries or for all initial software maintenance contract terms.

Orderable per node
For the installation of first node, purchase one per-install license. For the installation of additional nodes for meeting the scale-out requirement, purchase one per-secondary-node license for each additional node in the same LTFS EE cluster.

LTFS LE software is required to be installed on customer servers supporting:

• Redhat Enterprise Linux Version 5
• Redhat Enterprise Linux Version 6
• Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11
• Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1
• Windows Server 2012
• Windows Server 2012 R2

LTFS SM software is required to be installed on customer servers supporting:

• Redhat Enterprise Linux Version 5
• Redhat Enterprise Linux Version 6
• Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11

LTFS EE software is required to be installed on customer servers supporting:

• Redhat Enterprise Linux Version 6
• Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11

Note: GPFS is required.

LTFS LE and LTFS EE supports mixed environments and any combination of these drive types can be used in an LTFS LE and LTFS EE environment and the supported media respectively.

The following drives are supported by LTFS LE and LTFS EE:

• LTO Ultrium Gen 6
• LTO Ultrium Gen 5
• TS1140 Tape Drive

LTFS SM software sits on top of LTFS LE software in the code stack to create the LTFS file system, enabling an IBM tape library to be read, written, and searched. LTFS LE is a corequisite to LTFS SM.

If Material Exchange Format (MXF) files are going to be utilized with LTFS Storage Manager, OpenCube software will be required and must be ordered separately.

Planned availability date: June 13, 2014