New Silos and Tape Drives Improve ATL Response Time

CIT has improved tape processing for MVS South system users by adding two new automated tape libraries (ATLs)—often called "silos"—with twelve tape drives. Operations staff at the NIH Computer Center are no longer required to find and mount tapes that are stored within the ATLs. Recovery of data is quick and efficient, and response time for restoration of data sets has been improved.

Each ATL contains a robotic arm that finds, retrieves, and mounts tapes for processing—usually in less than 20 seconds. After processing is complete, the robotic arm retrieves the tape from the drive and places it back in a slot within the ATL. Software associated with each ATL keeps track of the location of all tapes stored within the unit and monitors drive utilization for maintenance.

Automatic tape processing is not new. The NIH Backup and Recovery Service (NBARS) accesses an ATL to back up or restore data. Backup, migration, and restoration of data sets for the MVS North system also involves ATL processing. The addition of this new hardware enables MVS South system users to also recall and recover their data sets from within an automated environment.