StorageTek Product: Virtual Storage Manager (VSM) system

	Virtual Storage Manager (VSM) system
	Virtual Storage Manager (VSM) Open

Storage Networking

Management Software

Home : Products : Virtualization : Virtual Storage Manager (VSM) system

Printable version

Virtual Storage Manager (VSM) system

StorageTek’s Virtual Storage Manager® (VSM®) is the market leading virtual tape solution for mainframe environments. It improves operating efficiencies and lowers your total cost of ownership by maximizing the value of your storage investments and minimizing the use of mainframe production resources.

VSM provides an intelligently managed disk buffer between the mainframe servers and the tape storage system. Instead of writing directly to a physical drive, mainframes read and write to virtual drives created and maintained by VSM. This enables high drive and cartridge utilization and lowers storage costs.

Data protection and disaster recovery applications are enhanced by VSM’s automation of tape management. And VSM’s user-defined policies help you store the right data on the right device at the right price. You can cost-effectively protect your business-critical information based on its changing value over time.

Business Benefits

	VSM mitigates risk by automating protection processes and helping to eliminate media and human errors. Backups will complete on time and you will have confidence that you can recover your information if necessary.

	VSM contains costs and helps you meet changing tape workloads over time without adding more libraries, drives or media. Storage purchases can be deferred by making better use of existing resources.

	Enable revenue-generating activities by improving the tape-based batch performance of MVS and zOS systems. VSM frees up mainframe computing power to support business-critical applications

More Information

Spec Summary
	VSMe	VSM3	VSM4
Capacity:	930 GB	180 GB to 3.78 TB	1.25 TB to 14.9 TB
Number of virtual tape drives (VTDs):	64	64	256
ESCON channels:	8	8 or 16	16 or 32

Related Documents

Product Collateral

Technical Information

VSM System offering collateral (pdf 206K, Feb 2005)

Compatability matrix for tape libraries and drives

VSM SVA component redundancy - technical brief

Ask an expert

Pre-Sales Technical Questions
1-800-275-4785
01-303-673-2800

Product Support
1-800-525-0369

How to Buy
Contact us online
Or call
1-800-275-4785
01-303-673-2800
For tape media purchases:
1-877-STK-TAPE

Case studies

	RBC Financial Group
	Lufthansa Systems

Related offerings

	PowderHorn 9310 tape library
	T9940 tape drives
	T9840 tape drives
	Implementation Services
	Support

Drivers

	RSM Driver
	AIX 4.3.3 and 5L ODM Filesets for OST Driver

Applications

Backup and restore
VSM eases the challenges of backup and restore in large mainframe environments by consolidating and accelerating backups. Tape utilization and data access are increased. Backup windows are shortened by as much as 50 percent.

Disaster recovery
When implemented as part of a remote vaulting infrastructure, VSM makes disaster recovery more efficient by reducing data volume and the number of tapes to manage. High data transfer rates further speed recovery.

Archiving and offline processing
VSM combined with fast-access T9840 tape drives and high capacity T9940 tape drives provides customized archiving or batch processing storage that shortens response times for active data while reducing long-term storage costs.

Features and IT Benefits

Higher resource utilization
The ability to use 100 percent of the space on your tape cartridges enables you to expand your usable library capacity, enhance performance and reduce your use of floor space.

Increased productivity
With the VSM system, you can access data at disk speeds, automatically migrate data, simplify storage management, recoup IT hours and reallocate empty libraries.

Enhanced data protection
Flexible data movement capabilities and policy-based management features enable you to customize your backup and disaster recovery processes to better protect your data.

Decreased costs
The VSM system helps you maximize the efficiency of your data center, decrease environmental and management costs, and unleash the profits trapped in underutilized assets.

Pricing

Pricing can vary based on the server quantity, storage capacity or options. Pricing is for software only. Contact the "How to Buy" help desk at 1-800-275-4785 (01-303-673-2800) for more information.

Product images

Click on an image below to enlarge it.

Specifications

Performance

VSMe

VSM3

VSM4

Disk performance:

10,000 rpm disk drives

15,000 rpm disk drives

Physical cache:

2 GB

8 GB

Non-volatile storage (average 4:1 compression before storage):

32 MB

Effective non-volatile storage (4:1 compression):

128 MB

Capacity

VSMe

VSM3

VSM4

ESCON channels:

8 or 16

16 or 32

Capacity:

930 GB

180 GB to 3.78 TB

1.25 TB to 14.9 TB

Number of virtual tape drives (VTDs):

256

Management

VSMe

VSM3

VSM4

Minimum software requirements:

MVS 5.2, HSC 5.0+, VTCS 5.0, ZOS 1.1+

Mechanical

VSMe

VSM3

VSM4

Width:

36.3 in (92.1 cm)

Height:

61.0 in (154.94 cm)

Depth:

30.4 in (77.1 cm)

Maximum weight:

982.0 lb (445.0 kg)

Service clearance (front and rear):

21.3 in (54.1 cm)

Environmental

VSMe

VSM3

VSM4

Temperature:

60° to 90° F (16° to 32° C)

Relative humidity:

20% - 80%

Maximum wet bulb temperature:

73° F (23° C)

Power

VSMe

VSM3

VSM4

Voltage:

176 - 264 VAC @ 47 - 63 Hz

176–264 VAC @ 47–63 Hz

200–240 VAC @ 50–60 Hz

Power consumption/dissipation:

4.77 minimum kBTU/hr/7.64 maximum kBTU/hr

8.6 minimum kBTU/hr/12.4 maximum kBTU/hr

KVA:

1.42 minimum/2.29 maximum

2.6 minimum/3.8 maximum

Options

Capacity
VSM3 : 180 GB – 1.89 TB, 2.2 TB – 2.82 TB, 3.3 TB – 3.78 TB
VSMe: 920 GB
VSM4: 1.25 TB – 7.4 TB, 11 TB, 14.9 TB

Advanced management
The VSM system provides sophisticated policy management capabilities and a centralized point of control. It enables you to exploit mixed media and recording technologies and to customize policies for individual workloads.

Disclaimer

StorageTek equipment is manufactured from new parts, or new and used parts. In some cases, StorageTek equipment may not be new and may have been previously installed. Regardless, StorageTek's standard warranty terms apply, unless the equipment is specifically identified by StorageTek as "used" or "refurbished".

StorageTek and the StorageTek logo are registered trademarks of Storage Technology Corporation. Other products or company names mentioned may be trademarks of Storage Technology Corporation or other vendors/manufacturers.

01.303.673.5151