3592 tape drives

The TS4500 tape library supports the following 3592 tape drives:

• TS1160 (Models 60F, 60E, and 60S)
• TS1155 (Models 55F and 55E)
• TS1150 (Models EH8 and E08*)
• TS1140 (Models EH7 and E07*)

*Models E07 and E08 are not supported by HD2 frames.

The 3592 tape drive communicates with the tape library through an internal Ethernet interface and uses the Statistical Analysis and Reporting System to isolate failures between media and hardware.

The 3592 tape drives provide the following performance, capacity, and availability features:

N+1 power supplies

When installed in a TS4500 tape library frame, these power supplies increase drive availability in the event of a power failure.

Media reuse

The 3592 tape drives can reuse different types of tape and multiple densities (logical formats) across various drive generations. These logical formats can be divided into multiple sub-format options, such as segmentation and capacity scaling.

Speed matching

When the drives operate in a host environment where the net host data rate is less than the maximum drive native data rate, 3592 tape drives automatically perform dynamic speed matching to minimize backhitches. Dynamic speed matching adjusts the native data rate of the drive as closely as possible to the net host data rate (after data compressibility is factored out). A reduction in back-hitches improves system performance.

High resolution tape directory (HRTD)

The HRTD directory structure used by 3592 tape drives allows fast and consistent nominal and average access times for locate operations.

Channel calibration and dynamic adaptive equalization

To gain optimum performance, channel calibration allows the drive to automatically customize each read and write data channel. The customization compensates for variations in the recording channel transfer function, for media characteristics, and for read and write head characteristics. Initial calibration settings are calculated and stored at the time of manufacture. For optimum error rate performance, the supported 3592 tape drives also use dynamic adaptive equalization hardware on an ongoing basis to adjust the read equalization response.

Recursive accumulating backhitchless flush

The supported 3592 tape drives use an algorithm called recursive accumulating backhitchless flush (or non-volatile caching). This algorithm increases the effective data rate performance from host servers that force explicit synchronize operations during write operations.

Backhitchless backspace

Backhitchless backspacing enables some backspace operations to be virtualized without physical back-hitching. If you write and overwrite multiple trailer labels, this firmware feature provides major performance improvements.

Capacity scaling

If you want to exchange capacity for improved access times, 3592 tape drives support multiple format options, such as scaling and segmentation modes. These tape drives can sense and report the scaling state of current medium by using the SCSI Mode Sense command and specifying Mode Page X'23'. Capacity scaling is only offered on the JB, JC, JD, and JE media types.

WORM

The 3592 tape drives support write-once-read-many (WORM) behaviors and format attributes. Four WORM cartridge types are supported: JX Extended WORM cartridge, JY Advanced Type C WORM cartridge, JZ Advanced Type D WORM cartridge, and JV Advanced Type E WORM cartridge. WORM cartridges are factory-formatted as WORM cartridges and cannot be converted to data cartridges. The 3592 tape drives allow append operations to data already on WORM cartridges, but do not allow data to be overwritten under any circumstances.

Constant Capacity-based and Maximum Capacity-based LEOT reporting

The 3592 tape drives use enhanced logic to report logical end-of-tape (LEOT) data. The drive is configured to report LEOT using either a constant capacity-based LEOT algorithm or a maximum capacity-based LEOT algorithm. These drives use the constant capacity-based LEOT reporting. Constant capacity-based LEOT reporting monitors the number of data sets (i.e., physical records) written to the medium and reports early-warning (EW) based on the number of data sets written to tape (i.e., the number of data sets to hold the advertised native capacity). This reduces the variation in the amount of data that is recorded before EW is returned. For applications that stop writing upon receipt of EW, a more consistent capacity is recorded to the medium. This process allows tape copies to finish without overflow a higher percentage of the time.

Enhanced format for recording error-correction codes (ECCs)

The logical formats of the 3592 tape drives offer error-correction-code capabilities of two orthogonal Reed-Solomon ECCs that protect the data on tape.

Drive mechanical and electrical reliability

The mechanisms of the 3592 tape drives are specified at a mean-cycles-between-failure rate of 300,000 cycles, which is the highest reliability rating in the industry. The mechanism contains special mechanical and electrical features to prevent damage to the media on power-down or reset. These features also prevent the dropping of the leader pin or other thread failures during similar interruptions. It also tolerates high vibration and shock environments without data loss or degraded operation.

Data compression

The 3592 tape drives use the data-compression method that is known as streaming lossless data compression algorithm or enhanced streaming lossless data compression algorithm depending on drive model.

Data buffer with read ahead feature

The 3592 tape drives include a data buffer of either 1 GiB or 2 GiB depending on model. Along with enabling performance characteristics in buffered Write and Read commands, the data buffer also supports a Read Ahead feature. When the drive processes a command to locate or read a block, the drive automatically continues to stream down the tape and read ahead until the data buffer is full. This feature allows subsequent Locate or Read commands to be fulfilled from the data buffer at faster speeds, rather than requiring access to the tape.

Offboard data string searching

The 3592 tape drives can search the data content of host server records for string matches. The function is called offboard data string searching because the data search workload can be done offboard from the host. Each drive performs a search at its own respective maximum data rate. This feature greatly reduces the amount of data transfer and host search times.

Encryption

All 3592 tape drives are encryption capable, which means they can convert data into a cipher that ensures data security. To encrypt data, the drive must be encryption-enabled by your selection of one of three methods of encryption management. A key is required to encrypt and decrypt the data. How a key is generated, maintained, controlled, and transmitted depends on the operating environment where the tape drives are installed. Some data management applications can do key management. For an alternative solution, IBM® provides a key manager that works with the keystore of your choice to do all necessary key management tasks. There is no recovery for lost encryption keys.