VTFM-NewGen
VTFM-NewGen – your flexible back-up solution for s/OS
VTFM-NewGen (Virtual Tape Facility for Mainframe – NewGen) is a fully software-based back-up solution for z/OS. It helps businesses meet the requirements of the EU’s Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA). This solution integrates seamlessly into your existing data management and safety software and provides unchangeable air-gap back-ups – whether on local systems or in the Cloud via S3 or Azure memory.
And the icing on the cake: adaptations to JCL or jobstreams are not needed – simply link and start. Additionally, you can easily save often used virtual tapes on a local z/OS-DASD. VTFM-NewGen is bridge and goal simultaneously: you can iteratively replace expensive, proprietary virtual tape hardware – and maintain your z/OS environment’s usual levels of performance and availability. More flexibility, less reliance on hardware – and a future-proof back-up strategy that meets your needs, even when they change.
VTFM compact
- Compliance with regulations: meet DORA-requirements with rule-based migration and recovery of virtual tapes and datasets – locally or in the Cloud (S3/Azure) – for unchangeable air-gap back-ups.
- Seamlessly integrated: functions transparently within existing processes and conforms with defined vault cycles for tape management.
- 100 % software: fully software based virtual tape solution – no need for proprietary hardware.
- Strategic bridge: allows for an iterative replacement of expensive hardware solutions, while maintaining the high levels of availability and safety which z/OS mainframe environments offer.
- Simple implementation: quick introduction without the need to change JCL or existing job streams.
Why it makes sense to reconsider now
Many businesses still rely on dedicated, hardware based tape systems or classic tape libraries. Not only are these expensive to buy and to run but they also lock businesses into using a specific producer. This massively reduces freedom of action, both technically and financially.
At the same time the advantages of a hybrid back-up and recovery strategy that is independent of individual producers are becoming more and more clear: combining local saves and cloud integration enhances flexibility and reliability while protecting data more sustainably and resiliently.
The real challenge lies in avoiding high costs and interruptions of existing save and recovery processes when taking this step. This is where VTFM-NewGen comes into play – as a bridge into a modern back-up world, where your existing processes are respected and a door is opened for new opportunities.
The smart solution: VTFM-NewGen with the power of the Cloud
After taking the decision to transition from static hardware-based tape systems to a flexible solution that is ready for any future challenge, VTFM-NewGen with Cloud back-up offers the foundation you need.
VTFM-NewGen is a high performing z/OS software solution that emulates IBM compatible tape management and tape drives – fully as a software. Instead of physical tape machines you use logical, memory-resident, virtual tape machines. This streamlines your back-up infrastructure to be more agile and more cost efficient.
Virtual tape datasets can be deposited on any IBM compatible disk subsystem, either locally or distributed, and inclusive of direct connection to cloud-based memory solutions such as S3 or Azure.
In doing so, the VTMF tape emulation operates fully transparently for hosts, z/OS applications, tape management systems, and users. JCL adaptations are not needed – your existing processes can simply run as before while you benefit from your newly gained flexibility in the backrgound.
Powerful functions that make the difference
Building on VTFM-NewGen’s flexible architecture, this solution offers a variety of high-performance functions that optimally support technical requirements and business goals.
VTFM-NewGen supports multi-stage save strategies. You can seamlessly integrate mainframe DASD, Cloud memory, FTP servers, and on- and off-premise memory. This allows you to move virtual tapes automatically and transparently to any save location you desire – in the Cloud or locally.
For maximal efficiency, VTFM uses zIIP processing and offers four different data compression techniques. This offlloades up to 97% of the CPU overheads to zIIP, meaningfully relieving host processors. Additionally, the software supports zEDC hardware compression to save data even faster and more efficiently.
A real highlight is the Parallel Access Tape (TPA) function. This allows multiple jobs read access to the same virtual tape – even within the same z/OS image. One result of this is, for instance, over 90% faster recovery of Db2 databases from stacked tape saves
Furthermore, VTFM is highly compatible: standard label and no label tapes are fully supported, as are multiple dataset volumes and volume datasets. Special tape E/A commands like Read Backward and large block sizes up to 256 K pose no challenge.
Another advantage: in contrast to classical tape mount managers which reserve hard drive space in advance and can lead to Sx37 imprints VTFM guarantees that jobs are never affected by Sx37-errors.
Operating the software requires no changes to existing JCL or applications. Even complex requirements such as VOL=REF groups are implemented intelligently so that all datasets on a tape are allocated a specific save location – on DASD, FTP, or Cloud memory such as S3 or Azure.
VTFM scales flexibly with your requirements: you can have up to 256 virtual tape machines and 4 virtual CHPIDs per environment, which avoids bottlenecks and increases availability. There is no limit on the number of manageable virtual tapes and the virtual tape library can be used by multipla z/OS systems simultaneously. Expanding capacity is as easy as adding more memory.
Your advantages at a glance
VTFM-NewGen does not just create the basis for DORA-compliant data saves. It also optimises system performance and memory usage of your z/OS environment.
The solution significantly improves business flexibility: you can seamlessly integrate back-up strategies in on-premise and cloud memory – multi-stage, rules-based, and if needed fully automated. This allows for targeted and efficient management of data without impacting existing processes.
A defining benefit: you remain independent of expensive and proprietary hardware solutions. This not only reduces your investment and operating costs but also protects you from long-term producer dependance.
With VTFM you invest in a future-proof, scalable, and cost efficient back-up strategy that protects your data and opens new opportunities for your IT infrastructure.
