Len, How about storing them as Binary files on NFS mounted SATA?
You can access from Mainframe or Open System. You choose whether to store metadata and file layouts with the files, or convert it to ASCII on the way out. Ron > -----Original Message----- > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Len Rugen > Sent: Friday, 10 March 2006 8:16 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Tape stacking, media conversion and data archival past end of > mainframe > > I'm in the process of shrinking our pool of 3490 carts by about 30%. We > have CA-1, so I'm using COPYCAT. It works OK to stack to a like device, > but as best as I can tell, it doesn't do media conversion. We also have a > 3494 and 3590's. > > I also have users requesting that data be retained for 7 years, 10 years > or even "forever". The problem is that the mainframe could well be gone > before forever comes, it will probably be gone in 5 years, but we have > been saying that for awhile. Today, the only 3490 drives are attached to > the mainframe. We also have 3590 drives on AIX for ADSM (Whatever Tivoli > calls it now). > > I'm wondering if mainframe data on 3590's could be accessed in the future > from the AIX side even after the mainframe is gone? If so, is there a > tool to generate JCL to do the copies? I know about FATARCOPY and it has > potential, but in the past few years I've implemented TMM. So some "tape" > datasets are really on disk, HSM ML1 or ML2. Most of the datasets are > cataloged, so tape vs. TMM isn't an issue, but there are some JCL Luddites > that still create non-cataloged datasets on tape. They usually catalog > the first dataset and let the rest hide behind it for retention and access. > > I looked on the CBT site, but nothing jumped out. I had some old SAS code > that copied one dataset per step, but that quickly hit the 255 step limit. > I also tried ABBRS, it stacked the datasets, but I'll bet they won't be > accessed without a mainframe and DF/DSS or HSM to read the tape. I think > it only processes cataloged datasets as well. > > ABBRS might have potential for the user that has re-read the same tape > 2439 times and finally wears it out. I stacked about 450 tape datasets > from about 75 tapes that is logically 1991 for an application and it used > 3% of a 3590. Way cool, but restore or recreating a lost tape looks like > an adventure. > > Any thoughts? > > Thanks > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, > send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO > Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
