> Linux won't
> drive a FICON attached library controller.

We wrote a CMS-based DVM to provide that interface, since IBM considers the 
library management protocol OCO. 
You can download it for free from download.sinenomine.net. The gadget will 
interact with DFSMS/VM RMM, CA VMTAPE, and the base CP tape support, so you can 
use any combination of library or standalone drives.

IBM, I know it's good to sell new hardware, but jeez, guys. You're talking 
about quarter-to-half-million dollar scale infrastructure here. We *aren't* 
gonna duplicate that just because you want to sell us new stuff...

> If cost is really really an issue, I second David's suggestion of
> Amanda / Bacula. You can probably run that on anything POSIX compliant
> with a TCP/IP stack and the ability to manage tiered storage ( z/OS
> HSM for sure, possibly z/VM and VSE ?? )

If you want to run my virtual tape solution for Bacula backed by a VM system, 
you need to run DFSMS/VM with migration active, which requires TSM for VM to 
handle the disk-to-tape data moving. The Bacula and Amanda stuff will work 
fine, but good luck getting anyone at IBM to sell you a license for TSM on VM 
to handle ML2 migration in DFSMS at any price, even on standard engines.

Yes, I'm grumpy today.It's really annoying that a decade into their interaction 
with Linux, IBM still refuses to listen to reason on this topic. 

-- db

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