IBM i Virtual Tape Library (VTL) Solutions for Faster Backups and Restores
Replace traditional LTO tape bottlenecks with a high-performance IBM i Virtual Tape Library built for IBM i systems and dramatically shrink backup windows, improve restore speeds, reduce manual tape handling, scale and consolidate backups across all systems.
Why switch from LTO Tape to a VTL for IBM i backups?
SPEED: Compared with traditional LTO tape drives, an IBM i VTL can more than double the speed of the fastest LTO9 tape drive and even more so dramatically improve restore performance. The slowest IBM i VTL model delivers 1 GB/s transfer rates allowing up to 3.6 TB/h backups and the fastest VTL supports up to 10 GB/s allowing up to 36 TB/h backups. A backup that takes over 20 hours to complete using traditional tape, can sometimes be shrunk down to one hour using a VTL.
COMPATIBILITY: An IBM i Virtual Tape Library with True Tape Emulation ensures compatibility with any IBM i environment, including any IBM i Power Server generation and OS400 version. In addition, all your existing backup processes will not need to be changed, whether you are using IBM GO SAVE menu options, commands, scripts or third-party backup software such as BRMS. Every function IBM i, AIX, Linux or Windows administrators use when using traditional tape, is also available with the VTL, regardless of platform. The VTL’s true tape emulation allows plug-and-play integration with any environment. Compatibility with the oldest IBM tape media generations of the 8mm and quarter-inch tape era, to the latest LTO generation, makes the VTL the most versatile and flexible backup and recovery solution on the market.
SCALABILITY: An IBM i VTL provides flexibility to support more parallel backup data streams for multi LPAR and multi system environments. Most IBM i VTL models support parallel backups for 16 LPARs simultaneously and are upgradeable to support more, making them ideal for consolidating IBM Power environments with multiple systems or logical partitions. All IBM i VTL models can support petabytes of backups and can easily scale without having to incur expensive VTL model upgrades for long-term archiving or growing retention requirements. Entry VTL models support adding two expansion units for adding 1.2 PB of usable disk space per expansion unit. Larger VTL models support adding up to seven expansion units for a total of 7 PB of usable disk space. All IBM i VTL models offer upgrade paths to support additional LPARs without requiring additional hardware, helping organizations scale more efficiently.
SECURITY: Organizations need to be able to rely on their backups, so the backup device must be designed to be impervious to cybersecurity threats, providing ‘air gap’ protection. The IBM i VTL models treat backups like raw blocks of data, just like traditional tape media, and backups are always offline. Any VTL that utilizes a Windows based file system or directories using NFS, CIS and SMB protocols, are by design susceptible to destructive programs posed by cybersecurity threats such as viruses, ransomware, crypto lockers and other forms of malware. Other common sense security measures and features organizations will likely require compliance include MFA for administrators, SIEM/SYSLOG integration, real-time alerts, encryption for communications, encrypted backups on VTL and encrypted backups when offloading to tape media.
IMMUTABLE BACKUPS: Automated policies of the VTL guarantee backups are protected from accidental or malicious deletion according to policies defined by days, weeks, months, years for forever protection windows. VTL backup polices also control other aspects of the backup, including movement, reclaim storage and release of expired backups.
BACKUP FOR YOUR BACKUP: Using AI tools and storing backups solely in the Cloud can result in not having any backup available for recovery. Even if not using AI tools or storing backups in the Cloud, accidents and failures happen. All organizations should make multiple backup copies and store the backup’s backup in a different location. A VTL is the perfect solution for all of these scenarios, whether it is VTL with an iSCSI connection to retain a second copy of the Cloud backup or a VTL with a SAS or Fiber connection for local backups. The VTL can then keep an archive of your backups, and offload additional backup copies to other locations.
ACCESSABILITY: Archiving backups should be economical and simple. Flexible options enable organizations to choose different mediums for disseminating backup copies from the VTL, and it’s all automated. Some companies like to continue using traditional tape media, so they simply attach their existing tape drive or library to the VTL and schedule the archiving to tape. Other organizations want to replicate their backups to Cloud or to another VTL. Backups can be replicated to multiple sites, and many VTLs can be included in replication, including one too many and many to one. When replicating backups, it helps to have optimal data compaction, and larger backups or environments with limited bandwidth may need to use deduplication.
OPTIMIZATION: The VTL offers significantly better backup compression compared to LTO Ultrium Tape Media, but the deduplication has the best deduplication ratio in the industry. For most backups, customers can expect between 50 to 200:1 deduplication ratio on average using Post-Process Deduplication. However, some IBM i environments have seen over 2000:1 deduplication ratio. The IBM i VTL can shrink large backups into the tiniest fragments using Post-Process Deduplication. Post Process Deduplication allows backups to run the fastest without any degradation and restores are equally as fast. Pre-Process Deduplication, also known as Inline Deduplication is also an option that delivers 4 to 1 compaction on average, but will impede backup and restore speeds.
CONNECTIVITY: Support for just any platform that needs to be backed up: Fiber (4, 8, 16 and 32G), SAS (6 and 12G), iSCSI (1, 10 and 40GbE) and legacy SCSI (LVD and HVD). A single VTL can simultaneously handle backups from different host connection types, and each interface is bi-directional. An IBM i VTL can also include interface converters to improve distance limitations of older systems.
COST CUTTING: Traditional tape processes require ongoing media, transport and storage costs, and require manually managing backups and handling tapes, causing backup windows to be longer and will have much slower recovery times. An IBM i VTL helps eliminate all these inefficiencies and costs while also significantly improving security and reliability.
IBM i VTL Model Comparison
Choose from multiple IBM i Virtual Tape Library models designed to support growing performance, capacity, and archival requirements.
VTL Model Instant Speed Sustained Speed Base VTL Slots Base Max Usable Maximum Disk Slots Maximum Usable Capacity
2308 1 GB/s 3.6 TB/h 8 120 TB 128 2.2 PB
3324 2 GB/s 7.2 TB/h 24 440 TB 144 2.52 PB
5324 4 GB/s 14.4 TB/h 24 440 TB 264 4.6 PB
6324 8 GB/s 28.8 TB/h 24 440 TB 444 7.72 PB
7324 8 GB/s 28.8 TB/h 24 440 TB 384 6.68 PB
8524 10 GB/s 36 TB/h 24 440 TB 444 7.72 PB
What other environmental factors should I be considering to improve my backup and recovery times?
IBM Power systems can only transfer data as fast as your slowest bottleneck in the chain, so you should remove any bottlenecks that are feasibly possible. Although there are many factors that impact backup speeds, there are few that are simple and cost effective. The IBM adapter and cables you use to connect your VTL or any backup device are simple changes you can make to improve data transfer rates. Even if you stick with your LTO tape drive or LTO tape library, you should always use the fastest tape adapter your IBM Power system and backup device supports, and use the correct cable. Below are IBM SAS and Fiber Channel adapters available for IBM Power Systems going back to the IBM Power7 generation. Some of these are slow, but they are listed so you can see the performance specifications of the IBM adapter you have installed: DSPHDWRSC TYPE(*STG)
IBM 57F2 PCIe3 x8 SAS 4-Port 12 Gb Tape Adapter
IBM 57B4 PCIe3 SAS 4-port 6 Gb Tape Adapter
IBM 57B3 PCIe x4 SAS 2-Port 3 Gb Tape Adapter
IBM 2CFD PCIe4 64 Gb 2-port Optical Fiber Channel Adapter
IBM 2F05 PCIe3 64 Gb 2-port Fiber Channel Adapter
IBM 2CFC PCIe4 32 Gb 4-port Optical Fiber Channel Adapter
IBM 2F06 PCIe4 32 Gb 4-port Fiber Channel Adapter
IBM 579C PCIe4 32 Gb 2-port x8 Fiber Channel Tape Adapter
IBM 578F PCIe3 32 Gb 2-port Fiber Channel Tape Adapter
IBM 577F PCIe3 16 Gb 2-port Fiber Channel Adapter
IBM 579D PCIe3 16 Gb 2-port LP Fiber Channel Adapter
IBM 578E PCIe3 16 Gb 4-port Fiber Channel Adapter
IBM 579A PCIe3 16 Gb 4-port Fiber Channel Adapter
IBM 5729 PCIe2 8Gb 4-port Fiber Channel Adapter
IBM EN0Y PCIe2 8 Gb 4-port Fiber Channel Adapter
IBM 578D PCIe2 8 Gb 2-port Fiber Channel Adapter
IBM 5729 PCIe2 8 Gb 4-port Fiber Channel Adapter
IBM 577D PCIe 8 Gb 2-Port Fiber Channel Adapter
IBM 5774 PCIe 4 Gb 2-port Fiber Channel Adapter
IBM 2B93 PCIe2 10 Gb FCoE & 1 GbE Adapter
Note: IBM Tape Adapters often have different requirements for attaching to a specific LTO Generation, Power System model, OS Version Release and other environmental variables. Please contact for assistance in selecting the correct and best IBM Tape Adapter for your Power system.
Need Help Choosing the Right IBM i VTL Model?
Whether you need to reduce backup windows, support more LPARs, improve restore times, or improve your archive strategy, a properly sized IBM i Virtual Tape Library can deliver immediate performance and long-term operational and continuity benefits.
IBM Tape Adapters often have different requirements for attaching to a specific LTO Generation, Power System model, OS Version Release and other environmental variables. Please contact directly to help you select the correct IBM Tape Adapter and IBM LTO Tape Library or IBM LTO Tape Drive for your environment.