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Overview:
OpenTMS
is a mainframe-class Tape Management System (TMS) for
open systems platforms. Contributed to the open source
community by StorageTek, and maintained by Groves Technology
Corporation, OpenTMS is based on StorageTek's enterprise-hardened
Reel Librarian software product.
Although
open systems have brought users many benefits, competition
between operating system vendors failed to deliver a standardized
interface for storing and retrieving data on tape.
OpenTMS
addresses this need.
Concepts:
Files
(or data objects) are stored on Volume Sets. A Volume
Set is an infinite-length abstraction of a tape. Files
stored in the TMS have a name, generation and version,
and may be retrieved via that information, or by their
sequential position within the volume set. OpenTMS takes
care of all of the gory details of controlling tape libraries
and locating items on tape.
OpenSMS
is also a fully distributed subsystem. The "Netmaster"
manages the volume catalog and the allocation of mount
points (tape drives). Drives may be connected to the netmaster,
directly to client nodes, or to a SAN as shared devices
(access-controlled by the Netmaster). Storing or retrieving
a file on tape works the same regardless of whether the
connection type to tape (direct, SAN or network via the
Netmaster).
Features:
- Transparently manages tape libraries, via either SCSI
or ACSLS.
- Able to share tape libraries with other applications.
- Clients may access tape directly, via the SAN or over
the network via the Netmaster.
- Access to a pool of tape drives may be shared among
multiple clients and applications.
- OpenTMS transparently handles files or data objects
that span tape volumes.
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