Tape management system

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A tape management system (TMS)^[1] is computer software that manages the usage and retention of computer backup tapes. This may be done as a stand-alone function or as part of a broader backup software package.

The role of a tape management system

A modern tape management system (TMS) is usually used in conjunction with backup applications and are generally used to manage magnetic tape media that contains backup information and other electronically stored information. Tape management systems are used by organizations to locate, track, and rotate media according to an organizations internal policies as well as government regulations.

Categories of tape management systems

Stand-alone tape management systems

Stand-alone tape management systems are predominant on mainframe platforms where tape is used as both a backup and base load storage medium.

Mainframe systems such as IBM's z/OS do provide some basic support for tape inventory control via the OS Catalog but as cataloging files is optional it is usually required that an additional software package does the following:

Ensure that live tape volumes are not over-written.
Keep a list of tape volumes that are eligible to be over-written (known as scratch tapes).
Maintain an online catalog of the location of files written to tape and a list of what files reside on each tape volume.

These operations are usually achieved by using operating system "hooks" to intercept file open and close operations.

Backup applications

Robotic control systems

Off-line tape management systems

Commercially available tape management systems

Mainframe

Stand-alone tape management systems

BrightStore CA-1 (previously known as UCC-1, until Computer Associates acquired Uccel in 1987)
CA Dynam/TLMS (previously known as TLMS II, until Computer Associates acquired Capex Corporation in 1982)
Valu-Lib, from Value Computing, Inc.
IBM RMM
BMC Control-M/Tape (previously known as Control-T, until BMC Software acquired New Dimension Software in 1999)
ASG Zara
Lascon Storage's GFS/AFM

Robotic control/management systems

StorageTek HSC
StorageTek ExLM

Distributed systems

AES Webscan Tape Management System
TapeTrack Tape Management Framework
Vertices Tape Management System
VaultLedger Tape Management System

References

^ "Introduction to tape library management". IBM. April 5, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.

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The role of a tape management system

Categories of tape management systems

Stand-alone tape management systems

Backup applications

Robotic control systems

Off-line tape management systems

Commercially available tape management systems

Mainframe

Stand-alone tape management systems

Robotic control/management systems

Distributed systems

See also

References