Looking for a mainframe virtual tape system, or an IBM TS7700 replacement? The Visara Vi-5990 Virtual Tape System appears to your mainframe applications as standard 3490/3590 tape drives, so there are no JCL or application changes. It provides up to 168TB of internal storage, emulates 256 virtual tape drives at the same time, connects to your mainframe by FICON, and replaces all models of the IBM TS7700.

Download the Vi-5990 data sheet

What is a mainframe virtual tape system?

A mainframe virtual tape system presents disk storage to z/OS and other mainframe operating systems as if it were tape drives and tape volumes. Your jobs and tape management software keep working the way they always have, while the data sits on disk instead of cartridges. That removes the tape drives and libraries you would otherwise have to maintain, and it lets you replicate your tape data to a disaster recovery site.

Key features of the Vi-5990 mainframe virtual tape system

• Appears to mainframe applications as standard 3490/3590 tape drives, emulating 3480/3490/3590 drives
• 256 virtual tape drives emulated simultaneously
• Up to 16,384 logical paths to the virtual drives
• Up to 168TB of internal storage
• Standard SSD or NVMe flash storage
• RAID redundancy
• Up to 4 FICON channels per system, at 8Gb or 16Gb
• Fully compatible with SMS and HSM, and defined to SMS as a MTL
• No JCL changes and no changes to mainframe applications
• Works with CA-1, ZARA and RMM tape management; for VSE, Dynam-T and EPIC are supported but not required
• Supports z/OS, z/MVS, z/VM, z/VSE and OS/390
• Synchronous and asynchronous replication, using secure SSL transmission
• Parallel replication to multiple sites at the same time
• Optional encryption at rest and optional compression, configured when the system is ordered
• Replaces all models of the IBM TS7700
• Web-based graphical interface for configuration and monitoring
• Eliminates the recurring maintenance costs of tape libraries and drives
• Reduces data center floor space, electrical usage and HVAC requirements

Vi-5990 mainframe virtual tape system specifications

An IBM TS7700 replacement for every model

The Vi-5990 can replace all models of the IBM TS7700 virtual tape system. It keeps the same mainframe view of tape: your applications see standard 3490/3590 drives, work with SMS and HSM, and need no JCL changes. Contact Visara to size a Vi-5990 for your TS7700 environment.

Move to a mainframe virtual tape system at your own pace

You do not need to convert everything at once. The Vi-5990 can be installed alongside your existing tape systems, and there are no changes to make on the mainframe or in your applications to use it. It works with z/OS and OS/390 tape management applications including CA-1, ZARA and RMM, and the popular VSE tape management systems are supported as well.

Disaster recovery and replication

The Vi-5990 replicates data over secure SSL transmission, to multiple sites if you need more than one copy. Replication can be scheduled to run automatically at set times. Parallel replication sends data to multiple sites at once, and adjusts the number of replication jobs to fill the available bandwidth so your communications links are used efficiently.

An easy-to-manage mainframe virtual tape system

A web-based graphical interface lets administrators configure and monitor the Vi-5990, view system status and resource usage, create libraries and pools, and set up paths to the drives. Color-coded status panels show the operating status at a glance and shorten training time for new administrators.

Talk to us about your mainframe virtual tape system

Contact Visara for sizing and migration help. Contact us

Frequently asked questions

What is the Vi-5990 mainframe virtual tape system?

The Vi-5990 is the Visara mainframe virtual tape system. It appears to your mainframe as standard 3490/3590 tape drives and stores your tape data on disk, with up to 168TB of internal storage.

Can the Vi-5990 replace an IBM TS7700?

Yes. The Vi-5990 can replace all models of the IBM TS7700.

What kind of storage does the Vi-5990 use?

Standard SSD or NVMe flash storage, with up to 168TB of internal storage and RAID redundancy.

Does the Vi-5990 support encryption and compression?

Yes. Encryption at rest and compression are options that are configured when the system is ordered.

Do I need to change my JCL or applications?

No. There are no JCL changes and no changes to mainframe applications, and the Vi-5990 is fully compatible with SMS and HSM.

Which tape management systems does it work with?

CA-1, ZARA and RMM. For VSE, Dynam-T and EPIC are supported but not required.

Which mainframe operating systems are supported?

IBM z/OS, z/MVS, z/VM, z/VSE and OS/390.

How does the Vi-5990 connect to the mainframe?

By FICON, with up to 4 FICON channels per system at 8Gb or 16Gb, and up to 16,384 logical paths to the virtual drives.

Can I replicate virtual tape to a disaster recovery site?

Yes. The Vi-5990 supports synchronous and asynchronous replication over secure SSL transmission, to multiple sites if needed, and can replicate to several sites in parallel.

Can I keep my existing tape systems while I move?

Yes. The Vi-5990 can be installed alongside existing tape systems and implemented at your own pace, without a complete conversion.

IBM, TS7700, FICON, z/OS, z/VM and z/VSE are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. Visara is not affiliated with or endorsed by IBM.