Structure Of The Ts4500 Tape Library - IBM TS4500 Introduction And Planning Manual

Structure of the TS4500 tape library

The structure of the IBM TS4500 tape library consists of a high-density base frame
and up to 17 high-density expansion frames.
The TS4500 tape library is built from a single frame model that is called the base
frame. The scalability of the library allows an increase in capacity by adding up to
17 more frames, called expansion frames. The frames join side by side and can
grow to the left or to the right of the base frame. All frames are supported by a
single accessor.
The TS4500 tape library supports second-generation high-density (HD2) frames.
Like the first-generation HD frames, HD2 frames offer increased capacity without
increasing frame size or required floor space by using high-density storage slots for
tape cartridges. In addition, HD2 frames provide the following enhancements.
v Can be installed in the leftmost position of the library (frame number 1)
v Drive-capable HD2 frames support up to 16 HD2-compatible tape drives when
Note: Non-HD2 frames cannot be upgraded to HD2 frames.
The L25 and L55 (Lx5) frames and D25 and D55 (Dx5) frames are HD2
drive-capable frames. They contain high-density cartridge storage slots, and slots
to house up to 16 tape drives. The S25 and S55 (Sx5) frames are HD2 storage-only
frames. They contain high-density cartridge storage slots, but no tape drives. All
HD frames provide internal LED lighting.
Table 5 on page 6 lists the frames that are supported by the library and their
specific media type and capacity. Mixed media configurations within a single
frame are not supported.
Table 4. IBM TS4500 tape library at a glance (continued)
Number of tape cartridges
Capacity
Operating systems support
positioned as frame number 2 or higher.
v L25—up to 660 (up to 550 in frame 1)
v D25—up to 740 (up to 590 in frame 1)
v S25—up to 1,000 (up to 798 in frame 1)
v Total supported per library: up to 17,550
v L55—up to 882 (up to 730 in frame 1)
v D55—up to 970 (up to 774 in frame 1)
v S55—up to 1,320 (up to 1,054 in frame 1)
v Total supported per library: up to 23,170
v 3592 advanced cartridges: up to 263.25 PB
per library (789.75 PB with 3:1
compression)
v LTO Ultrium 8 cartridges: up to 278 PB
per library (up to 695 PB with 2.5:1
compression)
See the IBM System Storage Interoperation
Center
Chapter 1. Overview
5