There is another option - using TSM server-to-server virtual volumes
instead of accessing the remote tape libraries directly. Each TSM
server stores it's copypool data as virtual volumes on the other TSM
server. I've been using this very successfully for about 5 years. No
need for anything but a IP connection.

Rick

At 11:54 AM 11/4/2008, you wrote:

My employer is in the early stages of planning for a move to a pair
of data centers. We are planning to have a TSM server at each data
center, with each server writing copy pool tapes on drives located
at the other data center. The TSM servers will run under either
mainframe Linux or AIX; we are still looking at the costs of the
two options. We have not picked physical locations yet, but our
selection criteria will probably lead to a distance between data
centers somewhere in the tens of kilometers.

I am aware of four options for extending FCP tape drive connections
over distances in this range: FCP over dedicated fibre, FCP over
shared fibre with wave division multiplexing, iFCP, and FCIP. I
gather that there are TSM sites with remote tape drives. Does
their experience offer strong reasons to favor or avoid
particular options?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rick Saylor                  Austin Community College   Voice: (512)223-1182
Director of System Services  9101 Tuscany Way           Fax:   (512)223-1211
Information Technology       Austin, Texas  78754