The real answer is "it depends," and the cited blog page gives you some
possible ways to make it happen.

No, I didn't cite any success stories, but I'm sure Index Engines will be
glad to give you some.  The way you say that, it's like the tools I
mentioned are all fantasy or something.

As to me "skirting" any issues, I'm well aware of the difficulty associated
with finding a needle in a haystack when scanning tapes without the database
(as mentioned by another poster), but those problems are the same as with
any backup software.  Which is one of the reasons I tell people not to try
and use backup tapes as archive tapes.

The point of my blog article was to counter the oft-stated belief that TSM
tapes cannot be read without the database.  I've heard IBM sales reps
actually refer to it as a feature, as if having the tape in TSM format is
almost as good as having it encrypted -- and that's just not true.  You can
read tapes without TSM.  Is it hard?  Sure.  Is it much harder than doing it
with TSM? Sure.  But it's POSSIBLE.

-----Original Message-----
From: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager [mailto:ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU] On Behalf Of
Richard Sims
Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2009 9:06 AM
To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
Subject: Re: [ADSM-L] How to read TSM content without TSM??

On May 20, 2009, at 11:56 AM, Zoltan Forray/AC/VCU wrote:

> Any time you have questions about anything...........
>
> Step #1 - GOOGLE
> Step #2 - rinse-lather-repeat
>
> http://www.backupcentral.com/content/view/179/47/

Well, that's a previously cited page which talks about the subject,
but skirts all the issues which in today's world quickly renders
physical scanning of TSM tapes rather futile.  There are too many
factors which defeat the approach.  (In particular, the web page cites
no success stories.)

For completeness: IBM's Technote on the subject is 1050961.

    Richard Sims