Robot-supported automation of peripherals operation features the following advantages:
transfer of time-consuming backup runs to unmanned operating times
efficient use of cartridge drives
increased data security thanks to installation of the archiving system in secure and access-controlled areas
standardization of actions and responses to tape requests
reduced burden on disk peripherals with fully automatic access to external data resources thanks to relocation of little-used online data from disk to cartridge
BS2000 supports real archiving systems. They are controlled by means of the software product ROBAR (see the “ROBAR” manual [41]).
The tapes can be managed by MAREN. The decision as to which archiving system is involved is taken by MAREN on the basis of the storage location (for storage locations, see also "Device selection mechanisms for tape devices").
For MAREN, see also section "Tape management with MAREN" and the “MAREN” manual [31].
In addition to real archiving systems, the virtual archiving system ETERNUS CS can also be used. With ETERNUS CS, a virtual tape robot system is placed in front of the real tape robot system (with the real drives and cartridges). In this way the server and the real archive are fully decoupled. The virtual tape robot system knows what are referred to as virtual (logical) drives and virtual (logical) volumes. The core element here consists principally of a disk system as data cache, guaranteeing not only extremely high-speed access to the data, but also, thanks to the large number of virtual drives (up to 1024) and logical volumes (up to 1,500,000) which can be generated, that the bottlenecks which occur in a real archiving system can be cleared.
For details on ETERNUS CS, please also refer to the “ETERNUS CS” manual [8].