MVTi includes CGX virtual tape control units, which emulate 3490 or 3590 devices and are plug-compatible with IBM mainframe FICON and ESCON channels. The solution is configured with internal storage for a compact 2U footprint and supports up to 8Gb FICON connectivity to the mainframe to achieve the industry's best FICON performance and throughput. The entire solution is mainframe application transparent, so customers can continue to use existing applications without modification.

Typical MVTi disaster recovery configuration.

For added data protection and security, MVTi offers encryption, key management and remote replication of tape data to secure internal or third party disaster recovery sites. So, the slower, expensive and cumbersome processes associated with packing, shipping and recovering physical tapes can be eliminated, by using MVTe with continuous replication of virtual tapes to a DR site for testing or recovery when needed.

For most data centers, the transition from the old physical tape environment to the new virtual tape solution will require tape migration software and services as well. Luminex is currently the only major mainframe virtual tape vendor that directly provides its own tape migration tools and services.

These tape migration tools and services facilitate a near-seamless, fully secure migration with virtually no impact to enterprise operations. In fact, with Luminex Tape Migration Software, the original tape volume serial numbers and historical information are also retained after cut-over to the new virtual tape environment.

So, with MVTi, customers get all of the products and services needed to ensure a smooth transition to the new solution.