[OT] IBM Mainframe Storage - DVD Drives?

So here's the situation... case upon case of 9-track tape reels, taking up
space and incurring storage costs.

Someone suggests transferring them to DVD... is there such a thing as a
mainframe DVD-jukebox?  If so, where might such a thing be researched?  A
Google search on "mainframe DVD drive" yields zero hits while '"DVD drive"
mainframe' yields over 8,000 pages.

DD

In article <d7kiaf$n56$1@panix5.panix.com>, docdwarf@panix.com wrote:

> So here's the situation... case upon case of 9-track tape reels, taking up
> space and incurring storage costs.
>
> Someone suggests transferring them to DVD... is there such a thing as a
> mainframe DVD-jukebox?  If so, where might such a thing be researched?  A
> Google search on "mainframe DVD drive" yields zero hits while '"DVD drive"
> mainframe' yields over 8,000 pages.
>
> DD

Try searching for OAM -- (Optical Access? Media) -- is I think what IBM
is calling that family of things.  I know it can be done, we have had CD
burners hooked up to our mainframes for years.

I think you can use anything SCSI, but you might end up writing your own
drivers.

In article <joe_zitzelberger-2CED63.02521002062005@ispnews.usenetserver.com>
,
Joe Zitzelberger  <joe_zitzelberger@nospam.com> wrote:
>In article <d7kiaf$n56$1@panix5.panix.com>, docdwarf@panix.com wrote:
> 
>
>Try searching for OAM -- (Optical Access? Media) -- is I think what IBM
>is calling that family of things.

According to http://www.sdsusa.com/dictionary/glossAZ/o.htm it is 'Object
Access Method... best not tell that to the OO coders, might get them
upset.

>I know it can be done, we have had CD
>burners hooked up to our mainframes for years.
>
>I think you can use anything SCSI, but you might end up writing your own
>drivers.

There's no question that it can be done... but whenever a solution,
especially one that requires new hardware being bought and installed, is
suggested two questions are hurled nigh simultaneously:

'How much will it cost?'

'How much work will it take?'

... and no matter what the numbers are the replies then come:

'Costs too much!'

'Too much work... my people are already swamped.'

But... the researching is proving interesting, at least.

Thanks much!

DD

(docdwarf@panix.com) writes:
> So here's the situation... case upon case of 9-track tape reels, taking up
> space and incurring storage costs.
>
> Someone suggests transferring them to DVD... is there such a thing as a
> mainframe DVD-jukebox?  If so, where might such a thing be researched?  A
> Google search on "mainframe DVD drive" yields zero hits while '"DVD drive"
> mainframe' yields over 8,000 pages.
>
> DD
>
Try in combination with Virtual Tape, e.g. IDG 9074s DVD writer doesn't have
a DVD juke box attached, but can write Virtual 3480/3490 tapes to DVD and
read them back from DVD.

In article <d83d3t$2hu$1@theodyn.ncf.ca>,
Kelly Bert Manning <bo774@FreeNet.Carleton.CA> wrote:

[snip]
 
>Try in combination with Virtual Tape, e.g. IDG 9074s DVD writer doesn't hav
e
>a DVD juke box attached, but can write Virtual 3480/3490 tapes to DVD and
>read them back from DVD.

Thanks much!

DD