IBM Tape Solutions for Storage Area Networks and FICON

Chapter 6. FICON attachment of IBM tapes 151

򐂰 Up to 12 3590 tape drives attached

An IBM TotalStorage 3590 Model A60 tape controller can attach up to 12 3590-B1A, E1A,

H1A or 3592 J1A IBM TotalStorage tape drives, but the models cannot be intermixed

behind the same controller. Unlike the 3480, 3490, and 3490E, such tape control

operations as forward space file, back space file, and locate record do not tie up control

unit function. These operations are controlled by the drive itself. The control unit function in

the 3590-A60 becomes free.

򐂰 Device type 3590 or 3490E

The IBM TotalStorage 3590 Model A60 tape controller has two device type options. It can

run in native 3590 mode and provide a 3490E emulation feature that enables attached

IBM TotalStorage 3590 tape drives to appear to the host system as 3490E tape drives.

The 3490E emulation feature can be used with IBM TotalStorage 3590 tape drives

attached to an A50 or A60 controller installed in a 3590 Model A14 stand-alone solution,

or in rack-mounted subsystem solutions.

The choice of 3490E emulation or native 3590s is set by your service representative.

6.3.1 Installation options

The 3590 Model A60 may be installed in a number of ways as explained in the following

sections.

Stand-alone tape subsystem

The 3590-A60 may be installed in a 3590-A14 frame or a standard 19-inch rack together with

up to four 3590-B11, 3590-E11, or 3590-H11 drives.

For SCSI drives with multiframe support, you can attach up to eight 3590 drives to a

3590-A60, requiring two A14 frames or two 1.6 m or 1.8 m racks.

For Fibre Channel drives with multiframe support, you can attach up to 12 3590 drives to a

3590-A60, requiring three 3590-A14 frames or three 1.8 m racks. For 1.6 m racks, the

maximum is reduced to drives for two frames or 10 drives for three frames because of the

space needed to mount the 2109-S16 switch.

Multiframe support requires additional features on the 3590-A14 frame and 3590-A60 to

provide the correct mountings and connectors. The frame or rack housing the 3590-A60 must

have four drives installed before you install any multiframe features.

Installation in a 3494 library

The 3590-A60 may be installed in a 3494-D14 frame. Unlike earlier control units, it may not be

installed in an L14 frame as it is too big. The D14 frame can also contain up to four 3590

drives. See Figure 6-9.

Adjacent frame support allows the attachment of up to 10 3590-B1A, 3590-E1A, or 3590-H1A

drives to a 3590-A60, with four in the D14 frame with the A60 and either six in an adjacent

3494-D12 frame, or two in an adjacent 3494-L12 or L14 frame.

The maximum number of drives with adjacent frame support is 10, whether SCSI or Fibre

Channel drives. There is only one adjacent frame.

Note: This feature is not available when the 3590 Model A50 or A60 is installed in an

IBM TotalStorage 3494 tape library.