ITDT Help - Using Copy Services

With the Copy Services functions of ITDT tape content can be either copied or migrated:

from a cartridge to another cartridge
from a cartridge to an image file
from an image file to a cartridge

ITDT offers different use cases like just copying data as well as migrating data from one generation to another, e.g. data can be copied from a Gen5 cartridge to a Gen6 cartridge.
Even migration from an LTO to an IBM Enterprise Tape System is supported.
For an LTFS environment the data can be copied/migrated with the LTFS Physical Copy which actually adjusts the LTFS parameters on the target to be unique.
Such a copy can be used in the same LTFS environment as the source.

Note: To ensure maximum performance for tape to tape copy actions, ITDT-GE allocates a read buffer which calculates to 2500 multiplied by the maximum supported system blocksize.
If the system does not provide this buffer, the operation will be aborted with MEMORY ALLOCATION FAILED. An infinite progress bar indicates the ongoing copy procedure. A dialog box confirms the completion.

Tape Physical Copy

Creates a physical copy of a tape cartridge either to another cartridge or to an image file.
The created cartridge has the same physical layout and contents as the original cartridge.
Tape Physical Copy supports LTO and 3592 tape drives and can therefore be used for data migration.
A copy from a previous to a newer generation cartridge or from an LTO to a 3592 will succeed, if the amount of used data from the source device is equal or less than the capacity of the destination device.
If the source cartridge is partitioned, the target has to support the same partitioning sizes and amount.
The amount of transferred data and the current data transfer rate is displayed every 3-5 minutes.

LTFS Physical Copy

Creates a physical copy of an LTFS formatted cartridge. The LTFS specified parameters 'volumeuuid' and 'VCI' are adjusted during this copy operation.
The created cartridge has exactly the same physical layout as the original cartridge. Expect the 'volumeuuid' to be identical to the contents of the two cartridges.
The amount of transferred data and the current data transfer rate is displayed every 3-5 minutes.
When LTFS Physical Copy is used with a non-LTFS formatted cartridge, the behavior is identical to Tape Physical Copy.
For LTFS formatted cartridges the volume identifier can be changed for a physical target by specifying "New LTFS Volume Label".

Verify

Verifies the physical contents of two cartridges. The physical data layout and the binary data are compared.

Usage

Opening the Copy Services perspective, click the button Scan... to detect attached devices.

Source and target are both selected in the left panel.
A cartridge can be loaded/unloaded by either double-clicking or using the right mouse button on the listed drive.
This pops up a dialog listing all available cartridges for this drive.
After selecting a cartridge, the panel Current Status shows "Loading cartridge..." while loading.
In case a cartridge is loaded, the cartridge serial number or the volser (in a library environment) will be shown.

If a cartridge or an image file is selected on the left, it can be used as a source by clicking the Select Source button.
The panel Selected Resources adds the selected source under the entry Source.
The button Select Source switches its label to Select Target.

The target is chosen in the left panel, as well.
To select the target, click either on a cartridge in a different drive or on the image file folder.
By pressing the Select Target button, the target will be set and displayed in the panel Selected Resources.

If the source and the target have been selected, clicking on the Start Copy Service... button performs the operation which is selected under Copy Mode:
Tape Physical Copy, LTFS Physical Copy or Verify.
For a detailed explanation of the modes, see above.