Joel C. Ewing wrote:
[...]
Yes, DVD capacity is greater than the compressed capacity of a 3490
cartridge and cheaper than a 3490 cartridge, but ...
few shops have the capability of writing or reading DVD data to or from
MVS without manual file transfer being done by someone, versus tape
availability to automated batch and long-established procedures for
physical security of tapes. Manual file transfer methods may be
acceptable when dealing with one or two transfers, but this is not a
reliable or practical technique for a large shop with many transfers.
Procedures can be changed. It's really no big deal. Insted of mounting
tape (MANUAL PROCEDURE!) a DVD is inserted into a drive. It can be even
better automated than with the tape. Imagine autorun.inf on the DVD
running ftp script - operator inserts DVD, sees "please wait" and "thank
you, now remove your DVD". Or without autorun, simply insert and click
the icon (or issue a command when in text mode). Or insert a DVD, and
run the very same job as it was last 20 years, ...but instead of
IEBGENER it runs FTP (a PC is running ftp server). Even computer
illiterate can manage such a process.
Having your data on a DVD media readily readable and writable by every
potential hacker with a PC also introduces additional security breach,
data corruption exposures that should first be considered and addressed
before using this for exchange of sensitive data.
A cart can be stolen (like DVD). A PC, properly configured and isolated
from Internet, etc. is pretty safe.
Many shops may have both 3490E and the newer 3590 capability, but it
doesn't make economic sense to use an expensive 3590 cartridge (also
more sensitive to mishandling) when a 3490 cartridge will more than hold
all the data (nor does it make economic sense to use dozens of 3490
cartridges when a few 3590 carts will do the job). With relatively
small files, the mount/unmount time may be more significant than the
actual data transfer rate, and the mount/unmount time of 3590's exceeds
than that of 3490 drives.
I don't know real business need for such scenario, but I believe in such
cases tape writes should be simply avoided. THe data can reside on DASD,
until it's offloaded to a dense media. Inserting 3490E carts during the
day is simly waste of time. The data can safely wait on RAD-protected
DASD. Additionally it can be "flashcopied", "PRRC-ed", etc. Large
amounts of data should be moved to a dense tape, possibly in two copies,
possibly in two locations.
The bottom line, however, is you do what is necessary to support
required data transfers to customers or government agencies.
That's the case when third party forces you to use obsolete technology.
BTW: I don't know U.S. regulations, but in my country no agency requires
any media from private corporation. Data exchange is over the wire.
--
Radoslaw Skorupka
Former user of 3490-Fxx, current user of 3490-Cxx (unsupported)
Lodz, Poland
--
BRE Bank SA
ul. Senatorska 18
00-950 Warszawa
www.brebank.pl
Sd Rejonowy dla m. st. Warszawy
XII Wydzia Gospodarczy Krajowego Rejestru Sdowego,
nr rejestru przedsibiorców KRS 0000025237
NIP: 526-021-50-88
Wedug stanu na dzie 01.01.2007 r. kapita zakadowy BRE Banku SA (w caoci
opacony) wynosi 118.064.140 z. W zwizku z realizacj warunkowego
podwyszenia kapitau zakadowego, na podstawie uchwa XVI WZ z dnia 21.05.2003
r., kapita zakadowy BRE Banku SA moe ulec podwyszeniu do kwoty 118.760.528
z. Akcje w podwyszonym kapitale zakadowym bd w caoci opacone.
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