Use iSeries tape drives with integrated Windows servers

iSeries™ tape drives can perform significantly faster than drives you normally attach to a PC server, and you can allocate them to integrated servers, therefore providing a faster tape access method than available to PC servers. See Supported iSeries tape drives.

Because multiple integrated servers in the same iSeries system can all access the same tape drive (although not at the same time), you need to allocate only one tape drive for multiple integrated servers.

Notes:

1. Although you can dedicate tape drives to the integrated server and to i5/OS™, both systems cannot simultaneously use the same tape drive. The two operating systems require different tape formats. You cannot use the same tape on an integrated server and on i5/OS without reformatting it.
2. If you have logical partitions on your iSeries, the tape drive is allocated to a single partition. It cannot be shared by integrated servers that are in other partitions.

To use an iSeries tape drive from an integrated server you must perform the following tasks:

• Format a tape on i5/OS for use with integrated Windows servers.
• Allocate an iSeries tape drive to an integrated server by varying off the tape drive from i5/OS and locking it on the integrated server. See Allocate the iSeries tape drive to an integrated Windows server.
• Transfer control of an iSeries tape drive to a different integrated server. See Transfer control of the iSeries tape and optical drives between integrated Windows servers.
• Return control a tape drive from an integrated server so that i5/OS can use it. Ensure that you have a correctly formatted tape. See Return control of a tape drive from an integrated Windows server to the iSeries.

If you have problems with an iSeries tape drive, see Tape problems.