Virtual optical storage

When you use virtual optical storage, you create virtual CD or DVD images that exist on your server disk units.

You can use virtual optical images to perform the following tasks:

• Install software such as Licensed Internal Code, program temporary fixes (PTFs), i5/OS™, and licensed programs
• Distribute software
• Perform backups
• Create distribution media for Central Site
• Create Save Licensed Programs media

The following topics provide information about virtual optical storage and how you can use it.

• Image catalog entry for virtual optical storage
  An image catalog entry is a position within an image catalog that contains information about a virtual image that is located in the image catalog directory.
• Access
  Access refers to whether an image catalog entry is read-only or if it is also writable.
• Volume spanning for virtual optical storage
  When a save operation spans a volume, it pauses the save process when the current piece of media you are using runs out of space and it continues the save operation on the next piece of media. In the context of backup and recovery, a volume is the media that you are using to save your data. Spanning occurs when the volumes have files that continue from one volume to the next.
• Limitations of virtual optical storage
  You can use virtual optical storage for all operations that can write to actual media with the following exceptions.
• Format of virtual optical images
  For virtual optical, images are available in International Standards Organization (ISO) 9660 format and Universal disk format (UDF).
• Prepare for virtual optical storage
  This topic provides information about meeting the requirements for virtual tape storage and preparing to use it.
• Set up virtual optical storage
  This topic provides a high-level overview of the steps used to set up virtual optical storage. The topic also provides links to information that provide specific instructions for setting up virtual optical storage based on what task you want to accomplish.
• Change the write protection for image catalog entries for virtual optical
  Use this information to change the access-mode for virtual optical media.
• Create actual media from a virtual image
  Use these instructions to copy a virtual image to an optical disk.
• Transport virtual images to another server
  Use these instructions to move virtual images among different servers.
• Troubleshoot virtual optical storage
  This topic provides general information about troubleshooting common virtual optical problems.