INTRODUCTION: Backing up IBM i environments with physical tape has always been slow, manual, and error-prone and for many organizations, it’s the single biggest risk in their data protection strategy. As more IBM Power Systems teams look for ways to modernize backup and recovery without disrupting their operations, Virtual Tape Libraries (VTLs) have become the preferred replacement for traditional tape.
In this post, we walk through a real-world, story-driven example of what happens when an IBM i shop finally switches from manual tape backups to a VTL solution. If you’re still relying on tape, this “day in the life” will show exactly what changes and why so many IBM i customers are moving to virtual tape.
If you’ve ever managed IBM i backups with physical tape, you already know the drill: early mornings, late nights, that one tape drive everyone swears is fine until it isn’t, and the constant “Did someone remember to switch out last night’s tape?” chorus.
This is the story of Acme Manufacturing – fictitious name, very real pain – on the week they finally retired their dusty LTO tapes and switched to a Virtual Tape Library (VTL). Spoiler: nobody misses tape.
Monday: The Last Tape Shuffle
Acme’s IT team starts the week with a familiar ritual: wrestling with the tape rotation.
Mike, the lead admin, is hunting for the Friday full backup because someone misfiled it months ago. The robot library jammed again Sunday night. Backup window overran. Users complained.
The usual.
But today’s different – Mike’s rolling out a VTL for their IBM Power System (running IBM i). The plan is simple: switch the nightly incremental to the VTL first, then move the full backup that weekend.
By noon, they’ve mapped the virtual tape devices, created their first virtual tape volumes, and run a quick test backup. No jams. No groans. Nobody looking for labels.
Morale: unexpectedly high.
Tuesday: First Real Backup to VTL
Overnight, Acme runs its first production incremental backup to the VTL. Mike arrives early expecting… something. Maybe an alert. Maybe corruption. Maybe a disaster.
Instead, he sees a completed job.
In half the usual time.
With no human involvement.
He checks logs twice just to be sure. Everything is clean.
Meanwhile, the warehouse manager swings by asking if IT still needs “that old cabinet with the 300 tapes.” Mike mentally adds “Not for long.”
Wednesday: Restore Test Day
Historically, restore tests were a nightmare. Fetch the right tape. Pray it wasn’t overwritten. Hope the drive was clean. Try not to breathe near the fragile cartridge.
With the VTL, Mike runs a restore test from last night’s backup in minutes. Not hours. Not “hang on, I need to hunt down a tape someone left in their desk,” but actual minutes.
His junior admin, Sarah, gets to watch the process.
Her reaction: “Wait… that’s it?”
Yep. That’s it.
Thursday: The Day Someone “Breaks Something”
Because there’s always one.
A developer accidentally wipes out a small directory on a test LPAR. In the old tape days, this would have meant hunting down yesterday’s tape, loading it into the drive, waiting for it to spool, then performing a painfully slow restore at the tape’s mercy.
Now? Mike pulls up the VTL console, selects the virtual tape volume, and restores the directory in about the time it took the developer to apologize.
Everyone pretends this isn’t amazing.
Everyone knows it is.
Friday: Full Backup Night (The Big One)
Acme’s full backups used to be an overnight ordeal—often running into the next morning. End users hated it. IT hated it. Nobody loved tape enough to defend the process.
Friday night, they run the full backup to the VTL for the first time.
Saturday morning, Mike logs in from home with coffee in hand and sees the magic words:
Completed successfully. Elapsed: 3 hours faster than before.
His weekend officially improves.
A Week Later: Tape-Free Mindset Fully Activated
By now, Acme’s IT team has stopped:
- Swapping tapes
- Labeling tapes
- Tracking tapes in spreadsheets
- Cleaning drives
- Arguing about the tape library’s personality
- Scheduling someone to drive tapes offsite
- Stressing over restore times
They start using automated replication to another VTL instance offsite. They love the fact that backup is now one of the least stressful parts of their week.
The CFO also notices that the annual tape media order has disappeared from the budget. She’s thrilled. She asks if more things can “go virtual.”
Mike smiles like someone who’s slept well for seven days straight.
Conclusion: Life After Tape Feels… Easier
For Acme Manufacturing, moving from manual tape to a Virtual Tape Library didn’t just modernize their backups—it reclaimed hours of staff time, reduced errors, removed risk, and restored sanity.
Backups used to be a chore.
Now they’re a quiet, automated, background thing.
Exactly how they should be.
If your team is still living the tape life: there’s a better week waiting for you, too.
Switching from manual tape to a Virtual Tape Library isn’t just a technical upgrade – it changes the entire rhythm of IBM i backup operations. Faster backup windows, near-instant restores, fewer failures, and fully automated replication give IT teams more confidence and more time back each week.
For IBM Power Systems shops looking to modernize backup and recovery, reduce downtime risk, and eliminate the high costs of maintaining legacy tape infrastructure, a virtual tape solution like LaserVault ViTL offers a straightforward, low-disruption path to a fully tape-free environment.
If your organization is evaluating ways to strengthen IBM i resilience and simplify day-to-day operations, now is the time to rethink tape.
Learn more at: https://laservault.com or reach out to me at ax@laservault.com.
JOIN US
If you’re interested in what a tape-free backup strategy really looks like in practice, we’re hosting a quick 30-minute webinar on December 16: “Technical Deep Dive Into Faster, Tape-Free Backups.” This technical session walks through how LaserVault ViTL replaces physical tape with a faster, automated virtual tape solution for IBM i environments. We’ll demonstrate how ViTL connects to your IBM i, how backups run, how restores work, and what performance and workflow improvements you can expect. If you’re looking to reduce backup windows, eliminate manual tape handling, or modernize your disaster recovery process, this deep dive provides the practical detail you need.
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About LaserVault
For over 35 years, LaserVault (Electronic Storage Corporation) has been building reliable software solutions for IBM Power Systems. Our team combines deep technical experience with responsive support to help businesses and resellers get exactly what they need—fast.
We also partner with IBM, Cohesity, Rubrik, ExaGrid and others to deliver trusted, modern solutions.
Visit laservault.com or email info@laservault.com to request a quote, schedule a demo, or ask about our reseller program.
Electronic Storage Corporation
ax@laservault.com
