If you’ve already ditched physical tape for virtual tape—or you’re thinking about it—you’re probably focused on making backups faster and easier. That’s a great start. But here’s something a lot of admins overlook: virtual tape isn’t just a better way to back up, it’s a better way to recover.
With the right virtual tape setup, like LaserVault ViTL, you can seriously speed up testing, recovery, and even day-to-day admin work. Here are five practical ways to put virtual tape to work for faster, more flexible recovery on IBM i.
1. Test Your Backups Without All the Hassle
Backup testing with physical tape is time-consuming and awkward. You need hardware access, off-hours scheduling, and often a lot of manual steps. With virtual tape, your saves are right there—on disk, ready to mount and restore.
What this means for you:
You can test a restore anytime, without loading tapes or tying up your production system. Whether it’s a single library or a full system test on a separate LPAR, it’s fast, easy, and audit-friendly.
2. Run Full System Recovery Drills Without Risk
Want to see what a real recovery would look like? You don’t have to wait for a disaster. With ViTL, you can restore a system save to a test partition or separate system and go through a full IPL.
Why it matters:
Practicing recovery in a low-stakes environment gives you confidence—and a repeatable process—when you need it most.
3. Quickly Spin Up Dev or Test Environments
Need a clean copy of production for testing or troubleshooting? Instead of manually building out a dev system, just restore from a recent virtual tape save.
Fast-track use case:
Developers get a working copy of your environment, and you don’t waste hours configuring from scratch. Plus, no waiting around for a tape mount.
4. Restore Files in Minutes, Not Hours
We’ve all had that moment—someone deletes a file or corrupts a library, and now the pressure’s on. With physical tape, restoring one item can take forever. With ViTL, you can mount the save image in seconds and restore just what you need.
Pro tip:
Set up quick access to common restore points so you can jump into recovery mode instantly.
5. Keep More Versions for Safer Rollbacks
Traditional tape rotation limits how much history you can keep. Virtual tape makes it easier (and cheaper) to retain multiple generations of backups—so you’re not stuck restoring last night’s copy when the problem started three days ago.
Even better with BEdupe:
Use ViTL’s optional deduplication to save space while keeping more restore points on hand.
Final Thought: Backup Is Just the Beginning
Virtual tape solutions like ViTL are known for making backups faster—but the real win is how they accelerate recovery. Whether you’re testing restores, running DR drills, cloning systems, or handling a file restore emergency, ViTL gives you the speed and flexibility tape just can’t match.
Ready to rethink what recovery looks like on IBM i?
Let’s talk about how ViTL can support your testing and recovery goals—without complicating your backup process. You can reach me at ax@laservault.com or 918-640-2630.
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 partner with IBM, Cohesity, Rubrik, 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.
