In today’s volatile economic climate, organizations are tightening budgets, scrutinizing IT spending, and delaying major infrastructure projects. But amid all the uncertainty, there’s one area that remains mission critical and too often overlooked: backup and recovery.
Why? Because when times are tough, downtime is even more expensive. Recovery failures can delay business operations, strain customer trust, and create costly disruptions. The more pressure there is on IT to do more with less, the more essential it becomes to ensure that backup processes are fast, dependable, and resource-efficient.
Aging tape systems, with their slow speeds, labor-intensive management, and high risk of restore failure, no longer make sense in a lean, risk-averse IT environment. Modernizing your backup process isn’t just about keeping up with technology—it’s a strategic move to protect your operations, free up resources, and reduce long-term costs.
**See It in Action**
Want the quick version? In just 2 minutes, this video shows how LaserVault ViTL replaces tape with fast, reliable virtual backup—helping you reduce risk and modernize your IBM i environment.
Watch now and discover how you can ditch tape for good.
That’s where LaserVault ViTL comes in. ViTL offers a straightforward, strategic, and cost-effective upgrade that delivers immediate value by replacing aging tape systems with reliable, virtual backup—fast—without disrupting your current IBM i environment. The following capabilities highlight how ViTL addresses core technical and operational requirements for IBM i backup modernization.
Why ViTL
Rapid Deployment
ViTL can be installed and operational within hours, with minimal disruption. Configuration is straightforward and designed for compatibility with IBM i environments, including support for backup utilities such as SAVLIB, SAVOBJ, and SAV.
High-Performance Backup and Recovery
ViTL leverages disk-based virtual tape to significantly reduce backup windows and accelerate restore times—eliminating the latency and mechanical limitations of physical tape drives. Supports standard restore operations (RSTLIB, RSTOBJ) for quick recovery.
Native IBM i Compatibility
Fully compatible with BRMS and native IBM i save/restore commands, ViTL integrates into your existing backup strategy without requiring workflow changes. Backup jobs and BRMS policies remain intact, preserving investment in scripting and scheduling.
Minimal Ongoing Maintenance
No physical media means no tape mounting, no operator handling, and no risk of unreadable tapes due to age or damage. IT staff can reclaim time spent managing hardware and media logistics.
Integrated Deduplication (Optional)
With the optional BEdupe feature, ViTL performs inline deduplication at the block level during save operations—efficiently storing data without affecting IBM i backup performance. Works transparently with BRMS-managed or manual SAVLIB/SAV processes.
Why Now
Immediate Operational Gains
Organizations can see ROI on day one by reducing backup durations (SAVLIB, SAVOBJ), simplifying recovery tasks (RSTLIB, RSTOBJ), and minimizing manual effort required for BRMS-managed jobs (STRBKUBRM, STRRCYBRM).
Mitigate Backup and Recovery Risk
By eliminating physical tape dependencies, ViTL reduces the risk of restore failures due to damaged or unreadable tapes. Restore operations using standard IBM i commands like RSTLIB and RSTOBJ execute reliably from disk-based virtual tape, reducing downtime during recovery events.
Strategic Path Toward Modernization
ViTL enables IT teams to modernize incrementally by replacing aging tape systems without altering existing BRMS configurations or custom backup scripts. This makes it an ideal early-stage modernization project—providing faster results without waiting on larger infrastructure investments.
In summary, ViTL directly addresses the challenges that today’s economic pressures place on IT teams—delivering faster backups, lower costs, and greater reliability without requiring large-scale infrastructure changes. In an environment where risk reduction, operational efficiency, and strategic investment matter more than ever, ViTL offers a practical, immediately valuable solution for modernizing IBM i backup and recovery.
Ready to see how ViTL can fit into your backup strategy? Let’s talk. Or for more information, visit LaserVault ViTL.
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.
Email info@laservault.com to request a quote, schedule a demo, or ask about our reseller program.
Ax Synar, Vice President
LaserVault / Electronic Storage Corporation
ax@laservault.com
918-640-2630
