It’s 8:00 AM.
You walk into the office. There’s no tape to unload from last night’s backup. No tape waiting to be labeled. No reminder to send yesterday’s media offsite. No tape drive asking for cleaning. You check the backup status, confirm replication completed successfully, and move on to the rest of your day.
If you’ve managed IBM i systems for years, that routine may be difficult to imagine. Physical tape has been part of the backup process for so long that many administrators can’t picture an environment without it. But that’s exactly what virtual tape changes.
Introduction
For many IBM i professionals, physical tape has been part of the daily routine for years, even decades.
You know when backups begin. You know when tapes need to be changed. You know which tapes are headed offsite and which ones need to be retained. It’s simply how backup has always been done.
So, when someone suggests eliminating physical tape altogether, the first reaction is often, “What would that even look like?”
It’s a fair question.
The idea of IBM i backup without physical tape isn’t about changing everything you already know. It’s about changing one part of the process that has become increasingly difficult to justify: managing physical media.
The Parts That Don’t Change
One of the biggest misconceptions about virtual tape is that it requires learning an entirely new backup system.
In reality, your IBM i continues using the same backup commands and the same backup applications you’re already familiar with. Whether you use BRMS or native IBM i backup commands, your existing backup workflows remain intact.
From the IBM i perspective, you’re still writing to tape.
The difference is that the “tape” is virtual.
The Parts That Do Change
What changes is everything surrounding the physical media.
Instead of rotating tapes each morning, backups are written directly to disk-based virtual cartridges.
Instead of wondering whether the correct tape is loaded, the library is always available.
Instead of transporting media between locations, backups can be replicated automatically to another site or stored on the storage platform that best fits your environment.
Instead of spending time managing tape inventories, cleaning drives, or replacing worn media, your team can focus on higher-value work.
The backup process becomes less about handling hardware and more about protecting data.
What Does That Mean Day to Day?
Imagine arriving at work without needing to:
- Swap backup tapes before the next job begins
- Verify that someone remembered to take yesterday’s tapes offsite
- Search for a tape needed for a restore
- Deal with tape drive cleaning or media errors
- Keep track of aging tape inventory
Your backups are still complete.
Your recovery procedures still work.
But the manual steps surrounding physical tape largely disappear.
For many organizations, that’s the biggest operational improvement. The backup process becomes more predictable, more consistent, and far less dependent on someone remembering to perform a manual task.
The Biggest Concern: “What If It Doesn’t Work?”
Backup is one of the last places anyone wants to experiment.
IBM i administrators are understandably cautious because backup isn’t just another workload. It’s the last line of defense when something goes wrong.
That’s why many organizations evaluate virtual tape carefully before making a change.
Fortunately, moving to virtual tape doesn’t require abandoning the IBM i tools and processes you’ve relied on for years. Virtual tape is designed to work with the backup methods administrators already know while removing many of the limitations that come with physical media.
In many cases, the daily backup experience changes far less than people expect.
Looking Beyond the Backup Window
The benefits become even more apparent when a restore is needed.
Disk-based virtual tape can reduce the delays associated with locating, loading, and reading physical media. Combined with replication and integration with modern storage and data protection platforms, organizations gain more flexibility in how they protect and recover IBM i data.
As infrastructure evolves, virtual tape also makes it easier to take advantage of existing storage investments, cloud storage, and modern disaster recovery strategies without redesigning your backup processes.
Making the Transition
Every IBM i environment is different. Some organizations are replacing aging tape libraries. Others want to eliminate manual tape handling. Some are simply looking for a more efficient way to protect their systems while preparing for future growth.
Whatever the reason, the transition doesn’t have to be disruptive.
The goal isn’t to change how IBM i performs backups.
The goal is to eliminate the operational challenges that come with physical tape while preserving the backup workflows that already work well.
If you’ve ever wondered what IBM i backup without physical tape actually looks like, the answer is simpler than many people expect.
The IBM i continues backing up the way it always has.
You simply stop managing physical tape.
Join Our Upcoming Webinar
“IBM i Backup Without Physical Tape“
A Practical Look at Virtual Tape with LaserVault ViTL
In this webinar, we’ll walk through how virtual tape works in an IBM i environment, what changes during implementation, what stays the same, and what you can expect in day-to-day operations. We’ll also demonstrate LaserVault ViTL in a live IBM i environment and answer your technical questions.
Whether you’re actively evaluating alternatives to physical tape or simply curious about what a tape-free backup environment looks like, we hope you’ll join us.
QUESTIONS? Reach out to ax@laservault.com for additional information on implementing virtual tape technology in your IBM Power Systems environment.
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, Everpure and other technical experts 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.
Ax Synar, Vice President
LaserVault / Electronic Storage Corporation
ax@laservault.com
918-640-2630
