IBM 3490 and 3490e Tape Subsystems 

The IBM 3490 is a family of Magnetic Tape Subsystems designed to provide significant tape subsystem performance and cartridge capacity improvements. The 3490-C11 is a 36-track, 1 Control Unit, 1-drive, Autoloader, tape subsystem. The 3490 Model C11 is a low-cost, rack-mountable member of the IBM 3490 Magnetic Tape Subsystem Enhanced Capability family, providing significant performance and cartridge capacity improvements for midrange systems.

The 3490E Model C11 is fully compatible with existing 3490E models, using both the Cartridge System Tape and the longer 3490E Enhanced Capacity Cartridge System Tape, and are read-compatible with earlier cartridge formats for ease of migration. The Enhanced Capability format (36-track bi-directional recording), together with standard Improved Data Recording Capability (IDRC) and the higher capacity tape, dramatically increase overall cartridge capacity. This increased capacity and standard Automatic Cartridge Loader (ACL) on the C11 model combine to address the data capacity requirement for unattended backup on mid-range systems. Utilization of ES Connection (ESCON*) Channels provides new possibilities in performance, connectivity, and remote tape operations. This model is supported on AS/400, RS/6000, and ES/9000 systems.

The 3490-C22 is a 36-track, 1 Control Unit, 2-drive, Auto load, tape subsystem. The 3490 Model C22 is a low-cost, rack-mountable member of the IBM 3490 Magnetic Tape Subsystem Enhanced Capability family, providing significant performance and cartridge capacity improvements for midrange systems. The 3490E Model C22 is fully compatible with existing 3490E models, using both the Cartridge System Tape and the longer 3490E Enhanced Capacity Cartridge System Tape, and are read-compatible with earlier cartridge formats for ease of migration. The Enhanced Capability format (36-track bi-directional recording), together with standard Improved Data Recording Capability (IDRC) and the higher capacity tape, dramatically increase overall cartridge capacity. This increased capacity and standard Automatic Cartridge Loader (ACL) on the C22 model combine to address the data capacity requirement for unattended backup on mid-range systems. Utilization of ES Connection (ESCON*) Channels provides new possibilities in performance, connectivity, and remote tape operations. This model is supported on AS/400, RS/6000, and ES/9000 systems.

The Model E01 is a table-top version. See the Model E11 for the rack- mounted version. This Enhanced Capability model is a substantially lower priced 3490E tape subsystem designed for the RS/6000* and AS/400*. The 3490E family of tapes are the fastest, most reliable tape systems available from IBM for AS/400 and for RS/6000. It includes a seven cartridge Cartridge Stack Loader, a 16-bit, fast-and-wide, SCSI-Differential Interface, a 3490E tape transport, and an integrated control unit. The maximum effective throughput is up to 6.5MB per second. The seven-cartridge Cartridge Stack Loader provides an automated, unattended backup capacity of up to 16.8 GB with compressible data. Uncompressed, the capacity is up to 5.6 GB. Compression is provided by the 3490E's IDRC data compression hardware. The 3490 Model F01 is a desk-side, low-priced 3490E tape library designed for the RS/6000* and AS/400* systems.

The 3490E family remains a fast and reliable tape system. Included are a 10-cartridge enclosed autoloader, a 3490E tape transport capable of reading and writing 36-track and 18-track magnetic tape cartridges in uncompressed or compressed mode, a 16-bit, fast/wide, SCSI-2 Differential Interface, and an integrated control unit. The maximum effective throughput is up to 6.8MB per second. The 10-cartridge autoloader provides an automated, unattended backup capacity of up to 24GB in compressed mode, 8GB in uncompressed mode. Media capacity is 2.4GB in compressed mode, 800MB in uncompressed mode. IDRC data compression is standard. The 3490 Model F11 is a rack-mounted, low-priced 3490E tape library designed for the RS/6000* and AS/400* systems.