What is LaserVault Backup?

LaserVault Backup is a Disk-to-disk or Disk-to-Disk-to-Tape backup system for IBM midrange computers (AS/400, iSeries, I5) with features similar to a virtual tape library. It runs on a Windows server platform to provide backup and restore functions to the iSeries host.

Does LaserVault Backup include hardware?

LaserVault Backup is available as an Appliance version that includes the LaserVault Backup software, iSeries Library, Windows server and storage.

How do I obtain budgetary pricing?

Click this link:

Does LaserVault Backup need a special connection to the iSeries host?

LaserVault Backup connects through TCP/IP. Most users will connect with an Ethernet card. You can also use multiple Ethernet connections to the host or 10 gigabit Ethernet (10 GBE) for faster backups and restores.

What speed Ethernet card should I use?

Gigabit or faster Ethernet is suggested.

Can I try it before I buy it?

Yes. We have a 15 day free trial period so you can make sure it works the way you want.

After 15 days, you will no longer be able to save libraries or objects, but you can still restore them.

Where do I download the software?

Click HERE to view the download instructions.

What releases of OS/400 and I5/OS does it support?

Everything from V4R3 forward.

What sort of compression ratio can I expect?

You should see at least 4 to 1 compression on an average set of saves – more on databases, less on program objects. Our sample results have been 3.6 on run-time objects, 8.0 on a library containing database records, and 10.7 on program source. Your results will vary. Users have reported compression ratios in the 4x to 12x range.

Will compression slow down my other iSeries jobs?

Absolutely not! Since the compression occurs entirely on the server side it does not cause any overhead on the iSeries.

Will compression increase my download time?

If this is an issue, you can set LaserVault Backup to compress after the download is complete.

Does the SAVF get written to the iSeries first?

No. The software intercepts the SAVF write and transfers the data directly to the server via TCP/IP. It does not create a SAVF on the iSeries host. Therefore, you do not need to allocate space for a SAVF on the iSeries.

Is it as fast as my current tape drive?

Users report that a single 1 gigabit ethernet connection is generally faster than an LTO3 drive while performing the same backup. You can also set up multiple ethernet connections, or 10 GBE, for even faster performance.

From what media can I save and restore?

Anything that the server considers a drive, including internal hard drives, removable hard drives, writable CDs and DVDs, USB ‘thumb-drives’, NAS, RAID arrays, etc.

What are the limitations?

Due to a limitation on TCP/IP activity, we cannot backup the AS400 Operating System. Most of our users backup the O/S only to tape once every 90 days or after major O/S updates.

How can I see the size of my AS400?

To see how much data is stored on your AS400 you can run the following commands:

WRKSYSSTS - This command shows the system disk space in the upper right corner of the display (% of ASP).

WRKDSKSTS - This command shows you these same stats on a per drive basis

What does "% of ASP" mean?

ASP is the auxiliary storage pool or disk storage space you currently have installed. The % used is the amount of data stored on the ASP.

How big a 'save file' can I create?

Our software supports 'save files' of several terabytes in size (uncompressed). The only limitation you might run into is how much space there is on a single Windows volume, which can be up to 30 terabytes.

Can I copy the data catalog for a second backup?

Yes. You can copy the files to another server device. You must include the file ‘CATALOG.LVB’, which contains the pointer to the SAVF files. Each new SAVOBJLVB or SAVLIBLVB creates a numbered SAVF data file and a list with the extensions SVF and LST.

We have had success using SynchBackSE to backup our backups across the network, making second copies of our iSeries backups. You can also use it to copy across the Internet.

You can also set a second copy path in the Properties that will cause LaserVault Backup to write a second copy of the 'save file' after the download process.

Can I use the LaserVault Backup Server software on more than one server?

LaserVault Backup is licensed to imitate the virtual tape libraries it is designed to compete with. That means you need a license for each server that performs the SAV function. This helps us keep the price of the software as low as possible. When you license the software, we give you a key that corresponds to the MAC address of the TCP/IP adapter in the server, or to the hard drive serial number.

However, we realize that many iSeries users will want to use the software for off-site backup and file distribution. To help make this easier, you can use the LaserVault Backup Server software on as many servers as you want for restoring files to any iSeries server. You only have to license the software when you are saving files from an iSeries host.

So if you want to SAVLIBLVB and distribute the result to 5, 50, or 500 iSeries hosts, you only need one licensed copy of the LaserVault Backup Server software. Restore-only copies of the server software don’t get or need a license key and we cannot give them support.

How much does it cost to add more storage space?

Nothing but the cost of the drives. LaserVault Backup supports as much storage as you can attach to your server. At the present time, one catalog cannot span devices, but multi-terabyte RAIDs, SANs and NAS devices are available for servers.

If you use our compression, you should see between 4 and 8 times the raw capacity of the device, in iSeries SAVFs. In a real world situation, a 500 GB drive should give you between 2 TeraBytes and 4 TB of iSeries backup storage.

Will I be able to restore my libraries on future releases of OS/400 or OS/I5?

We are using IBM’s own software to do the saves and restores. We expect IBM's software to remain compatible in future releases of the operating system, since they depend on its use also.

If I don’t like the software, can I get a refund?

We offer a sixty-day, no questions asked money-back guarantee on all our software products. So the answer is yes, in the first 60 days after install.

Who makes LaserVault Backup?

LaserVault Backup is a product of LaserVault LLC, a sister company to Electronic Storage Corporation.

Since 1989, ESC has been creating and selling archiving software, primarily to the IBM midrange market. Our other products are LaserVault Imaging, LaserVault Reports, LaserVault Workflow and Content Express.

All of our products are server-based but well integrated to the iSeries, including application linking, and even green screen report lookup. See www.laservault.com for complete details.

What if I have additional questions not answered in this FAQ?

Email lvbackupsupport@laservault.com and we will answer your questions as quickly as we can.