IBM 3490E Model E11 36-Track Tape Drive

The 3490E Model E11 offers full function 3490E tape performance and compatibility at a substantially lower price than other 3490E tape subsystems.

The standard Cartridge Stack Loaders automatically load and unload cartridges as they are filled, reducing the need for operator handling. The 3490E Model E11 may be used to create tapes for archive files, for backup and restore in the event of system or disk storage problems, for off-site data storage for disaster recovery, and for data interchange with other systems.

Using the 3490E’s IDRC data compression, the 3490E Model E11 can provide an effective throughput as high as 6.5MB per second (Mileage may vary... actual throughput is a function of the system processor, data block size, and software used).

The fast and wide (16-bit) SCSI-2 differential interface supports peak data rates of up to 20MB per second. Both 8-bit and 16-bit transfer are supported. Using an interposer for 8-bit mode, peak data rates of up to 10MB per second are possible.

In the event of loss or damage to files on disk storage, the E11 allows you to quickly replace backed-up files, improving productivity and system availability.

The small size of the E11 makes efficient use of rack space. Two E11s can be mounted side-by-side in 8 EIA units. That leaves more space available for other devices in the same rack.

The 3490-E11 incorporates a single pass read-after-write function in addition to extensive error correction functions. Read-after-write checks the data as it is written. Most errors can be corrected by the ICU as the tape is written. If a problem cannot be corrected, the tape unit retries and attempts to write (or read) the data correctly. If the problem remains uncorrectable, the operator is notified. The drive does not continue if data cannot be accurately recorded.

The 36-track bidirectional recording format can reduce or eliminate rewind time. The bidirectional head writes 18 tracks from the load point to the end of the tape and then writes the other 18 tracks from the end of the tape back to the load point, eliminating the rewind time for full tapes.