Bus-Tech Improves Mainframe-Open Source Connectivity

Bus-Tech Inc., said Tuesday it has upgraded its zDASD 3990 Controller, which connects mainframes to open system storage products using DASD file access.

The zDASD can now emulate up to 512 IBM 3390 data volumes, allowing IT administrators to deploy 13 terabytes of open systems disks as mainframe-attached DASD, according to the vendor. In addition, new dynamic path recognition capabilities allow individual data volumes to be easily allocated across multiple logical partitions (LPARs) and/or mainframes.

The new capabilities provide customers with an alternative for attaching low-cost storage, including Serial ATA disks, to IBM-compatible mainframes, reducing costs associated with second-tier storage in the process, Bus-Tech claimed. The zDASD 3990 Controller is a System 390 I/O controller providing FICON or ESCON attachment to mainframe, Gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel, or Ultra320 SCSI connections to open-system storage devices.

The controller provides a cost-effective alternative for data with intermediate retrieval requirements which may include compressed data, daily or weekly disk-to-disk backups, or large, infrequently used databases, the vendor said.

Pricing starts at $37,500.