Mainframe Appliance for Storage - Entry (MAS-E) is a virtual tape controller for IBM System/390 compatible and Unisys 2200 mainframes, which uses IP-based open-system storage devices to store and retrieve mainframe tape volumes.
The MAS-E utilizes a single FICON connection to the mainframe and is positioned for environments that do not require the bandwidth that a dual FICON controller would offer. The MAS-E offers all of the same functionality of a full MAS device and can be positioned at the DR site where only reduced processing throughput would be required. The MAS-E also supports IDRC compression, AES 256 FIPS 140-2 encryption, tape import/export and 3590 large block support.
The MAS-E uses a single FICON adapter to connect to System/390. Like the MAS the MAS-E can emulate up to 256 IBM 3480/3490/3590 tapes drives. Jobs/tasks running under z/OS, OS/390, or VSE can allocate tape volumes on emulated tape drives in the same fashion they would allocate a real tape drive. Tape management systems operate transparently with MAS-E to control tape volume allocation and expiration just as with real tape volumes.
The MAS-E stores tape data received from the mainframe on externally attached IP-based disk sub-systems via gigabit Ethernet. The MAS can support a dedicated storage sub-system or a segment of a larger disk subsystem.
The MAS-E is a 1U (1.75inch) high rack mount controller designed for high reliability and redundancy. The unit features hot swappable power supplies and fans and internal, mirrored disks, which house the MAS embedded Linux operating system and virtual tape software.
