IBM Storage Scale S3 object storage tiering to tape

This paper gives a comprehensive introduction for S3 object storage tiering to tape with IBM Storage Scale S3 Service and tape management components such as IBM Storage Archive Enterprise Edition or IBM Storage Protect for Space Management. It guides you through the architecture and deployment of IBM Storage Scale S3 Service and tape management components. It explains how to create S3 accounts, buckets to write, read, update and delete objects through the S3 service.

This paper provides comprehensive guidance for managing S3 object storage tiering to tape by leveraging the IBM Storage Scale policy engine and the tape management component. Tiering means that files are migrated to tape while allowing transparent access to migrated files in the file system. When migrated files are accessed as objects by the S3 user, then the content of the files is recalled from tape to disk transparently.

Special emphasis is put on transparent recalls and how these can be prevented to avoid recall storms. Transparent recalls are caused by S3 GET requests for objects that are migrated to tape. Many simultaneous transparent recalls can cause recall storms and slow down the object storage system. For this reason, many transparent recalls should be prevented and replaced with tape optimized recalls.

Finally, this paper provides best practices for IBM Storage Scale S3 object storage tiering to tape.