Steve, Thanks for that. We do indeed tend to backup a number of small files. I don't think there will be that much data (on a nightly basis), so depending on what I can get in terms of network bandwidth, I might be alright with a small backup window. The only problem with using TSM to backup the broken mirrors is that sbom_backup (used for breaking/fixing the mirrors) is part of sysback, so we can't be sure we will have the scripts around if TSM works for us. No point paying for a licence we aren't using... My strong preference is for the simple option, and just locking the clients out whilst the backup is in progress.
Cheers, Steve Greatbanks -----Original Message----- From: Steve Harris [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Tuesday, 23 October 2001 11:12 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Client and AIX mirrored disks... Stephen, It depends on what it is you are backing up. As you know TSM only normally does incrementals, so if your data is a number of small files, the time taken to traverse your directory tree is reasonable and only a reasonable subset need to be backed up, then the TSM backup process may be fast enough for your needs, replacing steps (ii) to (vii) If any of those conditions are not met, so that the TSM backup time becomes too large to bear, then TSM can replace just step (vi) to good effect. Regards Steve Harris AIX and TSM Admin Queensland Health, Brisbane Australia >>> "Greatbanks, Stephen P" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 23/10/2001 10:11:44 >>> Zlatko, Thanks for the information. I do realise that the AIX mirroring is totally transparent from the user (and TSM) point of view. That is not really my question though. The current backup procedure is (roughly) (i) Stop all clients using the filesystems (ii) Do a mksysb (iii) Break off one of the mirror copies (iv) Re-mount the broken mirror copies as phantoms that we backup (v) Allow clients to access disks (vi) Backup the broken mirrors (vii) Re-sync the mirrors The reason we do this is to minimise the downtime for the machine and to allow a backup to continue whilst clients can use the filesystems. Effectively we are taking a point-in-time snapshot of the filesystems. I guess that what I was asking is whether there is anything in the TSM client (in terms of smarts) to allow it to do something similar. Am I right in thinking that the client will rely on the filesystem not changing underneath it? If we cannot, then we will just have to wear the downtime. Thanks for that, Steve Greatbanks ps - You are of course right about varyon/varyoff working at the VG, rather than the LV level. -----Original Message----- From: Zlatko Krastev/ACIT [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Tuesday, 23 October 2001 12:28 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Client and AIX mirrored disks... Stephen, there is no any need to vary off the logical volumes. Moreover you cannot vary off the LVs but only the whole VG. And you have no access to logical volumes in varied off VG, only to the physical disks. TSM itself does not care is you LV mirrored or not. The B/A client accesses files on the filesystem created on top of the LV or makes a backup of whole LV as a single raw data file using image backup. The TDP products access the data through application APIs and again do not care about mirroring done by the application or operating system. The only products which do use something similar to this "split mirror and backup" procedure are TDP products for ESS and EMC Symmetrix. Zlatko Krastev IT Consultant "Greatbanks, Stephen P" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> on 22.10.2001 07:18:04 Please respond to "ADSM: Dist Stor Manager" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] cc: Subject: Client and AIX mirrored disks... Hi, I am something of a TSM beginner, and this is my first post here too, so please excuse any obvious mistakes on my part. I am in the position of having to implement a TSM backup solution for our client. This is (in the first instance at least) an all AIX shop. I've read all the redbooks, and am pretty confident that I know (more or less!) what needs to be done. However, I would appreciate some feedback regarding AIX disk mirroring and how this affects the client-side of the set-up. Without going into too much detail about our current config, are there any special considerations regarding the client if you are using AIX LVM-level mirroring? Our current backups use sysback/sbom which jumps through a number of hoops to break a copy off the (triple) mirror, which is then backed up whilst work continues. For simplicity, as much as anything else, I would far prefer to not have to do this kind of thing as part of the backup procedure. Is there anything in the TSM client which assists in the backup of mirrored volumes? Do the logical volumes have to be varied on (just wondering if varying them off is an option) for TSM to back them up? Does anybody have any experience with this kind of thing? Thanks in advance, Steve Greatbanks -- ********************************************************************** This e-mail, including any attachments sent with it, is confidential and for the sole use of the intended recipient(s). This confidentiality is not waived or lost if you receive it and you are not the intended recipient(s), or if it is transmitted/ received in error. Any unauthorised use, alteration, disclosure, distribution or review of this e-mail is prohibited. It may be subject to a statutory duty of confidentiality if it relates to health service matters. If you are not the intended recipient(s), or if you have received this e-mail in error, you are asked to immediately notify the sender by telephone or by return e-mail. You should also delete this e-mail message and destroy any hard copies produced. **********************************************************************
