Nicholas Cassimatis wrote: "With all of the features in TSM, there are a number of them that don't work for specific situations. Simultaneous writes on backup/ migration, virtual volumes, NDMP backups, 3rd mirrors of DB and Log volumes, adding documentation to your Prepare file - lots of features that don't always make sense to use. But they're there, if you want/ need them."
Knowing when they do and when they don't is the crux of my dilemma. The virtual volume methodology is presented in IBM designed training classes, Administrator's manuals, and in a very recent TSM Webcast as if it is the best practice for cross data center backups. There is much about how to do it, but precious little about why to do it. No mention of the problem that it is intended to solve. Or, how you might do the same thing as well or better without it. Our current goal is that each of our two data centers be the offsite backup and DR site of the other. If we lose a TSM server or a data center we would restore it at the one sixty miles away. Thanks to everyone who responded. It has been a tremendous help. Keith Arbogast
