If the reason to do the full backups is to speed up the restore of certain clients, that will certainly work. We have used copymode=absolute for that purpose. Of course, you will have to go through the regular DRM routine of setting up TSM, restoring the TSM database, defining your tape libraries, etc.
But once you have your running TSM environment in place and start to restore clients, the fact that the data is on a much smaller number of tapes will drastically improve the restore speeds. In our design, we back up TSM client data to disk storage pool first, and then backup to copy storage pool, then migrate the disk storage pool to tape. So during our DR tests, we restore the disk storage pool volumes from tape first before we do any restores. That way, the client restores will hit disk for most of their data, instead of contending for a finite number of tape drives. Restoring the disk storage pool takes 4-5 hours to perform, but I think it saves many hours later during the client restore phase. I am not sure I understand why you want to do it to a separate tape and copy storage pool. Is it because you only want to bring a smaller set of tapes to the test? Best Regards, John D. Schneider Lead Systems Administrator - Storage Sisters of Mercy Health Systems 3637 South Geyer Road St. Louis, MO 63127 Phone: 314-364-3150 Cell: 314-486-2359 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Marco Bezuidenhout Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 8:03 AM To: ADSM-L@VM.MARIST.EDU Subject: [ADSM-L] Copy mode = Absolute Hi All We have been asked to do full backups this coming weekend to a different storage pool than normal. The data will then also be copied to a separate copy storage pool. This copied storage pool will be taken to an offsite location for restores. They are doing this so the first restores will be fast. Afterwards the normal primary and copy pools will be used. Would using copy mode absolute be sufficient so that all required data be available for restores? Has anyone ever done ABSOLUTE backups for restores? Does anyone know of any gotcha's we should look out for? Should we rather use archives? Regards Marco Bezuidenhout This message and/or attachment(s) may contain privileged or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient you may not disclose or distribute any of the information contained within this message. In such case you must destroy this message and inform the sender of the error. T-Systems does not accept liability for any errors, omissions, information and viruses contained in the transmission of this message. Any opinions, conclusions and other information contained within this message not related to T-Systems' official business is deemed to be that of the individual only and is not endorsed by T-Systems. T-Systems - Business Flexibility
