What platform are you running TSM Server on?

[tsmerian]

My company is (again) looking to move TSM to another platform. We've already had an exodus from z/OS to Windows, and now considering AIX.

Just wondering what platform everyone else is using. I'm listing all currently supported server platforms, so I hope yours is there

[moon-buddy]

I used to run TSM server on 32-bit Windows platforms on two previous installations. I also had one running on Solaris 8.

Currently, I have TSM on AIX and I can say that performance and ease of use - not needing to patch the OS that frequent - is better than running on Windows of which is really my least prefered platform. Running on Solaris is also a breeze.

So if I were in your shoes, I would choose AIX or Solaris.

[sgabriel62]

Ive used and supported TSM on Windows - Solaris - HP and AIX. Solaris or as we call it "slowaris" - good for small envornments. Windows for Windows shop environments. But I believe 80% of us here are AIX users. But I've read some folks have gotten some good deals on hardware.
So the question is what are you comfortable with and what is your Management comfortable with or forecasting for the hardware future.
Obviously - the more comfortable you are the easier the support and response times will be with MTTR at a minimum ( Meantime To Recovery). Whereas something you are OK with and have alot of questions.
Good Luck

[cheffern]

I use AIX and Solaris in my env....
AIX actually seems the easier to choose (imho).
There are some odd glitches with 64 bit Solaris that I had to work out on my own -
could not find the solutions in the docs.

At any rate - good luck!
-Chef.

[Stephan]

We run our primary and DR (remote location) servers on AIX and it is a charm. My 2 secondary TSM servers (remote location) run on x86 Linux and they are running great as well. The 'maintenance' is very low and performance is up to what i expected. Our 'client' environment consist of about 40% UNIX, 55% Windows and the rest are some SCOs and others...

[pchapus]

Hello

I am installing more and more TSM servers and clients in France for a lot of companies. I got some sure things in my little head:

- TSM server under Aix is the most robust. And if you have an heavy problem, you will be able to go further to get a good solution. Finally, it has the most power for draining data on multiple path, with advanced recoveries.

- TSM server under Windows 2003 is the easier to install. You have to know some issues, as deactivate RSM Windows service or install your LTO drivers through the install.exe The bad thing is that if you got an heavy problem, you will not be able to trace I/O, check for disk or tape accesses or go far in depth.

- TSM server under Linux is like Aix, without all advanced data possibilities. But it runs well...

- TSM under z/OS is installed by SMPE on each specific systems. The address space is well used but you will be surprised by the amount of memory and all heavy network transport it involves compared to all other jobs. Licence cost must be checked too...

- TSM under z/Linux seems the same that Linux itself, but with some bonus like hypersocket network getting very high speed between zLinux clients and zLinux server.

- TSM under Solaris or HP/Ux need to well know the system. Then after, it runs like a TSM Linux

Do your choice considering which systems are yet running, where are your knowledges and which means you have. Performance objectives are relative to the money you can put in the infrastructure...

[chad_small]

I find AIX to be not only the most robust but the most expandable hardware wise. We have multiple AIX servers, one (and it's an older server) runs 7 instances and one library controller instance. It works 99% of the time (the 1% is a problem with one of the instances having log pinning issues with large MS SQL flat file backups). AIX is hands down the best OS for LARGE environments. If its a small to medium size environment I would use Windows over Linux only because of driver issues I have continually experienced with Linux, but it's getting better.

[miro]

I just did the survey and the percentages are all wrong -

[admin]

I just did the survey and the percentages are all wrong -

Each poll percentage indicates the number of poll participants voting for the poll choice.

For a multiple choice poll, the total can be greater than 100% since one can choose multiple choices.

e.g.

55 voters but 78 votes. (some chose more than one)

Percentages calculated are correct:

- Total votes: 55
** IBM AIX votes: 30 = 54.55%
** MS Windows 32-bit votes: 20 = 36.36%
..
..


-- Admin

[suhailh]

I prefer TSM on AIX, with my experience earlier with aix and now with windows 32 bit.

AIX 64 bit:
A robust environment for TSM

windows 32 bit:
I see memory leak issues, hence TSM server hangs, and needs reboot

[molerio]

I've been reading the z/OS Unix systems services redbook (z/OSV1R7)
and I'm thinking why can't TSM run there instead of having to run on linux under z/OS or z/VM?

Any thoughts?

[BudIce]

Highly suggest using AIX for the TSM Server. Knowing TSM Developers and Support, it's likely the OS that gets the most attention on their end. It's IBM Software running on IBM Hardware. Easier to integrate fixes on either the OS or TSM level and possibly the most widely accessible platform for TSM Dev/Support.

Windows. Think of it as IBM programming on a Microsoft platform. Don't ever remember IBM/Microsoft being the best of friends.

Linux. Slightly better due to IBM embracing Linux somewhat. IBM does have representation within the kernel and GCC communities. Here is where fixes that are needed could take time to integrate into standard builds. Also drivers could be a tad sensitive based on the hardware available for testing. IBM is a participant in Linux and not the captain of the ship.

It has always impressed me how many hardware platforms are supported by TSM. With such a diverse set, there's bound to be hiccups here and there.

Even if no other AIX/pSeries servers exist within the environment. AIX has generally been thought of as the safest road for the reasons given above. A 2 or 4 cpu server works at the get-go. IBM Tape Library is also suggested, same reasons as above. Not here to apologize for IBM, just suggesting the safest course of action when deciding to use TSM in an environment.

[n9hmg]

I'd expect the windows guys to be on here more frequently, thus skewing the early voting. Let's let it run out for a while.
That said - IBM seems to place a lot of emphasis on windows as the TSM server platform. I got a class last year for brush-up, and all the material was windows-centric, though the class was named something like "TSM server deployment for AIX". In fact, the class was one class with two names - one for AIX, one for windoze. The students were all unix, though, and those all AIX but for one team of Solaris guys.

[chad_small]

When I was a TSM instructor for M/UX I pushed for an AIX class and with help of the AIX instructor we were the first to offer the TSM courses on AIX. If you go to take the classes they use Windows for cost reasons, but most large IBM education providers have RS/6000 workstations for their AIX courses and can offer the class on AIX if they want. When I was teaching there were not a lot of TSM instructors who knew AIX well enough to handle the class. I remember at least once a day day during the class some student would type halt at the wrong prompt and shutdown the workstation. We eventually fixed that....

[dgetty]

Currently we have 7 tsm servers, 3 tsm servers as library managers all on AIX 5.3 and they are very stable. We have one odd one that is on Sun Solaris it also has been very stable. The TSM sever version is 5.3.4.x or 5.4.2.0 we are in the process of upgrading at this time. I originated in a Windows environment, but I really like the servers we have on the AIX platforms.

[ScottB]

We have 3 Windows and 1 z/OS server. Anyone try upgrading z/OS to 5.5? I am running 5.5 in test, but have noticed some problems.

[ilmik]

Is there some advantages to use TSM with AIX instead of Linux?

[chm0dvii]

AIX/UNIX is superior to Windows in every way. We use TSM serve on AIX although we do backup Windows/UNIX/Linux boxes. Some of our AIX boxes have not been rebooted in over a year. Try that on Windows.(yeah right). Also the hardware is no match either. Look at the top 10 world's super computers. Not one of them runs Windows. All of them run some flavor of UNIX/Linux.

[n9hmg]

Ilmik: as an OS, AIX has little advantage over Linux, but the platform (hardware integrated with the OS) does I/O and reliability far better. IBM has been blurring the line between mainframe and unix for years.

[rhardy3049]

We run a couple of windows servers for TSM and have no complaints. Yes we patch the OS monthly but the system has been rock solid otherwise.

[PJ]

Is there some advantages to use TSM with AIX instead of Linux?

Nobody will tell you officially - but yes - there are advantages. Putting all the performance and devicedriver and kernel-level problems aside (which usually amount to religious wars revealing nothing) the sole reason for us to keep TSM on AIX is that IF you have a problem - no matter how strange and un-reconstructable it may be - it will eventually be fixed without lengthy finger pointing which (in the case of Linux) is usually pointless anyway because there's no-one in particular you could even point at.

PJ

[sbrennan]

TSM sits fine with AIX