Our ADSM database usage used to be dominated by our servers.  Each of
those servers typically have 20,000 to 200,000 files; a PC or Mac
typically has 2,000-6,000 files.

But more recently our desktop workstations have grown dramatically in
terms of required ADSM database usage.  Some of this is due to
additional operating system and application code, but IMHO it is
*dominated* now by worthless throw-away entries such as Pointcast
Network - (.../pcn/...) and other applications caching files such as
WBI, NetScape, MSIE, etc.

Yet ADSM gives us few tools to measure or manage this "problem".

For example, right now my Win95 desktop machine has about 9,000 files,
while ADSM is managing *36,000* database entries.  My daily backup is
dominated by these worthless files and my ADSM database requirements
are growing uncomfortably with it.

I suggest improvements in 2 areas:

o Make it easy for sites to customize DSM.OPT; recognize "temp"
  directories fr common applications in the "standard DSM.OPT.

o Give us the database query tools to understand what we are backing up
  and how policy changes might affect the volume.  I'd love to be able to
  answer such "What if?" questions as "If I reduced #inactive versions,
  how is the DB reduced?"  "If I reduced expiration times, how is DB
  affected?"

Your thought would be most welcome,

Wayne T. Smith               mailto:wts AT maine.maine DOT edu
Systems Group -- CAPS        University of Maine System