Using different policies to nightly and weekly backups.

If I read your country code and email address correctly, perhaps I =
should say
"G'day Mate!"

I hate to break the bad news to you, but you are falling into a logic =
trap.
ADSM will look at the files and the rules in effect at that time, and =
handle
them accordingly.  If the rules say keep 7 copies, it will keep 7.  If =
you
change it to keep 2, it will keep 2, and throw away any above that (up =
to 5,
perhaps).

This is an issue that has been discussed many times - I don't think it =
ever
ends - new people just keep coming into the loop and need to be brought =
up to
speed. If you really want to see the old messages, check out the =
archives.
But in a nutshell, you really need to understand what makes ADSM =
different.
It is designed around the idea that if a file doesn't change, why waste
network bandwidth and machine cycles to back it up again?  The old =
backup is
still good.  Through it's database, it can get back to any file that is =
still
active, so periodic monthly (absolute) backups don't really have a lot =
of
value.

The real question you need to ask is "How far back do you really need to =
go
for any given file?"  How often do they change?  Then plan accordingly - =
set
the number of copies and retention period accordingly.  And remember =
that you
can have multiple management classes, so that if you determine that 7 =
copies
for 21 days is fine for *most* of your users, but there is one =
application
where the files must be kept for 90 days, you can have both.

If you really have to have a "point in time" image of a set of files, =
such as
a monthly, use the Archive function not the backup.  I often wonder, =
though,
what the impact would be if you had to go back to one of those.... but =
that's
a different story.

As a (somewhat) wise man once said,  "ADSM is not your Father's backup =
tool."

Hope that helps, and if it doesn't, feel free to get back to me.


Jerry Lawson
jlawson AT thehartford DOT com


______________________________ Forward Header =
__________________________________
Subject: Using different policies to nightly and weekly backups.
Author:  INTERNET.OWNERAD at SNADGATE
Date:    1/21/98 11:40 AM


Dear ADSMers,
I have a requirement for nightly incremental backups to be retained for
14 days and weekly full backups for 3 months (90 days). I have tried
using a weekly & nightly policy set with the same management class, each
having a standard copy group with the following parameters (I used 2
days and 7 days for a test) :-
TEST_DOM    ACTIVE    TEST_MGMT STANDARD  No Limit No Limit        2
2
TEST_DOM    NIGHTLY   TEST_MGMT STANDARD  No Limit No Limit        2
2 mode=3Dmodified
TEST_DOM    WEEKLY    TEST_MGMT STANDARD  No Limit No Limit        7
 7 mode=3Dabsolute

Using a test program to cycle through the days, 2 days after the weekly
backup the weekly version expires.
The sequence goes like this :-
        count=3D1
        set_date (day of the month =3D count)
        activate policy test_dom weekly
        while [ count -le 4 ]
        do
                set_date
                start_server
                dsmc incremental /test
                stop_server
                let count=3Dcount+1
        done

        set_date
        start_server
        activate policy test_dom weekly
        dsmc incremental /test
        activate policy test_dom nightly
        stop_server
        let count=3Dcount+1

        while [ count -le 12 ]
        do
                set_date
                start_server
                dsmc incremental /test
                stop_server
                let count=3Dcount+1
        done

According to the help text when the active policy is changed, files are
rebound when :

?You change the management class for the file by specifying a different
management class in an INCLUDE statement.
        ADSM continues to manage the backups based on the old management
class until you run another backup.

?Your ADSM administrator deletes the management class from your active
policy set.
        ADSM uses the default management class to manage the backup
versions when you back up the file again.

?Your ADSM administrator assigns your client node to a different policy
domain and the active policy set in that domain does not have a
management class with the same name.
        ADSM uses the default management class for the new policy domain
to manage the backup versions.

Since none of the above is true, I would expect none of the files to be
rebound. The backup report does not show any rebound files, but the
versions are still expiring.

Does anybody know why.

Version 2 Server and Client using shared memory.

Regards
Gary

----------------------------------------------------------------
Gary Bromley
Gary Bromley
 Aspect Computing Pty Ltd
Tel : +61 (0)3 9230 2222
Fax : +61 (0)3 9818 1320
Email : Gary.Bromley AT aspect.com DOT au