=> On Wed, 28 Aug 2002 10:50:27 -0700, Luke Dahl <ldahl AT JPL.NASA DOT GOV> 
said:


> We are backing up an IMAP mail server which creates a new file for every new
> mail message received.

Cyrus? We do that here at UF, We've got about the same amount of mailbox
space, 450G.

> The large number of files (new messages) created is increasing our database
> size at an alarming rate.

Yes, that happens. :)

> We'd like to specify a management class that will retain only the last 32
> days worth of NEW messages.  It's my understanding that the Retain Only
> Version parameter applies only to inactive files.  Files (messages) are
> never deleted from the server (our users basically store their mail on the
> server indefinitely) so they never become marked inactive.

My money is on enlarging your database.  You're going to pay less for the disk
than you will for the gyrations you'll need to actually accomplish the goal
you set out.

To accomplish that goal, you're going to have to convince TSM that the files
are gone.  TSM really isn't constituted to forget about files that you've
still got present.  So:

1) You want things to dissapear after one day from
   the-place-that-gets-backed-up.  So you have two parallel heirarchies of
   folders.  You move mail messages from the backed-up heirarchy to the non.

Ugh, already.

2) You do want everything to get backed up, so it's not enough to e.g. move
   everything once a day.  What you want to do is e.g. post-process the TSM
   schedule log, and move each file that's been successfully backed up.

Ouch, even more.

3) This results in two separate folder heirarchies in your users' mailboxes.
   Expect questions and irritation at the answers.

Probably a deal-breaker, once you have to start explaining it to VIPs.


You may have more luck controlling grows-without-bounds by setting mailbox
quotae;  if management gets a choice of

a) kick some backups off the dock
b) Pay lots of money for more backup-server resources
c) promulgate policy to save resources

then you may get the spurs to enforce quota.


- Allen S. Rout