ADSM-L

Re: even/uneven tape cycle / ANR1025W

2004-04-15 07:57:18
Subject: Re: even/uneven tape cycle / ANR1025W
From: Richard Sims <rbs AT BU DOT EDU>
To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
Date: Thu, 15 Apr 2004 07:33:03 -0400
>Seeing the actlog I get the feeling the expiration process is not
>working as it should, and for that reason data on the tapes does not
>expire.
>Or the policyset activation is not working and cause problems.
>
>How would one solve this problem.
>
>5 versions need to be kept for 14 days, but at day 7 (Monday) the tapes
>should be checked out and the other (even/uneven tapes depending on
>week) should be checked in.
>
>I know this is not exactly a good idea to implement TSM this way but
>this is what the customer wants.

Well, first you need to determine whether there is such a problem.
See if your Activity Log reflects expiration running regularly, per either an
administrative schedule or the EXPINterval server option, and that the
expiration is allowed to run to completion (no duration limit, no cancel).
Doing 'Query ACtlog BEGINDate=-999 s=expira' will report your expirations.
If need be, manually run 'EXPIre Inventory Quiet=No' to see its full progress.

You can check management class use and thus verify retention policies from
either the client or server.  Make sure that those clients are running
unqualified Incremental backups regularly to assure that the old data actually
gets the opportunity to expire (by versions, at least).

Inadequate server administration is the classic and dominant cause of inadequate
tapes. In http://people.bu.edu/rbs/ADSM.QuickFacts
see topic "Shrinking (dwindling) number of available scratch tapes".
You *must* monitor the state of your tape inventory.
See also ANR0522W in the QuickFacts.
Undersized disk pools and libraries are another common cause of storage pool
problems.  Good server administration also entails monitoring operating system
error logs to watch out for hardware problems (particularly, tape drive
failures) which can impair server functionality and result in tapes going
read-only.

And see prior postings about throttling technologically illiterate end users
who try to dictate business technology decisions.  Unsound practices jeopardize
vital data and needlessly elevate costs.  A well-run IT department will have the
clout to keep the tail from wagging the dog.

  Richard Sims

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