It's not just a matter of the retention values, but also the number of
versions. Assuming you run backup on a daily basis, if an object changes
every day, then you will only be able to restore that object up to 10 days
ago. Thus for the case of an object changing every day, the 184 day
retention is meaningless; you will only be able to go back up to 10 days
(or less if you back up the object more than once a day).

In general, if you think of your restore requirement as, "I want to be
able to restore up to 'n' days ago", then you should set your version and
retention like this:

VEREXISTS=NOLIMIT
VERDELETED=NOLIMIT
RETEXTRA=n
RETONLY=n

This way, no matter how many backup versions you make, you will be able to
restore those versions up to 'n' days ago.

Yes, these settings will probably cause your TSM database and storage
utilization to increase. For directory objects, whether you want to keep
all versions for 184 days is a decision you need to make, based on the
importance of being able to use the GUI to do the restore and the
importance of being able to restore the directory object; as opposed to
using the CLI for the restore and having the directory structure built
with default attributes if a backup version of the directory does not
exist.

Regards,

Andy

Andy Raibeck
IBM Software Group
Tivoli Storage Manager Client Development
Internal Notes e-mail: Andrew Raibeck/Tucson/IBM@IBMUS
Internet e-mail: storman AT us.ibm DOT com

IBM Tivoli Storage Manager support web page:
http://www-306.ibm.com/software/sysmgmt/products/support/IBMTivoliStorageManager.html

The only dumb question is the one that goes unasked.
The command line is your friend.
"Good enough" is the enemy of excellence.

"ADSM: Dist Stor Manager" <ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU> wrote on 08/01/2006
10:48:50 PM:

> Hi all,
>
> I try do do an point-in-time-restore to the 19-Jul-2006 on a w2k-Server
> (TSM Client 5.3.4.0). I can go down in the gui just to the mountpoint
> but I dont see that base-directory. Do I make a pit-recovery 20-Jul-2006
> it shows the base-directory as inactive. With a pit-restore from
> 28-Jul-2006 it shows the base-directory as active.
> If I look at the directory-attributes it looks as if the directory is
> backed-up every day (changed-parameter is different for each
> pit-restore).
> I do use a default management class with following settings (and the gui
> shows up this management-class for the directory) :
> Vers Data Exist : 10
> Vers Data Del : 10
> Retain Extra : 184
> Retain Only : 184
>
> I know about discussions with the directories not shown in gui in former
> versions. But I thought, by defining a management class with a retain
> period longer as the longest one for files, it would work.
> But this looks for me as if the display doesnt sho up the directory
> because of the versions of the directory. (I don't know, why this
> directory was changed every day ???).
>
> Is this a bug of the version or normal behaviour ?
>
> Thanks for any help.
>
> Chris