>Chuck Mattern <cam03 AT HOMEDEPOT DOT COM>
>Subject: OS/2 Notes Client granularity.
>I'm in the process of setting up a Lotus Notes environment and
>considering using an OS/2 Notes server running replication against the
>HP 9000 server to do backups. One of the questions that came up was
>whether the OS/2 ADSM Notes backup client backs up the user mail files
>at the document level or as a monolithic file or if it even backs those
>files up at all.
Chuck,
It seems there may be some confusion, probably on my part -
The ADSM OS/2 client provides file backup and archive of OS/2-based
systems. In my testing, it has been successful in backing up 'in use' Lotus
Notes database files - including mail files - as long as those files were not
in the process of being updated. The OS/2 client has nearly identical
functionality to clients on other platforms.
The ADSM Lotus Notes agent, on the other hand, provides document level
backup of Notes database files only (.NSF, not .NTF etc.). The Notes agent
employs the ADSM and Notes API's to perform its work and its functionality
reflects the different root of its development. My testing has not revealed
any database which the Notes agent cannot back up - including databases being
updated during backup. Although document backup provides greater reliability
that all documents are protected, because ADSM backs the databases up file, by
file, the progress - on backup and restore - is much slower than file
backup/restore.
To provide full backup coverage of OS/2 Notes servers, it will, therefore,
be necessary to employ both the file (OS/2 client) and document (Notes agent)
backup systems. The implementation I have deployed incorporates weekly file
backups of Notes servers, coupled with daily document backups. In this way I
am able to assure my customers' databases are protected to the document level,
but I am able to provide the improved restoral speed of the client.
I hope this clarifies the issues for you - I highly recommend the IBM
Redbook "Using ADSM to Back Up Lotus Notes", document number SG24-4534-00,
available by phone from 1.800.879.2755, or http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/redbooks.
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beckpau AT ibm DOT net (Paul C. Beck)
beckpau AT ibm DOT net (Paul C. Beck)
Manassas Systems Integration Corp.
8575 King Carter Street
Manassas, Virginia 20110-4891
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