Some other backup products use the term "archive" to mean make a backup
copy.

ADSM uses the term "archive" to mean something a bit different than
"backup".

"backup" means to make a copy of a file that can be restored if the file is
lost or damaged.  "backup" versions generally become invalid after a defined
number of versions or a defined length of time.

"archive" is a function supported in the ADSM end-user interface that lets
the user of a PC, for example, make an "archive" copy of a file that does
not ever get deleted by ADSM until the expiration date the user  selects, or
until the user manually deletes it.  The user can also specify "archive"
with delete, which causes ADSM to make the copy of the file, then delete the
original from the user's machine.  Then the end-user can invoke the ADSM
interface to retrieve that file to his machine on demand.

So, if you allow end users to invoke the archiving function (as we do), you
have to keep your "archives" on site to answer those on-demand retrieve
requests.

However, some ADSM sites don't allow end-users to do archiving, and only the
ADSM administrator or the owners of servers create "archives" as snapshots
of a file system to be retained for audit or legal purposes.   They have a
situation more like yours, where you don't expect to need those tapes for 10
years.  If you don't allow any type of "on deman" retrieve, you could move
your archive tapes offsite.

You could use the Export function to do that.  Or, just open the Properties
of the tape you want to remove, and change its access mode to "offsite".
Then ADSM won't call for that tape again.  However, the data base entries
describing the tape and its contents will remain.

Hope this answers your question...

***************************************************************
Wanda Prather
The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab
443-778-8769
wanda_prather AT jhuapl DOT edu

"Intelligence has much less practical application than you'd think" -
Scott Adams/Dilbert
***************************************************************





> -----Original Message-----
> From: RHS Linux User [SMTP:adsm AT HBRT DOT HU]
> Sent: Wednesday, November 18, 1998 1:10 PM
> To:   ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
> Subject:      Archive & offsite
>
> I do not understand, what is the concept behind archiving onsite?
> If I need a copy of my data for ten years, why should I keep it in the
> computer center? It would be convenient for me to mark them as offsite,
> and send them to the security vault. Is there a way to do so?
>
> adsm AT hbrt DOT hu