>Tivoli is claiming that the Raw Volume Dump and Restore feature will
>provide 6 times faster backup and 5 times faster restore.

It's FDR, redux: fast, but problematic, as has been pointed out.
A disk volume which is in use is a far greater transitional source of
data than a single file, which is problematic enough for ADSM today.
Certainly, raw volumes can be imaged far faster than can be its file
system contents - but you have to likewise restore the volume image
as a whole...unless TSM intends to somehow provide a variety of file
system emulators at the server which would allow selection by file
from that volume image.  Otherwise you would have to restore that
image to some spare disk, mount that, and go after files.  RVD may be
quite good for disaster recovery, but otherwise the much faster times
mean nothing to our current incremental backup needs.

A note to Tivoli management:  Tivoli annoucement material is habitually
aimed at customer executives (those who call for things to be purchased).
For technicians, the material is numbingly devoid of substantive detail.
When you publish annoucements, would you please provide links to real
information which is sorely needed by system administrators and systems
programmers in assessing the methodologies and value of the new features
and products?  It's an area greatly neglected by Tivoli, but sorely
needed by those who have to actually manage and use the products.

    thanks, Richard Sims, Boston University OIT