Vint,

this is area where ADSM/TSM is particulary 
strong in.
For adsm own database and logfile you can setup adsm mirroring,
you can make different sorts of database backups,
you can setup as many backup storage pools 
for storage pools as you wish,..

Do read documentation!
I am not sure for  TSM, but in ADSM there are very good 
introductionary, conceptual  chapters and nice
descriptions of different ways and levels of 
data and adsm own data protection.
Hands-on experience only is NOT enough to evaluate adsm.

>> Assuming
>> the primary disk stgpool disks failed, 
>> and one does not have any RAID
>> protection, does TSM provide 
>> for rebuilding this storage pool? 
There are more possibilities to do that.
I like best 
        UPDATE VOLUME xy STATUS=DESTROYED 
by which I simply tell ADSM "yes, the data is really gone,
it is not a temporarilly problem only".
Absolutely no more intervention from me necessary.
Well, I will surely replace the disk later, 
and define new volumes.

This will cause all operations like RESTORE to automatically
read data concerned from backup storage pools, as 
if nothing had happened.
And, adsm will start the lower-level wonder :RESTORE VOLUME.
RESTORE STGPOOL is just another (higher-level) wonder.

Juraj Salak
KEBA, Linz, Austria