IMHO:
I never do incrementals. Not of my 2 GB ADSM database nor my 30 GB Sybase 
database nor my 10 MB database that hardly changes. When you are under the gun 
to get a database restored, incrementals can be hard to restore if you are the 
administrator  and even harder if someone else is trying to do the restore. How 
hard is it just to type when your boos in standing behind you? Remember what 
KISS stands for?

If you use incrementals, then any error on any tape along the way will sink 
you. You will still only be able to restore to your last full backup and good 
incremental. You can never go wrong always doing a full backup. Yes, it uses 
more resources. But don't forget whose ass is on the line when things go south.

Every day I do full backup of my ADSM DB and 50-60 Sybase databases. All the 
Sybase databases go to disk, then offsite, then to tape on site. With this 
scheme there is little chance of not being able to do a restore.

(Of course I do an incremental ADSM backup daily, but this still backups whole 
files, I never backup just the changes to an individual file.)

miles


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Miles Purdy 
Miles Purdy 
System Manager
Farm Income Programs Directorate
Winnipeg, MB, CA
purdym AT fipd.gc DOT ca
ph: (204) 984-1602 fax: (204) 983-7557
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>>> dbrowne AT HUMANA DOT COM 09-Apr-01 9:22:31 AM >>>
>>> dbrowne AT HUMANA DOT COM 09-Apr-01 9:22:31 AM >>>
I am doing a nightly database full backup with ADSM/TSM.  (TSM 3.7.4 on
OS390/2.10)
What is most commonly done a Full or Incremental?
What are the advantages/disadvantages of a full over an incremental backup
of the servers database?
The command we enter is as follows:
                      backup db type=full devclass=dboffsite
 Where dboffsite is the a tape device class.