Hmm. I don't have any experience running with an EXTERNAL type library, so I
can't address those specifically. I've done SCSI, atape, and STK type=ACS
libraries, so here is enough to get you started:
Both DRM (a TSM feature) and Autovault (from CodeRelief) are products that
will do your "vaulting" for you.
As you are familiar with CA-1's vaulting, then you know what you need:
* You need a list of STGPOOL tapes and DBBACKUP tapes to move offsite
daily (or weekly, whatever your vaulting schedule is)
* You need a list of tapes that should be returned to the library
daily
Now you can write scripts yourself to do that, if you have the time. It's
pretty easy to track the STGPOOL tapes; DBB tapes are a bit harder; more
work still if you get DBS and BACKUPSET tapes involved.
In addition, in a dist. environment, for disaster recovery planning you need
procedures in place for rebuilding your TSM server in an offsite recovery
situation. Most mainframe shops have procedures they practice which include
recovery of the whole mainframe environment, TSM server included. But
with a TSM server on another platform, you need to develop those DR
procedures new.
Here is where you REALLY come out $$$ ahead to buy either DRM or Autovault.
Both DRM and Autovault generate the scripts for you that you will need to do
TSM server recovery. If you figure the time that saves, EITHER DRM or
Autovault is a very good deal financially. You get your vault management
done, AND your DR plans created.
DRM is more expensive, but it also includes "electronic" vaulting
capability, where you send your copypool and DB data to be stored on a 2nd
TSM server. If you don't need the sever-to-server capability, then
Autovault will do the job and is much less expensive.
However, DRM and Autovault work a bit differently. DRM expects the TSM
administrator to run MOVE DRMEDIA commands each day to trigger the tape
vaulting. If you want to automate that so your operators don't have to be
TSM admins and log in to the server, then you are back to writing your own
scripts to wrap around the DRM commands. Autovault EXPECTS you to schedule
the vault runs to happen automatically. Autovault also vaults BACKUPSETS,
if you choose to, which DRM does not. And (IMHO), Autovault is easier to set
up and does a better job of error handling. And Autovault support is
excellent.
The DRM code is already included in your TSM install; you just need to pay
for & register the license in order to use it. You can download Autovault
at www.coderelief.com.
NOW HERE IS THE PROBLEM: It matters what type of library you have. BOTH
with DRM and Autovault, if you have a SCSI or 3494 or 3575 library, when you
do the daily vaulting run, the tapes to go offsite are automatically ejected
into the CAP (I/O port) of the library. Which is what you want.
NOw the problem with TYPE=ACS libraries, is that TSM doesn't support bulk
eject (don't ask me why, it should be possible). So neither DRM nor
Autovault can do the eject automatically. So for our ACS libraries, I ended
up writing scripts anyway. The scripts ran the DRM commands to do the tape
tracking, then the script grabbed the list of tapes that SHOULD be ejected,
then invoked the STK ACSLS software to do the eject.
With a TYPE=EXTERNAL library, I don't know how bulk eject is handled. I
suggest you contact Gresham and ask if DRM can do the ejects for you, or how
they suggest handling it (surely someone has brought up that issue before).
OR contact shnath AT coderelief DOT com and ask about Autovault and EXTERNAL
libraries. I think it depends on whether TSM supports bulk eject, or
whether the library manager software has to do it.
Hope that helps..
************************************************************************
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
************************************************************************
|
