Bill,

Your arguments are excellent, and I have one large client dealing with the
health
records issue --- they need to save patient records for 32 years;  we are
liking
the export solution, once a year, for those nodes (in order to control TSM
db
size) -- and, continue storing their data in archive storage so we have
access to
all versions generated, then (AFTER THE FACT) deleting extra versions from
each month --- save 2 or 3, delete the rest from archive storage, using a
"smart"
script in concert with the dba's technique of naming the files being stored.

However I only know ONE (simple) way to accomplish the desired, stated
results ---
month-end snapshot kept for X months
or years;  ie, a backupset of the desired file systems on specific nodes.
The limitation
of this solution is it only captures files in backup storage;  you need a
different
answer for database backups stored in archive storage -- my DBA's love using
archive storage, and I have no argument against it, as they only care about
time
(have no need or interest in counting versions, etc), and they must save
daily
backups for 4-14 days, weekly's for 6 weeks, monthly's for 6-15 months, etc.

If you have a method that allows you "mark" the currently active versions of
backup
files with a different retention than others, I think it would be new news
to most of us...
please share.

Thanks,
Don

 Don France
Technical Architect - Tivoli Certified Consultant
Professional Association of Contract Employees (P.A.C.E.)
San Jose, CA
(408) 257-3037
don_france AT att DOT net