We're trying, usually in vain, to get our TSM environment under
control. We have daily scripts that perform backups of our database,
one onsite and one offsite.  The scripts check to see if any backup
sessions are active, and if they are, they reschedule themselves to
try again in 10 minutes.

It's getting more and more difficult to find any time during the day
when backups aren't running. We keep spreading backup schedules out
to try to get stuff to run successfully.  Our offsite tapes are
supposed to be sent offsite by 8 AM, but sometimes they're not
getting completed until mid-afternoon.

Ideally, I know it would be safer to backup the database when it's
not being updated by backup processes. But it seems like there's no
way we're going to be able to reach Nirvana.  If I want my DB backups
to run at any kind of predictable time, it looks like we're going to
have to allow them to run while client backups are running.  Am I
setting myself up for major trouble if I do that?

Actually, I'm not 100% sure it's not already happening.  I know we
don't start the database backup if any client backup sessions are
active.  But I'm not sure if there's anything in place that prevents
a client backup from starting after the DB backup starts.  If that's
true, are we just wasting time spinning our wheels waiting for a
window when no backups are running to start the DB backup?
--


Matt Simpson --  OS/390 Support
219 McVey Hall  -- (859) 257-2900 x300
University Of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506
<mailto:msimpson AT uky DOT edu>
mainframe --   An obsolete device still used by thousands of obsolete
companies serving billions of obsolete customers and making huge obsolete
profits for their obsolete shareholders.  And this year's run twice as fast
as last year's.