I think that I have asked a similar question, so I apologize if this
sounds like a repeat.....

We are trying to implement IMAGE backups for our larger systems (1TB
plus).  We have purchased a new AIX system just for this purpose. Our
experience with IMAGE backups, is pretty much nil !

We are still trying to figure out what type of tape drive/library to buy.
We are leaning towards an LTO2 system (I have been trying to convince them
to look at the new 3592 but it is so new there is no information on
IBM.COM about them. Probably too expensive, anyway !!).

My boss wants to dedicate this TSM server to *JUST* IMAGE BACKUPS. The
INCREMENTALs would still go to the existing TSM server that handles it
right now.  This way, we wouldn't have to do much, if any, administrative
processes (reclaims, copypools, etc).  (Is this even do-able ? )

However, my concerns are the elapsed times and synchronization.

Lets say the IMAGE backup takes 24-hours or more.  Since this is an active
email system, there are tens-of-thousands of files being created / edited
/ received / deleted / sent, daily (when the server was down for 2-days,
the NAV email scanners had over 90K messages backed up, awaiting to be
received).

Would we continue to run INCREMENTALS to server-A, while the IMAGE backup
is running to server-B  or do we have to wait until after the IMAGE
finishes ?

How about the restore/syncing processes. How would it figure out what to
restore ?  Would we just guess on a PIT set to the time the IMAGE backup
started ?

What about files "in flight" during the IMAGE backup and/or from the time
the IMAGE started and the INCREMENTAL started ?  Are they just considered
"collateral damage" and not recoverable ?

Any thoughts on this would be helpfull.