Rob,
Like David said, etc...
During SQL-BT setup, you should have created a MC for SQL-BT backups
w/ Backup CopyGroup w/ VerExists=1 VerDeleted=0 RetExtra=0 RetOnly=0.

SQL-BT incorporates datime values in its TSM backup filenames so that
each backup filename is unique; if you setup SQL-BT to keep 10 versions,
you might have 11 dbf backups (uniquely named "Active" TSM backup
files) until SQL-BT dtoexpire processing runs.  Then, SQL-BT "expires"
a backup version by marking the appropriate TSM backup files "Inactive".
During the next TSM EXPIre Inventory processing, these Inactive backup
files are deleted immediately (because your SQL-BT-MC B-CG has VerD=0.)
Some tape space can be "reclaimed immediately" (during EXPIre Inventory
processing) iff your tape STGpool is collocated by filespace and one/more
tape(s) no longer contain(s) any "Active" SQL-BT backups.  Otherwise, you
have to run tape reclamation processing for that STGpool to recover the
partially available tapes for reuse.
--
Jim.Owen AT Yale DOT Edu   (203.432.6693)

David Longo wrote:

It handles expiration like Oracle RMAN (in general).  The expiration
is done by the client, not the normal "versioning" of TSM.  The
SQL-BT setup and config should have info on setting up Management
Class on TSM for this.  I have SQL-BT version 4.2 on AIX Sybase Client.
The config on SQL-BT allows you to specify how many versions you
want to keep, and SQL-BT "expires" old version each day when it does
a backup.

Whether the data went to TSM disk pool first and then to tape
or directly to tape has no bearing at all on the expiration.

R.Hefty AT LABSAFETY DOT COM 01/21/04 10:39AM >>>

Hello all,

How does TSM handle the expiration of SQL Backtrack filespaces
if the data was originally written directly to tape, thus never
existing on hard disk?  We have a situation where these filespaces
are not expiring and are not even being marked as inactive yet they
are in a MC that is set to retain only ten versions.

TSM Server: 5.1.5.5
OS Version: AIX 5.1
SQL BT Version: 3.4.10

TIA,
Rob