The context may not be entirely clear, but the first excerpt refers to
Windows 2003 built-in open file support, not TSM's open file support,
which is enabled via the tsm Logical Volume Snapshot Agent (LVSA).
If you look at the summary of changes near the beginning of the manual,
you'll see:
"Open file support for backup and archive operations on Windows 2000 and
Windows XP
If the Logical Volume Snapshot Agent (LVSA) is installed and configured
for open file support via the setup wizard, by default, Tivoli Storage
Manager performs a snapshot backup or archive of files that are open (or
locked) by other applications. The snapshot allows the backup or archive
to be taken from a point-in-time copy that matches the file system at the
time the snapshot is taken. Subsequent changes to the file system are not
included in the backup or archive operation. You can use the include.fs
option to specify whether a drive uses open file support. See ?Open file
support for backup operations (Windows 2000, XP)? on page 61 and ?Open
file support for archive operations (Windows 2000, XP)? on page 124 for
more information."
Notice that this is specific to Windows 2000 and XP, not 2003.
TSM 5.1 and earlier uses "legacy" Windows APIs for backing up system state
components on W2K, XP, and W2K+3. Starting with version 5.2, TSM uses VSS
*only* for backing up the Windows 2003 system state/services components
(legacy APIs still used for W2K and XP), as the second excerpt you quoted
shows.
The last excerpt looks like a glossary definition indicating what VSS is.
It does not make any statement about TSM support for VSS.
In sum: TSM's open file support (via LVSA) is available for Windows 2000
and XP. Use of LVSA is not yet supported on Windows 2003. Neither does TSM
use Windows VSS facitlities to back up regular files.
We fully understand the need to provide support for open files on Windows
2003, and development for this is currently in progress. (I have to add
the caveat that this is not a formal announcement. But I mention it to
indicate our direction.)
Regards,
Andy
Andy Raibeck
IBM Software Group
Tivoli Storage Manager Client Development
Internal Notes e-mail: Andrew Raibeck/Tucson/IBM@IBMUS
Internet e-mail: storman AT us.ibm DOT com
The only dumb question is the one that goes unasked.
The command line is your friend.
"Good enough" is the enemy of excellence.
"ADSM: Dist Stor Manager" <ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU> wrote on 11/16/2004
15:59:02:
> Backup Archive Client Installation and User Guide for windows: Version 5
Release
> 2
>
> *******************************
>
> For Windows Server 2003: When support for open file support is not
configured,
> because an open file may change, it is likely that any backup of an open
file
> will
> not correctly reflect the contents of the file at a given time. If
certain files
> are not backed up because they are open and they change when you try to
back
> them up
> or when the backup schedule starts, consider the following points:
> v If the file is unimportant or can be easily rebuilt (a temporary file
for
> example), you might not care if the file is backed up, and might choose
to
> exclude it.
> v If the file is important:
> ? Ensure the file is closed before backing it up. If backups are run
according
> to a schedule, use the preschedulecmd option to enter a command that
closes the
> file. For example, if the open file is a database, issue a command to
close the
> database. You can use the postschedulecmd option to restart the
application
> that uses the file after the backup completes. If you are not using a
schedule
> for the backup, close the application that uses the file before you
start the
> backup.
>
> ? Tivoli Storage Manager can back up the file even if it is open and
changes
> during the backup. This is only useful if the file will be usable even
if it
> changes during backup. To back up these files, assign a management class
with
> dynamic or shared dynamic serialization. See ?Selecting a management
class for
> files? on page 125 for information about assigning management classes,
and see
> ?Displaying information about management classes and copy groups? on
page 121
> for information to determine which management classes are available to
you.
> Note: If the LVSA is not installed or in use: While Tivoli Storage
Manager
> attempts to back up open files, this is not always possible. Some files
are open
> exclusively for the application that opened them. If Tivoli Storage
Manager
> encounters such a file, it cannot read it for backup purposes. If you
are aware
> of such file types in your environment, you should exclude them from
backup to
> avoid seeing error messages in the log file.
>
> \****************************************
> Another one from same document:
>
> Support for Microsoft Volume Shadowcopy Service (VSS) on Windows Server
2003
> Tivoli Storage Manager supports the Microsoft Volume Shadowcopy
> Service (VSS) on Windows Server 2003. Tivoli Storage Manager uses VSS to
back up
> all Windows Server 2003 system state components as a single
> object, to provide a consistent point-in-time snapshot of the system
state.
> System services components can be backed up individually. See ?Backing
up
> Windows Server 2003 system state and system services? on page 58 for
more
> information.
>
> ******************************************
> Another excerpt:
>
> Volume Shadowcopy Service. An integral part of the Windows Server 2003
operating
> system that allows you to create shadow copy backups of volumes, exact
copies of
> files, including all open files. Shadow copy backups ensure the
following:
> v Applications can continue to write data to the volume during a backup.
> v Files that are open are no longer omitted during a backup.
> v Backups can be performed at any time, without locking out users.
>
> **********************************************
>
> So with these excerpts from client version 5.2, there is support for
system
> state and services backup along with ASR. No where is it written that
open files
> will be backed up.
>
> BUT, yes if TSM client supports VSS which it says it does, then there
should not
> be a problem with open file backup.
> Can someone corect me or enlighten me from latest versions
documentation?
>
> Kind Regards,
> Sandra
>
> Andrew Raibeck wrote:
>
> > Right now there is no TSM solution for open file backups. You can look
to
> > 3rd-party vendors to provide support for open files in conjunction
with
> > backup products such as TSM. For example, St. Bernard Software's "Open
> > File Manager" product (http://www.stbernard.com). Caveat: This should
not
> > be taken as an official endorsement of the product, I am just letting
you
> > know of its existence. Other users on this forum may have alternative
> > solutions.
> >
> > IBM is currently working on open file support for Windows 2003, but I
> > would not expect it before some time in 2005.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Andy
> >
> > Andy Raibeck
> > IBM Software Group
> > Tivoli Storage Manager Client Development
> > Internal Notes e-mail: Andrew Raibeck/Tucson/IBM@IBMUS
> > Internet e-mail: storman AT us.ibm DOT com
> >
> > The only dumb question is the one that goes unasked.
> > The command line is your friend.
> > "Good enough" is the enemy of excellence.
> >
> > "ADSM: Dist Stor Manager" <ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU> wrote on 11/15/2004
> > 10:39:49:
> >
> > > GREAT !!!! ... !!!!!
> > > Then In general, how do we go about taking open file backups?
> > > Kindly shed some knowledge upon me in this regard!
> > >
> > > Kind Regards,
> > > Sandra
> > >
> > > Andrew Raibeck wrote:
> > >
> > > > Sandra,
> > > >
> > > > In general, whenever you are having a problem and need to ask the
> > group
> > > > for help, you need to provide more substantial detail than just a
> > vague
> > > > symptom ("... on Win 2003 it won't backup open files and snapshot
> > fails
> > > > ..."). This is the same as calling your automobile repair shop and
> > saying,
> > > > "My car won't start." and expecting a good answer to your problem.
> > Your
> > > > automobile mechanic needs a lot more information in order to
diagnose
> > the
> > > > trouble with your car. Likewise for any software or hardware
problems
> > you
> > > > may have.
> > > >
> > > > For TSM, here is a starter checklist for information you can
provide:
> > > >
> > > > - A *specific* description of what operation you are trying to do
> > (i.e. "I
> > > > am trying to run a manual backup of my C: and D: drives using the
dsmc
> > > > command line interface").
> > > >
> > > > - *complete* output showing the results you are getting (console
> > output,
> > > > dsmsched.log for scheduled operations, dsmerror.log, GUI
screenshots,
> > > > etc.).
> > > >
> > > > - Configuration information including TSM client and server
operating
> > > > system levels and TSM software versions.
> > > >
> > > > - Client options files for client problems (dsm.opt, dsm.sys,
client
> > > > option set)
> > > >
> > > > - For client problems, if you are using TSM 5.2, resulting
dsminfo.txt
> > > > file from the command "dsmc query systeminfo".
> > > >
> > > > - Server options and settings for server problems (output from
QUERY
> > > > OPTION and QUERY STATUS; QUERY LOG F=D and QUERY LOGVOLUME F=D for
> > > > recovery log problems; QUERY DB F=D and QUERY DBVOLUME F=D for
> > database
> > > > problems, etc.)
> > > >
> > > > - If the client was interacting with the server when the problem
> > occurred,
> > > > QUERY ACTLOG output for the timeframe from when the client
activity
> > > > started through the time it ended.
> > > >
> > > > There are other items as well, but this is just a basic checklist.
Not
> > all
> > > > problems require all of the information, but the list serves to
show
> > you
> > > > all the places you can check for the source of the problem.
> > > >
> > > > Now with all of that said: Open File Support is not supported on
> > Windows
> > > > 2003.
> > > >
> > > > Regards,
> > > >
> > > > Andy
> > > >
> > > > Andy Raibeck
> > > > IBM Software Group
> > > > Tivoli Storage Manager Client Development
> > > > Internal Notes e-mail: Andrew Raibeck/Tucson/IBM@IBMUS
> > > > Internet e-mail: storman AT us.ibm DOT com
> > > >
> > > > The only dumb question is the one that goes unasked.
> > > > The command line is your friend.
> > > > "Good enough" is the enemy of excellence.
> > > >
> > > > "ADSM: Dist Stor Manager" <ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU> wrote on
11/15/2004
> > > > 00:16:52:
> > > >
> > > > > Sorry ...
> > > > > TSM Server 5.2.2.5 on windows 2000 and client 5.2.2.0 on windows
> > 2003.
> > > > >
> > > > > Kind Regards,
> > > > > Sandra
> > > > >
> > > > > "Stapleton, Mark" wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > From: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager [mailto:ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU]
> > > > > > On
> > > > > > Behalf Of Sandra
> > > > > > >I have taken backups on win 2000 and it worked fine with open
> > > > > > >file support, but on Win 2003 it won't backup open files and
> > > > > > >snapshot fails.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >I have 2 partitions to backup and so i m using include.fs
> > > > > > >option to specify snapshotcachelocation. This option is
> > > > > > >working great on win2000 but there seem to be something
> > > > > > >missing on this win2003 machine.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > More details needed. Please *always* include your current TSM
> > server
> > > > and
> > > > > > client levels when asking questions.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > --
> > > > > > Mark Stapleton (stapleton AT berbee DOT com)
> > > > > > Berbee Information Networks
> > > > > > Office 262.521.5627
|
