Thanks for the answers Wanda.
 
Exporting all of the active backup data of all the servers in 1 command isn't 
an issue of course, just one command and you are sure that you don't miss 
anything.
 
But if the full export is eg 2 TB and a restore is asked of a file that is of 
course at the end of the latest tape in the export process, would this require 
then the full reading/searching of all the tapes? 
 
The restore procedure would then become a rather time consuming job if there is 
no tape positiong info in the TSM database. Anybody with hands-on-experience in 
such a setup? 
 
Or can you find out which tapes were used for which node in the export messages 
and then just run the import on eg two tapes instead of specifying all the used 
tapes? 
 
Else the export should be done on seperate tapes for each node resulting in a 
high tape consumption and a lot of admin schedules of course. 
 
This would result that the export cannot be used in a practical way to export 
full backups out of the expisting primary storage pool on a regular basis (once 
a month due to the SLA agreements). 
 
I know of course the exoprt was not written for a such a task  and a full 
backup is not in the TSM dictionary, but I'm just trying to be creative to 
answer the customer wish list.
 
thanks,
Kurt

________________________________

Van: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager namens Prather, Wanda
Verzonden: do 15/09/2005 17:42
Aan: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
Onderwerp: Re: [ADSM-L] export import node metadata TSM database



-----Original Message-----
From: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager [mailto:ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU] On Behalf Of
Kurt Beyers
Sent: Thursday, September 15, 2005 9:54 AM
To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
Subject: export import node metadata TSM database


Hi,

Is there any metadata of the exports stored in the TSM database?

==> Yes, the volser is retained in the VOLHIST file. 

If I want to export eg two clients A and B to the same volume (eg a tape
vol001 that has enough space of course), can I specify twice the
command:

export node A filedata=backupactive devclass=<tape> VOL=vol001
export node B filedata=backupactive devclass=<tape> VOL=vol001 

==> I don't believe TSM will let you do that; it SHOULD tell you that
vol001 is already in use.


Or must I specify

export node A,B filedata=backupactive devclass=<tape> VOL=vol001

to have both nodes exported to the same tape?

==> Yes, that is way to get both on the same tape.


And what if want to run an import of node B only for a restore from the
tape that contains the export of node A too with the command:

import node B filedata=backupactive devclass=<tape> VOL=vol001

Will it go directly to the point on the tape where the export of B has
been written or will it read the entire tape untill TSM finds the
beginning of the export of server B?


==> If you say

IMPORT NODE Devclass=<tape> VOL=vol001
    TSM will import all nodes on the tape

If you say

IMPORT NODE B devclass=<tape> VOL=vol001
   TSM will import only node B

As far as I know, TSM doesn't save any tape positioning information that
would let it skip to the data from B; I think it will read the whole
tape.


Wanda Prather
"I/O, I/O, It's all about I/O"  -(me)