Nicholas Cassimatis wrote:
"With all of the features in TSM, there are a number of them that
don't work for specific situations.  Simultaneous writes on backup/
migration, virtual volumes, NDMP backups, 3rd mirrors of DB and Log
volumes, adding documentation to your Prepare file - lots of features
that don't always make sense to use.  But they're there, if you want/
need them."

Knowing when they do and when they don't is the crux of my dilemma.
The virtual volume methodology is presented in IBM designed training
classes, Administrator's manuals, and in a very recent TSM Webcast as
if it is the best practice for cross data center backups. There is
much about how to do it, but precious little about why to do it. No
mention of the problem that it is intended to solve. Or, how you
might do the same thing as well or better without it.

Our current goal is that each of our two data centers be the offsite
backup and DR site of the other. If we lose a TSM server or a data
center we would restore it at the one sixty miles away.

Thanks to everyone who responded. It has been a tremendous help.

Keith Arbogast