On 29/07, Davis, Adrian wrote:
> We are looking at a number of possibilities for a new backup system?
> 
>  
> 
> Until now we have a used a "traditional" tape based backup strategy -
> but with falling disk and network bandwidth prices - we are looking at
> the possibility of using a disk only backup solution.
> 
>  
> 
> One option is to use Tivoli.
> 
>  
> 
> We need to be able to have two copies of all data each copy at a
> different physical location.
> 
>  
> 
> One idea that comes to mind is to backup to a disk storage pool, then
> "BACKUP STGPOOL" this storage pool to another (copy) disk storage pool -
> The second disk pool being a volume on a separate disk array at a remote
> location.
> 
>  
> 
> We would also "BACKUP DB" the TSM database to the remote location.
> 
>  
> 
> In the event of the loss of the primary site - I'm thinking we could
> "build" a TSM server, using the database backup up to the remote site,
> mount the "remote" copy disk storage pool volume on the new server and
> (as at that time the primary storage pool is "unavailable") access the
> data on the disk copy storage pool directly in order to perform our DR
> restores.
> 
>  
> 
> This seems like a (relatively) simple solution. However, as I have not
> seen this documented in any of the manuals, I'm guessing that there is a
> problem with this approach?
> 
>  
> 
> Does anybody have any comments -or- better ideas for a Tivoli disk only
> backup with data duplicated at two sites?
> 
>  
> 
> Many Thanks,
> 
>    =Adrian=
> 
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This is a pretty straightforward solution.

In TSM what you would do is have FILE stgpools instead of DISK stgpools.
FILE stgpools are sequential stgpools on disk, sort of like emulated
tape. This prevents fragmentation and besides that, copy pools are only
supported on sequential media (which a FILE stgpool is).

Just have a virtual (or physical) machine on the DR site that is prepared to
load the latest TSM DB backup and hwich has access to the copy pool with
the same path and then you're good to go.

The only caveat would be that you have to do reclamation on the copy
stgpool so make sure there is some bandwidth available during the day.

-km