Re: [ADSM-L] ?anyone using TSM to backup Panasus PanFS?

You could attach the TSM server to the clustered filesystem and allow it to 
perform the backup from its own client.  This might get you better bandwidth if 
it's done properly.

MEMORYEFFICIENT YES will scan one directory at a time per producer
thread.  This keeps from eating up all system memory, at the expense of
some scan speed.  Memory usage is 400-1200 bytes per file in the list to be 
backed up.

RESOURCEUTIL 10 is the limit and gets you only 4-6 producers.  If you have good 
bandwidth, and a large number of execution threads, it may be beneficial to run 
parallel backups.

Parallel backups can be used to spread the workload across more threads
and/or more systems.  virtualnodename or asnode can be used if
necessary.

VIRTUALMOUNTPOINT can be used to get around scanning areas which should
not be backed up rather than excluding those areas.

To prevent retransmits, you could perform backups of a replica or a snapshot.

Incremental by Date is valuable for your busy days.  It won't expire
files, but it saves a bunch of time scanning.


Limitations for path/filename depth:

AIX HP-UX  Solaris:
   File_space_name               1024
   Path_name or directory_name   1023
   File_name                      256

Linux
   File_space_name               1024
   Path_name or directory_name    768
   File_name                      256

Windows XP/2000/2003
   File_space_name               1024
   Path_name or directory_name    248
   File_name                      248 With friendly regards,
Josh-D. S. Davis




________________________________
From: James R Owen <Jim.Owen AT YALE DOT EDU>
To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
Sent: Tue, January 26, 2010 5:09:53 PM
Subject: [ADSM-L] ?anyone using TSM to backup Panasus PanFS?

Yale uses Panasus PanFS, a massive parallel storage system, to store research 
data generated from HPC clusters.  In considering feasibility to backup PanFS 
using TSM,
we are concerned about whether TSM is appropriate to backup and restore:

1. very large volumes,
2. deep  subdirectory hierarchy  with 100's to 1000's of sublevels,
3. large numbers of files within individual subdirectories,
4. much larger numbers of files within each directory hierarchy.

Are there effective maximum limits for any of the above, beyond which
TSM becomes inappropriate to effectively perform backups and restores?

Please advise about the feasibility and any configuration recommendation(s)
to maximize PanFS backup and restore efficiency using TSM.

Thanks for your help.
--
Jim.Owen AT Yale DOT Edu   (w#203.432.6693, c#203.494.9201, h#203.387.3030)