baclient VS Flashcopy manager VS copy services integration module

[BBB]

I'm trying to figure out what the advantages/disadvantages are of using any of the above 3 methods of performing exchange tdp VSS backups but not having any luck so far, and I'm still trying to get my head around it all.

Using: Exchange 2007, TSM6.x, with SVC storage. *NOT* intending to use flashcopy volumes on the SVC though.

So far I've figured out [I think] that I need something to act as a VSS requestor and I can use *any* of the 3 products listed in the subject of this thread to be the VSS requestor. Am I right?

Is there a performance difference between the baclient and flashcopy manager, when you aren't actually using flashcopy volumes on the SVC? Are there any other good reasons to use flashcopy manager over the ba client in this situation?

This is what somebody I know is planning on doing and I'm trying to figure out what the advantages/disadvantages are.

 

[KB]

I'm going to make an assumption that you want to backup Exchange using a VSS method to TSM. If you want to do this then you will need TSM for Mail, you will also need TSM EE but that is for licensing requirements and TSM for Mail uses it in the background. Without TSM for mail you will not get any integration with the Exchange backups. TSM for Mail will give you 'software VSS' backups. The software VSS backup uses the software VSS provider and extra space on the Exchange volumes to get the backup done.

Now, on to Flashcopy manager, FCM. FCM is designed to backup Exchange without TSM and uses the underlying disk to do the flashcopies. So in your case, you would use FCM with the SVC flashcopy and make flashcopy backups. With FCM and the SVC you can do some things like instant restores. You can also flashcopy to another disk array, a unique feature of the SVC.

So far we have covered two methods. One using TSM for Mail to do VSS backups of Exchange to TSM without being concerned about disk hardware flashcopies. The second method is using FCM to make Exchange VSS backup using only hardware flashcopies.

Now for the FCM and TSM for Mail combination. FCM and TSM for Mail will merge to form one interface to both hardware flashcopy backups and backups to TSM. You can restore from either type of backup. This combination will give the best of both the backup to TSM method and the flashcopy method and a few more tricks. If it was my system, I would be doing this method, especially because of the underlying SVC.

Now you may have noticed that the BA Client and the Copy Service Integration module are not mentioned as Exchange backup methods. The BA client will not do Exchange VSS backups and the Copy services integration module is now basically part of FCM. So unfortunately in your note you really only had one method of backing up Exchange, FCM. Now you have three again. Remember, FCM handles flashcopy backup using disk and TSM for Mail gets Exchange backups into TSM.