Basic directory bind (DIRMC) question

[ldmwndletsm]

I've used "DIRMC management_class_name" in dsm.sys (Linux) to force directories to be bound to the named management class. Running `/bin/dsmc q backup` confirms this.

After recently reading the IBM document (second paragraph from the bottom):

https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/spectrum-protect/8.1.9?topic=size-effects-management-classes

where it says: "If multiple management classes in the active policy set have the same value for RETONLY, then the management class that is last, when sorted alphabetically, is used"

I have a very basic (pretty obvious answer, I guess) question. When they say active policy set, they mean only for the same policy set, not all active policy sets, right? In other words, if I have this:

query copygroup

Policy_Domain_Name Policy_Set_Name Mgmt_Class_Name Copy_Group_Name Vers_Exists Vers_Deleted Retain_Extra Retain_Only
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BACKUP_PD ACTIVE BACKUP_MC STANDARD 60 60 60 365
BACKUP_PD ACTIVE BACKUP_MC_ALT STANDARD 3 3 60 365
BACKUP_PD BACKUP_PS BACKUP_MC STANDARD 60 60 60 365
BACKUP_PD BACKUP_PS BACKUP_MC_ALT STANDARD 3 3 60 365
BACKUP2_PD ACTIVE BACKUP2_MC STANDARD No Limit No Limit No Limit No Limit
BACKUP2_PD BACKUP2_PS BACKUP2_MC STANDARD No Limit No Limit No Limit No Limit

If "DIRMC" is not specified in dsm.sys, and BACKUP_MC is a default management class (yes) with policy set name BACKUP_PS and policy domain name BACKUP_PD. And BACKUP_MC_ALT is not a default management class (no) but also has the same policy set and domain name as BACKUP_MC then since there are two of them that are both in the active policy set BACKUP_PS, and both have a RETONLY value of 365 then when a node with Policy Domain BACKUP_PD runs its backups then BACKUP_MC_ALT will be used for directories since this sorts last, after BACKUP_MC. So only 3 versions of each backed up directory will be retained, not 60, unless "DIRMC BACKUP_MC" is specified in which case it will be 60. That correct?

And even though BACKUP2_MC is also a default management class (yes) and has the longest Retonly value of No Limit, since it's for policy set name BACKUP2_PS and policy domain name BACKUP2_PD and *NOT* BACKUP_PS then it will not factor in for that choice. In other words, when a node with Policy Domain BACKUP_PD runs its backups, and DIRMC is not specified, then it will not use No Limit for the directories. Instead, it will still use 3. But if the node instead specified Policy Domain BACKUP_PD2 then 'No Limit' would be used for its directories. That right?

 

[marclant]

I have a very basic (pretty obvious answer, I guess) question. When they say active policy set, they mean only for the same policy set, not all active policy sets, right? I

Correct.

So only 3 versions of each backed up directory will be retained, not 60, unless "DIRMC BACKUP_MC" is specified in which case it will be 60. That correct?

Only partially correct. Using DIRMC is not the only way. You could update BACKUP_MC to RETONLY=366 or BACKUP_MC_ALT to RETONLY=364. You could even create a new MC with the retention you want for directories and use RETONLY=366.

 

[ldmwndletsm]

Okay, thank you very much. That answers that. I was pretty sure that I understood that it would use the BACKUP_MC_ALT management class for directories given the sort order but wanted to make sure I hadn't somehow misinferred. Your note about DIRMC not being the only way definitely clarifies things. I was able to confirm by running `dsmc q backup`, and could see that management class (using 3 3 60 365) reported for directories but the other one (using 60 60 60 365) reported for files.