DB backup & scratch tapes

[tsmlover]

Please make me sure regarding TSM Database backup

everytime when ever I perform TSM database backup job either full or incremental TSM ask for a new scratch tape? is it true

its mean if i take one full backup and 4 incremental backup of tsm database i required 5 scracth tapes?

cant i use single tape/volume for all database backups

what is this

 

[koteswaran]

yes thats true, This is because for security reason ..

As you said you can backup as many DBB backups on a single tape till its free space gets over, But Whenever your tape gets bad -- you can never restore your database .. Single point of Failure.. TSM Data base is heart for the Whole Server to Run ..

 

[tsmlover]

oh my God. what is this,

my tape Cartridge is 400GB and incremental database size is only few MBs what about the rest of the space in my cartridge ? can i use it for backup purposes ?

and what about the off site tapes? should i keep 5 database tapes offsite and 2 tapes for data backups...

 

[koteswaran]

Again If you want to Push all your DBB's in to one Tape, You can actually do that ..

You need to specify Sccratch=no with Volume=<particular volumename> along with Backup db command

Should be some thing like this

backup db devclass=Lto2 type=incremental Scratch=no vol=Volname

Hope this will help you ..

 

[tsmlover]

Oh yes, this is what i want

look at this, on Monday i type this command
backup db devclass=Lto2 type=FULL Scratch=no vol=Volname


the rest of the week days in the evening every day i type this command
backup db devclass=Lto2 type=incremental Scratch=no vol=Volname

ryte ?

 

[koteswaran]

yes thats correct .. It wll keep append yuor db backups on the specified tape..

 

[tsmlover]

I want to ask you one thing if its okay with you,

I am using IBM TS3200 Library I created a disk pool that migrates the data to tape pool on libaray tapes..

my question is: if i backup data directly on tapepool is it good or bad practice.

 

[koteswaran]

Again Performance, Time & other things will come in to picture ..

1) Speed - When you write data directly to tapes, Backup Speed Will be affected..

2) It is always good practice to use your critical backup window .. If it takes More time it impacts the performance of your production servers .. Best way is to backup data to Disk pool during Non - production hours ( with in your backup window ) and move them During Production hours to Tape pool ..

Again you can always backup the data directly to tape but it is not recommended ( You can go for Non critical client nodes )

Hope you will understand the criticality of time, speed & performance ..

 

[wim]

I tried pushing a full and an incremental db backup on tape. It did not work. BACKUP DB type=full volume=389DA1 devc=3570b ANR4550I Full database backup (process 4) complete backup db type=incr volume=389DA1 devc=3570b scratch=no ANR1409W Volume 389DA1 already in use - skipped. I doubt if it is possible to put more then one DB backup (incr or full) on a volume. If you want you can of course perform the incremental db backup to a file device class. Regards. Wim.

 

[tsmlover]

I see .. i got it ..thx

i send off-site tapes for my copy stg pool what tape of database backup should i send offsite . the original one from the libaray or should i create another copy pool for database offsite tapes ?