DBBACKUP tapes never get "retrieved" by DRM

[droach]

Using TSM 5.4 Windows version I use DRM to move tapes on/off site. I do a full DB backup to tape everyday and keep two old copies (tapes) in the library. Once a week I use DRM to "move" media from my copy pool to offsite. DRM correctly tells me to send the three DB backup tapes offsite as well as the necessary tapes from the copy pool. Here is the command I use:

move drmedia * wherestate=mountable

To find out which tape I can retrieve from offsite I use this command:

move drmedia * wherestate=vaultretrieve tostate=onsiteret

This command never tells me to return any of the DB backup tapes that were sent offsite. Also, if I do a volume query on one of the DB tapes that were sent offsite TSM knows nothing about the DB tapes any more. I am missing something? Shouldn't DRM tell me to retrieve the expired DB tapes from offsite?​

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Thanks,​

Daryl​

 

[mikeatkc]

Try this thread, it might help:
http://adsm.org/forum/showthread.php?t=17589

Do you setup your DB incremental or DB trigger to go to file? Also, you can perform a manual procedure to retrieve those DB backup volumes (see thread).

 

[droach]

Am I shooting myself in the foot?

Thanks Mikeatkc, I read that thread and found a hint of what I might be doing wrong. I am running my full DB backup to tape as a scheduled job everyday. Right before the DB backup job runs I execute the following command as scheduled job:

delete volhistory type=dbbackup todate=today-3

This is how I force TSM to recycle the older DB backup tapes that are still in the library back into scratch status. In your post, according to JohanW, I shouldn't be using 'del volh' since I am using DRM to manage tape movement. Guess I am telling TSM/DRM to forget about these volumes and shooting myself in the foot in the process.

I will stop the job that deletes my volhistory and see if that fixes my problem.

Thanks,
Daryl

 

[mikeatkc]

Additionally, if you want those DB volumes that you deleted all these times. Do the following:

grep/search for BACKUP in your volhist file, any volumes that are outdated (over the amount of time your DRM allows, q drmstatus for more info.) you can check-in those volumes as scratch...

# grep BACKUP volhist
 2009/04/29 05:35:04  BACKUPFULL       2349      0      1 LTO-OFF                        A00132
 2009/04/29 16:57:59  BACKUPINCR       2349      1      1 LTO-OFF                        A00047
 2009/04/30 05:52:11  BACKUPFULL       2350      0      1 LTO-OFF                        A00182
 2009/04/30 16:54:00  BACKUPINCR       2350      1      1 LTO-OFF                        A00191
 2009/05/01 05:37:32  BACKUPINCR       2350      2      1 LTO-GEN2                       A00225
 2009/05/01 16:54:02  BACKUPINCR       2350      3      1 LTO-OFF                        A00027
 2009/05/02 05:23:33  BACKUPFULL       2351      0      1 LTO-OFF                        A00256
 2009/05/02 16:54:09  BACKUPINCR       2351      1      1 LTO-OFF                        A00290
 2009/05/03 05:53:04  BACKUPFULL       2352      0      1 LTO-OFF                        A00328
 2009/05/03 16:53:43  BACKUPINCR       2352      1      1 LTO-OFF                        A00360
 2009/05/04 04:48:32  BACKUPFULL       2353      0      1 LTO-OFF                        A00369
 2009/05/04 16:54:26  BACKUPINCR       2353      1      1 LTO-OFF                        A00064

If I set my DRM to keep only three days worth of DB backup, I would then use the tapes from April for scratch, etc.


Mike

 

[droach]

Additionally, if you want those DB volumes that you deleted all these times. Do the following:

When I recall the DB tapes they are already scratch. My problem is that TSM is not telling me that I can recall the DB tapes.

TSM does list my other tapes with a status of "vault retrieve", but never for the DB tapes that were moved offsite. What I want is for my DB tapes to show up with a status of "vault retrieve" when I do a "q drm". Currently they do not show up anywhere after I my "move drm" command.

I now believe this is because every morning my scheduled job to 'delete volhistory type=dbbackup todate=today-3' is what is causing this. Will test/confirm this today. May have to rethink how I limit TSM to only using three tapes for DB tapes in the library.

Thanks again,
Daryl