DRM with virtual volumes - some questions

[noodles]

Hi,

we have a second TSM, same version (both 5.4.1.2) running on Windows.
I have configured server-to-server communication - running fine.

We would like to use our 2nd TSM just for DR purposes so for copypools, dbbackups and DRM planfiles.

Now I have read a lot, done courses etc.
Some things are not really clear to me:

1. Use of DRM for copypools
When I have the 2nd TSM with the copypool on a different location and i do NOT want to remove tapes can I "manage" this copypool with DRM (set drmcopystgpool) or is this only possible for copypools from which I want te remove tapes?

2. Expiration of dbbackups using virtual volumes
When I use virtual volumes for my dbbackups and like to use DRM with its advantages which is the best way to expire those dbbackups (the same here: I don't want to remove tapes)?
a) use DRM (DRMDBBACKUPEXPIREDAYS)
b) delete volhist with devclass=targetserver

I am a bit confused because in Admin Reference following is said:

"When you have the disaster recovery manager function for your Tivoli Storage
Manager server, the inventory expiration process also removes eligible virtual
volumes that are used for the following: Database backups of type BACKUPFULL, BACKUPINCR, and DBSNAPSHOT. The SET DRMDBBACKUPEXPIREDAYS command controls when these volumes are eligible for expiration [...]"

Here :
http://adsm.org/forum/showthread.php?t=12030
'BBB' who has posted a lot of very good answers, says:

"But to "expire" the DB backups on virtual volumes, do this:
delete volhist type=dbbackup(or dbsnapshot etc) devcvclass=<devclass_for_your_virtual_volumes> todate=today-XXXX days"

Perhaps BBB himself could answer to this...

3. DRM without "move drmedia"
How does TSM know that I use DRM when I do not use "move drmedia"?
I ask this because I want to make sure that "expire inventory" will expire dbbackups if
2a) would be the right way...
Can DRM be used reasonable without removing tapes and using "move drmedia"?

4. Planfile
I "have to" use DRM planfile.
How is the relationship between the planfile and drmcopystgpool?
Does the planfile have information about copypools that are not managed with DRM (see 1 above )?

If I have a copypool not managed by DRM can I use the DRM scripts to restore my TSM in case of desaster?
So can it restore primary pools with the help of DRM then?


Puh, that was a long post!
Thanks to everyone who reads it!

When things are ready and are clear to me I will try to help others with similar problems here...

Regards
/noodles

 

[KB]

Noodles,

You should define all your storage pools to DRM if they are required for a DR. It does not matter that the volumes are not removed from the library or moved off-site. In the past I used a combination of a SAN extended remote library for the copy storage pools and virtual volumes for the TSM database backup. The benefit of using the virtual volumes for the database was that the volumes could be stacked on tape media at the remote site- we had a small library. The plan file contained all the references to the copy storage and virtual database volumes because they were defined to DRM. It worked great. The plan files themselves were stored on virtual volumes.

If you do not define something to DRM it will not be in the plan file. It's that simple.
I can't recall the specifics of the expiration process but we did use a combination of database backups (tape) and incrementals (disk) on-site and a database snapshots of-site (virtual volume) and we didn't have any issues. Just match your copy storage pool volume retention to that of your database. In our case it was 3 days for both.

 

[BBB]

Perhaps BBB himself could answer to this...

Yeh I can answer it - BBB was wrong Don't know what I was thinking ... sorry about that.

Use 2a.

Looks like KB answered all your other questions.

 

[noodles]

Hi,

You should define all your storage pools to DRM if they are required for a DR. It does not matter that the volumes are not removed from the library or moved off-site. [...}

Thanks for the answers.
Now we have three local attached libraries and one TSM on a different location.

We use one of the local libraries (MSL6060) for Copypools and we do not want te remove tapes.
The copypool is defined for DRM.

The problem is when I use "move drmedia" volumes in this pool are processed in a way that makes problems i think.
I can bring them from "mountable" to "notmountable", "courier" or "vault".
But from these states I cannot bring them back to "onsiteretrieve" (see table in Admin Reference).
So a volume is "vault" in the library and TSM does not use it for further writing.
I have to wait until it is "vaultretrieve" to bring it "onsiteretrieve"; the I can ckeck it in as scratch.

Because we have a second TSM and it holds another Copypool we just like to have a copypool on our primary site in a library that can use its full capacity.
We would like to use all tapes because we are not removing tapes here.

What would be the best way to handle this problem?

Thanks in advance.

Regards
/noodles

 

[golfdork]

One solution to your 'move drm' problem is to run it specifically for the copypools you want to move (and not on the one you don't remove tapes for):

move drm * copy=poolyouwant wherestate=mountable

This will also take wildcards in the copypool name:

move drm * copy=poolyouwant* wherestate=mountable

The new tapes in the not-being-moved-offsite pool will go to mountable. As expiration/reclamation runs over time, the vault tapes will eventually become vaultr and you can check them back in for reuse. If you want to force the issue, you can delete the vault tapes and let the regular TSM copy process recreate them on tapes that will then become mountable.

HTH

Kathi

 

[samuel44]

hi,

i have some problem for vaulting. i have a server with library and a other with client tsm.
but when i search to do drm vaulting, i have this message of errors :
17.06.2008 08:04:12 ANR4373E Session rejected by target server MYTSMLM, reason: Authentication Failure.
17.06.2008 08:04:12 ANR1696E Server MYTSMLM attempted to process command 'CHECKOUT libv 3584 R00296 REM=b CHECKL=no ' but encountered errors.

1 - in first i change the password on mytsm1 and mytsmlm, now is the same password
2 - when i do this comment online is ok

somebody has an solution ??

thanks for advance

sam

 

[noodles]

Hi,

now I'd like to delete those vols marked as "VAULT".
But that is not very much fun...

Does the "delete volume" command not accept wildcards?
So a "delete vol KG48* discard=yes" does not work.

Could anybody help me create a script to query drm with a state of 'VAULT' and afterwards delete those?

Thanks in advance.

Regards
/noodles