DRMEDIA Offsite Question

[jasondrummond]

Hi,



I have inherited an existing TSM install and as I am a newbie I am slightly wary of making any changes to procedures so I wonder if I could pick some of you guys brains with a couple of queries:



1. Currently there is a 'schedule' for a 5 week rotation of tapes. Every 5 weeks a certain tape is checked in to each of the libraries (6 libraries in various sites) and that tape theoretically should be used for the CopyStgPool backup. However sometimes different tapes are used and sometimes more than one. After reading the chapter on Using the Disaster Recovery Manager from the Admin guide here is my understanding.



We should not be trying to match a perticular tape to a particular weekly backup instead I have scripted a query using q drmedia which tells me what tapes were used at the weekend backup and I should then send them offsite. Additionally if I script a query q drmedia wherestate=vaultretrieve it would tell me what tapes I should be requesting returned on site. In short TSM will manage what tapes should be off or onsite so we don't need a schedule of use tape BarcodeXXX on Week1 tape BarcodeYYY on Week2. Is this correct?



2. When tapes which are status=vaultretrieve are being moved back on site some are automatically set to SCRATCH while others are set to PRIVATE. I take it if both tapes are blank then the one set to PRIVATE would be changed to SCRATCH after reclamation is run?



3. Last but not least. When I have started looking in the Tapel Libraries IBM 4560SLX I have noticed that there are some tapes physically in the library that should either be offsite or TSM doesn't know about (don't know why they have been left in the library). Is the only way to look for tapes AUDIT LIBRARY?



Sorry for the long posting.



Thanks



Jason

 

[maat]

Jason, Here is my two cents:



1- The only thing that I would say to watch is Tape usage. I do not checkin newly arrived tapes that came from offsite for a week or two, depending to number of scratch tapes that I have at hand.



2- Private tapes that become empty/scratch can be reused after #days that you have specified in for your Sequential Storage Pool. Try to find:

Delay Period for Volume Reuse



3-I would be more concern about DR Tapes. Once a while I check my Vault Tape report from our courier with TSM Vault report.



Maat.

 

[sgabriel62]

Jason

In my opinion, in order to become more famaliar with your tape or media rotation schedule is to bring together your Domain Policy and Backup/Archive pool information into view and closely review their retention periods. After you have this somewhat together, take a look at your management classes - take a gander to see if you have different classes for different data retention periods.

Finally look into your copy pools, take a close look at their "next pools" for reclamation and migration purposes. Also take a look at their HI and LO and Threshold settings.

Your DRM or offsite media rotation policy will be based on your Volume Usage and Reclamation thresholds. Those which are Default policy managed - will rotate alot sooner. Media that you seen remain in the library - Ill call your onsite pool, are most likely used for Reclamation purposes of your Offsite storage pool. Or if a policy set has identified this onsite pool as part of a backup routine.

For those tapes which you feel should be offsite or not recognized by TSM - check the access of the media which could have been labeled as Unavailable. Correct this to readwrite and hopefully reclamation will kick in and move the expired data off them.

Dont make any changes until you are comfortable with what is in place. Gradually make changes to your comfort level. It wont be too long before you know your environment like the back of your hand.

Always read your act log - there is alot of info there.

Lastly, as Maat suggested - review your Vault reports. There could be stragglers.



Good luck

 

[jasondrummond]

Cheers for this guys.



Jason