How can I learn numbers of tapes, at "selective" restore node?

[Kventin]

I write (dsmadmc):
RESTORE NODE node_name virtualfs_name destination_file_system FILELIST = file_name...
TSM asks to insert a tape...
After a while still tape...
And so till the end of operation...
How in advance to learn the complete list of tapes which will be necessary for operation?

 

[marclant]

Well typically, all primary tapes should be checked in the library so you don't need to worry about that. If your library is too small for that, then you become the robot for the library.

I'm not sure if this will work or not because it's an NDMP backup and not a file backup, but it's worth a try. Can try this command?

select distinct(volume_name) from contents where node_name='NAS_NODENAME'

Replace NAS_NODENAME with the actual node name, it has to be all CAPS.

 

[Kventin]

Thank you.
Yes, unfortunately I am that robot for library...
Moreover, I don't typically use TSM... (It was so designed by partners of IBM, and so it is... )
And, unfortunately this select doesn't work with NDMP....

 

[marclant]

It might not work either, but you could also try:

query nodedata NAS_NODENAME

 

[Kventin]

Yes I can.
So, I have all names which were ever used for operation "backup stg" any pools with this node. But still I don't know which of them will be necessary for restore of concrete FILELIST...

 

[marclant]

That's more complicated. TSM doesn't know what is on what tape, that's handled by the NDMP backup. The TOC if used has that info, but the TOC is not user readable.

 

[Kventin]

I don't see information on names of tapes by q toc...
But I think that TSM know. Because I request the concrete file, and TSM requests concrete tapes...

 

[marclant]

Right, it's in the metadata of the TOC, but the QUERY TOC command doesn't give you everything that is in the TOC. The TOC has more than that too, in addition to have on what tape a file is, also what position so that it can seek quickly and not have to scan the tape for it.

 

[Kventin]

So now the question is: " how to get out what TOC knows but don't show by "q toc"?" May be any API?

 

[marclant]

Don't know. Best bet is to open an RFE (request for enhancement), but that won't help you today.

 

[Kventin]

OK
Thank you. =)