How to send the TSM database and log backups and DRM plan backup files to offsite?

[hwang]

Hi. I'm very new to TSM and DRM. I've been reading the Admin Guide on Disaster Recovery with DRM. It talks about backing up TSM databases with full and incrementale backups, and generate the DRM recovery plan file.



We plan to use a Dell PV132T LTO tape library. So I have a devclass LTO2TAPE. The regular backup and archive (mainly archive) data will goto a PRIMPOOL storage pool that is associated with devclass LTo2TAPE. And I have a COPYPOOL that is a copy pool for PRIMPOOL as a backup of the storage pool. And tapes from COPYPOOL will be shipped to offsite daily or weekly.



I'd like to put the TSM database backup and DRM plan file onto the tapes for the COPYPOOL so that it can be shipped offsite along with other data. Since the data in PRIMPOOL are essentially archive data and should never expire, I think it is good enough to put the TSM database backup and the DRM plan file on the tapes for COPYPOOL.



Two questions:

1. How can you put the TSM database backup onto COPYPOOL only?

2. Can I really recover with the DRM plan file on tapes? This may sound stupid. But if so, how can you get to the DRM plan file if it only on tape?



Thanks in advance.



hwang

 

[nbs03]

hwang,

If youare using a Unix TSM server, just do a mksysb or ufsdump to tape after you have created the DRM plan file.

My setup has the TSM binaries and config files on the root filesystem. I do a mksysb on my AIX TSM servers and ufsdump on my Solaris TSM servers. Recovery of the mksysb is very well documented and recovery of the ufsdump is as simple asdumping to a second disk, making any necessary config changes needed by the recovery hardware and booting to the second disk.

The DRM plan files can be easily expanded by adding the following to the "planexpl.awk" script:

"#!/usr/bin/nawk -f "

This line MUST be the first line in the script.

Move the script to where you store your plan files and execute the script with the first parameter being your recovery plan file (eg. "planexpl.awk drmfile"). The drmfile file will be expanded to create several other files which can pretty much run without much modification. ( I usually reduce the amount of log space to 1Gb or so to speed up the formatting of the logs)



I manage the mksysb/ufsdump tapes by placing them in a copy pool and running a "checkout libvol" command to get them out of the library. The are placed in the same box as the database dump(done immediately PRIOR to the mksysb/ufsdump - sequence is critical since the volhist is saved on the mksysb/ufsdump). When the database dump is expired and returned, the mksysb/ufsdump tapes are also returned. They must be relabeled when they are put back in the library since the OS has overwritten the TSM label.



Have a nice day!

neilb

 

[itdrew]

neilb,



Nice job and good advice.



Question for you though. When you run the mksysb on your AIX servers, are you writing it directly to an LTO tape in the library?



If so, how?



Thanks,



Drew :grin:

 

[hwang]

Hi, neilb. Thanks for the advance. I get the idea. But still not sure about some details. Unfortunately I'm using Windows. :sad: But I guess the idea is the same. You backup the server file system all together to TSM, including the TSM database and DRM plan files.



Here's what I gather from your advise:



When you backup these files (most importantly TSM database and DRM plan files), they go to the predefined BACKUPPOOL first, and then usually go to a DISKPOOL next.



Then you backup this DISKPOOL to COPYPOOL and take out the tapes from COPYPOOL that contains those files and take them offsite.



The storage pool hierarchy looks like this:

BACKUPPOOL -> DISKPOOL (a primary stg pool) -> COPYPOOL (a copy stg pool)



If the TSM server is distroyed during disaster, rebuild the hardware and restore first those files onto the new hardware.



Then break out the DRM plan file into scripts and execute them on the new hardware to recover TSM and all the primary storage pools.



Did I get it?



Thanks.



hwang