Need to identify offsite tapes required for specific node PIT restore

[MidwestTSM]

I have a requirement for a third party to restore our file server to specific points in time using offsite tapes. I just have dates they want but no specifics on files or what they are looking for. They just want a copy of the server. We have TSM 5.5.4.0 running on Windows 2003 server and an offsite copytape pool of 96 tapes. They have their own system and are trying not to interfere with ours.

We offered to give them all the copytapes but they decided against this. They do take database tapes and get a list of the copytapes they are looking for but the turnaround is long enough that reclamation renders their list obsolete.

If they can dig this information out of a database tape then there must be a way for me to do it as well. Or at least get the information out of the database.

Does anyone know of a script or other method which would allow me to get both a database tape and a list of needed copytapes for the requested date at the same time so that I can satisfy their demands?


A consultant engagement is very possible.

 

[rabritton]

select distinct node_name,volume_name,stgpool_name from volumeusage where node_name='xxxxx' **this will give you the needed volumes, and the DBBackup volume needed should just relate to the dates of the volumes.

 

[moon-buddy]

select distinct node_name,volume_name,stgpool_name from volumeusage where node_name='xxxxx' **this will give you the needed volumes, and the DBBackup volume needed should just relate to the dates of the volumes.

It is more complicated than the proposed select statement.

If this select is run, you will get a current list of volumes that a node uses. However, the requirement is a listing from a point in time.

Consider this:

It is required (for the sake of argument) that a restore from Jan 1, 2016 is needed. As is, there is a high probablity that the requirement cannot be satisfied. Why:

1. The database from Jan 1, 2016 must be available. If it is, then one problem solved. The device configuration and volume history from Jan 1, 2016 MUST also be availavble.
2. Then, the backup tapes are needed from Jan 1, 2016. If expiration and reclamation has been done, then there is no way to get the required data off the right volume. Assuming data has not expired, it may have been moved to a different volume via reclamation.

I think the request to restore at a certain point of time - way, way back point-in-time - is not possible unless offsite volumes related to the point-in-time requirement are available, i.e., expiration and reclamation never runs.

We all know that this is not how TSM is designed to work.

I think the right requirement is recovering files from a certain point in time USING the current DB state - present time values. This, of course, will only be valid IF retention periods have been set properly. If this were the case, then the select statement applies in reference to the current database.