Please verify my backup copy group understanding (a little bit long)

[steven.langdale]

Hello All



Please could a kind person take a look at this copy cgoup config and my understanding of what it's doing? After re-reading what the parameters do, I think I may have it not quite right for what i'm after.



Here it is:



Policy Domain Name FLASH_DOMAIN

Policy Set Name FLASH_SET

Mgmt Class Name FLASH_MC

Copy Group Name STANDARD

Versions Data Exists 3

Versions Data Deleted 3

Retain Extra Versions NOLIMIT

Retain Only Version 90

Copy Mode MODIFIED

Copy Serialization SHRDYNAMIC

Copy Frequency 0

Copy Destination FLASH_TAPEPOOL

Last Update Date/Time 2001-09-05 10:20:16.000000

Last Update by (administrator) SLANG

Managing profile -



Given this copy group, would the following scenario be true?



1. A file is backed up with 3 versions during normal scheduled backups.

2. The file on the client is then deleted.

3. Upon next backup, TSM notices the file is now deleted but still keeps the 3 last versions.

4. After 90 days the LATEST inactive file is expired.

5. The 2 OLDEST versions of the file are kept forever.



The last point is the one I really want clarified. We were under the impression the after 90 days all of the inactive files would be expired, but after further reading of the definition of the options I'm not so sure.



Thanks very much for your help



Regards



Steven

 

[LED888]

Steven,



I'm going to do the best that I can to clear up the mud.



Versions Data Exists 3

The maximum number of backup versions to retain for files that are on the client file system.



The max files that we are going to keep is one active and two inactive.

When the oldest file becomes the 4th file, this file will be marked for expiration.



Versions Data Deleted 3

The maximum number of backup versions to retain for files that have been deleted from the client file system.



When the file is deleted from the workstation, all three of the file will be kept.

The active file is now an inactive file.



Retain Extra Versions NOLIMIT

The number of days to retain a backup version after that version becomes inactive (that is, a more recent backup version is stored).



The date that the file becomes an inactive file, this is when the timer starts.

Since this is set to nolimit. The inactive file will not expire.



Retain Only Version 90

The number of days to retain the last backup version of a file that has been deleted from the client file system.



When the file is deleted from the workstation, and ALL of the file wil be marked inactive and the timer starts.



90 days from the date that the original file was deleted from the workstation, then all inactive file(s) will expire.





1. A file is backed up with 3 versions during normal scheduled backups.

2. The file on the client is then deleted.

3. Upon next backup, TSM notices the file is now deleted but still keeps the 3 last versions.

4. After 90 days the LATEST inactive file is expired.

This would be true if Retain Extra Versions was set to 90 and not NOLIMIT

Retain Extra Versions works hand in hand with Versions Data Exists

Retain Only Version works hand in hand with Versions Data Deleted



5. The 2 OLDEST versions of the file are kept forever.

This would be very tough to do if we want to keep only the 2 oldest version.



With the following setting:

Versions Data Exists 3

Retain Extra Versions NOLIMIT

We are going to keep 3 files forever.

Here is the catch.

Everytime when the file changes, the file will be backed up and now giving us 4 version.

The oldest inactive file will be marked for expiration.



You are correct that on the 91st day all the inactive files will be deleted.



Retain Extra Versions NOLIMIT change this to 90 or keep it at NOLIMT

Retain Only Version 90 change this to NOLIMIT then ALL 3 inactive files are kept forever.



Sorry for the mini novel.



Sias

 

[garethb]

So in summary:



file backed up and 3 versions kept.

file deleted 3 versions retained

after 90 days all versions of the file would be deleted in one go.



retain extra chops them off one at a time when they reach that age



hope that helps

 

[echarlez]

Hnre, You said :

"

Retain Extra Versions NOLIMIT change this to 90 or keep it at NOLIMT

Retain Only Version 90 change this to NOLIMIT then ALL 3 inactive files are kept forever.

"



Why are the 3 inactive files kept forever if the Retain Extra Version is set to 90 ?

I think that the latest version will be kept forever ( retain only version = nolimit ) and the two others will be deleted after 90 days ( retain extra version = 90 )



Am I wrong ?

 

[LED888]

Sorry for the confusion with my mini novel, most of my brain cells are on this long weekend.



What I meant to say is that, if the Retain Extra Versionsis set to NOLIMIT. The inactive files will be kept forever. The oldest file will expire only when the file changes, since we are only keeping 3 versions..



If you did not want to keep the file(s) forever and only for 90 days. You can set Retain Extra Versions 90 so that the inactive version will be expire from 90 days when the file became an inactive file. The active will remain until the file changes and making the active file an inactive file. The active file never expire.



Retain Extra Versions works hand in hand with Versions Data Exists.



Retain Only Version works hand in hand with Versions Data Deleted.



Sias

 

[steven.langdale]

Thanks very much all of you for your input.



I'm doing a bit of testing now to validate what it looks like we are all agreeing on.



I'll post back the concosions in a day or two.



Thanks again



Steven

 

[steven.langdale]

Hello again all



Just completed some testing. I also noticed i couldn't spell conlusion in my last message



With similar settings as described, apart from "Retain Only Version" , this was set to 4 to speed up the testing.



After 4 days, the 3 inactive files went down to 2, one had been expired.



After 6 days this was still the case.



After changing "Retain Only Version" to 4 and running an expire inventory, all of the files were expired.



One thing I forgot to check was which file was was expired after the 4th day. Was it the 1st or last? I'll run the tes again and verify which it is. Would anyone like me to post this info too?



Thanks again for your help.



Steven