Quick Help needed! BA client on Sun Solaris Cache FS

[masterzzz]

Does anyone know if I can install TSM BA client on a Sun Solaris server with Cache FS filesystem? Do I install BA client like normal? Thanks

 

[chad_small]

I believe it will work but you might have to make it as a virtual mount point for TSM to actually attempt to back it up since it is similar to an NFS mount. Not positive on that but when I ran up against the ReiserFS before it was supported we could back it up but only as a virtual mount point.

 

[masterzzz]

Thanks first of all.



So you are saying I have to create a few soft links (symbolic links) for the directories/files that I want to back up after I install BA Client?



Since I have LIMITED knowledge on Sun/Unix/Linux, it will be my first time to do it in production, although I installed BA client(linux) successfully on my laptop. BTY, I have no idea about Cache FS :sad:



So it would be nice if you can expand on Cache FS issue.

 

[sgabriel62]

Here is what I found via one of the search links. It explains what CacheFS is

http://lwn.net/Articles/100330/

I see CacheFS and TSM working together on a temporary basis, on selected TSM Clients. But at the same time, there must be a common point of entry on a permanent server or a SAN LUN or volume group which permanently contains the data for the clients to gain access and utilize. This is where I would concentrate my TSM backups against.



Virtual mount points is a good option, but you are also going to have to consider or at least anticipate the amount of errors the activity log may generate if the include/exclude or cloptsets are scanning for the "mounted" filesystem and they cannot be found because they were not mounted or unmounted during a TSM session.

I see presched command here, looking for these mount points, continue if present, skip otherwise.



What is the purpose of this connection and the TSM backup/archive? If your scenario matches the description in the link, I would register the node on the TSM server as you normally would any client. Configure the dsm.sys to use virtual mount points and nodename options. Definitely use a pre and post sched command and insure logging is also configured so you have something to go by as a Tshooting aide when trouble strikes.



Since I am moving to a Solaris Shop environment next week, I will keep this in mind and get back with you once I am settled, that is if you have time.



Good luck, Hope this helps



Steven

 

[chad_small]

I must admit that when I read the definition of what a cacheFS is before posting the first time I was confused why you would want to back it up since it is caching an area that must already be backing up to TSM. Seemed redundant but hey it's your environment and I've seen stranger! Once saw a customer ask for a hard list of every file in TSM storage and no matter how much they were told they were crazy they held to the line and killed alot of trees. The enviromentalists would have been really PO'd!.



As for the virtual mount points...those are TSM settings not links in the OS. Look it up from the client and it is explained its pretty easy.