RMAN backups missing

[jpfnv1]

I have a dba that is backing up her archive logs every hour. She is stating that some of the backups are showing as expired (RMAN can't find them). She has a 30 day retention on these backups and the ones missing were from a few days ago. TSM does not show that these files ever existed, I cannot see that they were ever written or expired by TSM. Do you think it is possible that some of the archive log backups are not finishing in the hour time spand and this is why they can't be found? Has anyone else run into this? TSM server is v5.5.1 AIX. Client version is 6.1. The backdel is set to yes and I have these settings: Verexists=1, verdeleted=0, retextra=0, retonly=0. TSM expiration runs at 4:00 in the morning everyday.
Thanks for any suggetions.

 

[mccleld]

Your TSM config for TDPO backups looks quite right to me, which leads me initially to suspect something wrong elsewhere.

Firstly, I'd think about establishing the facts: is there any documentary evidence that these backup pieces *were* indeed successfully received by the TSM Server? For example, does the RMAN archived redo backup job output log to a logfile which can be checked? Or does the RMAN expire backup pieces job log any output? If they don't, then perhaps they should to help investigations like this.

Or even try checking in the TSM Server activity log records for the name of the missing backup piece (look for ANR4991I messages from around the time the backups were supposedly sent).

You talk about a backup job with an 'hour time-span' - this sounds like a home grown script perhaps, what goes on there, could this be a culprit?

Looking at it from another angle, I'd be very surprised if the TSM Server was randomly expiring stuff - it's a core principle of the product that it *doesn't* do that kind of thing - hence my inclination to look at the client end first.

Hope that helps,

/David McClelland
London, UK

 

[jpfnv1]

I did go line by line and did not see these files anywhere. I have told the DBA to check her scripts.
Thank you for your help,
Joyce