Tape reclamation for TDP

[khawts]

We created a brand new STGPOOL called archivepool (Note..Not TSM Default archivepool, but this is for Exchange TDP Copybackup). IT is use to perform a copy backup of the exchange data and the tape will be kept for a year.



I am trying to consolidate the amount of tapes. Example if a site has 3 EVS, we are using three tapes for the archivepool and they are not 100% full. We eject the tape out and keep it for a year. The next month, we repeat the same.



I want to reclaim the tapes so that it will use the minimum number of tapes per month.

How do I do that?



I have tried "UPD STG ARCHIVEPOOL RECLAIM=1" - Nothing happen. It just say updated.



I have tried "Reclaim STG ARchivepool TH=1" Nothing happen. No data to be process.



Any ideas?



Thanks in advance. :-o

 

[heada]

You can manually force a reclamation on any volume. If you issue the command "move data {volume_name}" it will move the data on that volume to another volume in the same pool in the filling status and if none are in the filling status, it will use a scratch volume.



-Aaron

 

[khawts]

Heada and all:

Thanks for the response.

I have already tried the the "move data" command. It picks up a scratch tapes instead of consolidating it. E.g. I have two tapes, one is 54.8 percent at filling state. The other is at 8.5 percent at filling state. I issued the move data command for the 8.5 % tape and it picks up a scratch tape.



Anyone have other ideas?



Please advise.









<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE>You can manually force a reclamation on any volume. If you issue the command "move data {volume_name}" it will move the data on that volume to another volume in the same pool in the filling status and if none are in the filling status, it will use a scratch volume.



-Aaron</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>

 

[PJ]

Is the pool collocated or are there any volumes "reado"?



Cheers

PJ

 

[khawts]

Collocation is NO. Is that have to do with it?



Regards,

Khawts





<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE>Is the pool collocated or are there any volumes "reado"?



Cheers

PJ</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>

 

[PJ]

Only if it was "YES"...



Cheers

PJ

 

[khawts]

Thanks again PJ.

So what should I set it to?

Group, Client Node, Filespace and NO are my option.

My threshold should be set to 1 too, correct?



Please advise.

thanks



regards

:-o

khawts

 

[PJ]

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I meant IF your collocation was set to anything but "NO" it would have been a possible explanation... but since it is set to "NO" already, I have no idea what your problem might be.



Cheers

PJ

 

[heada]

Reclamation will not work on tapes in the filling status, so that makes sense. The move data should work on the tapes in the filling status, so that doesn't make sense.



If you issue the move data for the 8.5% and then for the 54.8%, they should be moved onto the same tape. Are the tapes marked readonly?



-Aaron

 

[khawts]

So is there a command that I can change from filling status to full?

 

[PJ]

I feel we miss something really basic here. Can you post a q vol f=d of the volumes in question?



Cheers

PJ

 

[heada]

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE>So is there a command that I can change from filling status to full?

</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>



If the tape is in the library as the primary pool volume , then TSM will continue to write to a filling volume until it reaches the end of the tape (thus, changing it to full) If the tape is a copy pool volume, then TSM will continue to write to it until it either reaches the end of the tape or it is moved offsite, whichever comes first.



You should only need to reclaim volumes in the library if they are full and have expired data on them. You reclaim volumes offsite to consolidate them.



-Aaron

 

[khawts]

Thanks aaron for the reply.



Well, let me make it a bit clear. We created the PRIMARY POOL called Archievepool (Again not TSM archivepool) to backup our Exchange Data using TDP Exchange Copy backup. The copy backup takes place every end of the month and the site is able to keep the tapes for a year based on the month. Most of our site has three Exchange Virtual Server (EVS) and when we do a copy backup, it takes three tapes BUT they never fill up 100% of the tapes. Therefore, we want to consolidate that month's tape to the lease possible amount of tapes. Then we can checkout the tape to store them in the vault for a year.



By doing the above, we need to reclaim the tapes (i.e. to consolidate the tapes) to the minimum number of tapes.



Based on your previous post, you mentioned that the tapes has to be in "FULL" status instead of "Filling" status. So is there a command to change that?



I can test it out if I can change the status from 'filling' to 'full'.



Any advise is a great help.



Regards.



Khawts :-o







<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE>>>So is there a command that I can change from filling status to full?

&lt;&lt;



If the tape is in the library as the primary pool volume , then TSM will continue to write to a filling volume until it reaches the end of the tape (thus, changing it to full) If the tape is a copy pool volume, then TSM will continue to write to it until it either reaches the end of the tape or it is moved offsite, whichever comes first.



You should only need to reclaim volumes in the library if they are full and have expired data on them. You reclaim volumes offsite to consolidate them.



-Aaron</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>

 

[PJ]

As Aaron already said, what you need to do is not reclaim but "move data" in order to consolidate filling tapes. The question is, why - in your case - TSM doesn't mount an already filling tape from the same stgpool but mounts a scratchtape instead.



Cheers

PJ

 

[khawts]

Thanks.

I am trying to use the reclaim command and put it into a script to automate it. We have 18 sites, so doing manually move data is not possible.



Thanks again.



Khawts

 

[PJ]

*Sigh*



Again: Reclaim will NOT work. You will have to consolidate either using "move data" or "migrate". Migrate will only work if your pool is a primary pool. I couldn't quite figure out what you mean by "copy backup". If its "backup stgpool" then Migrate isn't an option, obviously. In that case what you would do is run your backup stgpool with a single process in order to put everything on a minimum number of tapes.



Cheers

PJ



P.S. I promise I won't write again if your next post contains the word "reclaim"...

 

[khawts]

PJ,

sorry i confused you.

The copy backup is the Exchange COPY backup instead of full backup which clears the logs. Copy don't clear the logs. The information that is backup is in the primary pool that we created called ARCHIVEPOOL. (Again, this is not TSM default archivepool).



I mentioned before I have used MOVE DATA but move data you have to know the volume name of each individual tape. I have 18 different site, times that by 3, I have to do a manual move data for 54 tapes per month... I don't think so that is a good way to gain wasted tape space. Plus it is going to take a while to move data.



If there is other alternate way, I am willing to way the option and test it. Other than that, if can change the status from filling to full, it might work.



I hope this has a better picture.



Sorry for being long winded as I am not a TSM expert yet.



Thank you.



Warmest regards,

Khawts

 

[PJ]

Ok. So here's how I would do it:



1.) Create a new stgpool called "exch_consol" or whatever. Use the same Deviceclass as you have for the pool data currently resides in. Give it a sufficient numer of "maxscratch".

2.) Update your current pool to "next=exch_consol hi=0 lo=0"

3.) This will now move all data from the current pool to a minimal number of volumes in the "exch_consol" pool and return the current volumes to "scratch".



That should do it. Automation should be extremely easy.



Cheers

PJ