Tsm database - newbie questions

[uishu]

hey experts!!

Thank you for helping me to configure the server and for the good quality suport you offered me.

Now, as a newbie, new questions are in my mind about TSM Database and i will be very gratefull if you can guide me (advices, links, documentation) trough this process. Here are my questions:

1) If our OS fails and we need to reinstall the TSM server what should i do to recreate the path to the tapes\library so in this way to see the data on the tapes and not to loose nothing of our data?

I know that i need a database backup to do this but what if my db backup is on the tapes? how should i extract the db backup from tape without tsm server installed? is this possible? or i should reinstall the server?

and after that how should i restore the db?

when you backup database the log is backed up too automatically?

what you need to do a consistent db restore?

2) Database mirroring. It is possible to mirror the database backup on the disk of another computer from network? How should i do that?

 

[JohanW]

1) Review this.
2) Answer to this is right in there, under Mirroring the Database and Recovery Log.

 

[sunking]

In response to your first question regarding recovering the database if the server fails.

A couple of assumptions:
1) You have recovered the server and the tape library is attached.
2) You know what volume your most recent DB backup is on.

At a super high level you would:
1) create your dsmserv.opt file with the necessary information regarding IP ports, etc...
2) build out database and log files using the dsmfmt command to support a restored environment
3) Initialize the database and log using the dsmserv format command
4) Start the server using the dsmserv command
5) Once logged into TSM, rebuild your library (lib, drive, path, etc...)
6) Audit your library
7) Check your volumes back into TSM
8) Halt the TSM server
9) Run a restore of your TSM database using the dsmserver restore db command

This will get you back to your most recent database backup.

Yep...it is very high level and isn't the easiest way but if you have nothing but a DB volume and a server it will work.

If you want more detailed instructions, please shoot me a message and I will help you out.

 

[uishu]

sorry for my late appearance!

ok...about server restore when OS fails:

I know that I need a database backup, storage pool backup and the files: volhist.out, devcnfg.out, dsmserv.opt and dsmserv.dsk to restore the server.

I did next:

- defined mirroring of db and log to another physical disk

- defined 2 copy storage pools for my primary storage pool and database backups (one onsite and one offsite) on another physical disk

- next i want to create a schedule to do backups automatically

- the files (volhist.out, devcnfg.out, dsmserv.opt and dsmserv.dsk) should be backened up on the offsite copy pool? or i can just simply copy these files and store them to another hard disk to have them in case of disaster? or both this things?

- how should look like the server recovery (i want to see all data on tapes as it were before the OS crash, and the server could continue it work as nothing happened) in case of reinstallation of the TSM Server?


please be more detaliate in you`re explanation....remember i`m just a newbie. Thank you very much, gentlemens!

 

[uishu]

is this a good way to protect data?

and if my db and storage pool backups are saved onsite and offsite in the copy pools i can restore db directly from these copy pools?

if i want to have backups also saved on tape, what should i do?

Thank you in advance!

 

[mikeatkc]

The below site contains much of the information you asked.

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/tivihelp/v1r1/index.jsp

You can download the manuals and use as off-line reference even, PDF format.

 

[JohanW]

You should have the files volhist.out, devcnfg.out, dsmserv.opt and dsmserv.dsk available "on tape or diskette, or as printouts", as per Recovering Your Server Using Database and Storage Pool Backups (which is in the link I gave under answer 1 earlier). They should not be backed up by TSM, because you don't have TSM at the moment you need those files. Mail them to GMail, print them out automatically on an offsite printer, save them to a floppy in an offsite computer, write them to a CD-R(W), backup to tape with NT Backup, something, anything outside of TSM.

DB backups do not go to your copypool, they go to individual volumes.

Did you read the link I gave under answer 1? Entirely? Did you understand it? Did you test a (complete!) restore? There really is no substitute for getting your hands dirty .. and you're going to want to test a complete restore, believe me. When (not if) disaster strikes, you'll be glad you did.

 

[uishu]

JohanW...thank you again!

I did read documentation, but as an expert all the things that is writed there has a very simple sense for you. My opinion about Ibm redbooks and documentation is that all the documentation from them is like a "run around the tail" ...because they give you tone`s of documentation, thousands of pages but is not very good structured...a lot of theory, less practice... links to a lot of pages...links to another documents...links in links...and you get lost...there were moments that i forgot was i looking for...for a newbie is hard to understand all the things this way.
Sorry if it sounds rude and for my bad expresions but this is my opinion.

as i said before Thank You, Johanw...because if i want documentation i`ll search and ask for it... but right now i want a few certain answers and you and Sunking show me a good and certain way to do things that i don`t understand.

They should not be backed up by TSM, because you don't have TSM at the moment you need those files. Mail them to GMail, print them out automatically on an offsite printer, save them to a floppy in an offsite computer, write them to a CD-R(W), backup to tape with NT Backup, something, anything outside of TSM.

How can i backup database and storage pools and then to write this backups on a cd/diskette or taking them to another computer outside of tsm? this thing i can`t understand... sorry.

 

[umur]

You should have the files volhist.out, devcnfg.out, dsmserv.opt and dsmserv.dsk available "on tape or diskette, or as printouts", as per Recovering Your Server Using Database and Storage Pool Backups (which is in the link I gave under answer 1 earlier). They (=the files volhist.out, devcnfg.out, dsmserv.opt and dsmserv.dsk) should not be backed up by TSM, because you don't have TSM at the moment you need those files. Mail them to GMail, print them out automatically on an offsite printer, save them to a floppy in an offsite computer, write them to a CD-R(W), backup to tape with NT Backup, something, anything outside of TSM.

As JohanW said, your TSM DB has to be on an individual tape and these 4 files somewhere else than your TSM. For example, we mail them daily to 3-4 people.

You really need a test restore. This is the only good way to understand what your organisation is missing, otherwise it'll be too late.

 

[mikeatkc]

volhist.out
devcnfg.out
dsmserv.opt
dsmserv.dsk

The above files are text files, simply copy the files onto a removable media. The filenames might not be exact but should come close. For example, my volhist.out is actually volumehistory.out.

Database backup normally goes onto one tape by itself, with the command below:

tsm> backup db type=full devclass=lto-off scratch=yes wait=no

 

[JohanW]

Uishu, I don't blame you for being overwhelmed with information. However, TSM is difficult. It's very, very powerful, but also very, very complicated. If you ask big questions, you'll get big answers.

Database backups and copypool volumes go offsite as tapes, you don't have to write them to floppies.
The four text files go offsite entirely outside of TSM. Copy them using the OS, to floppy, CD or paper. If you have a network connection between your TSM Server and your offsite location, use a PC there as the target. Or use a different offsite location for those four files; GMail works well for me. I feel secure I can retrieve them from there after a disaster. I wrote a batch file (that I start from the admin schedule doing the database backup) which actually runs on a client. That batch file does the copying for me (actually, it does the mailing for me).

 

[uishu]

tsm> backup db type=full devclass=lto-off scratch=yes wait=no

This means that everytime i`ll took db backup the backup of the database will be stored on a scratch tape? Is this a good ideea if you took db backup twice a day?

I don`t know what TS know to do automatically.

And if my backups are on an offsite tape, how can i acces/extract backups if TSM doesn`t work and then how to restore it? I didn`t find this in any manual!... work with offsite tapes is very summary presented...

 

[JohanW]

Every database backup will be stored on its own tape regardless. It's a feature, not a bug. If you can't spare the scratch tapes, consider backing up the database to sequential disk. Also consider what this does to your Disaster Recovery, of course.

When TSM does not work, you bring back your offsite tapes and restore your TSM Server from those. It's in the link in my earlier answer 1.

If you're still overwhelmed and can't find the information you need, may I suggest taking the same week long course with IBM that I took? That, and a couple of years of hands-on experience, taught me what I know now. You want to run before you can even crawl .. sometimes there is no substitute for cubic inches, and there are no shortcuts.

 

[mikeatkc]

I do DB backup twice each day, to clear my log and for recovery purposes, but it depends on your organizational usage, etc. And DB backup will take up a scratch tape (there's no way around it).

My TSM environment has an active pool and a copy pool (copy of data of the active pool). The copy pool is offsite, so if you need to work with your backup you do it on your active pool. TSM do the management to make certain your active pool and your copy pool is the same.

There's a TSM Basic Concepts PDF/poster on this site or at IBM's site. It might be helpful to give you an overview of TSM.


Mike