TSM server in the cloud?

gernthefish

ADSM.ORG Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2005
Messages
139
Reaction score
0
Points
0
PREDATAR Control23

We are starting to migrate many of our services to cloud (AWS). Although there are several backup tools available in AWS, many of our sys admins still prefer TSM for backing up file shares. Has anyone tried running TSM server in AWS? If so, I would be interested to hear any feedback or recommendations you have. Also, would it be feasible to keep one server local, build one in the cloud, and replicate between the 2 for D/R?
 
PREDATAR Control23

As far I know, you cannot run a TSM server in the Cloud due to the fact that TSM is a Server-Client relationship setup.

For TSM to be in the Cloud, it must have AWS definitions for someone to start backing up to it. I don't think AWS APIs exists even on newer TSM Server versions.

What is normally done is to have the target storage defined in the Cloud. Why would this not work for you?
 
PREDATAR Control23

Well, we already have 3 production TSM servers running locally on physical hardware, but have moved all stg pools to s3 buckets. So all our client backups are sent to TSM and pushed to cloud container pools that live in s3. This seems to be performing very well for local clients, but not so much for cloud (EC2) clients. EC2 backup data is going from cloud, then to the local TSM server, then back to cloud. Not a great model of efficiency!

So now we are rethinking our backup strategy. Folks have suggested running 2 backup servers - 1 locally for local clients, and 1 in the cloud for EC2 clients. We should, in theory, just be able to install linux and TSM server on EC2 instance, and backup EC2 clients directly to it. We would still use the local TSM server for local clients.
 
PREDATAR Control23

I have four SP v8.1.6.100 servers running in Azure. Like AWS, Azure's backup offerings we not sufficient so we deployed SP servers to backup our Azure environment. I use two servers to service the client backups and they both have their own replication target server. The 'source' server is located in a geographically different location from the 'target' servers.
 
PREDATAR Control23

Thanks droach. Sounds like a design we might consider as well. Would there be any advantage to having the TSM servers set up as both a replication source and target? We also discussed possibly having 1 local server and 1 cloud server, and replicating between the 2. But I'm not sure this would work. Any thoughts?
 
PREDATAR Control23

Thanks droach. Sounds like a design we might consider as well. Would there be any advantage to having the TSM servers set up as both a replication source and target?
I believe that this is possible, but I have not done it. The advantage would be fewer servers needed to service clients. Since I am using 1 source server and replicating to 1 target server when the first source server reaches capacity I needed to deploy a second pair of servers. If my 1st replication target was used for client backups I would not have needed to deploy a second pair of servers.

We also discussed possibly having 1 local server and 1 cloud server, and replicating between the 2. But I'm not sure this would work. Any thoughts?

SP is designed to do this so I see any issues...except for the size of your pipe between on-prem and cloud.
 
PREDATAR Control23

I believe that this is possible, but I have not done it. The advantage would be fewer servers needed to service clients. Since I am using 1 source server and replicating to 1 target server when the first source server reaches capacity I needed to deploy a second pair of servers. If my 1st replication target was used for client backups I would not have needed to deploy a second pair of servers.



SP is designed to do this so I see any issues...except for the size of your pipe between on-prem and cloud.
IBM has a white paper? on this topic
 

Attachments

  • IBM Spectrum Protect_in the cloud_Microsoft_Azure.pdf
    941.3 KB · Views: 28
PREDATAR Control23

Molerio, thanks for posting the link to the white paper. I used the information in that WP to size the SP servers I deployed in Azure. They do not show a deployment like I used, so I have engaged IBM to answer some "best practice" recommendations for me. Still waiting on their answers.

The details in the WP are a little light as it seems to be more of a benchmarking document. What I am waiting for IBM to tell me is what they recommend as a "best practice" for the type of storage pool I use in Azure. If I use Cloud/Blob storage I loose the ability to do things like 'repair stgp' and several other commands. Do I care about the loss of those commands...I don't know so I am waiting on IBM to enlighten me.
 
Top