-
-
Community Tip: Forum Rules (PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ BEFORE POSTING)
Click the link above to access ADSM.ORG Acceptable Use Policy and forum rules which should be observed when using this website. Violators may be banned from this website. This notice will disappear after you have made at least 3 posts.
Worst Case
- Thread starter michael-r
- Start date
JohanW
ADSM.ORG Moderator
Normally, for Disaster Recovery, you need a database backup and a copy of a couple of text files. And all your data tapes (offsite copypool) of course. Review http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infoc...opic/com.ibm.itsmcw.doc/anrwgd55763.htm#recdb
If all you have is an unencrypted data tape, no db backup, no volhist.out, no devconfig.out, you can read the data but you cannot restore it. You will get a stream of unstructured bytes; you can read it but you can't tell from the tape what block is what file.
If all you have is an unencrypted data tape, no db backup, no volhist.out, no devconfig.out, you can read the data but you cannot restore it. You will get a stream of unstructured bytes; you can read it but you can't tell from the tape what block is what file.
Last edited:
.But can this be?
If i only have a Tape, i can't recover my Systems? This would be very bad or?
Other Backup recovery Software can recover Servers, if they are new installed without any need off Backup Data. They look on the Tape and get the information what data on it.
Kind Regards
Michael
If i only have a Tape, i can't recover my Systems? This would be very bad or?
Other Backup recovery Software can recover Servers, if they are new installed without any need off Backup Data. They look on the Tape and get the information what data on it.
Kind Regards
Michael
moon-buddy
ADSM.ORG Moderator
As mentioned, TSM needs the DB backup in order to make heads or tails on the content of any tape it backed up.
This is different from native backups like NT backup or tar which is just a "dump" of the files the system has.
Bear in mind that TSM is a Data Management system which it tracks the location of backup files for you instead of you writing which tape has which file.
This is maybe nice, but if you have a worse case and only one Server in no different location... well what you tell your boss? I am sorry, but we can't get data from our tape. Your business is down. In that case is bad to chose TSM, isn't it?
Kind Regards
Michael
cjhood
ADSM.ORG Moderator
That's why you need database backups offsite with your copy tapes, along with a server at your other site to restore to. If the building burns down, I would guess you have DR servers for your critical applications to restore to, why wouldn't you have a TSM server as well?
Sure, in your example it wouldn't be good to choose TSM as it simply doesn't work the way you would need it to. You need to understand how TSM works, and why it does what it does and then marry that up against your requirements. TSM might simply not be the way to go for your environment.
-Chris
Last edited:
moon-buddy
ADSM.ORG Moderator
This is precisely one of the paradigms that needs to be understood, and understood well.
If you search this forum, and if you had taken any TSM course, it is always emphasized from day one that the TSM database is very, very critical for your environment. Having emphasized on that, it is then mandatory to have a offsite backup (two for some people) plus a configuration backup.
As is, TSM also offers me a piece of mind in that my data is secure. Data cannot be read to make heads or tails since it cannot be restored properly without the database.
As Chris had mentioned, maybe TSM is not for you. If you just want plain vanilla backup, and keep tracking manually those tapes, go right ahead and use old fashioned backup routines. You might be surprised that as your data grows, there won't be enough of you to cover the job. You will be quickly over whelmed.
Last edited:
Well i understand... i don't want to make tsm bad, i want to understand and how can i prefend my business from losing data.
Quite if you can have 2 TSM Server or a 1 TSM Server and 1 DR Server and 2 locations... this is great, but to expensive. Isn't it, for a small business?
Is there an easy way to take care that i backup all needed data (TSM Server) automaticall with nothing complicated to do?
Kind Regards
Michael
Quite if you can have 2 TSM Server or a 1 TSM Server and 1 DR Server and 2 locations... this is great, but to expensive. Isn't it, for a small business?
Is there an easy way to take care that i backup all needed data (TSM Server) automaticall with nothing complicated to do?
Kind Regards
Michael
JohanW
ADSM.ORG Moderator
TSM requires its own server, yes. In case of a disaster, you can use any old PC as a temporary DR server (well, you could, until TSM 6, which has some of the most ridiculous system requirements I have ever seen). Your offsite tape location need not be very high brow, you can use a tape closet in your home cellar if you want. Or outsource it. Just keep in mind you shouldn't expose tapes to high temperatures.
For small businesses and uncomplicated environments, TSM may very well be overkill and overcomplicated. It's hugely powerful, but it's not simple. Once it's setup, it won't need much maintenance, but setting it up correctly requires quite some knowledge. If it's all you have, hire an expert to do it for you and get a support contract with that guy. Offsiting and retrieving tapes isn't difficult, but troubleshooting uncommon problems gets ++unsimple very quickly.
For small businesses and uncomplicated environments, TSM may very well be overkill and overcomplicated. It's hugely powerful, but it's not simple. Once it's setup, it won't need much maintenance, but setting it up correctly requires quite some knowledge. If it's all you have, hire an expert to do it for you and get a support contract with that guy. Offsiting and retrieving tapes isn't difficult, but troubleshooting uncommon problems gets ++unsimple very quickly.
