There is a very good chapter in the ADSM Admin Guide on DRM.  By using the
prepare command and ensuring you have a copy of this file available, server
restore is very easy.  I know this from experience as I had to do this last
weekend!  To see for yourself what is in this file:

adsm> prepare

By default, a file will be created in your server directory called
19990715.111534  or some such.  Essentially, the date to the left and the
time to the right of the dot.  Open this file using your favorite text
editor (VI, yuck).  Wander down through the file.  You'll see all sorts of
interesting stuff like the volhist.out and the devconfig.out, information
about your database volumes, etc.  This file can then be exploded using a
tool into command files, ADSM macros, and text files that can be used to
recover your server.  There will be a file in your server directory called
planexpl.sam or somesuch.  Look at this file.  The front matter will tell
you the syntax to explode the prepare file.  Cool.

Essentially what you need to save everyday is your most recent db backup,
your copy storage pool volumes and the output from the prepare command.  If
you've got all of this and all of your copy storage pool volumes, you can
easily (yes, I said easily if you know what you're doing and remember I just
got to do this last weekend...) recover your ADSM environment.  Practicing
in non-life threatening situations is preferable to the other kind.

When you've had enough learning the hard way, consider taking a course.  See
earlier discussions today about courses offered at various spots and
companies.  Newbies take the level 1 and more experienced folks, take the
level 2 course.  Our course goes into excruciating detail about DRM.

Your choice to use DRM will be exonerated as time goes on.  Life is simpler
with it.

Kelly J. Lipp
Storage Solutions Specialists, Inc.
PO Box 51313
Colorado Springs CO 80949
719-531-5926
www.storsol.com
lipp AT storsol DOT com