From: Patrick Boutilier <boutilpj AT STAFF.EDNET.NS DOT CA>
Reply-To: "ADSM: Dist Stor Manager" <ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU>
To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
Subject: Re: Confusion with retention values.
Date: Fri, 30 Mar 2001 14:41:32 -0400

I always assumed that Retain Extra Versions = 90
 meant that anything that was backed up 90 days ago would be deleted, not
90
days from the deactivation date.

This way you might be able to restore something from more than 90 days ago.
Makes it harder to tell your clients exactly how back you can restore from.
:-)

You are not quite getting it.  You can only restore something more than 90
days ago if it hasn't changed.   Think about it again.
The TSM incremental forever means that every time you run a full incremental
backup, the ACTIVE versions represent a full backup of that client machine.

When a file is first backed up it becomes the ACTIVE version of that file.
It will remain the ACTIVE version unless the file on the local machine is
deleted or changed.  Then during the next incremental backup the current
ACTIVE version will be replaced.

Say I have a machine and I did my first full incremental backup 5 years ago.
 I have a file that has not changed in 5 years.  In other words it was
backed up five years ago.  Yes I can select a point in time for 4 years ago
even if my retention values say 90 days, and this file will be available for
restore.

James Thompson
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