Well, technically speaking, SELECTIVE and MODE=ABSOLUTE are not identical:

SELECTIVE backup backs up everything that is not excluded via EXCLUDE
(INCLUDE/EXCLUDE processing is *always* honored). On the other hand, if
you use multiple management classes and not all of them have
MODE=ABSOLUTE, then only those files that are bound to the management
class with MODE=ABSOLUTE will be backed up if they haven't changed. For
example, if I have two management classes, MGMTA with MODE=MODIFIED and
MGMTB with MODE=ABSOLUTE, and I have something like this:

   include *:\...\* MGMTA
   include c:\mydir\...\* MGMTB

Then if I run an incremnetal backup, the MODE=ABSOLUTE will only apply to
the files in C:\MYDIR. On the other hand, a SELECTIVE backup of C:\ with
-SUBDIR=YES will back up all files regardless of whether they have changed
(except files that are excluded).
(except files that are excluded).

When using MODE=ABSOLUTE, the client will not attempt to back up files
that are excluded. When using SELECTIVE, TSM will try to back up
everything in the file specification, including files that are excluded
These files will get a message saying that they are skipped because they
are excluded. This is arguably the only real virtue of using MODE=ABSOLUTE
vs. SELECTIVE backup: the former doesn't generate the "file skipped due to
exclude" message, while the latter does. But as long as it is understood
why the "file skipped" messages appear, this is a minor nit.

So no, the internal processing is not *identical*, but for all practical
intents and purposes, you can make them behave similarly.

If the user wants to back up his entire machine with local drives C:, E:,
and F:, then the following command will work:

   dsmc s c:\ e:\ f:\ -subdir=yes

This will back up all files, except those that are excluded.

If you set all management classes so that MODE=ABSOLUTE, then the
following command:

   dsmc i c: e: f:

will also back up all files, except those that are excluded.

If you prefer the SELECTIVE method, then for users who want weekly full
backups and daily incremental backups (the traditional "full +
incremental" approach), you could create a schedule with

   ACTION=SELECTIVE
   OBJECTS="C:\ E:\ F:\"
   OPTIONS="-SUBDIR=YES"

that runs only once a week, say, on Saturday. If you have another schedule
that runs incrmental backups Monday - Friday, then you can associate users
to both schedules, and the full + incremental backups are fully automated.

Regards,

Andy

Andy Raibeck
IBM Software Group
Tivoli Storage Manager Client Development
Internal Notes e-mail: Andrew Raibeck/Tucson/IBM@IBMUS
Internet e-mail: storman AT us.ibm DOT com

The only dumb question is the one that goes unasked.
The command line is your friend.
"Good enough" is the enemy of excellence.




"Seay, Paul" <seay_pd AT NAPTHEON DOT COM>
Sent by: "ADSM: Dist Stor Manager" <ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU>
11/19/2001 17:21
Please respond to "ADSM: Dist Stor Manager"


        To:     ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
        cc:
        Subject:        Re: Future Share Requirement: W2K 4.2.1 Desktop Archive 
Client ba     cks
up files that are unmodified



I tried to find the statement where a selective was not the same as an
incremental absolute but could not find it (thought I saw something like
that).  So it looks like the mechanism is to setup for modified and when
you
need a full backup use a selective specifying the entire client file
system.

I think you make the most important distinction here between a backup
utility and a storage management product.  TSM is used to manage storage
and
its recovery during a failure.  A backup utility is used to perform
backups
and hope you can get restores.  That is why I joke about a competitive
product being ???backup, gross no restore (a little play with words).

So, I think we are at the documentation needs to be fixed.