Let's run this one by the group and see what shakes out.

TSM server V4.2.2.10 on Win2k SP2.
TSM client on SUN SOLARIS 5.8, Client Version: V5.1.1.0
Netscape Enterprise Mail Server version unknown (admin is out as I write
this)

Over the last few months we noticed an extrodinary jump in the number of
files and space being used in TSM by this client. Research reveals:

Total directories active:      93,030
Total directories inactive:   146,912
Total files active:         2,915,574
Email store files active:   2,852,202
Total files inactive:           8,212
Email store files inactive:     5,506

As you can see the vast majority of the files are in the email message
store and their mgmt class allows them to be inactive for 5 days before
they are expired as shown by the mgmt class display:

Versions Data Exists 1
Versions Data Deleted 1
Retain Extra Versions 5
Retain Only Version 5
Copy Mode MODIFIED
Copy Serialization SHRSTATIC
Copy Frequency 0

This client is running a Netscape Mail server and the administrator
tells me that each message is stored as a file and each recipient of a
message has a hard link to the file. Since TSM stores hard links as
files it seems like a message with 1000 recipients would have 1000 files
backed up and a similar number of additional database entries.

Some of the growth occurs when email accounts transition from POP access
to IMAP becuase their mail stays on the email server rather than the
users desktop but I suspect the hard links are the real problem.
Everytime management blasts out a email to thousands of employees at one
time a gazillion new files are backed up.

I understand the directory counts because the default dir mgmt class is
rather long retention and the mail server generates random directory
names which get backed up, later become unused but are still backed up
and then get reused again sometime later. In the overall scheme of
things the directory count is not a problem yet but the files are.

Has anyone else dealt with this problem and have any suggestions besides
"add more database space"? Does Netscape mail "have to" use hard lnks of
could it use "soft links"? My Netscpae admin is out for a few days so I
can't get or give much detail about our email server environment.

TIA

--

Steve Bennett, (907) 465-5783
State of Alaska, Information Technology Group, Technical Services
Section