Thanks again, for your input... 

This is the BEST Support list out there.

Regards,

Charles 

-----Original Message-----
From: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager [mailto:ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU]On Behalf Of
Andreas Almroth [ MTNCameroon O&M - DMSC ]
Sent: Saturday, November 20, 2004 3:12 AM
To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
Subject: Re: Oracle TDP and RMAN


> In working with our Oracle DBA's they feel TSM< should manage the RMAN
> Oracle Retentions etc...   Is there a "Preferred method?"  If so why?
>
RMAN should normally take care of the retention "cleaning". The node should be 
set up to be allowed to delete backups. In the manual for TDP Oracle it says 
one should set up verdeleted=0 and retonly=0. That is, when RMAN has deleted 
the object in the recovery catalog and in TSM, the object should be removed in 
TSM upon next inventory run.

> Here's one of our DBA's response when I told them my understanding is
> that RMAN usually manages the Backup Retentions etc....
>
> "Note on page 85 of the RMAN Backup and Recovery Handbook it says:
>
> "If you are using a tape management system, it may have its own retention 
> policy.  If the tape management system's retention policy is in conflict 
> with the backup retention policy you have defined in RMAN, the tape 
> management system's retention policy will take precedence and your ability 
> to recovery a backup will be in jeopardy."
>

Yes, this is true for some backup systems. That is why one should never set up 
a retention policy in the backup system for RMAN backups.

> That is why I was leaving it up to the Tivoli retention policy to be used 
> instead of RMAN retention policies. This seems to be in conflict with the 
> comment about TSM having a "dumb repository".

I would use RMAN retention, in Oracle 9i it is even easier. The DBA's should 
have a script that is run regularly to expire backups. This way there will be a 
minimal risk of ending up with an inconsistency between the recovery catalog 
and what is stored in TSM. If an inconsistency occurs, you can run tdposync to 
synchronise recovery catalog and TSM.

Regards,
Andreas