Geoff,

It is one thing to say that you need the TSM database in order to
reconstruct a file (in its correct format) on the client system. It's
another to say that the data can't be read at all. So yes, you could
possibly read the tape outside of TSM and obtain readable bits of
information, depending on the data. For example, a plain text file that is
not compressed or encrypted couldn't be reconstructed in its original
state by TSM (without an intact database), but a human reading the tape
could make out the content of the file. So default TSM settings alone will
not yield encrypted data on your storage volumes.

Besides the other things mentioned on this thread, Windows NTFS-encrypted
files are stored in their encrypted state in TSM storage (note that there
are restrictions, though, with restoring such files to a different machine
with regard to accounts that can decrypt the file -- this is more of a
Windows issue than TSM).

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

IBM Tivoli Storage Manager support web page:
http://www-306.ibm.com/software/sysmgmt/products/support/IBMTivoliStorageManager.html

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

"ADSM: Dist Stor Manager" <ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU> wrote on 01/12/2006
05:24:58 PM:

> I know the topic of reading tapes written by TSM without having the DB
has
> come up before, but I'm wondering if anything has changed from a couple
of
> years ago with the implementation of 5.3 so here are a few questions.
>
>
>
> How hard is it to read tapes without the TSM database tape?
>
>
>
> Is there any tape encryption with TSM 5.3?
>
>
>
> Besides encrypting data from the client to the server is there anything
else
> that can be done?
>
>
>
> What type of hit does encryption take on the client/server when in use?
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
>
>
> Geoff Gill
>
> TSM Administrator
>
> SAIC M/S-G1b
>
> (858)826-4062
>
> Email:  <mailto:geoffrey.l.gill AT saic DOT com> geoffrey.l.gill AT saic DOT 
> com