ADSM-L

Re: [ADSM-L] Orphaned filespaces

2007-04-04 14:43:22
Subject: Re: [ADSM-L] Orphaned filespaces
From: "Allen S. Rout" <asr AT UFL DOT EDU>
To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2007 14:42:56 -0400
>> On Wed, 4 Apr 2007 10:28:25 -0500, Bill Kelly <KELLYWH AT AUBURN DOT EDU> 
>> said:

> We have a bunch of people who don't like/don't want to run scheduled
> backups (don't ask me...we're a university), and who just do
> occasional backups of C: drives and such via the GUI.  These
> people's filespaces *always* show null backup_start and backup_end
> dates.  Richard, I suspect this is what's happening occasionally at
> your site.

> These null date fields are a real pain for me; there's no good way
> to determine whether such filespaces have been 'abandoned' (e.g.,
> old PC goes away, new PC comes in and filespace name changes) or
> not.

Amen! preach it, brother.

At UF we have the same situation.  (I try not to think of it as a
"problem", it's just a style of work.  Which seems nuts.  To me. )

My response to this has been two-fold: customized tolerances for
backup ages, and daily reporting.


1) I have a big XML config file, which includes on the server level,
   stuff like: [ massively excerpted ]

<reporting>
 <default reportTo="open-systems-l AT lists.ufl DOT edu"/>
 <domain name="flr"     reportTo="yadda AT yadda DOT org"/>
 <node name="jerryw1"   reportTo="foo AT bar DOT baz"/>
</reporting

<backupAges>
 <default tolerance="1"/>
 <node name="libsrvr" tolerance="7"/>
 <node name="old-wallaby.nerdc.ufl.edu" tolerance="12800"/>
 <node name="nslabun1.nslabs.ufl.edu" tolerance="30000"/>
 <filespace name="major.cns.ufl.edu:/boot" tolerance="30"/>
</backupAges>

This permits me to establish tolerances on a granularity as tight as
per-filespace.  Things that haven't had a normal incremental complete
in that amount of time are deemed "Exceptions".

Then,

2) I can send complaints about e.g. libsrvr to the admin of its'
   (node, domain, whatever).  That way -they- see the complaint, and I
   don't have to.  Though, being neurotic, I often skim my cc of
   everyone else's complaint mail.


I find that this makes keeping up with it -their- problem, and the
daily mail simplifies eventual unhappy conversations about stuff not
being there when they reach for it.


- Allen S. Rout