ADSM-L

[ADSM-L] Fw: Database move

2007-11-08 14:17:01
Subject: [ADSM-L] Fw: Database move
From: Nicholas Cassimatis <nickpc AT US.IBM DOT COM>
To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
Date: Thu, 8 Nov 2007 13:11:27 -0500
"ADSM: Dist Stor Manager" <ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU> wrote on 11/08/2007
12:25:56 PM:

> -----Paul Zarnowski wrote: -----
>
> >Your avenue is export / import. Not pretty if you have a lot of
> >data.  And I'm talking about the data, not just the database.
> >As I believe more people will be interested in switching server
> >platforms as time goes by, I would really like to see IBM provide
> >some better migration tools for helping sites transition from one
> >server platform to another. TSM is a high-end solution, and needs
> >better tools in this area (IMHO).
>
> I work for a hospital. We are required to retain some clinical
> records for as long as 25 years (a former pediatric patient gets a
> seven year window after his or her eighteenth birthday to decide
> whether to sue the hospital). We are required to maintain
> information on employee health for the lifetime of the employee.
> We can't realistically commit to staying with our current server
> platform for decades to come, and the prospect of exporting and
> importing would get increasing daunting as long-lived archives
> accumulated. We are currently looking at options for long-term
> archiving of digital data, and the poor support for platform changes is a
> major point against using TSM.

You've got to ask if it's reasonable to expect to be able to be running the
same system in 25 years as you are now.  Consider this - many people aren't
using the same tape technology they were 5 years ago!  And there's more
layers after that - should you be able to provide the data, will there be
an application available to use it?  And an OS that will run the
application?  And a machine that will run the OS?

A 25 year (or lifetime - ouch!) retention requirement needs more than "keep
the data in the backup system" as a solution.  There needs to be an overall
plan to be able to use the data, otherwise retaining tapes for decades on
end is just an exercise in frustration.

Try to find a 5.25" disk drive, some fanfold wide-format (green-bar)
printer paper, and a ribbon for a Panasonic KX-P2124 printer.  OK, now do
it without going to eBay - is anyone comfortable with "buy it on eBay" as
part of a legal discovery process?  All of that was readily available 15-20
years ago, but today, well...

If you, as the TSM Admin, are left responsible for the ability to retrieve
data after the durations you're talking about, you need to raise the flag
now that, at best, you can control your part of it, but there are a LOT of
other ducks that need to be in that row.

Nick Cassimatis
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