ADSM-L

Re: [ADSM-L] Fw: Database move

2007-11-08 15:04:37
Subject: Re: [ADSM-L] Fw: Database move
From: Wanda Prather <wprather AT JASI DOT COM>
To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
Date: Thu, 8 Nov 2007 14:03:59 -0600
Another thing to consider:

Backup software is designed to be able to restore your systems to CURRENT
state.  TSM stores backup data organized by the filsystem and hostname
where it was backed up.

No way is that organization going to last for more than a few years -
you'll be changing servers, moving things like home directories to
different places, splitting your data and moving some to a new TSm server,
etc.

So even if you DO figure out a way to keep your backups for 25 years,
you'll be retired; how is anyone going to FIND that 25 year old data?

Long-term retention is NOT a problem for the backup software.  You need an
archiving application that gives you a way to organize and search the data
by some logical criteria that isn't tied to the hardware configuration of
today.

W

> "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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