Tivoli Storage Manager for Windows Using the Backup-Archive Client


Chapter 5. Automating TSM Tasks

Your administrator can schedule TSM to perform tasks automatically on a regular basis. For example, you can automatically back up files at the end of each day, or archive some of your files every Friday. This procedure, known as central scheduling, is a cooperative effort between the server and your client node. Your administrator associates clients with one or more schedules that are part of the policy domain maintained in the database. The administrator defines central scheduling on the server, and you start the client scheduler on your workstation. Once you start the client scheduler, further intervention is not necessary.

Note:The schedule start time is based on the server clock, not the workstation clock.
With client scheduling, you can also:
Note:Install the command line client and ensure the communication software is running before you start the client scheduler.

Specifying Scheduling Options

You can modify scheduling options in the client options file or in the graphical user interface. However, if your administrator specifies a value for these options, that value overrides what you have in the client options file.

For more information about scheduling options, changing the scheduling mode, specifying the TCP/IP address or port number, or running commands before or after a schedule, see "Scheduling Options".


Starting the Client Scheduler

Start the client scheduler by using one of the following methods:

For information on scheduling options, see Chapter 8, "Setting Common Options".

When you start the client scheduler, it runs continuously until you close the window, shut down your system, or log out of your system. Your can start multiple client scheduler services on your system.

You can use the TSM Scheduler Wizard to install and configure TSM Scheduler Services on local and remote machines by following the method below:

  1. From the TSM GUI, select the Setup Wizard from the Utilities menu.
  2. Select the Help me configure the TSM Client Scheduler checkbox.
  3. Follow the instructions on the screen to install and configure the TSM Client Scheduler.

For Windows NT and Windows 2000 clients, you can also use the Scheduler Service Configuration utility. The Scheduler Service Configuration utility must be run from an account that belongs to the Administrator/Domain Administrator group. For additional information, see "Using the Scheduler Service Configuration Utility for Windows NT, 2000" in Installing The Clients, SH26-4102.


Displaying Information About Scheduled Work

To view schedules that are defined for your client node, enter:

   dsmc query schedule

TSM displays detailed information about all scheduled work for your client node. The figure below displays sample query schedule output.

Figure 1. Sample Query Schedule Output


 Schedule Name: DAILY_INC
   Description: Daily System-wide backup
        Action: Incremental
       Options: QUIET
       Objects:
      Priority: 1
Next Execution: 30 minutes
      Duration: 4 Hours
        Period: 1 Day
   Day of Week: Any
        Expire: Never
 
 Schedule Name: WEEKLY_INC
   Description: Weekly backup for project files
        Action: Incremental
       Options: QUIET
       Objects: e: f:
      Priority: 1
Next Execution: 60 minutes
      Duration: 8 Hours
        Period: 7 Days
   Day of Week: Friday
        Expire: Never

The schedule name, DAILY_INC, starts a daily incremental backup. The next incremental backup will start in 30 minutes. Because no objects are listed, TSM runs the incremental backup on your default domain. The schedule has no expiration date.

The schedule name, WEEKLY_INC, starts a weekly incremental backup on the e: and f: drives.


Displaying Information About Completed Work

Windows 95, Windows 98: When you run the schedule command in the foreground, output from scheduled commands displays on your screen. Output is also directed to the dsmsched.log file in the current directory unless you change the path and file name using the schedlogname option.

Windows NT: When you run the schedule command as a service, output from scheduled commands displays in the Windows NT application event log. Output is also directed to the dsmsched.log file in the current directory unless you change the path and file name using the schedlogname option. The amount of detail is determined by whether verbose or quiet is set in the dsm.opt file. The scheduler service also posts messages to the NT event log.

After scheduled work is performed, check the schedule log to verify that all work completed successfully.

When a scheduled command is processed the schedule log may contain the following entry:

   Scheduled event eventname completed successfully
 

This is merely an indication that TSM successfully issued the scheduled command associated with the eventname. No attempt is made to determine the success or failure of the command. You should assess the status of the command by evaluating the return code from the scheduled command in the schedule log. The schedule log entry for the command's return code is prefaced with the following text:

   Finished command. Return code is:

The NT scheduler service also logs information into an application event log, and provides an event identification (id) number for each event in the log. Event id 4101 displays backup and archive statistics, which you may find useful in determining the success or failure of a command.

The schedule log continues to grow unless you prune it using the schedlogretention option. See "Specifying Scheduling Options" for more information.


Accessing Windows NT Network Drives

To access network drives during a scheduled backup, you must specify a Windows NT domain user ID with authority to access the network drives you want to back up. Perform the following steps to establish this access.

  1. Click the Start menu.
  2. Select Control Panel.
  3. Select Services.
  4. Select TSM Services. The Services window is displayed.
  5. Select Central Scheduler.
  6. Click the Startup radio button.
  7. Ensure the radio button next to This Account is enabled in the Login As section.
  8. Enter the domain name and password.
    1. To specify a user's particular domain, click the dropdown box next to the domain name. A list of users is displayed.
    2. Select the user.
    3. Click Add.
  9. Click OK.
  10. Click Start.

The scheduled backup will run using the security credentials of the Windows NT domain user you specified.


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