Tivoli Storage Manager for HP-UX Administrator's Guide


Chapter 1. Introducing Tivoli Storage Manager

Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) is an enterprise-wide storage management application for the network. It provides automated storage management services to multivendor workstations, personal computers, and local area network (LAN) file servers. TSM includes the following components:

Server
Allows a server system to provide backup, archive, and space management services to workstations. The server maintains a database and recovery log for TSM resources, users, and user data.

The server controls storage objects called storage pools. These are groups of random and sequential access media that store backed-up, archived, and space-managed files.

You can set up multiple servers in your enterprise network to balance storage, processor, and network resources. TSM allows you to manage and control multiple servers from a single interface that runs in a Web browser (the enterprise console).

Administrative interface
Allows administrators to control and monitor server activities, define management policies for client files, and set up schedules to provide services at regular intervals. Administrative functions are available from an administrative client command line and from a Web browser interface. A server console is also available.

Backup-archive client
Allows users to maintain backup versions of their files, which they can restore if the original files are lost or damaged. Users can also archive files for long-term storage and retrieve the archived files when necessary. Users themselves or administrators can register workstations and file servers as client nodes with a TSM server.

Application program interface (API)
Allows users to enhance existing applications with back up, archive, restore, and retrieve services. When users install the TSM API client on their workstations, they can register as client nodes with a TSM server.

TSM also supports the following client programs:

Tivoli Data Protection for applications (application clients)
Allows users to perform online backups of data that is used by applications such as database programs. After the database initiates a backup or restore, the application client acts as the interface to TSM. The TSM server then applies its storage management functions to the data. The application client can perform its functions while users are working, with minimal disruption.

Tivoli Space Manager
Provides space management services for workstations on some platforms. Tivoli Space Manager users can free workstation storage by migrating less frequently used files to server storage. These migrated files are also called space-managed files. Users can recall space-managed files automatically simply by accessing them as they would normally. Tivoli Space Manager is also known as the hierarchical storage management (HSM) client.

Figure 1 shows an example of a client/server environment with TSM. In this example, an administrator uses an administrative interface to monitor the system, for example, the administrative client program that is installed on a workstation. An administrator can also monitor a server by using a Web browser with the appropriate Java support.

The backup-archive client program and HSM client program have been installed on workstations connected through a LAN and registered as client nodes. From these client nodes, users can back up, archive, or migrate files to the server.

Using rules in TSM policies that are assigned to files, the server stores client files on disk or tape volumes in server storage. Server storage is divided into storage pools that are groups of storage volumes.

Figure 1. Sample Client/Server Environment

Sample Client/Server Environment

The following sections present key concepts and information about TSM. The sections describe how TSM manages client files based on information provided in administrator-defined policies, and manages devices and media based on information provided in administrator-defined TSM storage objects.

Concepts:
"How Tivoli Storage Manager Stores Client Data"
"How Tivoli Storage Manager Represents Storage Devices"
"How Tivoli Storage Manager Represents Storage Media"
"The Tivoli Storage Manager Storage Objects"
"Putting It All Together"
"Planning for Server Storage"
"Configuring Devices"
"Automating Client Operations"
"Working with a Network of Tivoli Storage Manager Servers"


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