A backup set is a collection of backed up files from one client, stored and managed as a single object, on specific media, in server storage. The most recent version of a client node's active, backed up files are consolidated onto portable media that may be directly readable by a device such as a CD-ROM, JAZ, or ZIP drive attached to a client's machine.
Administrators can generate multiple copies of backup sets that correspond to some point-in-time and can be retained for various time periods. This is an efficient way to create long-term storage of periodic backups, without requiring the data to be sent over the network again.
Task | Required Privilege Class |
---|---|
Generate a backup set | System or restricted policy over the domain to which the node is assigned |
You can generate backup sets on the server for client nodes. The client node for whom a backup set is generated must be registered to the server. An incremental backup must be completed for a client node before a backup set can be generated.
The GENERATE BACKUPSET command runs as a background process on the server. If you cancel the background process created by this command, the media may not contain a complete backup set.
To generate a backup set, you must specify a device class that is associated with the media to which the backup set will be written. See Selecting a Device Class for the Backup Set.
Consider the following when you select a device class for writing the backup set:
You can write backup sets to sequential media: sequential tape and device class FILE. The tape volumes containing the backup set are not associated with storage pools and, therefore, are not migrated through the storage pool hierarchy.
For device class FILE, the server creates each backup set with a file extension of OST. You can copy FILE device class volumes to removable media that is associated with CD-ROM, JAZ, or ZIP devices, by using the REMOVABLEFILE device type. For more information, see Configuring Removable Media Devices.
You can determine whether to use scratch volumes when you generate a backup set. If you do not use specific volumes, the server uses scratch volumes for the backup set. You can use specific volumes for the backup set. If there is not enough space to store the backup set on the volumes, the server uses scratch volumes to store the remainder of the backup set.
TSM adds a unique suffix to the name you specify for your backup set. For example, if you name your backup set mybackupset, TSM adds a unique extension such as 3099 to the name. This allows you to create backup sets with the same name without overwriting previous backup sets.
To later display information about this backup set, you can include a wildcard character with the name, such as mybackupset*, or you can specify the fully qualified name, such as mybackupset.3099.
You can set the retention period, specified as a number of days, to retain the backup set on the server. You can specify a number between zero and 9999 days. Backup sets are retained on the server 365 days if you do not specify a value. The server uses the retention period to determine when to expire the volumes on which the backup set resides.
Generate a backup set on portable media the client can later use to restore his data. Use the following steps to generate a backup set on a CD-ROM:
define library manuallib libtype=manual
define devclass backset devtype=removablefile library=manuallib
define drive manuallib cddrive device=/cdrom/cdrom0
define devclass files devtype=file maxcapacity=640M dir=/backupset
generate backupset johnson project devclass=file scratch=yes retention=90
For an example of using the backup set on the CD-ROM, see Moving Backup Sets to Other Servers.
Client nodes can restore their backup sets in either of two ways:
For more information about restoring backup sets, see Using the Backup-Archive Client guide for your particular platform.
Task | Required Privilege Class |
---|---|
Define a backup set | If the REQSYSAUTHOUTFILE server option is set to YES, system privilege is required. If the REQSYSAUTHOUTFILE server option is set to NO, system or restricted policy over the domain to which the node is assigned is required. |
You can define (move) a backup set generated on one server to another TSM server. Any client backup set that you generate on one server can be defined to another server as long as the servers share a common device type. The level of the server defining the backup set must be equal to or greater than the level of the server that generated the backup set.
If you have multiple servers connecting to different clients, the DEFINE BACKUPSET command makes it possible for you to take a previously generated backup set and make it available to other servers. TSM's aim is to allow the user more flexibility in moving backup sets to different servers, thus allowing the user the ability to restore their data from a server other than the one on which the backup set was created.
Using the example described in Example: Generating a Client Backup Set, you can make the backup set that was copied to the CD-ROM available to another server by entering:
define backupset johnson project devclass=cdrom volumes=vol1,vol2,vol3 description="backup set copied to a CD-ROM"
You can update, query, and delete backup sets.
Task | Required Privilege Class |
---|---|
Update the retention period assigned to a backup set | System or restricted policy over the domain to which the node is assigned |
Display information about backup sets | Any administrator |
Display information about backup set contents | System or restricted policy over the domain to which the node is assigned |
Delete backup set | If the REQSYSAUTHOUTFILE server option is set to YES, system privilege is required. If the REQSYSAUTHOUTFILE server option is set to NO, system or restricted policy over the domain to which the node is assigned is required. |
When you want to change the number of days the server retains a backup set, update the retention period that is associated with the backup set. For example, to update the retention period assigned to backup set named ENGDATA.3099, belonging to client node JANE, to 120 days, enter:
update backupset jane engdata.3099 retention=120
The server records the information about the volumes used for the backup set in the volume history file. Volume history includes information such as the date and time the backup set was generated, the device class to which the backup set was written, and the command used to generate the backup set. You can view this information when you use the QUERY VOLHISTORY command, with BACKUPSET specified as the volume type.
To view additional information about backup sets, you can use the QUERY BACKUPSET command. The output that is displayed lists information such as the name of the client node whose data is contained in the backup set as well as the description of the backup set, assuming one has been used.
The following figure shows the report that is displayed after you enter:
query backupset
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Node Name: JANE | | Backup Set Name: MYBACKUPSET.3099 | | Date/Time: 06/09/1999 16:17:47 | | Retention Period: 60 | |Device Class Name: DCFILE | | Description: | +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
You can display information about the contents of backup sets by using the QUERY BACKUPSETCONTENTS command. When you issue the query, the server displays only one backup set at a time.
The server displays information about the files and directories that are contained in a backup set. The following figure shows the report that is displayed after you enter:
query backupsetcontents jane engdata.3099
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Node Name Filespace Client's Name for File | | Name | |------------------------ ---------- ------------------------------------------ | |JANE /srvr /deblock | |JANE /srvr /deblock.c | |JANE /srvr /dsmerror.log | |JANE /srvr /dsmxxxxx.log | | | +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
When the server creates a backup set, the retention period assigned to the backup set determines how long the backup set remains in the database. When that date passes, the server automatically deletes the backup set when expiration processing runs. However, you can also manually delete the client's backup set from the server before it is scheduled to expire by using the DELETE BACKUPSET command.
After a backup set is deleted, the volumes return to scratch status if TSM acquired them as scratch volumes. Scratch volumes associated with a device type of FILE are deleted.
To delete a backup set named ENGDATA.3099, belonging to client node JANE, created before 11:59 p.m. on March 18, 1999, enter:
delete backupset jane engdata.3099 begindate=03/18/1999 begintime=23:59
To delete all backup sets belonging to client node JANE, created before 11:59 p.m. on March 18, 1999, enter:
delete backupset jane * begindate=03/18/1999 begintime=23:59