It is very interesting watching all of the comments on this very emotive topic.
The answer to the question 'are you taking monthly backups?' is always 'Yes - of course I am'. Monthly backup is a logical thing, not a physical thing - does the user need to know the difference? You could even follow up with 'In fact we take full backups for every day' - but this may be too much information and again lead to long explanations. The question from the user stems from lack of trust that you are able to deliver his data in the event of a problem, so in his case a little knowledge is a dangerous thing! (must have monthly backups!) . This is not resolved overnight but as long as your procedures enable full and timely recovery to any threat to data integrity and availability then you will cover yourself more than by just producing the mandatory monthly. This has everything to do with ensuring best practice is implemented. What the customer wants to hear is 'Yes your data is protected and your SLAs for data recovery will be met.' If an SLA is not in place, then this is the way to proceed and a good way to establish trust. Try it - you do not need to explain progressive incremental or anything like that, how the job is done is your business, if it isn't, then why is a professional team employed to do 'backups' - elevate the discussion to the business level and have the processes in place to back it up, i.e be able to recover the data no matter what happens in accordance with agreed SLAs. This is much better investment of $s than in useless Weekly/Monthly/Quarterly/Yearly cyclic processing. Regards Philip Vandenberg Karyfi Consulting www.karyfi.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Steve Harris" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, July 09, 2002 1:23 AM Subject: Re: Client Archive Weekly/Monthly/Quarterly/Yearly Paul there are three problems here. First, when the ordure hits the rotating air movement device, the dumbass application manager says archly "You *are* taking monthly backups aren't you?" It doesn't matter how many times you explain, and it doesn't matter if the particular file that you want isn't on the monthly backup tape, if you don't have that tape, you are percieved as negligent. Second, tape cycles are easy to understand, other network backup products automate that simple process. They ask "why can't this whizz bang product do something that simple?" The problem is that they don't see the benefits of incremental backup. They don't see a 15 minute backup window as useful. For databases, you are reveting to a full backup every night anyway. Third, you say ..... >Now, the issue of affordability eventually kicks in. That is where you have >to decide how think the pad is you where on your butt. Is it 1, 2, 3, etc. >copies. TSM can do that, but there is a price. But, as you say there is no >"limitation" with TSM. You can do it. It is just not tape retention, it is >object retention. ..... That may be so in commerce, but in government, the main objective is to not get your butt kicked. In one sense money has nothing to do with it, once the expenditure has been approved. So the padding is very thick. Steve Harris AIX and TSM Admin, Queensland Health, Brisbane Australia ********************************************************************** This e-mail, including any attachments sent with it, is confidential and for the sole use of the intended recipient(s). This confidentiality is not waived or lost if you receive it and you are not the intended recipient(s), or if it is transmitted/ received in error. Any unauthorised use, alteration, disclosure, distribution or review of this e-mail is prohibited. It may be subject to a statutory duty of confidentiality if it relates to health service matters. If you are not the intended recipient(s), or if you have received this e-mail in error, you are asked to immediately notify the sender by telephone or by return e-mail. You should also delete this e-mail message and destroy any hard copies produced. **********************************************************************
