This Frequently Asked Question list for the ADSM-L mailing list is posted on the first
day of each month. It was created to cut down on the number of questions that are
asked regularly in the ADSM-L mailing list from vm.marist.edu. I would be grateful for
any requests to include additional material. (Please send them directly to me, rather
than to the list.)
updated 10/21/2003====================================================
* Questions marked with * are new or improved since the last posting.
QUESTIONS
01. About the list itself
01-01. How do I subscribe to ADSM-L?
01-02. How do I unsubscribe to ADSM-L?
01-03. Why don't I see the questions I post to ADSM-L?
01-04. How can I see the questions I post to ADSM-L?
01-05. Who decides what questions go on ADSM-L?
01-06. Is there a digest or archive of ADSM-L?
01-07. How do I get more information about ADSM-L?
01-08. Does IBM/Tivoli participate in ADSM-L?
01-09 How can I get just a digest of ADSM-L, instead of all the
postings?
02. Types of questions asked
02-01. What subjects are covered in this list?
02-02. What kinds of questions can be asked?
02-03. What kinds of questions can I expect answers to?
02-04. What levels of netiquette are expected?
02-05. What's the first thing to do when I have a question about TSM?
02-06. What's the second thing to do when I have a question about TSM?
02-07. What's the third thing to do when I still have a question about
TSM?
02-08. What's the fourth thing to do when I STILL have a question
about TSM?
02-09. What's the fifth thing to do when I *STILL* have a question
about TSM?
02-10. What's the last thing to do when I *STILL* have a question
about TSM?
02-11. What are those "out of office" messages I keep seeing in the
list?
02-12. What's the single best thing I can do to improve the list?
02-13. Why don't I get answers to my "I need comparisons between TSM and
<brandX> backup software" questions?
02-14. What kinds of things shouldn't I post on ADSM-L?
02-15. Is there some sort of acronym list?
02-16. Whatever happened to Richard Sims?
03. Available TSM resources
03-01. What FAQs are already out there?
03-02. What other sources of help can I find?
03-03. How do I get "official" TSM support?
04. Frequently-asked questions on ADSM-L
04-01. Is it called ADSM, or TSM, or ITSM? What's the deal here?
04-02. What are backupsets? How can I use them?
04-03. How does TSM do full/incremental/differential backups, just like
my old backup software <fillintheblank> used to?
04-04. How do I unsubscribe to ADSM-L?
04-05. How do I do mailbox-level restores of Exchange using the Tivoli Data
Protection Agent for Exchange?
04-06. How do I force TSM to do a full backup of a client?
04-07. Where can I download the latest version of TSM/TDP?
04-08. What's the very first thing I do after TSM is delivered to me?
04-09. I'm getting message ANRXXXXX from the TSM server. What does it
mean?
04-10. I'm getting message ANSXXXXX from the TSM client. What does it
mean?
04-11. My large-scale restores are slow. How can I speed them up?
04-12. How do I back up normally open files, like database files?
04-13. What's all this about TSM and SQL select statements?
04-14. My boss wants disaster recovery procedures. What's the best way
to do it?
04-15. *How do I get TSM to report problems to me?
04-16. Why does version X of TSM have this bad bug in it?
04-17. How come my copy pool tape reclamation runs so slowly?
04-18. I keep getting these "server out of license compliance" messages.
Why?
04-19. My scheduled backups fail (or are incomplete), but my manual ones
work fine. Why?
04-20. While backleveling my TSM client from 4.2.1 to 4.1.3, I get a
"downlevel" message. Why?
04-21. *Why do I get an "ANR1440I All drives in use. Process being
preempted by higher priority operation" message when my
storage pool backup fails?
04-22. I've deleted all data from a tape volume, but it hasn't come back
as a scratch tape. Why?
04-23. What is this ANR9999D error message? I don't understand it.
04-24. I'm upgrading my TSM server/client from version X.X to version Y.Y.
Any pitfalls?
04-25. How do I restore one client's data onto another client?
04-26. Will my new tape library work with TSM?
04-27. My Windows client backs up the same 3,000 files or so everyday.
Why?
04-28. I'm moving TSM to a new physical server. What's the best way
to do that?
04-29. How do I back up my NetWare NDS license files?
04-30. What's all this fuss about "cleanup backupgroups"?
04-31. I'm trying to include some files for backups, but it's not
working. Why?
04-32. Can I put TSM db and log volumes on raw devices?
04-33. Why is my client backup {taking so long|running so
slowly|sluggish}?
04-34. I have a tape volume that Q CONTENT says is empty,
but I can't delete the volume. Why?
04-35 I'm upgrading my TSM server from version x.x.x.x to
y.y.y.y. What's the best way to do it?
04-36 TSM is asking me to "convert" my archives? Why?
04-37 What kind/how many/what configuration should I set up for
database disks/volumes/RAIDs?
04-38 *How do I move/resize my database/recoverylog volumes?
04-39 *I'm moving my TSM server from operating system <BrandX>
to operating system <BrandY>. Can I just move my database
volumes from one machine to another? Why not?
and from IBM, questions about the new web site. (Thanks for posting these, Andy!)
05-01. I have a Tivoli ID and an IBM.com registered ID. Which one do I
use for problem submission?
05-02. The top of every web page has a search bar in a blue field and
4 links in black. When these are used, I leave the Tivoli
content areas, why?
05-03 Does Tivoli have a Support home page and where is it?
05-04 How do I use the Search capabilities on IBM.com?
05-05 Where can I find Product Downloads?
05-06 Are FAQ's documented online?
ANSWERS
01-01. How do I subscribe to ADSM-L?
Send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a blank subject line and a message consisting
only of the line SUBSCRIBE ADSM-L.
01-02. How do I unsubscribe to ADSM-L?
Send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a blank subject line and a message consisting
only of the line UNSUBSCRIBE ADSM-L. Do NOT try to unsubscribe by sending email to
[EMAIL PROTECTED] All that does is annoy the list members, and it doesn't get you
unsubscribed.
01-03. Why don't I see the questions I post to ADSM-L?
That's the normal behavior of ADSM-L.
01-04. How can I see the questions I post to ADSM-L?
If you want to see your own questions, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a blank
subject line and a message that consists only of the line SET ADSM-L REPRO.
01-05. Who decides what questions go on ADSM-L?
The list members. There appears to be no active moderation of the list. (That's not a
license to abuse the list. Complaints from the list members are heeded by the list
administrator.)
01-06. Is there a digest or archive of ADSM-L?
Indeed. There is an indexed version of the mailing list at http://adsm.org.
(Interestingly enough, the adsm.org page has been given a real facelift lately. If you
want to see the old adsm.org page format, go to http://search.adsm.org.)
01-07. How do I get more information about ADSM-L?
Send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a blank subject line and a message consisting
only of the line INFO. This will cause an email to be returned to you with a list of
documents available about the listserver and instructions on how to get them.
01-08. Does IBM/Tivoli participate in or post to ADSM-L?
>From Andy Raibeck, of the TSM client development group: "This list server is owned
>and operated by Marist College, and is not in any way affiliated with IBM. While some
>IBMers do participate on ADSM-L, they do so on an unofficial, voluntary basis, and
>thus are not *required* to answer your questions. If you require an answer from IBM,
>or if your situation is of an urgent nature, then you should (also) go through IBM's
>official support channels for assistance."
01-09 How can I get just a digest of ADSM-L, instead of all the
postings?
(from Andy Raibeck) Send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
In the body of the email, put *only* the following:
info refcard
You do not need a subject line. You will get reference information back from the list
server that tells you, among other things, how to configure your subscription to
receive the daily digest.
02-01. What subjects are covered in this list?
Officially, only questions concerning the installation, configuration, care, and
feeding of ADSM/TSM/ITSM should appear. However, since backup and recovery systems
cover a wide range of IT and business issues, there have been discussions about
disaster recovery, tape and other storage systems, and other Tivoli products (such as
Storage Network Management and Decision Support). Keep it centered around TSM, and no
one fusses much.
02-02. What kinds of questions can be asked?
You can ask pretty much any TSM-related question you care to. There's no guarantee
you'll get an answer, though. Reposting an already-asked question (because of initial
lack of response) will sometimes get you an answer, but often it'll get you nothing.
02-03. What kinds of questions can I expect answers to?
As with any other mailing list, the questions that lend themselves to short, concise
answers are the ones most likely to get answered. As an example, you're much more
likely to get an answer to "Does my new tape library, model ZYX-666 made by Spelvin
Corporation, work with TSM version 4.2?" than "I just got TSM. How do I use it?" Keep
your questions focused and narrow in scope. See answers to questions 02-05, 02-06, and
02-07.
02-04. What levels of netiquette are expected?
The standard civility is expected. If you're unsure of netiquette rules, go to
http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html and
http://www.fau.edu/netiquette/net/index.html.
02-05. What's the first thing to do when I have a question about TSM?
Read this FAQ, particular section 4.
02-06. What's the second thing to do when I have a question about TSM?
The second thing to do is to go to Richard Sims' exhaustive TSM FAQ at
http://people.bu.edu/rbs/ADSM.QuickFacts. More about online FAQs in answer 03-01.
02-07. What's the third thing to do when I still have a question about TSM?
The third thing to do is to look for similar questions in the ADSM-L archives found at
http://adsm.org. Chances are that your question has been asked before by someone else.
Using the proper keywords to find relevant responses is a bit of an art, but it is a
rich source of information.
02-08 What's the fourth thing to do when I STILL have a question about
TSM?
[Thanks to Taz for this one.]
Check the Knowledge Base. If you haven't registered before, go to:
http://www-120.ibm.com/software/support/ecare/login?action=register
You can then log into the knowledge base at:
http://www-3.ibm.com/software/sysmgmt/products/support/IBMTivoliStorageManager.html
02-09. What's the fifth thing to do when I STILL have a question about
TSM?
Research the Administrator's Guide, the Administrator's Reference, the client guides,
or the relevant IBM Redbooks. Yeah, I know, it's not easy reading. Search the .PDF
version of the relevant manual (see answer 03-02 for the download locations); the
answer's probably in there somewhere.
(last one, I promise)
02-10. What's the last thing to do when I *STILL* have a question about
TSM?
Post it to the list, and always include all key information.
Such information should always include server level (found in the top banner of the
login administrative web page), client level (from the Help-->About TSM splash screen
in the client GUI), TSM server OS and OS level (include service pack/maintenance level
data), an *exact* description of the problem, an extract of the server activity log,
and the error messages verbatim. Please cut and paste text from messages; this makes
typos much less likely. Confusion reigns when you commit a typo in your question;
you'll get a flood of "you've misspelled your command" answers, which is probably not
what you're looking for.
02-11. What are those "out of office" messages I keep seeing in the list?
Some email clients have a clever little feature that can be set to tell those who send
email to a recipient that the recipient will be out (and will thus not be immediately
responsive). Unfortunately, some people don't know how to configure these clients not
to send such messages to mailing lists. What is most annoying about these messages is
that they can appear in multiple languages, which makes filtering them out a
frustrating task.
02-12. What's the single best thing everyone can do to improve the list?
Trim your replies! Trim back what you quote from the previous poster to the essential
information only. Get rid of the greetings, the .sigs, and the chatty stuff. (This
measure alone could cut half the length of a download.)
02-13. Why don't I get answers to my "I need comparisons between TSM and
<brandX> backup software" questions?
While there are occasional responses to these questions, they are ignored for the most
part. The ADSM-L list concerns itself with TSM only. Most of the list members don't
know <brandX> well enough to do good comparisons; a lot of us don't care. There is one
clue, however, to what backup application to use: we see *lots* of sites/customers
moving from <brandX> to TSM; we see very few of them moving in the other direction.
02-14. What kinds of things shouldn't I post on ADSM-L?
a. Questions about subjects other than TSM or TSM-related issues. There are lots of
mailing lists out there; start looking for the one you need at
http://www.lsoft.com/catalist.html.
b. Advertisements. (Testimonials are okay as long as they're disinterested
testimonials. IOW, if you are the chief architect for spammo.com, don't sing the
praises of Spammo.) Let your product speak for itself.
c. "Send it to me, too!" responses. (There should be a special level of Hell for
people who do this.) For pity's sake, if you want something from someone, email them
directly. Those who post "me, too!"s to this list--and there were a bunch of you who
did this in September 2002--the original poster even *asked* you to email him
directly. Please review the answer 02-04 above.
02-15. Is there some sort of acronym list?
ADSM = Adstar Distributed Storage Manager
DR = disaster recovery
ITSM = IBM/Tivoli Storage Manager
TDP = Tivoli Data Protection
TSM = Tivoli Storage Manager
ITSMOR = IBM/Tivoli Storage Manager Operational Reporter
02-16. Whatever happened to Richard Sims?
Richard is back! The gods of ADSM-L have smiled upon him again.
03-01. What FAQs are already out there?
There are a few (including this one), but the brightest star in the firmament is
Richard Sims' page at http://people.bu.edu/rbs/ADSM.QuickFacts. It is organized by
keyword, it is *exhaustive*, and it is updated frequently.
03-02. What other sources of help can I find?
There are several sources of valuable help for TSM problems.
1) The ADSM-L mailing list is a good resource; however, like most mailing lists, you
must separate the answers from those who know from the answers of those who don't. The
best way to do that is to read it frequently; you'll soon learn who hits the nail with
the hammer most often.
2) The same caution extends the ADSM-L online archive at http://search.adsm.org. This
archive is indexed and searchable, although personal experience shows that the search
function could use some work.
3) Tivoli maintains extensive official documentation on all TSM products. You can find
Tivoli documents, in PDF and HTML format, at
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/tividd/td/tdprodlist.html.
4) If it's a server command you're having problems with, run the command with the word
"help" (without the quotes) in front of it (such as HELP UPDATE STGPOOL) at the
administrative command-line. TSM will echo back a help file with syntax, flag
definitions, examples, and similar command lists. Neat!
5) Tivoli technical support, although not as fast to respond as in past times, is
still one of the best technical support lines in the market today. The telephone
number is 800.848.6548. You will need your Tivoli customer number, which you should
have gotten when you purchased TSM, and the name of the 'official' contact person
designated when the order for TSM was placed; without both, they will not be able to
help you.
6) Check the Knowledge Base. If you haven't registered before, go to:
http://www-120.ibm.com/software/support/ecare/login?action=register
You can then log into the knowledge base at:
http://www-3.ibm.com/software/sysmgmt/products/support/IBMTivoliStorageManager.html
7) IBM maintains a documentation system called Redbooks. Redbooks are rather like
O'Reilly Publishing's "missing manuals"; they contain information that doesn't make it
into the standard software manuals. There is a lot of good TSM information in some of
them. You can find redbooks in .PDF format at http://www.redbooks.ibm.com. WARNING:
Redbook information is not "official" IBM documentation, and official support is not
predicated upon them.
8) You can access a lot of information about TSM problems by going to www.ibm.com,
typing relevant text strings in the "Search" text box at the top of the page, and
pressing the "GO" button. This is a particularly easy way to find relevant APAR
information about fixes to TSM code. (Tip o' the hat to Mr. Sims for this one.)
03-03. How do I get "official" TSM support?
As I understand it, those who buy TSM receive support from Tivoli for one year from
date of purchase. After that, support must be purchased. Contact your Tivoli reseller
for details.
04-01. Is it called ADSM, or TSM, or ITSM? What's the deal here?
The backup and restore software package we refer to today as Tivoli Storage Manager
was owned by IBM and known as Adstar Distributed Storage Manager (ADSM). Later, Tivoli
took ownership and changed the name to Tivoli Storage Manager. The current official
name of the software is IBM/Tivoli Storage Manager (ITSM).
04-02. What are backupsets? How can I use them?
Backupsets are created from the latest (active) version of each file on a client's
system. These files are copied from data already stored in TSM storage (disk, tape, or
other media) to a single "file". Thus it is not necessary to do an extra backup across
your network to create a backupset. Backupsets cannot be browsed like backups and
archives; you can, however, use wildcards to restore files. You can look at the
contents of a backupset, provided you know the backupset's name, from Q
BACKUPSETCONTENTS.
04-03. How does TSM do full/incremental/differential backups, just like
my old backup software <brandX> used to?
You're not using your old backup software anymore.
TSM uses a backup/restore philosophy unlike any other backup software. Once the
initial full backup of a client is finished, TSM then only backs up files that are new
or have been modified. This sort of backup used to be called "incrementals forever",
but is more accurately described as "progressive backups". There is not a way to
perform differentials; you don't need them anymore, anyway.
04-04. How do I unsubscribe to ADSM-L?
(This question is answered twice in this FAQ because it needs to be.) Send an email to
[EMAIL PROTECTED] with a blank subject line and a message consisting only of the line
UNSUBSCRIBE ADSM-L. Do NOT try to unsubscribe by sending email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
All that does is annoy the list members, and it doesn't get you off the list.
04-05. *How can I do mailbox-level restores of Exchange using the Tivoli
Data Protection Agent for Exchange?
You can't, directly. Here's the scoop. You run an application called exmerge (which
comes with Exchange). Exmerge allows the Exchange administrator to create individual
mailboxes from the Exchange information store. These individual .pst files can then be
backed up (and restored) with a regular TSM backup client.
This system of backing up individual mailboxes requires two separate backups--one with
the regular TSM client (for the .pst mailboxes) and one with TDP for Exchange (for the
Exchange directory and information store). This could require twice as much data being
moved to the TSM server.
Notice: there is new information about the TDP for Mail (Exchange) version 5.2.1
concerning Exchange 2003. More to come...
04-06. How do I force TSM to do a full backup of a client?
>From the command line, run
dsmc selective <drive_letter>:\* -subdir=yes
(Windows, for each drive)
dsmc selective <volume_name>:\* -subdir=yes
(NetWare, for each volume)
dsmc selective /<filespace>/* -subdir=yes
(UNIX, for each filespace)
to backup the entire drive/volume/filespace. From the GUI, press the BACKUP button,
select the desired data to backup, use the pulldown menu to change "Incremental
(complete)" to "Always backup", and press the "Backup" button.
04-07. Where can I download the latest version of TSM/TDP?
The latest full versions of TSM backup/archive clients are available from the ftp site
ftp://service.boulder.ibm.com/storage/tivoli-storage-management/maintenance. You
cannot download the (required) base level of TSM server code, but you *can* download
the latest versions of the server patches at the above ftp address. Similarly, you
cannot download the (required) base code for Tivoli Data Protection software, but you
can download patches for the base code at the above ftp address. Latest base code for
the TSM server and TDP agent are available from your Tivoli reseller.
There is a mirror of the above address at
ftp://ftp.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de/pub/mirror/ftp.software.ibm.com/storage/tivoli-storage-management
(for European users).
04-08. What's the very first thing I should do when I start using TSM?
Read the Administrator's Guide and the QuickStart manual, cover to cover, and take
notes. It's not exactly scintillating prose, but stay with it. You'll be much happier
later; I'd bet a good beer there is not an application for which not reading the
documentation can cause more problems.
04-09. I'm getting message ANRXXXXX from the TSM server. What does it
mean?
>From the administrative command line, type
help anrxxxxx
and read the message. You can also look up the message in the TSM Messages manual.
04-10. I'm getting message ANSXXXXX from the TSM client. What does it
mean?
>From the client command line, type
help
Navigate through the menus to find information about the message. You can also look up
the message in the TSM Messages manual.
04-11. My large-scale restores are slow. How can I speed them up?
1) Use collocated tape pools. (Just the primary pools, not the copy pools.)
2) Use a disk-based directory management class.
3) Upgrade to TSM server 5.1 to take advantage of multithreaded restores and MOVE
NODEDATA.
4) Check your network settings to make sure that you're getting maximum bandwidth.
5) Run a restore session for each filespace, rather than one session for the entire
node.
Number 4 above is more often than not a major culprit for this problem. Make sure that
all NICs and switch ports use optimum settings. (For Cisco networks, hard-setting the
speed (100 full duplex, 10 half duplex, etc.) will usually get you better throughput
than "auto-negotiate". YMMV.)
Please note that numbers 1-3 are of no use once the need for a large-scale restore
comes up. They are preventative measures that must have been in place for some time
prior to the need to restore. See Rule #1 in answer 04-14.
6) (for Windows clients) Exclude the system objects from being backed up, run an
NTBACKUP (for the system state only) as a PRESCHEDCMD, and backup the resultant file.
A restore of a Windows client in this manner will mean that your Windows system files
will restore as one large file, rather than several thousand little ones.
7) Perform a "no query restore". The most visible benefit of no query restore is that
data starts coming back from the server sooner than it does with "classic" restore.
With classic restore, the client queries the server for all objects that match the
restore file specification. The server sends this information to the client, then the
client sorts it so that tape mounts will be optimized. However, the time involved in
getting the information from the server, then sorting it (before any data is actually
restored), can be quite lengthy. No query restore lets the TSM server do the work: the
client sends the restore file specification to the server, the server figures out the
optimal tape mount order, and then starts sending the restored data to the client. The
server can do this faster, and thus the time it takes to start actually restoring data
is reduced. In either case, for a given restore, TSM will restore the files and
directories in a manner that optimizes tape mounts. If it so happens that a file is
restored before it's parent directory is restored, then the client will create the
parent directory, restore the file, then restore the parent directory when it
encounters it in the restore sequence. (Thanks to Andy R. for this one!)
04-12. How can I back up files that are normally open, like database
files?
You can use the Tivoli Data Protection agents; TDP supports most major database
formats. You can also use an open file agent, like St. Bernard's Open File Manager.
You can use other applications, like BMC's SQL-BACKTRACK, that allows TSM to
multithread most database file formats. You can temporary close the application (or
instance) that uses the file, back up the resultant cold flat file, and then restart
the application (or instance). Some database engines allow a "dump" of data to a flat
file, which can then be backed up as a normal file. Each option has its advantages and
disadvantages.
04-13. What's all this about TSM and SQL select statements?
You can write SQL select statements to query and read data from the TSM database. (You
cannot write to it with SQL.) There are some limitations (joins are only partially
supported, for example). You can get started by running HELP SELECT from the
administrative command line. You can do some pretty neat things with SQL statements;
browse the mailing list for a plethora of examples, or look at the scripts.smp file in
your server subdirectory.
04-14. My boss wants disaster recovery procedures. What's the best way
to do it?
Answering this would take pages and pages, and much of it depends on your resources
and your business needs. TSM is a fine tool to include in your disaster recovery
planning, but setting it up properly for DR is a non-trivial task. If you don't have
the time to do the proper research (or don't want to), contract or hire a professional
who knows how.
Rule #1 of disaster recovery: Practice it before you have to.
Rule #2 of disaster recovery (the 6P rule): Prior planning prevents pretty poor
performance.
04-15. *How do I get TSM to generate daily reports for me?
There is a TSM reporting tool from Tivoli. It's pretty spiffy, it can publish its
reports in several formats (including popups!), and IT'S FREE! The URL for a download
is horrendously long; go to the download page at ibm, use "TSM" for the keyword to
search, and look for the link called TSM Operational Reporting Technology Preview.
(Warning: you'll need to register an ID and password with IBM in order to get to the
download page.)
04-16. Why does version X of TSM have this bad bug in it?
Yes, there are bugs in TSM. It is a large, complex, evolving piece of software that
has to work and play well with literally millions of different combinations of client
hardware and software; the big surprise is that there are not *more* bugs in it. If
you run across a bug (or a perceived bug), post it to the list, or scan the APAR list
on www.ibm.com to see if it's already been reported. To get rid of the bug, upgrade
TSM to a level where the bug has been fixed.
04-17. Why does my copy pool tape reclamation runs so slowly?
If tape space reclamation tries to move files for which copies exist in a cached
diskpool, the algorithm that TSM uses for file access will pull the file from the
diskpool rather than the tapepool. This situation causes reclamation to run *very*
*slowly*.
One workaround is to turn off caching for the diskpool. Another is to perform a
periodic MOVE DATA from disk pool volumes to primary tape pool, to flush the cache.
Note: supposedly, the most up-to-date server patches alleviate this problem greatly.
YMMV.
04-18. I keep getting these "server out of license compliance" messages.
Why?
You are using more of a particular type of client than your TSM server is licensed to
handle. Run a QUERY LICENSE to get a list of what you're licensed for and what you're
actually using. TSM runs on an honor system; it will continue to run even if you're
out of compliance. Be a good doo-bee; purchase those extra licenses from Tivoli and
look at the HELP REG LIC response from the administrative command line (or the
Administrator's Reference).
04-19. My scheduled backups fail (or are incomplete), but my manual ones
work fine. Why?
This almost always occurs in Windows servers, and it's always a Windows permissions
problem. By default, the TSM scheduler runs as a service with System account
privileges. By default all Windows files are read/writeable by System; however, there
are a few Windows admins (and applications) out there that remove System privileges
from files. (For what reasons, I cannot imagine.) When a manual backup is run, it uses
the permissions of the account of the person who is logged on, not the System account.
(You can't log on as System, as it's a non-interactive account.) The real solution is
reset all files to have System read/write privileges. If that's not possible, you need
to alter the scheduler service so as to use a logon ID with privileges that have
access to all files that you want backed up. Remember that if that logon ID changes
passwords, you're going to have to update the service properties to reflect the new
password.
04-20. While backleveling my TSM client from 4.2.1 to 4.1.3, I get a
"downlevel" message and no backup. Why?
When a node backs up data to a TSM server, the level of TSM client being used is
recorded as part of the node definition. When you backlevel the client (say, from
4.2.1 to 4.1.3), TSM won't allow it to happen because it thinks you should be using a
more recent version of the client, which may have features not available in the older
version. The fix is to call TSM support and have them step you through the process to
fix the node definition. This fix is potentially dangerous to the database, which is
why it's not distributed on the mailing list (or described here).
04-21. *Why do I get an "ANR1440I All drives in use. Process being
preempted by higher priority operation" message when my
tape operation stops running?
TSM has an internal list of priorities it keeps for various administrative events and
client operations. Restores are at the top of the priority list (obviously), client
backups are at the bottom, and all the other fall in between. For details, look in the
Administrator's Guide under "Preemption of Client or Server Operations".
04-22. I've deleted all data from a tape volume, but it hasn't come back
as a scratch tape. Why?
Check the DELAY PERIOD FOR VOLUME REUSE parameter for the storage pool the tape
belonged to.
04-23. What is this ANR9999D error message. I don't understand it.
ANR9999D is the catchall error that (usually) indicates a problem with low-level
issues. See Richard Sim's entry on ANR9999D at
http://people.bu.edu/rbs/ADSM.QuickFacts for more details.
04-24. I'm upgrading my TSM server/client from version X.X to version Y.Y.
Any known problems?
Read the Quickstart manual for the version you're upgrading to. (See subsection 3
under answer 03-02 for the location.) Also, there should be readme files, either in
the new base media or in the subdirectory where you downloaded the maintenance level
or patch. There's a reason why the file is called "readme". The procedures, basically,
is:
1) Do a fresh full db backup of the TSM server (in case you have to fall back).
2) Follow the procedures in the Quickstart manual and/or readme files.
Also, see the answer to 04-35 below.
04-25. How do I restore one server's data onto another server?
On the target server, run
dsmc -virtualnodename=<nodename_of_source_server>
You'll have to authenticate the source server's nodename and password. Now you can
restore data onto the new server, provided that the OSs involved are the same. In
other words, you can't restore data from a NetWare box to a Windows box.
04-26. Will my new tape library <brandX> work with TSM?
http://www-3.ibm.com/software/sysmgmt/products/support/IBM_TSM_Supported_Devices_for_AIXHPSUNWIN.html
shows all supported devices. You can look for yours here. If it's not listed, it
*could* work just fine; however, Tivoli will not support it.
04-27. My Windows client backs up the same 3,000 files or so every day.
Why?
Your client is backing up its Windows system objects, most of which are the .exe and
.dll files from the \winnt\system32 folder. Unless you exclude system objects, they're
going to get backed up every time you back up the Windows box. Warning: if you exclude
system objects, the Windows registry will not be saved.
04-28. I'm moving TSM to a new physical server. What's the best way
to do that?
There are several ways to do it. Here is one that many people get good results with:
1) Install TSM on the new box/get the library set up/etc.
2) Point all the clients at the IP address for the new server by use of the client
option file.
3) Use the new server for backups, and the old server for restores only. (You'll have
to change the IP address of the TSM server in the option file for any client that
needs a restore done. Don't forget to change it back when you're done.)
4) Let the data on the old server expire away for a period of time. When the old data
expires down to a point to where you can stand it, use EXPORT NODE on a
server-to-server connection to move the data across to the new box.
Believe me, this is a lot easier than trying to export all of your old server's data
to the new box all at once. A lot.
04-29. How do I back up my NetWare NDS license files?
You can't, and you wouldn't want to anyway, because in the case of a restore you'd
have to reinstall the app that placed the license file in NDS in the first place. You
can exclude the license files by using
EXCLUDE "NDS:*License ID*"
in your NetWare client's exclusion list; this allows you to avoid the annoying "can't
back this file up" messages you'll get otherwise.
04-30. What's all this fuss about "cleanup backupgroups"?
If you used TSM server versions 4.1.x or 4.2.1.x, you most likely encountered a bug in
the server code that caused the system objects in your Windows clients' backups to not
expire properly. An upgrade to 4.2.3.x or 5.1.5.x fixes the bug, but you have to run
cleanup backupgroups
to rid yourself of unwanted versions of the system objects. This subject has been
talked to death in the mailing list; go to http://search.adsm.org to review the
details.
04-31. I'm trying to include some files for backups, but it's not
working. Why?
If you have an EXCLUDE.DIR line in your include/excluse list, it will override all
INCLUDE lines, no matter what the line placement is.
04-32. Can I put TSM db and log volumes on raw devices?
Yes. On AIX, there may be some performance enhancement, due to the fact that JFS won't
log the changes.
04-33. Why is my client backup {taking so long|running so
slowly|sluggish}?
See "Backup taking too long" from http://people.bu.edu/rbs/ADSM.QuickFacts. [Thanks to
Richard Sims for this one.
04-34. I have a tape volume that Q CONTENT says is empty,
but I can't delete the volume. Why?
You've got a discrepency between the TSM database and what is actually stored on the
tape; the volume is most likely empty, but the database doesn't realize it. Run an
AUDIT VOLUME <volume_name> fix=yes; that'll take care of it.
04-35 I'm upgrading my TSM server from version x.x.x.x to
y.y.y.y. What's the best way to do it?
After taking a substantial poll of postings from the last six months, it doesn't
appear that there *is* any best way to do it. When you go from one major version to
the next (i.e., from 4.2.2 to 5.1.0), you'd best have base media with you, since
license file formats generally change from one set of base media to the next higher
version. We have reports of success (and failure) for upgrades from one patchlevel to
the next pathlevel, and from as far back as version 3.1.x to version 5.1.6.x. As
always, read the documentation *first*. (See the answer to 04-24 above.)
04-36 TSM is asking me to "convert" my archives? Why?
>From the HELP CONVERT ARCHIVE message:
"Use this command to improve the efficiency of a command line or API client query of
archive files and directories using the description option. Previously, an API client
could not perform an efficient query at all and a Version 3.1 or later command line
client could perform such a query only if the node had signed onto the server from a
GUI at least once. Perform this conversion only once for each node."
04-37 What kind/how many/what configuration should I set up for
database disks/volumes/RAIDs?
There is no conclusive "best" ways to set up the TSM db and its volumes, other than
the common-sense ones:
1) the more spindles, the better
2) the faster the disk rpm, the better
3) RAIDs are a wash in the long run, because they all have
a penalty on either reads or writes
04-38 *How do I move/resize my database/recovery log?
There are several steps involved in this: 1) define dbvol/logvol for your new volumes;
2) extend the db/log by the amount of volumes you've added; 3) run Q LOGV/DBV F=D and
document how large your old logv/dbv volumes are; 4) reduce db/log by that amount; and
5) delete the unwanted dbv/logv.
Notice that the actual files still exist, even though TSM does not use them anymore.
You will need to delete the volumes at the OS level.
04-39 *I'm moving my TSM server from operating system <BrandX>
to operating system <BrandY>. Can I just move my
database volumes from one machine to another? Why
not?
This will not work, and it is certainly not supported. The reasons lie partially with
the bigendian/littleendian issues that different operating systems use to structure
their filesystems. The only supported way to move your TSM server between dissimilar
operating systems is to run an export/import process, and that could take a very long
time dending upon the amount of data being moved.
05-01. I have a Tivoli ID and an IBM.com registered ID. Which one do I use
for problem submission?
If your company has NOT been migrated to a Passport Advantage agreement, you can use
your Tivoli ID to logon to ESR. To reach entitled data on IBM.com, you would continue
to use your IBM.com ID. Once you are migrated to a Passport Advantage agreement and
customer number, your IBM.com ID will work for both areas.
05-02. The top of every web page has a search bar in a blue field and
4 links in black. When these are used, I leave the Tivoli
content areas, why?
The top blue field area, is used exclusively for searching the web page tags across
the entire IBM web site. The links in black are references for all IBM segments, not
just software products. When using only the software support function, use only the
links below the top 10% of the page or the black and blue fields.
05-03 Does Tivoli have a Support home page and where is it?
Yes, We have created a Support Home page, on IBM.com. It can be found at
http://www-3.ibm.com/software/sysmgmt/products/support/. Many of the features
available from Tivoli.com/support, are selectable in the left and right navigation
areas. For example, the 'Library' link, replaces the Tivoli Information Center.
05-04 How do I use the Search capabilities on IBM.com?
For an overview of the Search system, you can reference the Search site tour at:
http://www-3.ibm.com/software/support/viewlet/swsearch/sw_search1_viewlet_swf.html
Once a search has been run, a count of the records is found listed in the dark blue
bar, just above the records found. To further isolate to the information needed,
additional keywords, using the categories, or types of support features from the
search results page, will reduce the list of records found.
05-05 Where can I find Product Downloads?
On each product page under the self help section, a link will be found if downloads
for that product exist. Once this is selected, further isolation can be done using
the search results page features. Downloads are also searchable from the IBM Software
Support page, using the center column "Downloads" link under the Support Search bar.
Once the results list for downloads is displayed, you can use isolation features that
will limit hits to only a certain Operating System, or only to the application at a
certain version / release level.
05-06 Are FAQ's documented online?
A: We have received a number of questions about 'How to find' or 'How to use' content
or features on the new support location. To help provide a available reference for
these questions, Tivoli is maintaining a Support Site FAQ page . This link is
http://www-3.ibm.com/software/sysmgmt/products/support/Support_Site_FAQ.html
--
Mark Stapleton ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
