I have to preface any statements I make here with the following disclosure: I work for EMC, and worked for Data Domain before EMC acquired us. This hopefully will not be construed as any sort of advertising.
I have been involved in a number of Data Domain/TSM implementations over the last couple of years. I don't know the exact number off the top of my head, but there are a lot of folks out there using FILE device class via NFS. I see a lot of advantages with FILE device class, especially with 5.5 and the ability to do multiple mounts of a single volume for read access, but you do have to weigh the potential issues of network problems and how NFS behaves. We have recently had a customer open a PMR with IBM about TSM 5 to get an official response from IBM. Unfortunately, (in my opinion) the question to IBM was not optimally stated - the question and response appeared to confuse TSM DISK class storage pools with FILE device class - at least the distinction in the answer wasn't clear to me. I'd agree that TSM DB, LOG and DISK device class storage are not optimal on NFS for version 5. FILE device class over NFS works, and works well - in my experience. That said, I don't see any advantage for IBM to make any statement about NFS support - the primary IBM offering that competes with Data Domain storage doesn't offer an NFS option so far as I'm aware. I'm not suggesting there is an ulterior motive in the vague responses we have gotten, but that's just my take. Play to your strengths :) I can't see IBM saying they don't support NFS for version 6 for DB or LOG volumes for TSM 6 - DB2 specifically supports NFS as storage, and since the DB behind TSM 6 is DB2 ... It will be interesting to see how that plays out. Dale Jolliff - (Not speaking for anyone but myself.) -----Original Message----- From: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of David McClelland Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2010 7:18 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [ADSM-L] FILE Device class over NFS I couldn't see the original posting in this thread, but I'm interested - the only TSM statement I could find in the docs which looks like it might be NFS-related was: "Tivoli Storage Manager supports the use of remote file systems or drives for reading and writing storage pool data, database backups, and other data operations. Remote file systems in particular may report successful writes, even after being configured for synchronous operations. This mode of operation causes data integrity issues if the file system can fail after reporting a successful write. Check with the vendor of your file system to ensure that flushes are performed to nonvolatile storage in a synchronous manner." (http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/tivihelp/v1r1/topic/com.ibm.itsmai xn.doc/anragd5582.htm#disksub1020) Anyone else seen anything else that addresses NFS support specifically? //DMc -----Original Message----- From: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Richard Rhodes Sent: 04 August 2010 12:27 To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [ADSM-L] FILE Device class over NFS We don't do this . . .we don't even have a DD (or any other dedup system). But my team lead went to a TSM users group meeting were she found several companies doing NFS to a DD. bkupmstr <tsm-fo...@backup CENTRAL.COM> To Sent by: "ADSM: [email protected] Dist Stor cc Manager" <[email protected] Subject .EDU> FILE Device class over NFS 08/04/2010 12:20 AM Please respond to [email protected]. EDU Ever get an answer to this one Dale. I guess it wouldn't bode to well for DD if IBM came right out and stated that they don't support it? Hmm +---------------------------------------------------------------------- |This was sent by [email protected] via Backup Central. |Forward SPAM to [email protected]. +----------------------------------------------------------------------
