Tivoli Header

Administrator's Guide


Basic Policy Planning

Start out simply to plan your policy. You may be able to use the default policy that comes with the server. Ask the questions:

Examine the default policy to see if it meets your needs:

See The Standard Policy for more details about the standard policy.

The server manages files based on whether the files are active or inactive. The most current backup or archived copy of a file is the active version. All other versions are called inactive versions. An active version of a file becomes inactive when:

Policy determines how many inactive versions of files the server keeps, and for how long. When files exceed the criteria, the files expire. Expiration processing can then remove the files from the server database. See File Expiration and Expiration Processing and Running Expiration Processing to Delete Expired Files for details.

The Standard Policy

The standard policy consists of a standard policy domain, policy set, management class, backup copy group, and archive copy group. Each of these parts is named STANDARD. See The Parts of a Policy for details. The attributes of the default policy are as follows:

Table 18. Summary of Default Policy

Policy Object where the policy is set
Backup Policies
Files are backed up to the default disk storage pool, BACKUPPOOL. STANDARD backup copy group, DESTINATION parameter
An incremental backup is performed only if the file has changed since the last backup. STANDARD backup copy group, MODE parameter
Files cannot be backed up while they are being modified. STANDARD backup copy group, SERIALIZATION parameter
Up to two backup versions of a file on the client's system are retained in server storage. The most recent backup version is retained for as long as the original file is on the client file system. All other versions are retained for up to 30 days after they become inactive. STANDARD backup copy group, the following parameters:

VEREXISTS

RETEXTRA

RETONLY

One backup version of a file that has been deleted from the client's system is retained in server storage for 60 days. STANDARD backup copy group, VERDELETED parameter
When a backed up file is no longer associated with a backup copy group, it remains in server storage for 30 days (backup retention grace period). STANDARD policy domain, BACKRETENTION parameter
Archive Policies
Files are archived in the default disk storage pool, ARCHIVEPOOL. STANDARD archive copy group, DESTINATION parameter
Files cannot be archived while they are being modified. STANDARD archive copy group, SERIALIZATION parameter
An archive copy is kept for up to 365 days. STANDARD archive copy group, RETVER parameter
When an archived file is no longer associated with an archive copy group, it remains in server storage for 365 days (archive retention grace period). STANDARD policy domain, ARCHRETENTION parameter
General
The default management class is STANDARD. STANDARD policy set (ACTIVE), ASSIGN DEFMGMTCLASS command
Space Management (HSM) Policy
Client files are not space-managed (there are no HSM clients). STANDARD management class, SPACEMGTECHNIQUE parameter

Getting Users Started

When you register a client node, the default is to assign the node to the STANDARD policy domain. If users register their own workstations during open registration, they are also assigned to the STANDARD policy domain.

To help users take advantage of Tivoli Storage Manager, you can further tune the policy environment by doing the following:

Changing Policy

Some types of clients and situations require policy changes. For example, if you need to direct client data to storage pools different from the default storage pools, you need to change policy. Other situations may also require policy changes. See Configuring Policy for Specific Cases for details.

To change policy that you have established in a policy domain, you must replace the ACTIVE policy set. You replace the ACTIVE policy set by activating another policy set. Do the following:

  1. Create or modify a policy set so that it contains the policy that you want to implement.
    Note:
    You cannot directly modify the ACTIVE policy set. If you want to make a small change to the ACTIVE policy set, copy the policy to modify it and follow the steps here.
  2. Make any changes that you need to make to the management classes, backup copy groups, and archive copy groups in the new policy set. For details, see Defining and Updating a Management Class, Defining and Updating a Backup Copy Group, and Defining and Updating an Archive Copy Group.
  3. Validate the policy set. See Validating a Policy Set for details.
  4. Activate the policy set. The contents of your new policy set becomes the ACTIVE policy set. See Activating a Policy Set for details.

File Expiration and Expiration Processing

An expired file is a file that the server no longer needs to keep, according to policy. Files expire under the following conditions:

Note:
A base file is not eligible for expiration until all of its dependent subfiles have been expired. For details, see Expiration Processing of Base Files and Subfiles.

The server deletes expired files from the server database only during expiration processing. After expired files are deleted from the database, the server can reuse the space in the storage pools that was occupied by expired files. You should ensure that expiration processing runs periodically to allow the server to reuse space. See Reclaiming Space in Sequential Access Storage Pools and Running Expiration Processing to Delete Expired Files for more information.

Expiration processing also removes from the database any restartable restore sessions that exceed the time limit set for such sessions by the RESTOREINTERVAL server option. See Managing Client Restartable Restore Sessions for information about restartable restore sessions.


[ Top of Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Table of Contents | Index ]