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A backup set is a collection of backed-up data from one client, stored and managed as a single object on specific media in server storage. The server creates copies of active versions of a client's backed up objects that are within the one or more file spaces specified with the GENERATE BACKUPSET command, and consolidates them onto sequential media. Currently, the backup object types supported for backup sets include directories and files only. The process is also called instant archive.
The media may be directly readable by a device attached to a client's machine.
Administrators can generate multiple copies of backup sets that correspond to some point-in-time. The backup sets 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.
While an administrator can generate a backup set from any client's backed up files, backup sets can only be used by a backup-archive client.
See the following sections for details:
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 which a backup set is generated must be registered to the server. An incremental backup must be completed for a client node before the server can generate a backup set for the client node.
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.
See the following sections:
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.
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 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.
The server adds a unique suffix to the name you specify for the backup set. For example, if you name the backup set mybackupset, the server 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 for 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 from file space, D_drive, for client node JOHNSON. Name the backup set, PROJDATA and write it to volume, VOL1. Retain the backup set for 90 days. Volume VOL1 is to be read by a device assigned to the DCFILE device class.
generate backupset johnson projdata D_drive devtype=dcfile retention=90 volume=vol1
Backup-archive client nodes can restore their backup sets in either of two ways:
Backup sets can only be used by a backup-archive client, and only if the files in the backup set originated from a backup-archive client.
For more information about restoring backup sets, see Using the Backup-Archive Client guide for your particular operating system.
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 Tivoli Storage Manager 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. The purpose is to allow the user 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.
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
To view 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: | +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
A client's backup set can reside on more than one volume. 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. If a backup set spans several volumes, the server displays the command used to generate the backup set only with the first volume.
You can view this information when you use the QUERY VOLHISTORY command, with BACKUPSET specified as the volume type.
The following example shows how this particular client's backup set resides on three volumes, and the command used to generate the backup set is displayed with the first volume.
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Date/Time: 09/24/2001 07:34:06 PM | | Volume Type: BACKUPSET | | Backup Series: | |Backup Operation: | | Volume Seq: 1 | | Device Class: FILE | | Volume Name: 01334846.ost | | Volume Location: | | Command: gen backupset client57 testbs /home dev=file scratch=yes | | ret=2 desc="Client57 backupset" | | | | Date/Time: 09/24/2001 07:34:06 PM | | Volume Type: BACKUPSET | | Backup Series: | |Backup Operation: | | Volume Seq: 2 | | Device Class: FILE | | Volume Name: 01334849.ost | | Volume Location: | | Command: | | | | | | Date/Time: 09/24/2001 07:34:06 PM | | Volume Type: BACKUPSET | | Backup Series: | |Backup Operation: | | Volume Seq: 3 | | Device Class: FILE | | Volume Name: 01334850.ost | | Volume Location: | | Command: | +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
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 | | | +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
File space names and file names that can be in a different code page or locale than the server do not display correctly on the administrator's Web interface or the administrative command-line interface. The data itself is backed up and can be restored properly, but the file space or file name may display with a combination of invalid characters or blank spaces.
If the file space name is Unicode enabled, the name is converted to the server's code page for display. The results of the conversion for characters not supported by the current code page depends on the operating system. For names that Tivoli Storage Manager is able to partially convert, you may see question marks (??), blanks, unprintable characters, or "...". These characters indicate to the administrator that files do exist. If the conversion is not successful, the name is displayed as "...". Conversion can fail if the string includes characters that are not available in the server code page, or if the server has a problem accessing system conversion routines.
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 Tivoli Storage Manager 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