Tivoli Storage Manager for Windows Administrator's Guide


Preparing to Export or Import Data

Before you export or import data, do the following:

Using Preview before Exporting or Importing Data

TSM provides the PREVIEW option on the EXPORT and IMPORT commands. With PREVIEW=YES, the report shows how much data will be transferred without actually moving any data. With PREVIEW=NO, the export or import operation is performed.

Issue each EXPORT or IMPORT command with PREVIEW=YES to determine which objects and how much data will be moved. The server sends the following types of messages to the server console and to the activity log for each operation:

Export
Reports the types of objects, number of objects, and number of bytes that would be copied to sequential media volumes. Use this information to determine how many sequential media volumes you will need.

Import
Reports the number and types of objects found on the sequential media volumes that meet your import specifications. Also reports information about any detected problems, such as corrupted data. Use this information to determine which data to move to the server and to determine if you have enough storage pool space allocated on the server.

To determine how much space is required to export all server data, enter:

export server filedata=all preview=yes

After you issue this command, the server starts a background process and issues a message similar to the following:

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|EXPORT SERVER started as Process 4                                              |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

You can view the preview results on the server console or by querying the activity log.

You can request information about the background process, as described in Requesting Information about an Export or Import Process. If necessary, you can cancel an export or import process, as described in Canceling Server Processes.

Planning for Sequential Media Used to Export Data

To export data, you must specify a device class that supports sequential media and identify the volumes that will be used to store the exported data. Use this section to help you select the device classes and prepare sequential media volumes.

Selecting a Device Class

You can query the source and target servers to select a device class on each server that supports the same device type. If you cannot find a device class on each server that supports a matching device type, define a new device class for a device type that is available to both servers. See Chapter 7, Defining Device Classes.

Notes:

  1. If the mount limit for the device class selected is reached when you request an export (that is, if all the drives are busy), the server automatically cancels lower priority operations, such as reclamation, to make a mount point available for the export.

  2. You can export data to a storage pool on another server by specifying a device class whose device type is SERVER. For details, see Using Virtual Volumes to Store Data on Another Server.

Estimating the Number of Removable Media Volumes to Label

To estimate the number of removable media volumes needed to store export data, divide the number of bytes to be moved by the estimated capacity of a volume.

For example, you have 8mm tapes with an estimated capacity of 2472MB. If the preview shows that you need to transfer 4GB of data, then label at least two tape volumes before you export the data.

Using Scratch Media

TSM allows you to use scratch media to ensure that you have sufficient space to store all export data. If you use scratch media, record the label names and the order in which they were mounted. Or, use the USEDVOLUMELIST parameter on the export command to create a file containing the list of volumes used.

Labeling Removable Media Volumes

During an import process, you must specify the order in which removable media volumes will be mounted. This order must match the order in which volumes were mounted during the export process. To ensure that removable media volumes are mounted in the correct order, label the media with information that identifies the order in which they must be mounted during the import process. For example, label tapes as DSM001, DSM002, DSM003, and so on.

When you export data, record the date and time for each labeled volume. Store this information in a safe location, because you will need the information when you import the data. Or, if you used the USEDVOLUMELIST parameter on the export command, save the resulting file. This file can be used on the import command volumes parameter.


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