The Managed System for SAN feature provides a function called LAN-free data movement. LAN-free data movement shifts the movement of TSM client data from the communications network to a storage area network (SAN). The SAN provides a path that lets Tivoli Storage Manager back up and restore client data directly to and from SAN-attached storage. This storage on the SAN is managed by the TSM server and shared between the server and client. The client and the server communicate over the LAN. The server controls the device on the SAN. Client data moves over the SAN to the device via a storage agent on the client system. See Figure 1.
Figure 1. SAN Data Movement. Solid lines indicate data movement. Broken lines indicate movement of control information and metadata.
![]() |
TSM continues to use your existing LAN connection to exchange control information, such as policy information and data about the objects that are backed up. Using the SAN for client data movement decreases the load on the TSM server processor and allows the server to support a greater number of simultaneous client connections.
Use of the Managed System for SAN feature requires the installation of a storage agent on the client system. The storage agent communicates with the server to obtain and store database information and to coordinate device and volume access. The server determines if the client is requesting access to storage for which the client has a SAN path defined. If a SAN path is defined, the client (via the storage agent) transfers data on that path. If a failure occurs on the SAN path, the client uses its LAN connection to the TSM server and moves the client data over the LAN.
SAN data movement uses TSM SAN tape library sharing and a TSM server defined as a library manager. This library manager manages the storage hierarchy and performs such server function as storage pool migrations, reclamation, collocation, and backup and restore of storage pools and the database.
The following outlines a typical backup scenario for a TSM client that uses SAN data movement:
For a client using LAN-free data movement, the destination is a storage pool that uses a device on the SAN. That device must also be mapped for the client.