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Administrator's Guide
You can use external removable media management software to help manage TSM
tape and optical media. Removable media managers provide extended media
control and automation to TSM, which primarily specializes in managing
data. One of the supported removable media managers is Removable
Storage Manager (RSM) (Windows 2000 only). RSM includes a Microsoft
Management Console snap-in that provides a common interface for tracking
removable storage media, and managing storage devices.
The principal value of using these media managers with TSM is the improved
capability to share multiple devices with other applications. RSM
requires some additional administrative overhead, which may be justified by
the savings from sharing expensive hardware like automated libraries.
TSM also provides a programming interface that allows you to use a variety
of external programs to control TSM media. See Appendix A, External Media Management Interface Description for a complete description of this interface. See Using an External Media Manager to Control Your Media for TSM setup information.
The following topics are covered in this section:
TSM works cooperatively with removable media managers to control
storage. Media managers help TSM make better use of media
resources. While TSM tracks and manages client data, the removable
media manager labels, catalogs, and tracks physical volumes. The media
manager also controls libraries, drives, slots, and doors.
To use a media manager with TSM, you must define a TSM library that
represents the media manager. Defining these libraries is similar to
defining any other type of library to TSM, except that in this case, the
library does not represent a physical device. Different library types
are required for RSM control and External Media Management Interface
control.
- RSM
- RSM library definition is not device-based, but is instead based on media
type. When you define the library, a media type is specified.
The media manager will assume control of all volumes that match the specified
media type when the volumes are injected into a library controlled by the
media manager. See Setting up RSM Device Control.
- Note:
- For specific information about installing and configuring RSM, see the
Windows 2000 online help.
- External Media Management Interface
- The External Media Management Interface uses the EXTERNAL library
type. The EXTERNAL library type does not map to a device or media type,
but instead specifies the installed path of the external media manager.
See Using an External Media Manager to Control Your Media.
Administrators set up media management when they define RSM libraries to
TSM. Libraries to be controlled by RSM must also be defined to the
Windows RSM service. Normally, this will occur at system boot time when
RSM will claim all supported removable media devices.
The following tasks are required to set up RSM media management:
When the RSM service is started, it will automatically take control of all
eligible storage devices. For a device to be eligible for RSM
control:
- A Windows driver must be installed for the device, and
- The TSM device driver cannot have already claimed the device
RSM relies on native device drivers for drive support. This
requires that you explicitly control the acquisition of devices by device
drivers to use these media managers with TSM. You must either disable
the TSM device driver or add devices to be controlled by the media manager to
the TSM Device Exclude List before starting the RSM service. See Selecting a Device Driver.
It is recommended that you use the TSM Device Configuration Wizard to
define RSM libraries. For example:
- From the TSM Console, expand the tree for the machine you are
configuring.
- Click Wizards, then double click Device
Configuration in the right pane. The Device Configuration
Wizard appears.
- Follow the instructions in the wizard.
This procedure creates the following TSM storage objects:
- An RSM library
- An associated device class with a device type of GENERICTAPE
- An associated storage pool
When you create and configure an RSM library, typically with the TSM Device
Configuration Wizard, TSM directs RSM to create:
- A top-level media pool called Tivoli Storage Manager
- A second-level TSM server instance pool
Under the Tivoli Storage Manager media pool, TSM creates two storage pools
that are media-type specific. The first pool is associated with the
automated library and the second pool with an import media pool.
An RSM media pool is analogous to a directory or folder. The names
of the volumes in the pool are listed in the folder. The volumes
contain TSM data. RSM retains information that maps physical media to
devices.
To add media to an RSM-controlled library, you must activate the Microsoft
Management Console (MMC) snap-in for RSM, open Removable Storage, and then
request door access. Normally, the library door is locked by
RSM.
On RSM:
|
- Click Start > Programs >
Administrative Tools > Computer
Management.
- In the console tree under Storage , double-click
Removable Storage.
To request door access:
- Double-click Physical Location.
- Click on the applicable library, and then select Door
Access.
- When prompted, open the door.
|
You can use the library door to insert and remove media. After media
are injected and the library door is closed, RSM automatically inventories the
device. If the new media matches the media type for a defined RSM
library, RSM labels the media and adds it to one of the following media pools
in that library:
- Free Pool for RSM
- This pool is used to track previously unlabeled media. Free pool
media are assumed to be empty or to contain invalid data. Media in free
pools are available for use by any application. You must provide an
adequate supply of media in the free or scratch pool to satisfy mount
requests. When TSM needs media, RSM obtains it from the scratch
pool. RSM manages the media from that point.
- Import Pool
- This pool is used to track previously labeled media that is recognized by
a particular application in the RSM-controlled storage management
system. Media in import pools can be allocated by any application,
including the application that originally labeled it. To safeguard
data, it is recommended that you move these volumes to the
application-specific import pool.
- Unrecognized Pool
- This pool is used to track previously labeled media that are not
recognized by any application in the RSM-controlled storage management
system. Unrecognized pool volumes cannot be allocated by any
application, and require administrator intervention to correct labeling or
program errors. Normally, volumes in the Unrecognized Pool would be
moved to the Free Pool for later application use.
- Note:
- You can use the Properties dialog to view the attributes of any volume in the
Free, Import, or Unrecognized pools.
The following example defines an RSM library for an 8mm autochanger device
containing two drives:
- Define a library for the RSM-managed device. For example:
define library astro libtype=rsm mediatype="8mm AME"
Notes:
- Specify the library type as libtype=rsm for RSM.
- Use the RSM documentation to determine the value to use for the media
type.
- Enclose the media type within quotation marks if it contains embedded
blanks.
- Define a device class for the RSM library with a device type of
GENERICTAPE. The MOUNTLIMIT parameter specifies the number of drives in
the library.
- Note:
- For storage environments in which devices are shared across applications,
MOUNTRETENTION and MOUNTWAIT settings must be carefully considered.
These parameters determine how long an idle volume remains in a drive and the
timeout value for mount requests. Because RSM will not dismount an
allocated drive to satisfy pending requests, you must tune these parameters to
satisfy competing mount requests while maintaining optimal system
performance.
define devclass 8MMCLASS1 devtype=generictape library=rsmlib
format=drive mountretention=5 mountwait=10 mountlimit=2
- Define a storage pool for the device class.
define stgpool 8MMPOOL1 8MMCLASS1 maxscratch=500
The External Media Management API lets you use external media manager
software to control your media (see Appendix A, External Media Management Interface Description for details about the interface).
The following sample procedure, describes how to set up an 8mm automated
tape library to use the External Media Management Interface with a media
manager. You cannot use the Device Configuration Wizard to set up an
external library.
- Set up the media manager to interface with TSM. For more
information, see Appendix A, External Media Management Interface Description.
- Define a library whose library type is EXTERNAL, and define a path
to the media manager executable. For example:
define library medman libtype=external
define path server1 medman srctype=server desttype=library
externalmanager=c:\server\mediamanager.exe
- Define a device class for the EXTERNAL library with a device type of
8MM. For example:
define devclass class1 devtype=8mm library=medman mountretention=5 mountlimit=2
- The MOUNTLIMIT parameter specifies the number of drives in the
library.
- The MOUNTRETENTION parameter determines how long an idle volume
remains in a drive.If the library is shared among applications, this
setting is especially important. Some media managers will not dismount
an allocated drive to satisfy pending requests. You should set the
mount retention period to balance competing mount requests and system
performance.
- Define a storage pool for the device class. For example:
define stgpool pool1 class1 maxscratch=500
- Associate client nodes with the new storage pool by defining a new policy
domain or by updating an existing policy domain
Managing media in an external library differs from managing media in a
library controlled by Tivoli Storage Manager:
- You do not need to check in and label media in external libraries.
Those media are not tracked in the TSM volume inventory, and the media manager
handles labeling. However, you must ensure that an adequate supply of
blank media are available.
- If you are using Tivoli Disaster Recovery Manager, you can use the MOVE
DRMEDIA command to issue an operator request to remove the media from the
library. For more information, see Chapter 25, Using Tivoli Disaster Recovery Manager.
- You should not migrate media from a TSM SCSI library to an external
library. Instead, use external media management on a new TSM
configuration or when defining externally managed devices to TSM.
- Deleting externally managed storage pools requires that you delete any
volumes associated with the TSM library. When the library is deleted,
the externally managed storage pool associated with that library is also
deleted. For more information, see Deleting a Storage Pool Volume with Data.
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Procedures for removing devices from media manager control vary, depending
on the media manager:
- For RSM-managed devices
- Devices may be removed from media manager control by modifying the device
configuration to allow the ADSMSCSI device driver to claim the devices before
RSM. For more information, see Selecting a Device Driver.
- For other external media managers
- Refer to the specific management product's documentation set.
It is possible that error conditions may cause the TSM volume database and
the media manager's volume database to become unsynchronized. The
most likely symptom of this problem is that the volumes in the media
manager's database are not known to TSM, and thus not available for
use. You should verify the TSM volume list and any disaster recovery
media. If volumes not identified to TSM are found, use the media
manager interface to deallocate and delete the volumes.
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