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Thread: RMAN and TSM on Windows

  1. #1
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    RMAN and TSM on Windows

    Hi

    I have a question following a weird discussion with my system administrators.
    During a meeting about our backup and recovery strategy, I have been told they need to know the exact filename of all backupsets that will be need and used by RMAN prior to any rman commands.
    Here is the picture
    One daily backup. Backups tapes are removed from the robot every 2 days.
    What will happen if I want to perform a PITR of a DB at its state 5 days before. I thought that TSM would prompt for a tape (with a TSM tape Id).
    Imagine my surprise when they told me that TSM won't say anything, won't do anythhing and will just log an error into one of its files.

    Is that true ?
    Is there any possibilities to have TSM ask for the proper tape ??

    Thanks

    Latyr

  2. #2
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    Depends. Are you backing directly to tape or are you dumping to disk first?
    Jeff Hunter

  3. #3
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    We are backing directly to tape using TSM Oracle TDP.

  4. #4
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    RMAN will request the tape via the media manager. Your media manager will then handle the tapes. If your TSM guys are telling you it will return an error, I would tend to believe them...
    Jeff Hunter

  5. #5
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    We use TSM/TDP and I would question what your Sys Admin is telling you! What good would a tape system be if it could only restore from 2 days ago??? TSM can set policies on how long to keep data. Our procedure is to delete from RMAN after 30 days. But TSM has a policy to keep the file on TAPE for 35 days after that - just in case.

    Another question - why are they removing tapes after 2 days - is it so they can be taken off-site, or is it because they don't have room?

    If I were you - I'd test the PITR. Just to know for sure. But my hunch is that it will prompt for a tape.

    Let us know what you find out!

    Jodie

  6. #6
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    Re: RMAN and TSM on Windows

    Originally posted by Latyr
    Hi

    I have a question following a weird discussion with my system administrators.
    During a meeting about our backup and recovery strategy, I have been told they need to know the exact filename of all backupsets that will be need and used by RMAN prior to any rman commands.
    Here is the picture
    One daily backup. Backups tapes are removed from the robot every 2 days.
    What will happen if I want to perform a PITR of a DB at its state 5 days before. I thought that TSM would prompt for a tape (with a TSM tape Id).
    Imagine my surprise when they told me that TSM won't say anything, won't do anythhing and will just log an error into one of its files.

    Is that true ?
    Is there any possibilities to have TSM ask for the proper tape ??

    Thanks

    Latyr
    Hi Latyr

    The TSM would prompt you for the tape to be inserted .You can test this yourself.However please read jodies advice carefully i think you should go with retention policy as suggested by jodie which makes more sense and is more practical.



    regards
    Hrishy

  7. #7
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    Hi everyone,

    Thanks for all this information.
    I have an RMAN retention policy defined (thanks to Jodie for the scripts). And I have tested PITR from a disk with success.
    My major problem is relationnal.
    The system admins are seeing me as a threat for their ass. I am young, I have Oracle, SQL Server, Linux and Windows competencies. Not an expert but I know a bit of each.
    They have only competencies in Windows.
    When I came in that companie I have suggested to my management to move from Windows to Linux for Oracle. Still that day it's a war.
    All my decisions or suggestions are contested and even my competencies are put in doubt.

    Tpaes are removed after 2 days to be taken in a safe and then after a week they are taken off-site.

    So to come back to the current problem.
    If I understand, if I want to restore a file that have been backup to a tape by TSM,
    1/ In RMAN issue my restore/recover command
    2/ RMAN will ask the file to TSM.
    3/ If the tape is available TSM will restore the file. If the tape isn't available, TSM will prompt for the tape.
    Questions
    a/ How ?
    b/ Is there a special parameter or configuration to set to achieve that ?
    c/ Does any one know a link to simple documentation (as I am not a Tivoli expert) ?

  8. #8
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    Originally posted by Latyr
    I have an RMAN retention policy defined (thanks to Jodie for the scripts). And I have tested PITR from a disk with success.
    :
    Tpaes are removed after 2 days to be taken in a safe and then after a week they are taken off-site.

    So to come back to the current problem.
    If I understand, if I want to restore a file that have been backup to a tape by TSM,
    1/ In RMAN issue my restore/recover command
    2/ RMAN will ask the file to TSM.
    3/ If the tape is available TSM will restore the file. If the tape isn't available, TSM will prompt for the tape.
    Questions
    a/ How ?
    b/ Is there a special parameter or configuration to set to achieve that ?
    c/ Does any one know a link to simple documentation (as I am not a Tivoli expert) ?
    Your backups are "known" to TSM until you delete them from RMAN. (I'm assuming you're allocating a delete channel to TSM) So, until you delete them, you should be able to pull them back. If your admins have pulled the tape, TSM will prompt for it. I'm sure there is a console in your computer room... It will probably prompt there.

    Do you have access to query what's in TSM? If not, get it. It's usually through a website... your admins just have to grant you access. You should have the right to this so you can look and make sure your backups are there, etc. Once you get this, you can query to see your backups, their size, etc. This is important because you want to make sure your backups are there, and that they are deleted when you tell them to. We have had the problem in the past where we run the delete, but TSM gets confused and doesn't mark it deleted. But RMAN doesn't know about it. This will cause TSM to hold on to the tape and not put it back as a scratch tape. It can get ugly. (RMAN has a utility to clean this up, but you need to know that's it's happened)

    You really need to develop a good relationship with your admins and find out exactly what they are doing. Removing the tapes after 2 days seems a little strange to me? How do they recover them for scratch? You can't just reuse a tape, it has to be marked for scratch, and it won't do this till the files are deleted on TSM. Don't try to be confrontational when you talk to them. Approach them and ask them for help in understanding their process. It will go a long way to building a better relationship. If they see you as a "know it all" they won't be eager to share what they are doing. Asking them to help you, will hopefully soften their attitude. You need to find out what they are doing and why, so try to play nice!

    As for documentation, go out to ibm.com and search for "Tivoli TDP Oracle" You'll get all kinds of stuff.

    Good luck!
    Jodie

  9. #9
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    Originally posted by jodie
    Your backups are "known" to TSM until you delete them from RMAN. (I'm assuming you're allocating a delete channel to TSM) So, until you delete them, you should be able to pull them back. If your admins have pulled the tape, TSM will prompt for it. I'm sure there is a console in your computer room... It will probably prompt there.
    That confirm what I thought. Thanks a lot for that information. Gonna do some search on big blue website.



    You really need to develop a good relationship with your admins (...). You need to find out what they are doing and why, so try to play nice!
    More than a 100% agree. Gonna keep doing my best. Going to be hard with the 2 specimens I have here

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