Central Backup at DESY

The Backup System

Since 1994 , IBM's ITSM (IBM Tivoli® Storage Manager, formerly: TSM, ADSM, DFDSM, WDSF) is used at DESY as central backup system on multi-user-systems/platforms. It is a pure client/server application and uses TCP/IP as communication protocol.

Every Tuesday is the regular maintenance slot for all backup server.

How to Restore a File from the Backup System?

From any local TSM/ADSM node to start the TSM GUI enter:

dsm

press the Restore button and select your file.
Alternatively you can restore a specific file under the current pwd via TSM CLI (command-line interface), simple restore example:

dsmc restore scan.tex

Restore an AFS file (user or group) quick from the ~/.OldFiles/ directory or from the DESY AFS TSM GUI via:

dsm_afs (or /products/adsm/bin/dsm_afs)

please press the Restore button and select your file,
or with the DESY AFS TSM CLI (command-line interface), example:

dsmc_afs restore /afs/desy.de/user/a/anyusername/.netscape/bookmarks.html
or
/products/adsm/bin/dsmc_afs restore /afs/desy.de/user/a/anyusername/.netscape/bookmarks.html

ATTENTION: only such AFS files which are readable by system:administrators will be stored in the TSM backup node AFSFILE. AFS setacl example:

fs setacl -dir private -acl system:administrators rlidwka

More usefully dsmc or dsmc_afs commands can be found under: restore examples

Restore Windows XP files on the new WIN domain: please use "Previous Versions" on your directory.
Shadow copy help: http://adweb.desy.de/Doku/ShadowCopy.doc 
Restore Windows NT/XP files from the old DESYNT domain, or older files versions from both (win.desy and DESYNT): please send a request via email to windows@desy.de

Restore a Outlook/Exchange ntmail.desy.de INBOX file or folder files,
or Unix mail server mail.desy.de/imap.desy.de INBOX files
please send a request via email to mailmaster@desy.de

Further details of the TSM/ADSM-V5-RESTORE feature can be found under
Restoring TSM V5 Backup Files ,
also available in the self-service area of the computer center.

For any kinds of questions: please contact the UCO or send a mail to uco@desy.de

Which Files are Backed Up? The Backup Policy/Rules

Backups are made for:

• user data on centrally or general managed multi-user systems ( AFS, Windows, Linux, ...)
• general, centrally managed multi-user databases ( SAP/R3, Oracle, OSM, Objectivity, Mail, MS-Exchange, ...)
• and for other important data on clients (only on special request, closed registration).
  A complete overview of all TSM/ADSM nodes see under: nodes.
  Please ask the local system administrator for details.

The Backup System consists of a Backup Server and several Backup Clients. DESY-IT group takes full TSM policy responsibility for the Backup Server. The administrators, member of the Information Fabrics (INFA) Group of IT tsm.service@desy.de is responsible for full support of all TSM server components. Additionally we helps with the TSM client configuration as well as with defining files-space (domain,filtering).

Every Backup Client has a local administrator , who also takes some responsibilities. It is the local administrator who has to define the requirements of mission-critical data and user data and has to check the success of the backup on his Client or Server.

Backup technique:

All backup clients must be online 24 hours a day and will be backed up automatically during the night. When a file space is backed up for the first time, a full backup of the entire file system is created. After that only incremental backups are made, meaning that only modified and new files are copied.
The clients need a 10Mb-Ethernet, 100Mb-Ethernet, or 1Gb-Ethernet adapter and must be registered in the DESY names-server.
When the scheduled backup time for a client is reached, the backup-server activates the TSM/ADSM scheduler process which is running permanently on this client. Some data is compressed in the client's memory (CPU consuming) and then stored by the TSM on tape cartridges STK9840 in a tape library STK Powderhorn.
The normal backup policy for public machines is: incremental backup every night, i.e. 7 times/week (other backup policies are possible, e.g. 1 times/week).
After all backups are done, the TSM server migrates the data from write-disk-cache to tape, every morning/day.
The TSM server holds up to 20 versions of a backed up file. Removed files are expired from the ``ACTIVE'' mode during the nightly incremental backup. After file deletion, TSM retains the last 10 file versions 100 days. The last file version will be held 200 days in an ``INACTIVE'' status.
The node administrators should monitor the TSM/ADSM scheduler log and the mounts and status of the backup file spaces, as well as ensure the proper operation of the ADSM backup system on their nodes. There are some usefully hints to help TSM/ADSM node administrators.
A backup filter is active: TSM/ADSM ignores e.g. all kinds of /tmp files and all .netscape/cache with the help of a file filter pattern. If a user or administrator knows of other files or file types which do not need backups, they should ask for an extension to the node backup filter file (only root user access).

Current Status of 7 TSM Backup server at DESY (Jan 2010)

Online help for the usage of TSM/ADSM is available with the CLI commands: dsmc help or dsmc_afs help ,
or starts the GUI interface with dsm or dsm_afs , and press there the "Help" or "Getting button".

With the dsmc q fi command you will see the last successful incremental backup date/time of the file-space on your node.

Further details of the TSM/ADSM-V5-RESTORE feature can be found under Restoring TSM V5 Backup Files .

The publications are available in the UCO self-service area of the computer center.