Problems Faced By IBM Tivoli Storage Manager and the Solutions

The IBM Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) is customizable and flexible like most of the organization’s backup tools, but care must be taken while configuring TSM to prevent unsuitable settings that could contribute to the inefficiency of TSM processing and thereby lead to errors. The following are some of the backup errors experienced during Tivoli Storage manager (TSM) training.

1. Database backups and recovery log size

Problem:

The foremost back up error of Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) is the inadequate size of recovery logs. The function of the recovery log is to restore a failed database from its last backup and the transactions recorded in the recovery log by the TSM are applied to the recovered database to restore it to its latest state known as the roll-forward mode. If the recovery log attains full capacity prior to the next database backup, the TSM server halts and stops receiving new transactions.

Cause of error:

• This error occurs due to poor monitoring of activity.


• Failure in database backups.

Solution:

• Increasing the size of the recovery log to 128GB, present in the latest TSM version of 6.1 from 13GB.


• The availability of enough scratch tapes for database backups should be ensured along with monitoring of the database backup success and recovery of log utilization is a must.

2.Undersized primary disk storage pools

Problem:

The problem of undersized storage disks results in delay in backup and missed backup windows. Once the disk pool attains the high usage threshold it begins to automatically shift data to the assigned tape pool resulting in the delay of the backup process.

Cause:

• Undersize of the primary storage disk and inadequate tape devices which would result in jamming of the backup sessions that would employ the resources as they become available. Profoundly undersized storage disks result in failure of the backup session’s altogether.

Solution:

• Increase the disk space to the capacity of holding as much data as would be directed to them during backup window.


• To design backup servers to back up the tape devices directly and bypass the storage disks.

3. Expiration process

Problem:

The expiration process vacates the storage pools capacity by indicating files for removal once a predetermined retention stage is reached .In order to handle the capacity of the database;itmakes the database free of entries. In larger TSM environments, the expiration process is sometimes not allowed to finish which results in the creation of new database records and ultimately slows down the expiration process.

Causes:

• The deletion of an appreciable amount of backup data.


• Resource-constrained TSM database or server that has reached beyond a size that cannot be handled for one TSM server.

Solution:

• Monitoring the server performance to detect issues so that it does not affect the daily TSM processing.


• Installing a second TSM server in large work environments.

4. Inadequate Tape Check-Out Procedures

Problem:

The problem of loss of data occurs in an event of natural calamities like floods, fires, tornadoes, hurricanes etc.

Cause:

• The lack of a properly configured TSM environment that supports the checking out of tapes on a regular basis and the tapes are checked out once a week instead in many organizations.

Solution:

• The primary storage pool data should be backed up on a daily basis and sent off-site to the vault. Tapes should be ejected from the library on a daily basis and sent to the vault if RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) of 24 hours is required.


• If tape media handling is not feasible on a regular basis, then a remote replication solution with disk-based, TSM native or VTL should be considered.

5. Maximum Concurrent Sessions

Problem:

 The problem of loss of data occurs due to inadequate backing up.

Cause:

• The addition of too many new back up clients to a TSM environment at a time.

Solution:

• This issue can be handled by adequate and regular monitoring.

Thus by following the above mentioned suggestions a harmonious environment in the office can be created with optimum training of TSM.