Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Setting Up A Secondary TSM Instance

Someone requested a post on how to setup a secondary instance of TSM on a UNIX server so here is the skinny on how that is setup:

First create a directory where the config files for the new server will be stored.

mkdir /usr/tivoli/tsm/serverb
mkdir /usr/tivoli/tsm/serverb/bin

then copy the dsmserv.opt over and modify the needed settings in it like devconfig and volhist to save in the new dir.  Then create DB and Log volumes that this instance will use. Once those are created you need to export the following environmental variables:

export DSMSERV_CONFIG=/usr/tivoli/tsm/serverb/bin/dsmserv.opt
export DSMSERV_DIR=/usr/tivoli/tsm/serverb/bin
export DSMSERV_ACCOUNTING_DIR=/usr/tivoli/tsm/serverb/bin

Now you can run the dsmserv format command to initialize the DB and Log volumes and it will create the dsmserv.dsk in the serverb directory.  Make sure you run the dsmserv runfile commands to load the scripts and webimages (even if TSM 5.3).  The final step is to create the startup script so that TSM initializes correctly.  Here is our script:

#!/bin/ksh

exec > /tmp/libserv.out 2>&1  #optional -> sends output to out file

ulimit -d unlimited

export DSMSERV_CONFIG=/usr/tivoli/tsm/serverb/bin/dsmserv.opt
export DSMSERV_DIR=/usr/tivoli/tsm/serverb/bin
export DSMSERV_ACCOUNTING_DIR=/usr/tivoli/tsm/serverb/bin

print "$(date '+%D %T') Starting Tivoli Storage Manager Server"
cd /usr/tivoli/tsm/serverb/bin

dsmserv

We use the following command to start TSM so we don’t have to deal with nohup:

echo “/usr/tivoli/tsm/serverb/bin/rc.adsmserv” | at now

This uses the at command to run the script immediately.  You can then edit the inittab and place a line in to start this instance on boot or put a script in the run level startup folders, your choice.  You should now be ready to run the second instance.  One note to those thinking of doing this and sharing a library, Tivoli recommends that you create a TSM instance to be just a library manager, no clients, no real work other than handling the library and tape mounts.  I agree with this and it has been a lot easier to manage and handle library issues.  Not knowing how large the DB could get I gave it 2GB and it is currently 3.8% utilized, and it has been in place for over a year and a half. Swapping a library manager from one system to another is not as hard as it would seem so consider it and if anyone wants docs on how to do the switch let me know I’ll post it.    

6 comments:

  1. Hello, Chad! Maybe you can help me with this? The question is: Is it possible to backup Exchange 2003 with TSM using Volume Shadow Copy?
    All I found in docs and redbooks - there is possibility to backup System State and System Services via VSS in TSM 5.2. But I am need to backup Exchange. If yes, then how?

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  2. I know of no way VSC can be used to backup Exchange. My first question is why would you want to use VSC over the TDP? The TDP provides a better method for backing up and restoring the Exchange DB's. Also with the new features in Exchange 2003 you should have a certain amount of restorability from within Exchange itself.

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  3. Thank for your reply, Chad! I dont want to use VSC over TDP at all. I just want to use VSC in any possible way. If its not possible - I want to be sure about it.

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  4. After a little more consideration I went and found some more info on the VCS and one of the first references was how it can work in conjunction with backup tools to facilitate Exchange DB backups. I don't think in itself it is capable of doing any backup of Exchange but the TDP could use it to perform its backup. I am not sure but I think the current TDP does not take advantage of the VCS, but probably will in the next release.

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  5. Yes, this is the feature I am looking for. Many other backup soft (such as Legato Networker for example) support this type of Exchange backup already. And I believed that TSM support it too. I know that TDP itself does not provide VCS functionality, but I assumed that maybe it is possible via some plugin or patch or something like this. Thank you once again, Chad! :)

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  6. Chad,

    It would be appreicated if you can send me the docs on sharing library manager. We currently have two TSM instances, and the LM is part of the first instance.
    We would like info to seperate the LM from the first instance and put it into an third TSM instance which performs dedicated LM activity.

    Thanks

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