Tape consolidation using BRMS on Systemi
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Aktay05
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Tape consolidation using BRMS on Systemi
AS/400 backup and recovery, AS/400, iSeries, AS/400 backup
How can I consolidate backup tapes across different LPARS using BRMS on OS/400 V5R3? We are using IBM 3584 tape library with 12 drives used by 15 LPARS. I want to consolidate daily incremental backups so that one tape can be used by 3 or 4 LPARS on a daily basis.
ASKED: Sep 9 2009  3:35 PM GMT
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Whatis23
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I'm not familiar with the tape model you are using. Can all 15 LPARs "see" the device simulaneously without having to varyoff/on and save to the 12 drives during the same time frame?
I configured our LTO4 with 2 drives as different devices on 2 iSeries.
BRMS will backup both machines at the same time. If there is a tape issue, the night operator will move the other tape (upon completion) to the failed drive and complete the backup. So it is possible to consolidate backups on a single cartridge. Just expire the tape so it can be reused.
Last Answered: Sep 10 2009  4:44 PM GMT by Whatis23   4040 pts.
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Pdraebel   865 pts.  |   Sep 11 2009  7:51AM GMT

I have been trying to do something similar (sharing a tape between LPAR’s) but have not succeeded. It seems that BRMS will not take a tape from another system.
What do you mean by seeing the device simultaneously by LPAR’s. Is the hardware resource shared among LPAR’s ? Or do you use some virtual tape drive pointing at the other LPAR ?

 

Lovemyi   1470 pts.  |   Sep 11 2009  2:22PM GMT

By using a tape library with a Fiber Switch to the tape drives, each iSeries machine can see all the tape drives if zoned properly to the switch. System A can only see tape drives 1 - 15, system B can only see tape drives 1 - 15, system C can only see tape drives 1 - 15, etc. This way the tape library actually handles the allocating/deallocating of the tape drives and when a backup seeks a tape drive, it then checks for the first tape drive in the tape library list and if it is busy moves on to the next tape drive and checks that one until it finds an available tape drive to use.

This process works extremely well.

However that being said, I do not know of a way for BRMS to allow a tape to be added to accross systems even if the tape is known to all systems and is part of a shared pool.

You might want to call IBM support and ask them how to accomplish this.

Lovemyi

 

Whatis23   4040 pts.  |   Sep 11 2009  5:39PM GMT

BRMS will let you add to an already saved to tape on another system. We have to do this once or twice a month due to operator/tape/mechanical error.
The tape has to be enrolled in BRMS on each system (ADDMEDBRM).
The tape has to be listed as expired on the next system or BRMS will not let you write to it.
After the SAVLIBBRM completes on the first system, DO NOT use SAVLIBBRM for the next save on the next system. If you are saving to a BRMS volume that is expired, BRMS will begin writing information at the beginning of the volume, even though you have specified *END. So the trick is to use the OS SAVLIB command instead, specifying *END.

 

Whatis23   4040 pts.  |   Sep 11 2009  5:46PM GMT

As long as the tape is enrolled in the media inventory (WRKMEDBRM), it will still record the activity to the tape regardless of what command is used.
Here is an example of what that will look like (option 13 in WRKMEDBRM):

WRKDBF 8/31/09 23:05:26 *FILE ASM006 307 9/01/09
ZZLMIBLOCK 8/31/09 23:05:29 *FILE ASM006 308 9/01/09
QDOC 8/31/09 23:05:36 *FILE ASM006 309 9/01/09
*LABEL 8/31/09 23:06:20 *FILE ASM006 310 9/01/09
QGPL 9/01/09 0:13:07 *FILE ASM006 311 *PERM
QUSRSYS 9/01/09 0:27:40 *FILE ASM006 312 *PERM

From QGPL on down, SAVLIB was used on the next system and it picked up after the end of file marker (*LABEL) from the SAVLIBBRM on the other system.

 
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