IBM Tivoli Storage Manager

IBM Tivoli Storage Manager
Developer(s) IBM
Stable release 7.1 / November 2013
Operating system cross-platform
Type backup
License Proprietary
Website www.ibm.com

IBM Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM or ITSM) is a centralized, policy-based, enterprise class, data backup and recovery package. The software enables the user to insert objects not only via backup, but also through space management and archive tools. It also allows retrieval of the same data via similar restore, recall, and retrieve methods.

This product is part of the IBM TotalStorage suite of products and is unrelated to the Tivoli Management Framework.

History

TSM descended from a project done at IBM's Almaden Research Center around 1988 to back up VM/CMS systems. The first product that emerged was Workstation Data Save Facility (WDSF). WDSF's original purpose was to back up PC/DOS, OS/2, and AIX workstation data onto a VM/CMS (and later MVS) server. WDSF morphed into ADSTAR Distributed Storage Manager (ADSM) and was re-branded Tivoli Storage Manager in 1999.

The TSM database (through release 5.5) was a bespoke B+ tree database; although the TSM database uses many of the same underlying technologies as IBM's DB2, has an SQL engine (for read-only use), and supports access through ODBC, the database has an architectural limit of approximately 530 GB, and 13 GB of log space. Starting with TSM 6.1, released in May 2009, TSM uses a DB2 instance as its database (thus eliminating the architectural limitations of the previous TSM database).

Product details

TSM maintains a relational database (limit 534GB through TSM v5.5, 4TB with TSM v6.3.3+) and recovery log (aka transaction log, limit 13 GB through TSM v5.5, 128GB with TSM v6.1+) for logging, configuration, statistical information, and object metadata. v5.5 DB pages are always 4KB, and partitions every 4MB. Single row inserts only. On average, 20GB of space is consumed for every 25 million objects. Shallow directory structures use less TSM DB space than deeper paths. This database may generally be queried via an emulated SQL-98 compliant interface, or through undocumented SHOW, CREATE or DELETE commands.

Actual user data is managed via a cascading hierarchy of storage media (Primary Storage Pools) presented as raw devices (UNIX), filesystem containers (Windows and Linux), streaming tape or optical media. Additionally, emulated tape from a Virtual Tape Library or EMC Centera WORM archival device are supported. Duplicate copies (Backupsets or Copy Storage Pools) of any subset of data may be created on sequential media for redundancy or off-site management.

The 5.5 release of the TSM Server is supported on AIX, HP-UX, Linux, Solaris, Windows Server, and z/OS. The current 5.5 release of the TSM Client is supported on NetWare, Mac OS, AIX, HP-UX, Linux, z/OS, Solaris, and Windows 32/64-bit.[1] The 6.1 release of the TSM Server is supported on AIX, HP-UX, Linux, Solaris, and Windows Server. The current 6.1 release of the TSM Client is supported on the same operating systems as 5.5.[1] TSM 6.3 was released in October 21, 2011[2]

Components

Tivoli Storage Manager as a system is made up of several different components. The major components of TSM include: TSM Server, TSM Client, TSM Storage Agent, TSM Data Protector, TSM Operation Center and TSM Administration Center. Each of these provides important functionality to a Tivoli.

Data Sources

The most Common data source for TSM is the TSM Client ("TSM Backup/Archive Client" or "B/A Client"). The B/A Client allows backup and restore of data both "selectively" and "incrementally", which is generally known as "Progressive Incremental" or "Incremental Forever", as each unique client+filespace+path+file combination is separately tracked for retention. Further, a separate method is provided by the B/A Client which is known as archive (and retrieve). This method generates groupings of objects to be retained as a single unit. This still differs from traditional full/incremental style backup products in that the files are stored separately or in smaller aggregates rather than as a monolithic image. Additionally, there is no provision for an incremental archive.

Other data injectors include policy-based hierarchical storage management (HSM) components for AIX, Linux and Windows. These allow migration of data from production disk into one or more of the TSM storage hierarchies while maintaining transparent access to that data by the use of DMAPI or NTFS reparse points.

IBM General Parallel File System (GPFS) can use TSM as a storage tier for GPFS' Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) which provides HSM for a GPFS filesystem. A GPFS filesystem can be simultaneously accessed from multiple servers running Linux, Windows, and AIX by using GPFS filesystem software installed on any of these operating system platforms. GPFS provides transparent access to data whether online on disk or migrated to tape by requesting file saves and retrieves from TSM.

Additionally, many applications provide or are provided with TSM API connections allowing the storage of databases, mail systems, system backups and even arbitrary user data within TSM's repository. Aside from TSM's UNIX HSM product, only the "Backup" and "Archive" management facilities are accessed through the client API.

Agents

The TSM architecture makes use of two special-purpose agents. The LAN-Free Storage Agent is a limited function TSM server which is configured as a library client and uses server-to-server communication to coordinate the use of storage resources which are configured to TSM but which are also presented to the storage agent. Usually this LAN-free and server-free backup agent is installed on the specific client; however, it is network accessible and could be utilized to bypass network bottlenecks. One example would be to connect via infiniband between two Bladecenter chassis, where one has SAN attachment to tape, and the other does not. This could bypass limited ethernet bandwidth without having to move the TSM server instance.

The NDMP API agent is used by NetApp devices and other network attached storage (NAS) devices to allow backup access to the appliance itself rather than having to back up the device via an attached NAS client.appliance direct access to shared tape.

Administration

Administrative functions are accessed through the IBM command line tool, via IBM's Websphere Portal application known as the TSM Administration Center, or via ODBC. There are also third-party admin API clients like TSMManager[3] or the Power Administrator for TSM.[4]

Subproducts & Other Products

Enterprise Edition Features

Associated Products

IBM's naming convention is to prefix every product name with "IBM Tivoli Storage Manager"; most products require an additional license. See also IBM Tivoli Storage Manager FastBack for more information on IBM's TSM product for block-level, continuous data protection.

Interface Products

Non-Tivoli API Clients

See also

References