CONVERT STGPOOL (Convert a storage pool to a container storage pool)

Use this command to convert a primary storage pool that uses a FILE device class, a tape device class, or a virtual tape library (VTL) to a directory-container or a cloud-container storage pool. You can use container storage pools for both inline and client-side data deduplication.

Restrictions: The following restrictions apply to storage pool conversion:

You can convert a storage pool only once.
You cannot update the storage pool during conversion processing. Migration and data movement processes are unavailable.
You must update all policies to ensure that the destination specifies a storage pool that is not converted or undergoing conversion.

During conversion processing, all data from the source storage pool is moved to the target storage pool. When the process is completed, the source storage pool becomes unavailable. When a storage pool is unavailable, you are unable to write any data to it. The source storage pool is eligible for deletion but is not automatically deleted. You can restore data from the source storage pool if necessary.

Attention: During storage pool conversion, data is deleted from copy storage pools and active-data storage pools. This action occurs even if you specified the number of days that must elapse after all files are deleted from a volume before the volume can be rewritten or returned to the scratch pool.

Privilege class

To issue this command, you must have restricted storage privilege.

Syntax

Parameters

source_stgpool (Required): Specify a primary storage pool that uses a FILE device class, a tape device class, or a virtual tape library (VTL) for backup and archive processing. This parameter is required.
target_stgpool (Required): Specify the name of an existing directory-container or cloud-container storage pool that the storage pool is converted to. This parameter is required the first time that you issue this command.
Tip: If you restart storage pool conversion and the target storage pool is different than the value that is specified the first time that you issued the CONVERT STGPOOL command, the command fails.
MAXPRocess: Specifies the maximum number of parallel processes that can be used to convert data in the storage pool. This parameter is optional. You can specify a number in the range 1 - 99. The default value is 8.
Tip: Changes to the default value are automatically saved. If you restart storage pool conversion and the parameter value is different than the value that is specified the first time that you issued the CONVERT STGPOOL command, the most recently specified value is used.
DUration: Specifies the maximum number of minutes that a conversion should take before it is canceled. When the specified number of minutes elapses, the server cancels all conversion processes for the storage pool. You can specify a number in the range 1 - 9999. This parameter is optional. If you do not specify this parameter, the conversion runs until it is completed.
Tip: Storage pool conversion for large storage pools can take days to complete. Use this parameter to limit the amount of time for storage pool conversion daily. As a best practice, schedule conversion for at least 2 hours for a storage pool that uses a FILE type device class and at least 4 hours for VTL.

Example: Convert a storage pool and specify a maximum number of processes

Convert a storage pool that is named DEDUPPOOL1, move the data to a container storage pool that is named DIRPOOL1, and specify 25 maximum processes.

convert stgpool deduppool1 dirpool1 maxprocess=25

Table 1. Commands related to CONVERT STGPOOL
Command	Description
CANCEL PROCESS	Cancels a background server process.
QUERY CLEANUP	Query the cleanup status of a source storage pool.
QUERY CONVERSION	Query conversion status of a storage pool.
PROTECT STGPOOL	Protects a directory-container storage pool.
REMOVE DAMAGED	Removes damaged data from a source storage pool.