Mode

Use the mode option to specify the backup mode to use when performing specific backup operations.

The mode option has no effect on a when backing up a raw logical device.

You can use the mode option with the following backup commands:

backup image: To specify whether to perform a selective or incremental image backup of client file systems.
backup nas: To specify whether to perform a full or differential image backup of NAS file systems.
backup group: To specify whether to perform a full or differential group backup containing a list of files from one or more file space origins.
backup vm: For VMware virtual machines, this parameter specifies whether to perform an incremental-forever-full or incremental-forever-incremental backup of VMware virtual machines.; For Microsoft Hyper-V virtual machines, this parameter specifies whether to perform an incremental-forever full or incremental-forever-incremental backup of Hyper-V virtual machines.; This feature is available only if the client operates as a data mover for IBM Spectrum Protect™ for Virtual Environments.

Supported Clients

This option is valid on all supported clients, except Mac OS. The IBM Spectrum Protect API does not support this option.

Linux operating systems Windows operating systems This option is valid for data movers that protect VMware virtual machines. To use this option, you must have a license agreement to use IBM Spectrum Protect for Virtual Environments: Data Protection for VMware.

Windows operating systems This option is valid for data movers that protect Microsoft Hyper-V virtual machines. You must be licensed to use IBM Spectrum Protect for Virtual Environments: Data Protection for VMware, or IBM Spectrum Protect for Virtual Environments: Data Protection for Microsoft Hyper-V to use this option.

Syntax

For image backups of client file systems


           .-Selective---.   
>>-MODE = -+-------------+-------------------------------------><
           '-Incremental-'

For image backup of NAS file systems


           .-differential-.   
>>-MODE = -+--------------+------------------------------------><
           '-full---------'

For group backups


           .-full---------.   
>>-MODE = -+--------------+------------------------------------><
           '-differential-'

For backing up VMware virtual machines


          .-IFIncremental-.   
>>-MODE= -+---------------+------------------------------------><
          '-IFFull--------'

For backing up Microsoft Hyper-V virtual machines


           .-IFIncremental-.   
>>-MODE = -+---------------+-----------------------------------><
           '-IFFull--------'

Parameters

Image backup parameters

selective: Specifies that you want to perform a full (selective) image backup. This is the default mode for image backups of client file systems.
incremental: Specifies that you want to back up only the data that has changed since the most recent image backup. If an image backup has not already been created, then the first backup is a full image backup (mode=selective), regardless of what mode option you specify.

NAS backup parameters

differential: This is the default for NAS objects. Specifies that you want to perform a NAS backup of files that changed since the last full backup. If there is no copy of a full image stored on the IBM Spectrum Protect server, a full backup occurs. If a full image exists, whether it is restorable, or expired and being maintained because of dependent differential images, specifying MODE=differential sends a differential image backup. If a full image is sent during a differential backup, it is reflected as a full image using the QUERY NASBACKUP server command.
A full image can be eligible for expiration based on versioning or retention (verexists retextra), but still be maintained on the server to allow for restoring dependent differential images. A full image that is eligible for expiration cannot be selected for restore, so it is not displayed using the QUERY NASBACKUP server command. The differential image backups that depend on an "expired" full image can be restored.
full: Specifies that you want to perform a full backup of NAS file systems.

Group backup parameters

full: Specifies that you want to perform a full backup of group objects. This is the default for group backups.
differential: Specifies that you want to perform a group backup of files that changed since the last full backup. If there is no copy of a full image stored on the IBM Spectrum Protect server, a full backup occurs. If a full image exists, whether it is restorable, or expired and being maintained because of dependent differential images, specifying MODE=differential sends a differential image backup. If a full image is sent during a differential backup, it is reflected as a full image using the QUERY GROUP server command.
A full image can be eligible for expiration based on versioning or retention (verexists retextra), but still be maintained on the server to allow for restoring dependent differential images. A full image that is eligible for expiration cannot be selected for restore, so it is not displayed using the QUERY GROUP server command. The differential image backups that depend on an "expired" full image can be restored.

VMware virtual machine parameters

IFFull

Specifies that you want to perform an incremental-forever-full backup of a virtual machine. An incremental-forever-full backup backs up all used blocks on a VMware virtual machine's disks.

By default, the first backup of a VMware virtual machine is an incremental-forever-full (mode=iffull) backup, even if you specify mode=ifincremental (or let the mode option default). Subsequent backups default to mode=ifincremental.

You cannot use this backup mode to back up a virtual machine if the client is configured to encrypt the backup data.

For a description of the incremental-forever backup strategy for VMware virtual machines, see Backup and restore types.

IFIncremental

Specifies that you want to perform an incremental-forever-incremental backup of a virtual machine. An incremental-forever-incremental backup backs up only the disk blocks that have changed since the last backup.

This mode is the default backup mode for VMware virtual machine backups.

You cannot use this backup mode to back up a virtual machine if the client is configured to encrypt the backup data.

Microsoft Hyper-V virtual machine parameters

IFIncremental

Specifies that you want to perform an incremental-forever-incremental backup of a Hyper-V virtual machine. An incremental-forever-incremental backup backs up only the disk blocks that have changed since the last backup.

This mode is the default backup mode for Hyper-V backups.

You cannot use this backup mode to back up a virtual machine if the client is configured to encrypt the backup data.

For a description of the incremental-forever backup strategy for Hyper-V virtual machines, see Incremental-forever backup strategy.

IFFull

Specifies that you want to perform an incremental-forever-full backup of a Hyper-V virtual machine. An incremental-forever-full backup backs up all used blocks on a virtual machine's disks.

By default, the first backup of a Hyper-V virtual machine is an incremental-forever-full (mode=iffull) backup, even if you specify mode=ifincremental (or let the mode option default). Subsequent backups default to mode=ifincremental.

You cannot use this backup mode to back up a virtual machine if the client is configured to encrypt the backup data.

Examples

Task

Perform a backup of a VMware virtual machine named vm1, using the incremental-forever-incremental mode to back up only the data that has changed since the last backup.

dsmc backup vm vm1 -mode=ifincremental 
 -vmbackuptype=full

Task

Perform an incremental-forever-full VM backup of a Hyper-V VM named msvm1

dsmc backup vm msvm1 -mode=iffull

Task

Perform an incremental-forever-incremental backup of a Hyper-V VM named msvm1

dsmc backup vm msvm1 -mode=ifincremental

Task

Perform the NAS image backup of the entire file system.

dsmc backup nas -mode=full -nasnodename=nas1 
 /vol/vol0 /vol/vol1

Task

Perform the NAS image backup of the entire file system.

dsmc backup nas -mode=differential -nasnodename=nas1 
 {/vol/vol0} {/vol/vol1}

Task

Back up the /home/test file space using an image incremental backup that backs up only new and changed files after the last full image backup.

dsmc backup image /home/test -mode=incremental -snapshotproviderimage=none

Task

Back up the c: drive using an image incremental backup that backs up only new and changed files after the last full image backup.

dsmc backup image c: -mode=full

Task

Perform a full backup of all the files in filelist /home/dir1/filelist1 to the virtual file space name /virtfs containing the group leader /home/group1 file.

dscm backup group -filelist=/home/dir1/filelist1 
 -groupname=group1 -virtualfsname=/virtfs -mode=full

Task

Perform a full backup of all the files in filelist c:\dir1\filelist1 to the virtual file space name \virtfs containing the group leader c:\group1 file.

dsmc backup group -filelist=c:\dir1\filelist1 -groupname=group1
 -virtualfsname=\virtfs -mode=incremental -vmbackuptype=fullvm