IBM Tivoli Storage FlashCopy Manager for VMware, Version 4.1

Selecting the FLASHCOPY_TYPE

SAN Volume Controller, DS8000®, and Storwize V7000 support various FlashCopy® types. These types provide different capabilities for your backup strategy.

Using different FlashCopy® types for different backup generations is a valid strategy for Tivoli® Storage FlashCopy Manager for VMware. To implement such a backup strategy, you can define multiple DEVICE_CLASS sections in the profile, where each section specifies the same storage device. The only difference is that each section specifies a different FlashCopy type. You can select the appropriate DEVICE_CLASS section for the next backup in the Tivoli Storage FlashCopy Manager for VMware GUI. You can use different backup tasks for different DEVICE_CLASS definitions.

If the FLASHCOPY_TYPE parameter is changed for one DEVICE_CLASS, complete the following steps:
  1. Detach the backup if it is attached.
  2. Delete the backup with the delete force option, using the Data Protection for VMware command-line interface command vmcli -f delete.
  3. Change the FLASHCOPY_TYPE in the DEVICE_CLASS and run a new backup with the new FLASHCOPY_TYPE.
The FLASHCOPY_TYPE parameter values are explained in the following table.
Table 1. Selecting the FLASHCOPY_TYPE for SAN Volume Controller, DS8000, and Storwize V7000
FLASHCOPY_TYPE DS8000 SAN Volume Controller and Storwize V7000
COPY Protects from physical failures of the source volumes when the background copy is completed. Protects from physical failures of the source volumes when the background copy is completed. Avoid creating a COPY FlashCopy to a space-efficient target because the target eventually becomes fully allocated due to background copying of data.
INCR An option for DS8000. Same characteristics as COPY FLASHCOPY_TYPE but with less data being copied in the background. DS8000 allows at most one incremental FlashCopy® per source volume. For DS8000, there must be only one target set specified in the target volumes file .fct for incremental snapshots. CIM errors might occur when more than one target set is specified. Same characteristics as COPY FlashCopy® but with less data being copied in the background. Avoid creating an incremental FlashCopy to a space-efficient target. The target eventually becomes fully allocated because the data is copied in the background.
NOCOPY  

Can be used to create a FlashCopy to a space-efficient target, but does not offer protection from physical failures to the source volume.

Note: Space-efficient target volumes can reach capacity limits in which case they go offline. When this situation occurs, you lose the current backup and all older backups that are not FULL_COPY. You can choose to create space-efficient targets with the AUTOEXPAND option. In this case, the target is allocated more physical storage to prevent going offline.
Note: See SAN Volume Controller and Storwize V7000 features for planning and configuration details when using SAN Volume Controller 5.1, or later.
Parent topic: Configuring Tivoli Storage FlashCopy Manager for VMware

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