Tuning the schedule for daily operations

Typically, backups for all clients must be completed every day. Certain server maintenance processes must also run every day. Ensuring that resources for these critical operations are available when needed requires planning and tuning.

About this task

During the client workload phase, server resources support client operations. Client workloads are predominantly the client backup and archive activities. These operations are usually completed during the nightly schedule window. During the server workload phase, server resources are dedicated to managing the recently received data from the client workload and performing the following activities that are necessary to manage, protect, and maintain the server:

• Protecting client data by backing up storage pools
• Positioning data appropriately in the storage hierarchy
• Keeping the database, storage hierarchy, and server operations working efficiently
• Preparing for the next schedule cycle

Carefully schedule client and server workloads to achieve the best performance for your environment. If the client and server operations overlap or are not given enough time and resources to be processed, the environment might be impacted in the following ways:

• Less processing power and memory available to support an operation
• Performance degradation
• Insufficient space for data storage
• Data placement might not be optimal
• Operations might fail

For optimum performance, split the tasks of backing up and archiving client data, and performing server data maintenance into separate time windows. Most operations on the server have an optimal order, and in some cases must be completed without overlap to avoid resource contention problems.

The following image illustrates how Tivoli® Storage Manager tasks fit into the daily schedule.

Figure 1. Daily schedule of Tivoli Storage Manager operations

Tivoli Storage Manager can schedule daily activities to follow best practices. Sample commands are provided to implement each step. All listed commands are server commands unless otherwise noted.

1. Perform an incremental backup of all clients on the network by using the incremental client command or use another supported method for client backup.
2. Create the secondary disaster recovery (DR) copy of your client data by using the BACKUP STGPOOL command. If you are copying active data, complete this operation during the storage pool backup window.
3. Create a DR copy of the Tivoli Storage Manager database by running the BACKUP DB command. In addition, use the BACKUP VOLHISTORY and BACKUP DEVCONFIG commands to create DR copies of the volume history and device configuration files.
4. Migrate data from disk storage pools to tape storage pools with the MIGRATE STGPOOL command.
5. Remove objects that exceed their allowed retention by using the EXPIRE INVENTORY command.
6. Reclaim unused space from storage pool volumes that are released through processes like deduplication and inventory expiration by using the RECLAIM STGPOOL command.
7. Complete disaster recovery preparations. For example, if you are using the Tivoli Storage Manager disaster recovery manager function (DRM), issue the following commands:
   • DELETE VOLHISTORY to remove older versions of database backups, which are no longer required.
   • MOVE DRMEDIA to track database backup and copy storage pool volumes that are to be moved offsite and to identify the expired or empty volumes that are to be moved onsite.
   • PREPARE to create a recovery plan file.