Configuring a cloud-container storage pool for data storage

You can store deduplicated data and non-deduplicated data in a cloud-container storage pool and restore the data as required.

Before you begin

Review the requirements and restrictions that apply to cloud-container storage pools.

You can configure cloud-container storage pools to use one of the following service providers and protocols:
  • Amazon Web Services (AWS) with Simple Storage Service (S3)
  • Microsoft Azure
  • Google Cloud Storage
  • IBM® Cloud Object Storage with S3
  • IBM Cloud Object Storage with S3 and IBM Cloud
  • IBM Cloud Object Storage with Swift and IBM Cloud
  • OpenStack with Swift using Keystone Version 1 or 2
Restriction: Cloud-container storage pools are not supported on the Linux® on System z® operating system.
Obtain configuration information and specify a device class by completing the following steps:
  1. Obtain the configuration information for your cloud service provider:
  2. Specify a device class to use for database backup operations. When you use encryption for cloud-container storage pools, the server master encryption key is used to protect the cloud encryption key in a database backup.
    1. On the Operations Center menu bar, click Servers.
    2. Select a server row and click Back Up.
    3. Select a device class to use for database backup operations and click Back Up.
    Tip: Alternatively, use the SET DBRECOVERY command to specify a device class for the database backup.

Procedure

To store data in a cloud-container storage pool, complete the following steps:

  1. Create a cloud-container storage pool. You must provide configuration information that identifies the cloud service.
    1. On the Operations Center menu bar, click Storage > Storage Pools.
    2. On the Storage Pools page, click + Storage Pool.
    3. Complete the steps in the Add Storage Pool wizard. Select On-premises cloud or Off-premises cloud for the type of container-based storage.
  2. Update your management classes and policy sets to use the new storage pool. To update a management class to use the new storage pool, complete the following steps:
    1. On the Operations Center menu bar, click Services.
    2. On the Policies page, select a policy domain and click Details.
    3. On the Details page, click the Policy Sets tab.
    4. Click the Configure toggle. The policy sets are editable.
    5. Optional: To edit a policy set that is not active, click the forward and back arrows to locate the policy set.
    6. Update one or more management classes to use the new storage pool by editing the Backup Destination field of the table.
    7. Click Save.
  3. Activate the changed policy set by completing the following steps:
    1. Click Activate.
      Because changing the active policy set might result in data loss, a summary of the differences between the active policy set and the new policy set is displayed.
    2. Look at the differences between corresponding management classes in the two policy sets, and consider the consequences on client files. Client files that are bound to management classes in the currently active policy set are, after activation, bound to the management classes with the same names in the new policy set.
    3. Identify management classes in the currently active policy set that do not have counterparts in the new policy set, and consider the consequences on client files. Client files that are bound to these management classes are, after activation, managed by the default management class in the new policy set.
    4. If the changes implemented by the policy set are acceptable, select the I understand that these updates can cause data loss check box and click Activate.
  4. Click the Configure toggle. The policy sets are no longer editable.
  5. To take advantage of local storage, create a storage pool directory for this storage pool using the DEFINE STGPOOLDIRECTORY command. For more information, see Optimizing performance for cloud object storage.