Set positional parameters

Positional parameters immediately follow the set command and precede the optional parameters.

To set default values in the Data Protection for SQL Server configuration file, specify one of the following when you issue a set command.

ALWAYSONNode=nodename: Specify the IBM Spectrum Protect™ node name that is used to back up AlwasyOn availability databases with SQL Server 2012 and later versions. This parameter is required when you are configuring Data Protection for SQL Server with SQL Server 2012 and later versions. All availability databases in an availability group are backed up under this node name, regardless of which availability replica they are from. The databases that are not in an availability group are backed up under the standard Data Protection for SQL Server node name unless you specify the /USEALWAYSONnode parameter.

BACKUPDESTination=TSM|LOCAL|BOTH

Use the BACKUPDESTination positional parameter to specify the storage location for your backup. You can specify:

TSM: By default, the backup is stored on IBM Spectrum Protect server storage only.
LOCAL: The backup is stored on local shadow volumes only.
BOTH: The backup is stored on both IBM Spectrum Protect server storage and local shadow volumes.

BACKUPMETHod=LEGACY|VSS

Use the BACKUPMETHod positional parameter to specify the method for your backup. You can specify:

LEGACY: By default, Data Protection for SQL Server uses the legacy API to complete the backup.
VSS: Data Protection for SQL Server uses VSS to complete the backup.

BUFFers=numbuffers

The BUFFers parameter specifies the number of data buffers that are used for each data stripe to transfer data between Data Protection for SQL Server and the IBM Spectrum Protect API. You can improve throughput by increasing the number of buffers, but you also increase storage use. Each buffer is the size that is specified by the BUFFERSIze parameter. The numbuffers variable refers to the number of data buffers to use. The number can be in the range 2 - 8. The initial value is 3.

BUFFERSIze=buffersizeinkb

The BUFFERSIze parameter specifies the size of each Data Protection for SQL Server buffer that is specified by the BUFFers parameter. The buffersizeinkb variable refers to the size of data buffers in KB. The number can be in the range 64 - 8192. The default is initially 1024.

DATEformat=dateformatnum

The DATEformat parameter selects the format that you want to use to display dates.

The dateformatnum variable can be in the range 1 - 7. The initial value is 1. The number values specify the following formats:

1: MM/DD/YYYY.
2: DD-MM-YYYY.
3: YYYY-MM-DD.
4: DD.MM.YYYY.
5: YYYY.MM.DD.
6: YYYY/MM/DD.
7: DD/MM/YYYY.

Changes to the value of the DATEformat parameter can result in an undesired pruning of the Data Protection for SQL Server log file (tdpsql.log by default). You can avoid losing existing log file data by completing one of the following steps:

After you change the value of the DATEformat parameter, make a copy of the existing log file before you run Data Protection for SQL Server.
Specify a new log file with the LOGFile parameter.

DIFFESTimate=numpercent

For differential database backups by using the Data Protection for SQL Server backup command, DIFFESTimate specifies the estimated fraction of an entire SQL Server database that changed since its last full database backup. This estimate is needed because SQL Server does not provide a way to determine the size of a differential backup, and because the IBM Spectrum Protect server requires an accurate size estimate to efficiently allocate space and place objects. The IBM Spectrum Protect server uses this value to determine whether enough space exists in the primary storage pool to contain the SQL Server database backup. Because a separate backup object is created for each specified SQL Server database, this estimate applies to each specified SQL Server database individually. The numpercent variable can be in the range 1 - 99. Because a differential backup backs up database pages, this number is the percent of database pages that changed since the last full database backup. The initial value is 20.

Considerations:

If the estimate is smaller than the actual quantity of changes, the IBM Spectrum Protect server might be forced to abnormally end the backup because the backup size is larger than the space the IBM Spectrum Protect server allocated for it.
If the estimate is larger than the actual quantity of changes, the server might be forced to place the backup object higher in the storage pool hierarchy than otherwise necessary, possibly on removable media.

FROMSQLSERVer=sqlservername

The /FROMSQLSERVer parameter specifies the SQL Server that backup objects were backed up from. This parameter is necessary only when the name of the SQL Server to restore to, as determined by the sqlserver parameter, is different from the name of the SQL Server that the backup objects were created from. Use /FROMSQLSERVer for query TSM and inactivate commands, but use sqlserver for query SQL commands. The default value is the sqlserver value or the value set in the Data Protection for SQL Server configuration file.

IMPORTVSSSNAPSHOTSONLYWhenneeded

Use the /IMPORTVSSSNAPSHOTSONLYWhenneeded parameter to specify whether Data Protection for SQL Server automatically imports VSS snapshots to the Windows system where the snapshots are created.

Specify one of the following values:

Yes: Import VSS snapshots to the Windows system where the snapshots are created. The option is the default. During backup processing, transportable snapshots are automatically created and imported to storage systems when the snapshots are required. This option is the default.
No: Do not create transportable VSS snapshots during backup processing, and do not automatically import the snapshot to storage systems after the backup is completed.

LOGPrune=numdays|No

When you prune log data, you can discard some of the generated logs according to detailed filtering criteria that you set. In the configuration file, the default value for the LOGPrune is that specified by the logprune configurable option. The default value is 60, which means 60 days of log entries are saved. The option No can be specified to disable log pruning.

Regardless of the option that is set in the configuration file for this parameter, you can explicitly request log pruning at any time.

Considerations:

For numdays, the range is 0 to 9999. A value of 0 deletes all entries in the activity log file except for the current command entries.
If you specify the LOGPrune parameter, that value is used instead of the value that is stored in the configuration file. Specifying this parameter does not change the value in the configuration file.
You can specify LOGPrune without specifying numdays or no; in this case, the default value, 60, is used.
Changes to the value of the TIMEformat or DATEformat parameter can result in an unwanted pruning of the log file. If you are running a command that might prune the log file, and the value of the TIMEformat or DATEformat parameter is changed, complete one of the following to prevent unintentional pruning of the log file:
- Make a copy of the existing log file.
- Specify a new log file with the LOGFile parameter or logfile setting.

/MOUNTRW=Yes|No

You can mount a read/write copy of your IBM Spectrum Protect backup so that you can modify the copy without invalidating the backup. You use this option to indicate whether a snapshot backup is mounted as read/write. The default value is as specified in the configuration file with the /MOUNTRW parameter. If a default value is not specified in the configuration file, the default value is No. By specifying the /MOUNTRW option, you override the default value.

The following values are available:

No

Perform a read-only mount operation.

Yes

Perform a read/write mount operation. The behavior of the read/write mount is controlled by the USESNAPOFASNAPTOMount parameter in the configuration file.

If USESNAPOFASNAPTOMount is set to No, you can mount only COPYFULL backups as read/write. After mounting, the original backup is modified and can no longer be used as a restore point in future database restore operations (on the VSS Options properties page, the Mount read/write (modifies backup, applies to COPY backups only) check box is selected).
If USESNAPOFASNAPTOMount is set to Yes, you can mount both FULL and COPYFULL backup types as read/write (on the VSS Options properties page, the Mount read/write (without modifying backup) check box is selected). In this instance, the backups are not modified and can be used in future restore operations.
Important:
This mount option is only available for SAN Volume Controller (SVC) devices and requires IBM® System Storage® Support for Microsoft Virtual Disk and Volume Shadow Copy Services version 4.12 or later. Dynamic target allocation is not supported. You must allocate more target volumes on your SVC storage device to accommodate the number of concurrent read/write mounts you want to do. An extra target volume, that matches the size of the volume to be mounted, is needed for each concurrent read/write mount of that volume.
Also,

USESNAPOFASNAPTOMount=Yes|No

During mount operations, you can specify that you want to do a read/write mount by setting /MOUNTRW=Yes. When you set the /MOUNTRW=Yes, the USESNAPOFASNAPTOMount parameter applies and you can further specify whether you want to mount an existing backup or to create a snapshot of an existing backup. You can only set the USESNAPOFASNAPTOMount parameter in your configuration file.

If USESNAPOFASNAPTOMount is set to No , the Mount read/write (modifies backup, applies to COPYFULL backups only) check box is selected on the VSS Options properties page. After mounting, the original COPYFULL backup can be modified and so can no longer be used as a restore point for future database restore operations.
If USESNAPOFASNAPTOMount is set to Yes, the Mount read/write (without modifying backup) check box is selected on the VSS Options properties page. This option is only available for SAN Volume Controller (SVC) devices.

Important: You can set USESNAPOFASNAPTOMount=Yes only for SAN Volume Controller (SVC) devices with IBM System Storage Support for Microsoft Virtual Disk and Volume Shadow Copy Services version 4.12 or later. Also, you must allocate more target volumes on your SVC storage device to accommodate the number of concurrent read/write mounts you want to do. An extra target volume matching the size of the volume to be mounted is needed for each concurrent read/write mount of that volume.