Backup optional parameters

Optional parameters follow the backup command and positional parameters.

/BACKUPDESTination=TSM|LOCAL|BOTH

Use the /BACKUPDESTination parameter to specify the location where the backup is stored.

You can specify:

TSM: The backup is stored on IBM Storage Protect™ server storage only. This option is the default value.
LOCAL: The backup is stored on local shadow volumes only.
BOTH: The backup is stored on IBM Storage Protect server storage and local shadow volumes.

/CONFIGfile=configfilename

Use the /CONFIGfile parameter to specify the name (configfilename) of the Data Protection for Exchange Server configuration file that contains the values to use for a backup operation.

The configfilename variable can include a fully qualified path. If the configfilename variable does not include a path, the Data Protection for Exchange Server installation directory is used. If the /CONFIGfile parameter is not specified, or if the configfilename variable is not specified, the default value is tdpexc.cfg.

If the configfilename variable includes spaces, enclose the entire /CONFIGfile parameter entry in double quotation marks. For example:

/CONFIGfile="c:\Program Files\file.cfg"

DAGNODe=nodename

Specify the node name that you want to use to back up the databases in an Exchange Server Database Availability Group. With this setting, backups from all Database Availability Group members that are configured to use the DAG node are backed up to a common file space on the IBM Storage Protect server. The database copies are managed as a single entity, regardless of which Database Availability Group member they are backed up from. This setting can prevent IBM® Storage Protect Snapshot for Microsoft™ Exchange Server from making too many backups of the same database.

/EXCLUDEDAGACTive

Use the /EXCLUDEDAGACTive parameter to exclude databases from the backup if they belong to a Database Availability Group and are an active database copy.

/EXCLUDEDAGPASsive

Use the /EXCLUDEDAGPASsive parameter to exclude the databases from backup if they belong to a Database Availability Group and are a passive database copy.

/EXCLUDENONDAGDbs

Use the /EXCLUDENONDAGDbs parameter to exclude the databases from backup if they do not belong to a Database Availability Group.

/EXCLUDEDB=db-name,...

Use the /EXCLUDEDB parameter to exclude the specified databases from the backup operation.

/LOGFile=logfilename

Use the /LOGFile parameter to specify the name of the activity log file that is generated by Data Protection for Exchange Server.

The logfilename variable identifies the name of the activity log file.

If the specified log file does not exist, a new log file is created. If the specified log file exists, new log entries are appended to the file. The logfilename variable can include a fully qualified path. However, if no path is specified, the log file is written to the Data Protection for Exchange Server installation directory.

If the logfilename variable includes spaces, enclose the entire /LOGFile parameter entry in double quotation marks. For example:

/LOGFile="c:\Program Files\mytdpexchange.log"

If the /LOGFile parameter is not specified, log records are written to the default log file, tdpexc.log.

The /LOGFile parameter cannot be turned off, logging always occurs.

When you use multiple simultaneous instances of Data Protection for Exchange Server to complete operations, use the /LOGFile parameter to specify a different log file for each instance used. This function directs logging for each instance to a different log file and prevents interspersed log file records. Failure to specify a different log file for each instance can result in unreadable log files.

/LOGPrune=numdays|No

When you prune log data, you can discard some of the generated logs according to detailed filtering criteria that you set. Depending on the option that you set for the /LOGPrune parameter, some days of data are saved. By default, 60 days of log entries are saved. The option No can be entered to disable log pruning.

Regardless of the option that you set 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 no, the log file is not pruned.
If you do not specify /LOGPrune, the default value is that specified by the logprune configurable option in the configuration file. The default value is 60.
If you specify /LOGPrune, its 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.

/MINimumbackupinterval=numberOfMinutes

If you are scheduling the backup of databases in an Exchange Server Database Availability Group, specify the minimum amount of time, in minutes, before a backup of another copy of the same Database Availability Group database can begin. The range is 1 - 9999.

Setting this parameter specifies that only one database copy can be backed up within a time frame. This option prevents all of the members in a Database Availability Group from backing up the database, which would be redundant and invalidate the IBM Storage Protect storage management policy.

Note: You can set this optional parameter with each type of database backup available such as full, incremental, copy, or differential backup. Following examples are the commands to set the parameter with full and incremental backups:

tdpexcc backup <dbname> full /minimumbackupinterval=60
tdpexcc backup <dbname> incr /minimumbackupinterval=45

For more information on Database Availability Group (DAG) database, see technote 594779.

/MOUNTWait=Yes|No

Use the /MOUNTWait parameter to specify whether Data Protection for Exchange Server is to wait for removable media to mount (such as tapes or CDs) or to stop the current operation. This situation occurs when the IBM Storage Protect server is configured to store backup data on removable media and waits for a required storage volume to be mounted.

You can specify:

Yes: Wait for tape mounts. This option is the default.
No: Do not wait for tape mounts.

/OFFLOAD

Specify this parameter to complete the integrity check and backup of files to IBM Storage Protect on the system that is specified by the remotedsmagentnode instead of the local system. This parameter is only valid when /backupdestination=TSM. This parameter requires a VSS provider that supports transportable shadow copies. You cannot specify the parameter with the default Windows™ VSS System Provider.

/PREFERDAGPASsive

If you are scheduling the backup of databases in an Exchange Server Database Availability Group, set this parameter to back up a passive database in an Exchange Server Database Availability Group unless no valid passive copy is available. If no valid passive copy is available, the backup is created from the active database copy.

/Quiet

This parameter prevents status information from being displayed. The level of information that is written to the activity log is not affected.

/SKIPINTEGRITYCHECK

Use the /SKIPINTEGRITYCHECK parameter to specify whether Data Protection for Exchange Server bypasses the integrity checking of databases and log files, or automatically runs the integrity checking of databases and log files.

You can specify the following values:

No: Run integrity checking to verify that all database and log files do not contain integrity issues. This option is the default.
Yes: Bypass integrity checking of all database and log files during backup processing.
SKIPDBCHECKIFHEALTHY: Bypass integrity checking of database files only if at least two valid copies of a database (one active and one passive copy) exist in a Database Availability Group (DAG).
SKIPDBANDLOGCHECKIFHEALTHY: Bypass integrity checking of all database and log files during backup processing only if at least two valid copies of a database (one active and one passive copy) exist in a DAG.

Attention: If you do not specify a value with the /SKIPINTEGRITYCHECK parameter, integrity checking of database and log files is bypassed. If you bypass integrity checking, the backup that is stored on IBM Storage Protect server might not be valid, or data loss can occur.

/TSMNODe=tsmnodename

Use the tsmnodename variable to refer to the IBM Storage Protect node name that Data Protection for Exchange Server uses to log on to the IBM Storage Protect server.

You can store the node name in the IBM Storage Protect options file (dsm.opt). This parameter overrides the value in the IBM Storage Protect options file if PASSWORDACCESS is set to PROMPT. This parameter is not valid when PASSWORDACCESS is set to GENERATE in the options file.

/TSMOPTFile=tsmoptfilename

Use the tsmoptfilename variable to identify the Data Protection for Exchange Server options file.

The file name can include a fully qualified path name. If no path is specified, the directory where Data Protection for Exchange Server is installed is searched.

If the tsmoptfilename variable includes spaces, enclose the entire /TSMOPTFile parameter entry in double quotation marks. For example:

/TSMOPTFile="c:\Program Files\file.opt"

The default is dsm.opt.

/TSMPassword=tsmpassword

Use the tsmpassword variable to refer to the IBM Storage Protect password that Data Protection for Exchange Server uses to log on to the IBM Storage Protect server.

If you specified PASSWORDACCESS GENERATE in the Data Protection for Exchange Server options file (dsm.opt), you do not need to supply the password here because the one that is stored in the registry is used. However, to store the password in the registry, you must specify the IBM Storage Protect password the first time that Data Protection for Exchange Server connects to the IBM Storage Protect server.

If you do specify a password with this parameter when PASSWORDACCESS GENERATE is in effect, the command-line value is ignored unless the password for this node is not yet stored in the registry. In that case, the specified password is stored in the registry and used when you run this command.

If PASSWORDACCESS PROMPT is in effect, and you do not specify a password value on the command line, then you are prompted for a password.

The IBM Storage Protect password that Data Protection for Exchange Server uses to log on to the IBM Storage Protect server can be up to 63 characters in length.

/UpdateMailboxInfoOnly

Specify the /UpdateMailboxInfoOnly parameter to update only the mailbox history information in Microsoft Exchange Server database backups, for example:

tdpexcc backup DB1 full /UpdateMailboxInfoOnly

where DB1 is the database name, and full is the type of database backup.

Restriction: This parameter does not back up the Exchange Server database.