Convert Storage Pool

Move data from a primary storage pool to an existing cloud-container pool or directory-container pool.

You can convert storage pools that use the FILE device class, a tape device class, or a virtual tape library (VTL). For more information about storage pool conversion, see Best practices for IBM Spectrum Protect storage pool conversion on the IBM Support website.

The access mode of the source pool is changed to read-only when conversion starts.

As files are successfully converted, any copies that are stored in copy pools or active-data pools are deleted.

When the conversion operation finishes, you must manually delete the source pool by using the DELETE STGPOOL command.

The following pages are shown in the wizard:

Target Pool page

Storage pool conversion can require additional network bandwidth and database space. Depending on the amount of data to be moved, conversion can take days or weeks to complete. You can specify when and for how long conversion runs on the Settings page of the wizard.

Tips:

• Although replication also uses source and target terminology, selecting a target pool for conversion is not related to replication.
• The same target pool can be used by multiple source pools if enough space is available.

TOC Destination page (shown only if the source pool is used to store TOC backups)

Some backup operations save a table of contents (TOC) along with file system data. For example, you can optionally include a TOC when backing up network-attached storage (NAS) clients.

When conversion starts, data is no longer backed up to the source pool, so you must select a different storage pool destination for new TOC backups. Existing TOC backups in the source pool are not moved during conversion.

Policies page (shown only if a policy domain stores data in the source pool)

When you complete the wizard, policy settings are immediately updated to store new backup, archive, and space-managed data in the target pool.

If the source pool is used to store TOC backups, new backups are stored in the TOC destination pool that you specify in the wizard.

Copies page (shown only if data copies exist)

If copy pools or active-data pools are used to protect data in the source pool, the copies are deleted as the corresponding files are converted successfully.

If conversion is not successful because damaged files remain in the source pool, you can restore the files from a copy and try the conversion again, delete the files, or allow them to expire based on policy settings.

To protect data after it moves to the target pool, replicate the data to another server or use the PROTECT STGPOOL command to create local data copies.

Settings page

To avoid affecting other operations, schedule conversion to run during times of low backup and maintenance activity. You can also adjust the number of server processes that are available for conversion.

Before files are moved to the target pool, some preprocessing occurs to prepare for conversion. In some cases, preprocessing can take up to 30 minutes to complete.

To ensure that enough time is available for conversion, schedule the longest run time that is practical within your storage environment.

Summary page

If your environment is configured to migrate data to the source pool, you must update the related next pool and schedule settings.

To view and update migration settings, complete the following steps:

1. On the Storage Pools page, view the Next Pool column to determine whether data is migrated to the source storage pool.
2. To change a migration destination, select a storage pool, click Details, and open the Properties page. In the Migration section, change the Next pool setting.

To view and update schedule settings, complete the following steps:

1. Open the Maintenance page (Servers > Maintenance) and view the Task column to determine whether any scheduled migration tasks reference the source storage pool.
2. To change a schedule, use the UPDATE SCHEDULE command.

For more information about using IBM Spectrum Protect commands and managing storage pools, see the IBM Spectrum Protect documentation.