Managing replication storage rules

The purpose of replication is to synchronize files between a source replication server and a target replication server so that data can be restored from the target replication server if necessary. You can configure replication by defining replication storage rules from the Storage Rules page of the Operations Center.

To refine the replication storage rule so that only some of the client data is replicated, you can define subrule exceptions to the storage rule. With subrule exceptions, you can specify the client data to be replicated with granularity that extends to individual virtual machines and other file spaces. By specifying subrule exceptions, you can also identify the data types to be replicated. For example, for certain clients or file spaces, you can specify that only backup, archive, or space management data is to be replicated.

Replication storage rules were introduced in IBM Spectrum Protect 8.1.13, and cannot be defined on servers that are running an earlier version. In earlier versions, replication was configured and initiated by using the SET REPLSERVER command and by defining administrative schedules for the REPLICATE NODE and PROTECT STGPOOL commands. Replication storage rules are designed to have certain advantages over this earlier method of replication. If servers are already configured to use the earlier method of replication and you are upgrading the servers to version 8.1.13 or later, consider transitioning to use replication storage rules instead.