Backup and clone server assignment

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With IBM® Storage Protect Snapshot software, you can mount backup images and clone images. Each backup image and clone image is mounted on a server. However, you cannot mount a backup image or a clone image on more than one server at one time.

IBM Storage Protect Snapshot mount operation can be started by one of the following methods:

By issuing a mount command from the command-line interface.
By issuing a create_clone or refresh_clone command from the command-line interface.
By issuing a backup command in environments where a forced mount is required during a backup operation.
When IBM Storage Protect Snapshot is used with IBM Storage Protect and you offload backups to IBM Storage Protect.

A IBM Storage Protect Snapshot mount operation can be started by one of the following methods:

By issuing a mount command from the command-line interface.
By issuing a backup command in environments where a forced mount is required during a backup operation.
When IBM Storage Protect Snapshot is used with IBM Storage Protect and you offload backups to IBM Storage Protect.

The information that you enter during the installation and configuration of IBM Storage Protect Snapshot is used to create a profile configuration file. The DEVICE_CLASS section of this profile specifies the backup host name where the backup or clone images are mounted. There can be multiple DEVICE_CLASS sections. The CLIENT section specifies the DEVICE_CLASS to use for backup and offload operations. The CLONING section specifies the DEVICE_CLASS to use for cloning operations.

The information that you enter during the installation and configuration of IBM Storage Protect Snapshot is used to create a profile. The DEVICE_CLASS section of the profile specifies the backup host name where the backup images are mounted. There can be multiple DEVICE_CLASS sections. The CLIENT section specifies the DEVICE_CLASS to use for backup and offload operations.

FlashCopy® or snapshot target volumes are mounted and assigned to selected backup or clone server. Depending on the storage system and profile configuration the following assignments occur:

IBM XIV® Storage Systems.: The assignment automatically occurs during the mount request.
SAN Volume Controller and Storwize® family: If the BACKUP_HOST_NAME parameter is specified as backup_server_hostname in the DEVICE_CLASS section, the target volumes are mapped dynamically from the storage system to the backup and clone server.
DS8000®, SAN Volume Controller, and Storwize family: If the BACKUP_HOST_NAME parameter is specified as PREASSIGNED_VOLUMES in the DEVICE_CLASS section, the target volumes must be preassigned to a specific backup or clone server before you issue a mount command. Ensure that the target volumes of all target sets associated with a specific DEVICE_CLASS are assigned to the same hosts. This setting ensures that targets associated with a single device class are mounted from the same backup or clone server.

For all IBM Storage Protect Snapshot mount operations, there can be only one backup or clone server for each device class. If the identified servers have not mounted a backup or clone image, the mount request is propagated to those servers. The backup or clone is then mounted.

FlashCopy or snapshot target volumes are mounted and assigned to selected backup server. Depending on the storage system and profile configuration the following assignments occur:

IBM XIV Storage Systems.: The assignment automatically occurs during the mount request.
SAN Volume Controller and Storwize family: If the BACKUP_HOST_NAME parameter is specified as backup_server_hostname in the DEVICE_CLASS section, the target volumes are mapped dynamically from the storage system to the backup server.
DS8000, SAN Volume Controller, and Storwize family: If the BACKUP_HOST_NAME parameter is specified as PREASSIGNED_VOLUMES in the DEVICE_CLASS section, the target volumes must be preassigned to a specific backup server before you issue a mount command. Ensure that the target volumes of all target sets associated with a specific DEVICE_CLASS are assigned to the same hosts. This setting ensures that targets associated with a single device class are mounted from the same backup server.

For all IBM Storage Protect Snapshot mount operations, there can be only one backup server for each device class. If the identified servers have not mounted a backup image, the mount request is propagated to those servers. The backup is then mounted.

IBM Storage Protect Snapshot showing host assignments. This example shows a DB2 configuration. — Figure 1. IBM Storage Protect Snapshot host assignments. This example shows a DB2® configuration.