Backing up DB2 to an IBM Storage Protect server

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IBM® Storage Protect Snapshot relies on standard DB2® mechanisms to back up a snapshot image to the IBM Storage Protect server.

IBM Storage Protect Snapshot uses the following products to offload backups to an IBM Storage Protect server:
  • IBM® DB2 Storage Protect client for DB2 environments.
  • IBM Storage Protect for Enterprise Resource Planning, with the option for DB2 in an SAP environment.
  • IBM Storage Protect backup-archive client, which is used to offload backups from the DB2 standby server.
Note: In an SAP environment, IBM Storage Protect Snapshot can be configured to use the DB2 IBM Storage Protect agent. See the IBM Storage Protect Snapshot VENDOR_LIB profile parameter in the offload section for details.
Use one of the following methods to offload a snapshot backup to an IBM Storage Protect server:
  • When the offload agent (fcmcli) is running, it queries periodically for snapshot backups where the TSM_BACKUP configuration parameter is set to YES, MANDATE, or LATEST, in the IBM Storage Protect Snapshot profile file. The offload agent initiates a tape backup from the snapshot target set when the snapshot is created. The offload agent must be running in daemon mode on the production server.
  • The TSM_BACKUP parameter is set to YES, MANDATE, or LATEST but the offload agent is not running then you must enter the following command fcmcli -f tape_backup. You must enter the command as the database instance owner on the production server. This command offloads a previously generated snapshot backup to an IBM Storage Protect server.
IBM Storage Protect Snapshot, IBM Storage Protect for Enterprise Resource Planning, IBM DB2 Storage Protect client for DB2 environments, and IBM Storage Protect backup-archive client use their own configuration files.

To offload a backup to an IBM Storage Protect server, an OFFLOAD section must be present in the IBM Storage Protect Snapshot profile file. This OFFLOAD section is created during the installation when the option to offload backups is selected.

When a profile is created or changed, the IBM Storage Protect Snapshot configuration setup wizard, prompts you to specify whether offloaded backups are run. When YES is specified, the OFFLOAD section is added to the profile and the TSM_BACKUP parameter is added to the CLIENT section of the profile.