CLIENT

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IBM® Storage Protect Snapshot uses specific custom application parameters to configure custom application backup and restore operations. These parameters are defined in the client section of the IBM Storage Protect Snapshot profile configuration file.

Custom applications

APPLICATION_TYPE
For this parameter, specify the environment. For IBM Storage Protect Snapshot for Custom Applications, the GENERIC parameter must be specified.
GENERIC
This parameter specifies that the IBM Storage Protect Snapshot backup is a custom application backup.
Default
None. When you use the setup script, the option for this parameter is entered.
Advanced mode only
No
DEVICE_CLASS
This parameter specifies the device classes to use. The following sample identifies the syntax that can be used with the DEVICE_CLASS parameter:
DEVICE_CLASS <list_of_device_classes> [<conditions>]
When a list of device classes is specified, the software determines which device class matches the device class in the environment. When multiple device classes are specified, separate the device classes names with a space. The condition statement is optional. When you use the condition statement, use the following syntax:
[USE_AT <days of week>] [FROM <time> TO <time>]
The time period that is specified cannot span midnight for a device class. If a device class time period is required to span midnight, you must specify two time periods for the device class. The first time period must end with a value 1 minute before midnight and the second time period must start at midnight. The following example shows how to specify a time period that spans midnight for a device class:
DEVICE_CLASS myClass FROM 20:00 TO 23:59
DEVICE_CLASS myClass FROM 00:00 TO 06:00

When there are different devices, multiple sections can be used. Each section provides information about a particular device. To select a particular section, use the DEVICE_CLASS parameter. When the software restores data, the software uses the DEVICE_CLASS value that is specified when the data was backed up.

The setup script automatically adds DEVICE_CLASS sections to the IBM Storage Protect Snapshot profile when you add more instances of the DEVICE_CLASS parameter to the CLIENT section of the profile.

Default
STANDARD
Advanced mode only
No
ENHANCED_PARTITIONING
The ENHANCED_PARTITIONING parameter is used to control processing of the application file systems during the backup or restore operation. IBM Storage Protect Snapshot fails, when a file system contains symbolic links that point to a file system on a different volume group that is not part of the snapshot operation. Set the ENHANCED_PARTITIONING parameter to NO to ensure that symbolic links if present are not processed. With this setting, there is no check for additional files that are not associated with the application. If you use this setting, the run time of the backup operation is likely to decrease depending on the file system structure. The following list identifies the possible options:
YES
Use this option to ensure that IBM Storage Protect Snapshot processes all symbolic links of files or directories.
NO
Use this option to ensure that IBM Storage Protect Snapshot does not process symbolic links of files or directories.
Default
YES
Advanced mode only
Yes.
INFILE
This parameter is used when the APPLICATION_TYPE parameter is set to GENERIC. This parameter identifies the file that contains a list of all objects to be processed. The file must meet the following requirements:
  • Each line specifies only one file or directory to be backed up.
  • A directory, including all subdirectories, is recursively processed. When the directory is expanded, links are followed.
  • When a link to a file is specified, IBM Storage Protect Snapshot protects the file system where the file is located. However, the file system where the link is located is disregarded.
The INFILE parameter can be overridden by an entry from the command-line interface. If the INFILE parameter is not specified in the profile configuration file, the parameter must be specified from the command-line interface.
Default
There is no default for this required parameter.
Advanced mode only
Yes.
LVM_FREEZE_THAW
This parameter specifies when to enable file system freeze and thaw actions. The following list identifies the possible options:
YES
Enable file system freeze before the snapshot operation and the thaw after the snapshot operation. For AIX®, the YES value can be used only when all file systems included in the backup are JFS2 file systems.
NO
Do not freeze the file system. To set this parameter to NO, a licensed version of IBM Storage Protect Snapshot is needed and a backup server is required for mounting the snapshot to ensure file system consistency.

The value NO is required if at least one file system that does not support freeze or thaw actions, such as JFS, is involved.

AUTO
If the TARGET_DATABASE_SUSPEND parameter is set to YES, then this parameter is set with the following option: LVM_FREEZE_THAW YES. If the file system does not support freeze actions, the AUTO value sets the parameter to LVM_FREEZE_THAW NO.
For more information, see Interdependency of LVM_FREEZE_THAW and TARGET_DATABASE_SUSPEND.
Default
AUTO
Advanced mode only
Yes
MAX_VERSIONS
This parameter specifies the number of snapshot versions to store for each device class. The following list identifies the possible options:
MAX_VERSIONS ADAPTIVE
MAX_VERSIONS 2 
MAX_VERSIONS 3 USE_FOR DC_TEST
ADAPTIVE
The maximum number varies depending on the available space. IBM Storage Protect Snapshot reuses the oldest target set as the target for the current backup.
n
Where n is the maximum number of snapshot versions to be stored per device class. The amount of space that is required depends on the following factors:
  • The number of snapshots.
  • For each snapshot, the number of changes to the file system content since the snapshot was taken.
When this limit is reached, the oldest version is deleted.
Optional
When you use value n you can add a device class after it USE_FOR <device class> to specify that MAX_VERSIONS n is valid for that device class only.
Default
None
Advanced mode only
No
When you add another MAX_VERSIONS parameter, specify values based on the following criteria:
  • MAX_VERSIONS with a specific value for a specific device class.
  • MAX_VERSIONS with a default value for all device classes that have no MAX_VERSIONS already specified.
  • MAX_VERSIONS with an adpative value. This value must be used only when there are no other values set for any MAX_VERSIONS for any device classes.
NEGATIVE_LIST
This parameter is used to control file processing. This processing occurs when files that are not associated with the database are stored within the same file system that is used for the backup and restore operations. This parameter is required. The following list identifies the possible options:
NO_CHECK
This is the default value, and it means that there are no checks for extra files. The operation ignores any additional files that are identified. When you use the default value and data is restored, all files on the file system or volume group are overwritten.
WARN
Use this option to receive a warning message for each file that is identified on the volume, but not part of the snapshot operation. The processing continues. When you use this option and data is restored, all files on the file system or volume group are overwritten.
ERROR
Use this option to receive an error message for each file that is discovered on the volume, but not part of the snapshot operation. The processing ends.
filename
Where filename is a name of a file that contains a list of fully qualified names of files and directories, each name requires a new line. Only files or directories that are not associated with the database but are stored within the file system that is used for backup operations are listed. Any file that is identified by IBM Storage Protect Snapshot that is not part of the database files or is not in the NEGATIVE_LIST file, causes processing to end. Any directory that is listed in the NEGATIVE_LIST file is processed recursively. For example, all files within the directory, including subdirectories, are processed during a backup or restore request.

When you are restoring data with remote mirroring, the value of this parameter is forced to NO_CHECK. This value is used because at the time after the takeover operation there are no file systems mounted on the takeover host.

Default
NO_CHECK
Advanced mode only
Yes
POST_FLASH_CMD
This parameter identifies the command script or executable file that is used to resume the application after the snapshot operation. Arguments can be specified and are separated by blanks. This parameter is used when the APPLICATION_TYPE parameter is set to GENERIC.

This parameter can be set in the profile configuration file, or the parameter can be set from the command-line interface. If set from the command-line interface, the parameter setting overrides the corresponding parameter in the profile configuration file.

Default
There is no default for this required parameter.
Advanced mode only
Yes.
PRE_FLASH_CMD
This parameter identifies the command script or executable file that is used to immediately quiesce the application before the snapshot operation begins. Arguments can be specified and are separated by blanks. This parameter is used when the APPLICATION_TYPE parameter is set to GENERIC.

This parameter can be set in the profile configuration file, or the parameter can be set from the command-line interface. If set from the command-line interface, the parameter setting overrides the corresponding parameter in the profile configuration file.

Default
There is no default for this required parameter.
Advanced mode only
Yes.
TSM_BACKUP
This parameter specifies whether to create an IBM Storage Protect backup from a snapshot. IBM Storage Protect Snapshot must be installed on a backup server. When the TSM_BACKUP parameter is set to YES, MANDATE, or LATEST, and after the offload agent runs, an IBM Storage Protect backup is created from the snapshot. The following list identifies the possible options:
YES
This option creates an IBM Storage Protect backup from a snapshot. If the IBM Storage Protect backup operation does not successfully complete, the target set can be reused.
MANDATE
This option creates an IBM Storage Protect backup from a snapshot. However, the target set cannot be reused until the IBM Storage Protect backup successfully completes.
LATEST
This option removes a backup request to IBM Storage Protect from a previous backup. When a new snapshot with TSM_BACKUP set to LATEST, YES, or MANDATE is created, IBM Storage Protect Snapshot removes any unsuccessful backup request that were previously created with the TSM_BACKUP option set to LATEST. This option prevents backup requests to IBM Storage Protect from queuing if they are not completed in time.
NO
Keeps the snapshot backup but the snapshot is not used as a source for a subsequent tape backup operation.
TSM_ONLY
After the IBM Storage Protect backup is completed, during the unmount operation, the backup is automatically marked for deletion. This action occurs regardless of whether the backup is successful or not.
USE_FOR <list of device classes>
To create an IBM Storage Protect backup from snapshots that are run with particular device classes, as specified in the profile, combine this attribute with other options. When you list device classes, separate device classes with the space character. There is no limit of the number of device classes.
Default
None
Advanced mode only
No
TIMEOUT_FLASH
This parameter specifies the maximum time, in seconds, that the database agent waits for a response to the management agent call during the flash phase. If the database agent does not receive a response within the specified time, an error message is displayed. This parameter allows the maximum time to be specified for a database to be suspended. This parameter also implies the maximum time when JFS2 file systems can be frozen. When the timeout is reached, the file systems thaw, the database is resumed, and the backup operation ends with an error. If the LVM_FREEZE_THAW parameter is set to either AUTO or YES, the minimal value for TIMEOUT_FLASH is 5 seconds. In other scenarios, the minimal value is 1 second.
Default
The default value is 120 seconds.
Advanced mode only
Yes
TIMEOUT_<PHASE>
This parameter specifies the maximum time, in seconds, that the database agent waits for a response to the management agent call during a specific operation phase. If the database agent does not receive a response within the specified time, either the backup or restore operation ends and an error message is shown.
Specify one of the following phase values for a snapshot backup:
  • PARTITION
  • PREPARE
  • FLASH (this parameter has a separate description)
  • VERIFY
  • CLOSE
For example, TIMEOUT_PREPARE.
Specify one of the following phase values for a snapshot restore:
  • PREPARERESTORE
  • FLASHRESTORE
  • COMPLETERESTORE
  • CLOSE
For example, TIMEOUT_FLASHRESTORE.
Default
The default value is 3600 seconds.
Advanced mode only
Yes