Stored files

When you back up and archive files, IBM® Storage Protect stores the backups and archives in a file space in storage that has the same name as the file system or virtual mount point from which the files originated.

For example, if you have a file system named /home, and you back up a file named doc1 in the /home/monnett directory, IBM Storage Protect stores the file in a file space named /home. If you later define /home/monnett as a virtual mount point, any files you back up from the /home/monnett directory, such as doc2, are stored in a file space named /home/monnett. If you enter this command:

  dsmc query backup "/home/monnett/*"

IBM Storage Protect looks for files in the /home/monnett file space. It always looks for a file in the file space with the longest name that matches the file specification you include in a command. It locates the file named doc2 that was backed up after the virtual mount point was defined. However, it does not locate the file named doc1 because that file was backed up before the virtual mount point was defined and the backup was stored in the /home file space.

To list or restore the doc1 file using a command, you must explicitly specify the file space name by enclosing it in braces. For example:

   dsmc query backup "{/home}/monnett/*"
   dsmc restore {/home}/monnett/doc1

If you subsequently remove the /home/monnett virtual mount point, and you then back up additional files in the /home/monnett directory, the backups are once again stored in the /home file space. For example, if you now back up a file named doc3 in the /home/monnett directory, it is stored in the /home file space. It is not stored in the existing /home/monnett file space.

However, because the /home/monnett file space already exists, when you try to query or restore the doc3 file, IBM Storage Protect looks for the file in the /home/monnett file space unless you specify the correct file space name. For example:

   dsmc query backup "{/home}/monnett/*"
   dsmc restore {/home}/monnett/doc2

Note: You must explicitly specify the file space name only when there can be more than one resolution to the file specification.

For example, if the following file spaces exist in storage:

   /home
   /home/monnett
   /home/monnett/project1
   /home/monnett/project1/planning

then enter:

   dsmc query backup "/home/monnett/project1/planning/*"

IBM Storage Protect looks for files only in the /home/monnett/project1/planning file space, even if one or more of the other file spaces contains a path with the same name. But, when you enter one of the following:

   dsmc query backup "{/home}/monnett/project1/planning/*"
   dsmc query backup "{/home/monnett}/project1/planning/*"
   dsmc query backup "{/home/monnett/project1}/planning/*"

IBM Storage Protect looks for files only in the /home file space, the /home/monnett file space, or the /home/monnett/project1 file space, depending on which form you use.