Repairing storage pools on a target replication server

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If files, directories, or storage pools on a target replication server are damaged, you can repair data extents in a directory-container storage pool on the target replication server by retrieving the deduplicated data extents from the source replication server.

Before you begin

Complete the following steps:
  1. Evaluate your storage environment to determine whether outages, network issues, or hardware failures are causing damage to data or causing the data to appear damaged. If issues in your environment are causing damage to data, identify and resolve the issues.
  2. Back up the IBM Storage Protect server database by using one of the following methods:
    • On the Operations Center Overviews page, click Servers, select a server, and click Back Up.
    • Issue the administrative command, BACKUP DB.
  3. Review the latest information about repairing and recovering data in technote 2013682.
  4. To plan the next steps, review the following restrictions about using the AUDIT CONTAINER command.
    Attention:
    • If you issue the AUDIT CONTAINER command with the ACTION=MARKDAMAGED setting for an entire storage pool, referenced data is unavailable for restore operations until the storage pool is repaired. Depending on the database size, network bandwidth, media speed, and other factors, the REPAIR STGPOOL command might run for hours or days. For this reason, if some of the data in the storage pool is available, or the status of data in the storage pool is unknown, follow these guidelines:
      1. Consider running the AUDIT CONTAINER command with the ACTION=SCANALL setting first. The ACTION=SCANALL setting identifies database records that refer to data extents with inconsistencies. Only those data extents are marked as damaged in the database.
      2. After the extents are marked as damaged, you can run the REPAIR STGPOOL command.
    • If you plan to run the AUDIT CONTAINER command with the ACTION=REMOVEDAMAGED setting, follow these guidelines:
      1. Considering running the QUERY DAMAGED command first to determine the scope of damaged data extents in the storage pool.
      2. After that, you can run the REPAIR STGPOOL command to repair damaged extents in the storage pool.
      3. Finally, you can run the AUDIT CONTAINER command with the ACTION=REMOVEDAMAGED setting to remove any damaged data extents that remain in the storage pool.

About this task

Use the procedure to repair the following types of damage:
  • Minor damage that is caused by accidental deletion of files or directories, overwritten files, accidental changes in file permissions, or disk errors caused by hardware issues.
  • Moderate damage that is caused by disk errors or disk mount errors. This type of damage results in the loss of one or more directories, but not a loss of the entire storage pool.

As part of the operation of the PROTECT STGPOOL command, damaged extents in the target storage pool are repaired. To be repaired, extents must already be marked as damaged on the target server. For example, an AUDIT CONTAINER command might identify damage in the target storage pool before the PROTECT STGPOOL command is issued.

Replicating data by using replication storage rules introduces enhanced protection of data in directory-container storage pools. This type of replication combines the functionality of the REPLICATE NODE and PROTECT STGPOOL commands into one replication operation. As a result, by running the REPAIR STGPOOL command to retrieve undamaged copies from the source replication server, you can repair damaged extents in a container storage pool on a target replication server. In this way, the extents are repaired even if you did not previously issue the PROTECT STGPOOL command.
Tip: In addition to replicating data from a source replication server to one or more target replication servers by using replication storage rules, any damaged extents that are found on the target replication server are repaired. The damaged extents are repaired from the undamaged copies on the source replication server during the replication operation. So, in certain scenarios, you can use replication storage rules as an alternative to the REPAIR STGPOOL command to repair damaged extents.

Procedure

  1. If you replicated data by using the REPLICATE NODE command, protect data extents in the directory-container storage pool on the source replication server by issuing the PROTECT STGPOOL command.
    For example, to protect a directory-container storage pool that is named POOL1, issue the following command:
    protect stgpool pool1

    Wait for the protection process to finish.

    If you used replication storage rules to replicate data from a source replication server to one or more target replication servers, you do not have to issue the PROTECT STGPOOL command. This type of replication combines the functionality of the REPLICATE NODE and PROTECT STGPOOL commands into one replication operation.

  2. To identify the damaged data extents in the directory-container storage pool on the target replication server, issue the AUDIT CONTAINER command.
    For example, to audit a storage pool that is named STGPOOL1, issue the following command: 
    audit container stgpool=stgpool1
  3. Repair damaged extents in the target storage pool:
    • If you replicated the data by using the REPLICATE NODE command, reissue the PROTECT STGPOOL command on the source server. The damaged extents in the target storage pool are marked as damaged and are repaired.
    • If you replicated data by using one or more replication storage rules, run the replication storage rule again to repair damaged extents in the target storage pool.
  4. Confirm that there are no additional damaged extents by issuing the QUERY DAMAGED command.