Modify pool properties

Use this page to view or modify settings for physical volume pools, which manage the physical volumes used by the IBM® TS7700.

If the cluster does not possess a physical library, the Modify Pool Properties page is not visible on the IBM TS7700 management interface.

To modify properties for one or more physical volume pools:

From the Physical Volume Pools page, click the Pool Properties tab.
Select the check box next to each pool to be modified.
Select Modify Pool Properties... from the Physical volume pools drop-down menu.
Click Go to open the Modify Pool Properties page.

Note: Pools 1-32 are preinstalled. Pool 1 functions as the default pool and are used if no other pool is selected. All other pools must be defined before they can be selected.

Modify values for any of the following fields:

Media Class

The supported media class of the storage pool. Possible values are:

3592

First Media (Primary)

The primary media type that the pool can borrow or return to the common scratch pool (Pool 0). The values displayed in this field are dependent upon the configuration of physical drives in the cluster. Possible values are:

Any 3592: Any media with a 3592 format.
None: Indicates that the pool cannot borrow or return any media to the common scratch pool. This option is valid only when the Borrow Indicator field value is no borrow, return or no borrow, keep.
JA: Enterprise Tape Cartridge (ETC)
JB: Extended Data Enterprise Tape Cartridge (EDETC)
JC: Enterprise Advanced Data Cartridge (EADC)
JD: Advanced Type D Data (ATDD)
JE: Advanced Data E Cartridge (ATED)
JJ: Enterprise Economy Tape Cartridge (EETC)
JK: Enterprise Advanced Economy Tape Cartridge (EAETC)
JL: Advanced Type L Economy (ATLE)
JM: Advanced Type E Economy Cartridge (ATME)

Second Media (Secondary)

The second choice of media type that the pool can borrow from. Options shown exclude the media type chosen for First Media. Possible values are:

Any 3592: Any media with a 3592 format.
None: The only option available if the Primary Media type is Any 3592. This option is valid only when the Borrow Indicator field value is no borrow, return or no borrow, keep.
JA: Enterprise Tape Cartridge (ETC)
JB: Extended Data Enterprise Tape Cartridge (EDETC)
JC: Enterprise Advanced Data Cartridge (EADC)
JD: Advanced Type D Data (ATDD)
JE: Advanced Data E Cartridge (ATED)
JJ: Enterprise Economy Tape Cartridge (EETC)
JK: Enterprise Advanced Economy Tape Cartridge (EAETC)
JL: Advanced Type L Economy (ATLE)
JM: Advanced Type E Economy Cartridge (ATME)

Borrow Indicator

Defines how the pool is populated with scratch cartridge. Possible values are:

Borrow, Return: A cartridge is borrowed from the Common Scratch Pool (CSP) and returned when emptied.
Borrow, Keep: A cartridge is borrowed from the CSP and retained, even after being emptied.
No Borrow, Return: A cartridge is not borrowed from CSP, but an emptied cartridge is placed in CSP. This setting is used for an empty pool.
No Borrow, Keep: A cartridge is not borrowed from CSP, and an emptied cartridge is retained.

Reclaim Pool

The pool to which virtual volumes are assigned when reclamation occurs for the stacked volume on the selected pool.

Important: The reclaim pool designated for the copy export pool should be set to the same value as the copy export pool. If the reclaim pool is modified, copy export disaster recovery capabilities can be compromised.
If there is a need to modify the reclaim pool designated for the copy export pool, the reclaim pool CANNOT be set to the same value as the primary pool or the reclaim pool designated for the primary pool. If the reclaim pool for the copy export pool is the same as either of the other two pools mentioned, then primary and backup copies of a virtual volume may exist on the same physical media. If the reclaim pool for the copy export pool is modified, it is the customer's responsibility to copy export volumes from the reclaim pool.

Maximum Devices

The maximum number of physical tape drives that the pool can use for premigration. The default setting is All Compatible Devices, which means that the pool can use up to 10 physical tape drives for premigration.

Export Pool

The type of export supported if the pool is defined as an Export Pool (the pool from which physical volumes are exported). Possible values are:

Not Defined: The pool is not defined as an Export pool
Copy Export: The pool is defined as a Copy Export pool.
Move Export: The pool is defined as a Move Export pool.

Export Format

The media format used when writing volumes for export. This function can be used when the physical library recovering the volumes supports a different media format than the physical library exporting the volumes. This field is only enabled if the value in the Export Pool field is Copy Export. Possible values for this field are:

Default: The highest common format supported across all drives in the library. This is also the default value for the Export Format field.
E06: Format of a 3592 E06 Tape Drive
E07: Format of a 3592 E07 Tape Drive
E08: Format of a 3592 E08 Tape Drive
55F: Format of a 3592 55F Tape Drive
Note: This recording format is available only for the JD and JL media tapes.
60F: Format of a 3592 60F Tape Drive

Days Before Secure Data Erase

Configure this setting to a non-zero value, if Secure Data Erase is required to run against reclaimed or emptied physical volumes before reuse. It allows you to configure a grace period from when a physical volume is empty or reclaimed to when the Secure Data Erase process occurs. Delaying the Secure Data Erase may be helpful when the previously stacked logical volumes needs to be recovered from the physical tapes by IBM support. For example, if an unexpected logical volume expiration occurs, the expired logical volume may still be recovered from an empty physical tape using IBM provided services. Each stacked physical volume possesses a timer for the recovery. Once the grace period ends, the Secure Data Erase will occur at a later time based on an internal schedule. The physical volume will not be reused until the process is completed. Secure Data Erase renders all data on a physical stacked volume inaccessible. The valid range of possible values is 1-365. Setting a value of zero deactivates Secure Data Erase for this pool.

Days Without Access

The number of days the pool can persist without access to set a physical stacked volume as a candidate for reclamation. Each physical stacked volume has a timer for this purpose, which is reset when a virtual volume is accessed. The reclamation occurs at a later time, based on an internal schedule. The valid range of possible values is 1-365. Clearing the check box deactivates this function.

Note: This control is applied to the reclamation of both sunset and R/W media.

Age of Last Data Written

The number of days the pool has persisted without write access to set a physical stacked volume as a candidate for reclamation. Each physical stacked volume has a timer for this purpose, which is reset when a virtual volume is accessed. The reclamation occurs at a later time, based on an internal schedule. The valid range of possible values is 1-365. Clearing the check box deactivates this function.

Note: This control is applied to the reclamation of both sunset and R/W media.

Days Without Data Inactivation

The number of sequential days the data ratio of the pool has been higher than the Maximum Active Data used to set a physical stacked volume as a candidate for reclamation. Each physical stacked volume has a timer for this purpose, which is reset when data inactivation occurs. The reclamation occurs at a later time, based on an internal schedule. The valid range of possible values is 1-365. Clearing the check box deactivates this function. If deactivated, this field is not used as a criteria for reclaim.

Note: This control is applied to the reclamation of both sunset and R/W media.

Maximum Active Data

The ratio of the amount of active data in the entire physical stacked volume capacity. This field is used with Days Without Data Inactivation. The valid range of possible values is 5-95(%). This function is disabled if Days Without Data Inactivation is not checked.

Reclaim Threshold

The percentage used to determine when to perform reclamation of free storage on a stacked volume. When the amount of active data on a physical stacked volume drops below this percentage, a reclaim operation is performed on the stacked volume.

Physical volumes hold between the threshold value and 100% of data. Setting the threshold too low results in more physical volumes being needed; setting the threshold too high might affect the ability of the TS7700 Tape Attach to perform host workload because it is using its resources to perform reclamation. Experiment to find a threshold that matches your needs.

The valid range of possible values is 0-95(%) and can be entered in 1% increments; 35% is the default value. If the system is in a heterogeneous tape drive environment, then this threshold is for R/W media.

Sunset Media Reclaim Threshold

This field is always available, but it affects only sunset media. The percentage used to determine when to perform reclamation of free storage on a stacked volume. When the amount of active data on a physical stacked volume drops below this percentage, a reclaim operation is performed on the stacked volume.

The valid range of possible values is 0-100(%) and can be entered in 1% increments; 35% is the default value. If the system is in a heterogeneous tape drive environment, then this threshold is for sunset media.

Note: If the system contains TS1140, TS1150, or TS1160 tape drives, the system requires at least 15 scratch physical volumes to run reclamation for sunset media.

To complete the operation click OK. To abandon the operation and return to the Physical Volume Pools page, click Cancel.