DEFINE COPYGROUP (Define a backup copy group)

Use this command to define a new backup copy group within a specific management class, policy set, and policy domain.

Privilege class

To issue this command, you must have system privilege, unrestricted policy privilege, or restricted policy privilege for the policy domain to which the copy group belongs.

Syntax

Read syntax diagramSkip visual syntax diagramDEFine COpygroupdomain_namepolicy_set_nameclass_nameSTANDARDSTANDARDType=BackupType=BackupDESTination= pool_nameFREQuency=0FREQuency=daysVERExists=2VERExists=numberNOLimitVERDeleted=1VERDeleted=numberNOLimitRETExtra=30RETExtra=daysNOLimitRETOnly=60RETOnly=daysNOLimitMODE=MODifiedMODE=MODifiedABSoluteSERialization=SHRSTaticSERialization=SHRSTaticSTaticSHRDYnamicDYnamicTOCDestination=pool_name

Parameters

domain_name (Required)
Specifies the policy domain for which you are defining the copy group.
policy_set_name (Required)
Specifies the policy set for which you are defining the copy group.

You cannot define a copy group for a management class that belongs to the ACTIVE policy set.

class_name (Required)
Specifies the management class for which you are defining the copy group.
STANDARD
Specifies the name of the copy group, which must be STANDARD. This parameter is optional. The default value is STANDARD.
Type=Backup
Specifies that you want to define a backup copy group. The default parameter is BACKUP. This parameter is optional.
DESTination (Required)
Specifies the primary storage pool where the server initially stores backup data. You cannot specify a copy storage pool or a retention storage pool as the destination.
FREQuency
Specifies how frequently IBM Spectrum® Protect can back up a file. This parameter is optional. IBM Spectrum Protect backs up a file only when the specified number of days has elapsed since the last backup. The FREQUENCY value is used only during a full incremental backup operation. This value is ignored during selective backup or partial incremental backup. You can specify an integer from 0 to 9999. The default value is 0, meaning that IBM Spectrum Protect can back up a file regardless of when the file was last backed up.
VERExists
Specifies the maximum number of backup versions to retain for files that are currently on the client file system. This parameter is optional. The default value is 2.
If an incremental backup operation causes the limit to be exceeded, the server expires the oldest backup version that exists in server storage. Possible values are:
number
Specifies the number of backup versions to retain for files that are currently on the client file system. You can specify an integer from 1 to 9999.
Tip: To help ensure that files can be recovered after a malware incident, such as a ransomware attack, specify a value of at least 2. Preferred values are 3, 4, or more.
NOLimit
Specifies that you want the server to retain all backup versions.

The number of backup versions to retain is controlled by this parameter until versions exceed the retention time specified by the RETEXTRA parameter.

VERDeleted
Specifies the maximum number of backup versions to retain for files that have been deleted from the client file system after being backed up using IBM Spectrum Protect. This parameter is optional. The default value is 1.
If a user deletes a file from the client file system, the next incremental backup causes the server to expire the oldest versions of the file in excess of this number. The expiration date for the remaining versions is determined by the retention time specified by the RETEXTRA or RETONLY parameter. Possible values are:
number
Specifies the number of backup versions to retain for files that are deleted from the client file system after being backed up. You can specify an integer from 0 to 9999.
NOLimit
Specifies that you want the server to retain all backup versions for files that are deleted from the client file system after being backed up.
RETExtra
Specifies the number of days to retain a backup version after that version becomes inactive. A version of a file becomes inactive when the client stores a more recent backup version, or when the client deletes the file from the workstation and then runs a full incremental backup. The server deletes inactive versions based on retention time even if the number of inactive versions does not exceed the number allowed by the VEREXISTS or VERDELETED parameters. This parameter is optional. The default value is 30 days. Possible values are:
days
Specifies the number of days to retain inactive backup versions. You can specify an integer from 0 to 9999.
Tip: To help ensure that files can be recovered after a malware incident, such as a ransomware attack, specify a value of at least 14 days. The preferred value is 30 or more days.
NOLimit
Specifies that you want to retain inactive backup versions indefinitely.

If you specify NOLIMIT, the server deletes inactive backup versions based on the VEREXISTS parameter (when the file still exists on the client file system) VERDELETED parameter (when the file no longer exists on the client file system).

RETOnly
Specifies the number of days to retain the last backup version of a file that has been deleted from the client file system. This parameter is optional. The default value is 60. Possible values are:
days
Specifies the number of days to retain the last remaining inactive version of a file. You can specify an integer from 0 to 9999.
Tip: To help ensure that files can be recovered after a malware incident, such as a ransomware attack, specify a value of at least 30 days.
NOLimit
Specifies that you want to keep the last remaining inactive version of a file indefinitely.

If you specify NOLIMIT, the server retains the last remaining backup version forever, unless a user or administrator deletes the file from server storage.

MODE
Specifies whether IBM Spectrum Protect backs up a file only if the file has changed since the last backup, or whenever a client requests a backup. This parameter is optional. The default value is MODIFIED. Possible values are:
MODified
Specifies that IBM Spectrum Protect backs up the file only if it has changed since the last backup. IBM Spectrum Protect considers a file changed if any of the following is true:
  • The date last modified is different
  • The file size is different
  • The file owner is different
  • The file permissions are different
ABSolute
Specifies that IBM Spectrum Protect backs up the file regardless of whether it has been modified.

The MODE value is used only for full incremental backup. This value is ignored during partial incremental backup or selective backup.

SERialization
Specifies how IBM Spectrum Protect processes files or directories when they are modified during backup processing. This parameter is optional. The default value is SHRSTATIC. Possible values are:
SHRSTatic
Specifies that IBM Spectrum Protect backs up a file or directory only if it is not being modified during backup. IBM Spectrum Protect attempts to perform a backup as many as four times, depending on the value specified for the CHANGINGRETRIES client option. If the file or directory is modified during each backup attempt, IBM Spectrum Protect does not back it up.
STatic
Specifies that IBM Spectrum Protect backs up a file or directory only if it is not being modified during backup. IBM Spectrum Protect attempts to perform the backup only once.

Platforms that do not support the STATIC option default to SHRSTATIC.

SHRDYnamic
Specifies that if the file or directory is being modified during a backup attempt, IBM Spectrum Protect backs up the file or directory during the last attempt even though the file or directory is being modified. IBM Spectrum Protect attempts to perform a backup as many as four times, depending on the value specified for the CHANGINGRETRIES client option.
DYnamic
Specifies that IBM Spectrum Protect backs up a file or directory on the first attempt, regardless of whether the file or directory is being modified during backup processing.
Attention: Be careful about using the SHRDYNAMIC and DYNAMIC values. IBM Spectrum Protect uses these values to determine if it backs up a file or directory while modifications are occurring. As a result, the backup version might be a fuzzy backup. A fuzzy backup does not accurately reflect what is currently in the file or directory because it contains some, but not all, modifications. If a file that contains a fuzzy backup is restored, the file may or may not be usable, depending on the application that uses the file. If a fuzzy backup is not acceptable, set SERIALIZATION to SHRSTATIC or STATIC so that IBM Spectrum Protect creates a backup version only if the file or directory is not being modified.
TOCDestination
Specifies the primary storage pool in which a table of contents (TOC) will initially be stored for any Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP) backup or backup set operation for which a TOC is generated. This parameter is optional. You cannot specify a copy storage pool as the destination. The storage pool specified for the destination must have NATIVE or NONBLOCK data format. To avoid mount delays, it is recommended that the storage pool have a device class of DISK or DEVTYPE=FILE. TOC generation is an option for NDMP backup operations, but is not supported for other image-backup operations.

If TOC creation is requested for a backup operation that uses NDMP and the image is bound to a management class whose backup copy group does not specify a TOC destination, the outcome will depend on the TOC parameter for the backup operation.

  • If TOC=PREFERRED (the default), the backup proceeds without creation of a TOC.
  • If TOC=YES, the entire backup fails because no TOC can be created.

Example: Create a backup copy group

Create a backup copy group named STANDARD for management class ACTIVEFILES in policy set VACATION in the EMPLOYEE_RECORDS policy domain. Set the backup destination to BACKUPPOOL. Set the minimum interval between backups to three days, regardless of whether the files have been modified. Retain up to five backup versions of a file while the file exists on the client file system.
define copygroup employee_records 
vacation activefiles standard type=backup 
destination=backuppool frequency=3 
verexists=5 mode=absolute