File systems backed up using GPFS 3.2 or earlier versions of mmbackup

GPFS™ 3.2 and earlier versions of the mmbackup command automatically created a temporary snapshot named .mmbuSnapshot of the specified file system, and backed up this snapshot to the IBM Spectrum Protect™ server. Accordingly, the files backed up by the command were stored in IBM Spectrum Protect using the /Device/.snapshots/.mmbuSnapshot directory path in the remote data store.

The GPFS 3.3 through GPFS 3.5.0.11 versions of the mmbackup command will preserve this type of processing for incremental backups until a new full backup is performed. Once a full backup is performed, mmbackup will store the files in IBM Spectrum Protect under their usual GPFS root directory path name; all files under /Device/.snapshots/.mmbuSnapshot will be marked for expiration. Until the transition to using the usual GPFS root directory path name in IBM Spectrum Protect is complete, no backups can be taken from a snapshot, other than the mmbackup temporary snapshot called .mmbuSnapshot.

Attention: Starting with GPFS 4.1, the mmbackup command will no longer support the /Device/.snapshots/.mmbuSnapshot path name format for incremental backups. After migrating to GPFS 4.1, if the older .mmbuSnapshot path name format is still in use, a full backup is required if a full backup has never been performed with GPFS 3.3 or later. After the full backup is performed, files will now always be stored in IBM Spectrum Protect under their usual GPFS root directory path name. All files in IBM Spectrum Protect under /Device/.snapshots/.mmbuSnapshot will be marked for expiration automatically after a successful backup.

The transition to using the usual GPFS root directory path name format, instead of the /Device/.snapshots/.mmbuSnapshot path name format permits mmbackup to perform a backup using any user-specified snapshot, or the live file system interchangeably.

Certain features, such as backing up from an arbitrary snapshot, cannot be used until a full backup is performed with the GPFS 3.3 or later version of the mmbackup command.