Tivoli Storage Manager storage objects

Tivoli® Storage Manager represents physical storage devices and media with storage objects that you define in the server database.

Storage objects classify available storage resources and manage migration from one storage pool to another. Table 1 describes the storage objects in the Tivoli Storage Manager server storage environment.

Table 1. Storage objects and what they represent
Storage object	What this object represents
1. Volume	A discrete unit of storage on disk, tape, or other storage media. Each volume is associated with a single storage pool.
2. Storage pool	A collection of available storage volumes of the same media type. For example, a storage pool with a device class of LTO contains multiple LTO tape volumes. Clients that must back up data directly to LTO tape are associated with this storage pool. Other client data might first be stored in a disk storage pool and later be migrated to the LTO tape storage pool. Each storage pool is associated with a single device class.
3. Device class	The type of storage device that can use the volumes that are defined to a storage pool. For example, a device class of 8 mm tape associates a storage pool with any library device that uses 8 mm tape. Each device class of removable media type is associated with a single library.
4. Library	A storage device. For example, a library can represent a stand-alone drive, a set of stand-alone drives, a multiple-drive automated device, or a set of drives that is controlled by an external media manager.
5. Drive	A physical drive within a storage device. Each drive is associated with a single library.
6. Path	A data and control path from a source to a destination. To use a library or drive with Tivoli Storage Manager, a path must be defined between the device and either the Tivoli Storage Manager server or another designated data mover.
7. Data mover	A SAN-attached device that is used to transfer client data. A data mover is used only in a data transfer where the Tivoli Storage Manager server is not present, such as in a Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP) environment. Data movers transfer data between storage devices without using significant server, client, or network resources. For example, a NAS file server with attached storage must be defined as a data mover so that it can transfer client data to and from the storage device as required by the Tivoli Storage Manager server.
8. Server	A Tivoli Storage Manager server that is managed by another Tivoli Storage Manager server.

Figure 1 shows the administrator-defined storage objects that are explained in Table 1.

Figure 1. Storage objects