Administrator's Guide

Managing Storage Pools

Backed up, archived, and space-managed files are stored in groups of volumes called storage pools. The data on these primary storage pools can be backed up to copy storage pools for disaster recovery purposes. Because each storage pool is assigned to a device class, you can logically group your storage devices to meet your storage management needs.

You can establish a hierarchy of storage pools. The hierarchy may be based on the speed or the cost of the devices associated with the pools. ADSM migrates client files through this hierarchy to ensure the most efficient use of a server's storage devices.

When defining or modifying a storage pool, you can specify any or all of the following:

Cache

When the server migrates files from disk storage pools, duplicate copies of the files may remain in cache (disk storage) for faster retrieval. Cached files are deleted only when space is needed. However, client backup operations that use the disk storage pool may have poorer performance.

Collocation

ADSM can keep each client's files on a minimal number of volumes within a storage pool. Because client files are consolidated, restoring collocated files requires fewer media mounts. However, backing up files from different clients requires more mounts.

Reclamation

Files on sequential access volumes may expire, move, or be deleted. The reclamation process consolidates the active, unexpired data on many volumes onto fewer volumes. The original volumes can then be reused for new data.

For more information about storage pools and taking advantage of storage pool features, see Chapter 9. "Managing Storage Pools".