Administrator's Guide

Setting Up Storage Pools on Disk Devices

ADSM stores data on magnetic disks in two ways:

• In random access volumes, as data is normally stored on disk. See "Using Random Access Volumes on Disk Devices".

• In files on the disk. Each file is considered a sequential access volume. Within each file, data is stored sequentially, as it is on tape devices. See "Using Disk for FILE Sequential Volumes".

Using Random Access Volumes on Disk Devices

For disk devices, ADSM provides a defined DISK device class that is used with all disk devices.

Note:

For performance reasons, allocate storage pool volumes on disk drives that reside on the ADSM server machine, not on remotely mounted file systems.

Do the following to use random access volumes on a disk device:

1. Format a random access volume. For example, enter the following command on an operating system command line:

   > dsmfmt -m -data /usr/lpp/adsmserv/bin/stgvol.002 21
   

   This command formats 21MB of space for storage pool volume STGVOL.002.

   If you do not specify a full path name, the command uses the current path.

   See Chapter 10. "Managing Storage Pool Volumes" for details on using DSMFMT, the ADSM formatting utility for random access volumes.

2. Define a storage pool that is associated with the DISK device class, or use one of the default storage pools that ADSM provides (ARCHIVEPOOL, BACKUPPOOL, and SPACEMGPOOL).

   For example, enter the following command on the command line of an ADSM administrative client:

   define stgpool engback1 disk maxsize=5m highmig=85 lowmig=40
   

   This command defines storage pool ENGBACK1.

   See "Example: Defining a Storage Pool Hierarchy" for details.

3. Define the DISK volumes formatted in step 1 to the storage pool.

   For example, enter the following command on the command line of an ADSM administrative client:

   define volume engback1 /usr/lpp/adsmserv/bin/stgvol.002
   

   This command defines volume STGVOL.002 in storage pool ENGBACK1.

   See "Defining Storage Pool Volumes" for details.

4. Do one of the following:

   • Specify the new storage pool as the destination for client files that are backed up, archived, or migrated, by modifying existing policy or creating new policy. See Chapter 12. "Managing Client Data Using Policies" for details.

   • Place the new storage pool in the storage pool migration hierarchy by updating an already defined storage pool. See "Example: Updating a Storage Pool Hierarchy".

Using Disk for FILE Sequential Volumes

Another way to use magnetic disk storage is to use files as volumes that store data sequentially (as on tape volumes). FILE sequential volumes are often useful when transferring data for purposes such as electronic vaulting.

Do the following:

1. Define a device class with device type FILE.

   For example, enter the following command on the command line of an ADSM administrative client:

   define devclass fileclass devtype=file mountlimit=2
   

   This command defines device class FILECLASS with a device type of FILE.

   See "Defining and Updating FILE Device Classes".

   To store ADSM database backups or exports on FILE volumes, this step is all you need to do to prepare the volumes. For more information, see "Defining Device Classes for Backups" and "Planning for Sequential Media Used to Export Data".

2. Define a storage pool that is associated with the new FILE device class.

   For example, enter the following command on the command line of an ADSM administrative client:

   define stgpool engback2 fileclass maxscratch=100 mountlimit=2
   

   This command defines storage pool ENGBACK2 with device class FILECLASS.

   See "Defining a Primary Storage Pool" for details.

   To allow ADSM to use scratch volumes for this device class, specify a value greater than zero for the number of maximum scratch volumes when you define the device class. If you do set MAXSCRATCH=0 to not allow scratch volumes, you must define each volume to be used in this device class. See "Preparing Volumes for Sequential Access Storage Pools" for details.

3. Do one of the following:

   • Specify the new storage pool as the destination for client files that are backed up, archived, or migrated, by modifying existing policy or creating new policy. See Chapter 12. "Managing Client Data Using Policies" for details.

   • Place the new storage pool in the storage pool migration hierarchy by updating an already defined storage pool. See "Example: Updating a Storage Pool Hierarchy".