TSM on zLinux
TSM on zLinux: Links and References (Last Update: Jul 27, 2008)
[url=/weblogs/roller-ui/blog/[email protected]]Ulf Troppens[/url][email protected] 27 JuneSo far I didn't get it managed to feature selected dogear bookmarks for this blog.
Hence, I use this entry to maintain my links and references for backup consolidation on zLinux.
Backup Consolidation
Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM)
Integrated Removable Media Manager (IRMM)
Linux on System z, z/VM, and System z
TSM on zLinux: Technical Whitepaper (1. Draft)
TSM on zLinux: Technical Whitepaper (1. Draft)[url=/weblogs/roller-ui/blog/[email protected]]Ulf Troppens[/url][email protected] 27 JuneI have compiled the previous blog entries in a Word document. This is the first draft of a technical whitepaper about 'Backup Consolidation with TSM and IRMM on Linux on System z". The table of contents gives you an impression of upcoming blog entries you can expect soon.
Challenges of TSM on zLinux
Challenges of TSM on zLinux[url=/weblogs/roller-ui/blog/[email protected]]Ulf Troppens[/url][email protected] 26 JuneSo far I presented TSM on Linux on System z in best shape. No we turn our focus to the technology, the bits and bytes, the ugly reality. Late in 2007 my example customer reported certain performance issues, and I got involved to resolve them. I approached experts of various components and asked for guidance. It was my plan to collect the expertise of various teams and to compile coordinated, well-adjusted recommendations.
Unfortunately it turned out quickly, that inside IBM we have nearly no knowledge or production proven best practices about sizing and tuning a TSM server farm running on Linux on System z. For instance, most TSM servers run on AIX, Windows" class="t_tag"> Windows and the like but not on Linux on System z. More and more customers consolidate business critical applications on Linux on System z using middleware like DB2, WebSphere and MQseries, but TSM on Linux on System z seems to be rarely used. Even worse, based on the experience with my example customer I know that the sizing and tuning of a single TSM server running on Linux on System z is completely different than the sizing and tuning of 20 or 30 TSM servers running on Linux on System z.
Customers need integrated sizing, configuration and tuning guidelines for the whole stack to consolidate backup successfully on Linux on System z. These integrated recommendations must cover all aspects of the end-to-end solution:
This leads us to one missing ingredient: Integration testing for TSM running on Linux on System z. Customers expect an end-to-end service for backup consolidation with a single point of contact for architecture and support. This requires pre-tested recommendations for all software levels and pre-tested recommendations for the the sizing, the configuration and the tuning of the whole stack. Without these pre-tested recommendations IBM will fail to market and sell "Backup Consolidation with TSM and IRMM on Linux on System z" and to run the same configuration at multiple customers successfully.
Meanwhile I am in close contact with performance experts of the various components. They help me to develop an adjusted architecture and integrated sizing and tuning guidelines. Furthermore, I have established a test system in the Systems Lab Europe in Mainz, Germany to validate the developed recommendations. This blog reflects my progress developing these pre-tested recommendations. Upcoming blog entries will provide the answers to the questions above.
Selling IT consolidation with TSM on zLinux
Selling IT consolidation with TSM on zLinux[url=/weblogs/roller-ui/blog/[email protected]]Ulf Troppens[/url][email protected] 24 JuneTSM on Linux on System z can be positioned as "Backup Consolidation with TSM on Linux on System z" and as "Server Consolidation with TSM on Linux on System z".
Backup Consolidation with TSM on Linux on System z
Mergers and acquisitions and missing central backup strategies lead to small, heterogeneous backup islands. Such customers typically run multiple backup products such as IBM Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM), Symantec Veritas NetBackup, EMC Legato NetWorker, and others. The backup data is typically spread across smaller disk subsystems and small tape libraries from different vendors. Obviously, such customers do not have standardized processes and service level agreements in place.
IBM is competing with other major backup vendors when a customer intends to consolidate the heterogeneous backup islands. Business partners tell me that the capabilities of the major backup products match each other thus it is a game of luck to win such a backup consolidation project only based on TSM.
IBM can change the rules of the game, if we bundle TSM with Linux on System z, System z and storage hardware, and service. No other competitor can provide such an integrated solution for large backup server farms comprising software, hardware and service. Hence, bundling TSM with other components positions IBM to win a backup consolidation projects like the one at our example customer ( 45+ TSM Server on zLinux �C A Case Study).
Server Consolidation with TSM on Linux on System z
Some customers have already decided to consolidate their applications on Linux on System z. For these customers it is just the next logical step to consolidate backup on Linux on System z as well. This is a home run, because the customer has already the skills and the infrastructure to run open systems applications on Linux on System z. And there are good chances that the workload profile of a TSM server farm is complimentary to other applications which are already running on Linux on System z.
TSM on zLinux: Value Proposition
TSM on zLinux: Value Proposition[url=/weblogs/roller-ui/blog/[email protected]]Ulf Troppens[/url][email protected] 23 JuneTivoli Storage Manager (TSM), z/VM, and System z are excellent examples for mature products which meet actual marketing themes such as 'Infrastructure Simplification' and ' Virtualization & IT Optimization' since decades. Integrated Removable Media Manager (IRMM), Linux on System z and Storage complete the list of components required for building a flexible backup infrastructure.
Infrastructure Simplification
TSM simplifies backup by various means. TSM's policy sets and management classes combined with include-exclude lists and TSM schedules allow the backup of data to be largely automated even in heterogeneous environments which comprise hundreds or thousands of clients. Furthermore, administrative schedules automate the management of the TSM storage pools, e.g. creating copies of backup data, moving backup data from primary backup storage (disk) to secondary backup storage (tape), and the movement of tapes to a vaulting location. This automation takes the pressure off the system administrator and helps to prevent errors.
IRMM simplifies the handling of tape for TSM. IRMM automatically detects available tape cartridges and tape drives and determines which drive is available on which server and by which device handle (e.g., \\.\Tape1, /dev/rmt2). IRMM provisions these resources to TSM servers and TSM storage agents when needed. This eliminates the need to define tape paths and scratch cartridges inside TSM.
Linux on System z simplifies the adoption of mainframe hardware for the consolidation of open system workload. In general, Linux virtualizes the under laying hardware providing an open de facto standard for running Unix-like operating systems on a broad range of different hardware. There are some differences in the device handling such as the attachment of disks and tapes. In addition to that, System z provides various LAN options for the fast communication between multiple Linux server which are running on the same System z server. However, once the devices are setup, the installation and configuration of applications like TSM is similar, whether they are running on Linux on System z or on Intel/AMD.
z/VM simplifies the provisioning of new Linux instances on the mainframe hardware. New Linux instances and thus new TSM servers can be provisioned when needed. Customers report that in their IT shop the provisioning of a new TSM server on Linux on System z is much faster than obtaining new hardware for running a TSM server on any other operating system. The TSM server on Linux on System z is running while the order of new hardware is still waiting for approval.
System z simplifies the LAN and SAN cabling. A single System z server can power several ten TSM servers. Hence, resources like LAN, disk storage and tape devices must be connected just to a single physical System z server.
Virtualization & IT Optimization
The TSM server virtualizes the backup media towards the TSM clients. The TSM clients just dump their backup data into a hole (a configurable TCP port of the TSM server) and the TSM server manages the organization of the backup data on the backup media. The TSM server, for instance, can keep recent backup data in an active disk storage pool for fast restores and destages older versions of backup data to tape storage pools to optimize the costs for backup media. This build-in hierarchy of backup media is hidden to the client: In the case of a restore request, the TSM client just connects the TSM server via the hole and specifies the data to be restored by a reference (e.g. a filename or the name of a file system). Then, the TSM server takes care for reading the restore data from the respective backup media and sends it to the TSM client. TSM's progressive incremental backup strategy, collocation groups, and tape reclamation are other examples for TSM's unmatched optimization capabilities to provide fast restores whiles reducing the cost for owning backup data.
IRMM virtualizes different library management interfaces (SCSI Media Changer, IBM 3494, Sun/STK ACSLS) providing TSM a consistent and standard-based access to all kind of tape libraries. Thus IRMM enables the sharing of tape resource in large, heterogeneous environments which scales far beyond TSM's built-in library sharing capabilities which are sufficient for small and medium sized environments. IRMM is even capable to share tape drives with other applications as TSM increasing the tape drive utilization.
IRMM's policies for drive and cartridge assignment enable the implementation of advanced business continuity requirements. For instance, IRMM allows to define a primary and a secondary physical tape library which are represented to TSM as a single logical tape library. A typical usage scenario stores backup data on the primary tape library by default and fails-over to the secondary tape library only if the primary tape library is down. It is better to have the data in a tape library which is in the wrong data center than having no backup to tape at all. Other IRMM customers have two data centers (A and B) each equipped with two tape libraries. IRMM's policies balance the load of both libraries in each data center and, for instance, redirects backup to tape from data center A to data center B if both libraries of data center A are down. Another IRMM customer is using three libraries in three different data centers to ensure the high availability of the TSM tape storage pool even if one data center is powered down for maintenance.
Linux virtualizes the quirks of the different under laying hardware platforms. Thus, a common skill set is required for administrating a single TSM server on Intel Linux in a branch office and multiple TSM servers on Linux on System z in a data center. Hence, an IT shop can select the hardware which optimally fits to an application's workload profile while maintaining a common set of administrator skills.
z/VM virtualizes the under laying mainframe hardware and enables a very flexible resource sharing among multiple Linux instances and other z/VM guest systems. z/VM enables to run several ten TSM server on a single System z server and to share resources like CPU and FCP ports across all Linux instances. During daily routine a TSM server runs several different tasks with very different resources needs. A respective scheduling allows to flatten peak workload and thus to optimally use the available hardware resources.
System z virtualizes the co-existence of workloads with very heterogeneous workload profiles. For instance, many System z servers peak during the office hours where most backups run during the nighttime. In the case of a major disaster, TSM's resource needs can peak during the daytime, for instance, for restoring one or more large application servers. System z's capacity on demand feature allows the quick activation of additional resources such as processors (CPU) and memory (RAM) during that peak period. Thus the System z server can power the restore requests without affecting other workload running on z/OS, z/ VSE or other Linux guests. Capacity on demand resources are only charged during their activation optimizing the overall IT costs for the backup infrastructure.
TSM on zLinux: Presenting to customers at System z...
TSM on zLinux: Presenting to customers at System z Technical Conference in Dresden[url=/weblogs/roller-ui/blog/[email protected]]Ulf Troppens[/url][email protected] 7 MayThis week I have presented "Backup Consolidation with TSM and IRMM on Linux on System z" at System z Technical Conference in Dresden, Germany. Basically I have used the same presentation as in Seville, but I have polished many slides to remove IBM internal messages. The session was well received. About 25 people from customers and IBM attended both sessions.
After a session, one customer shared the following experience: "We are going away from TSM on z/OS and are evaluating Sun Solaris and Linux on System z as alternatives. My IBM service people advised me: 'Sure, you can go with TSM on zLinux, but you should not do it now. We have heard about customers who are happy with TSM on zLinux, but to be honest, we do not know who these customers are.' "
System z is IBM's premier server platform with very high profit margins. Hence, it is in our interest to direct as much workload as possible from other platforms to System z. I can understand, if people favor System p for running TSM. But Sun Solaris??? Running TSM on Linux on System z helps to protect our System z install base. Thus we should reject to loose this workload to Sun!
Fortunately, this customer will give TSM on zLinux a try. It seems to be a long journey to spread the word that Linux on System z is an excellent choice for hosting TSM.
45+ TSM Server on zLinux �C A Case Study
45+ TSM Server on zLinux �C A Case Study[url=/weblogs/roller-ui/blog/[email protected]]Ulf Troppens[/url][email protected] 28 AprMy journey with TSM on zLinux started in 2005, when I got involved in a major backup consolidation project. The customer was running several backup islands which where spread across the whole country. Two TSM server on z/OS provided the backup of Lotus Domino for about 300.000 end users. Several application servers running on Solaris, AIX, and Linux were backed-up to TSM servers running on Sun Solaris. Finally, Symantec Veritas NetBackup was used to backup file servers and other Windows based applications.
IBM won the project by bundling hardware, software and service:
In 2007, the customer presented the project at a Guide Share Europe (GSE) conference and reported a reduction of the number of tape libraries from 75 to 2 saving floor space, power, and maintenance fees. A further highlighted advantage is the standardization of backup software, backup storage, and backup processes. Other advancements include the setup of a new network for backup and enhancements for disaster recovery. Overall, the customer anticipates a reduction of its IT infrastructure costs by about 11.5 Mio Euro in five years.
Since 2006 the customer consolidated additional backup workload growing this environment to 45+ TSM server running on Linux on System z. About 20 already existing TSM server and TSM storage agents running on Sun Solaris were integrated into eRMM to share the tape drives and the tape cartridges of the new backup environment. Additional tape drives, tape cartridges and WORM cartridges have been added to meet the growing demand for backup storage. Finally both System z990 have been replaced by two System z9.
The virtualization capabilities of z/VM and eRMM helped to master this continuously changing environment. z/VM made the addition of new TSM server and the migration from the System z990 to the System z9 easy. And eRMM automatically handled all the changes in the tape hardware without changing the tape definitions in TSM. The tape hardware changes included an upgrade of all IBM 3592 tape drives to IBM TS 1120, the movement of some drives from one tape library to the other, and the addition of additional drives and cartridges.
The next blog postings will cover (1.) the value proposition and sales strategies of bundling TSM, Linux on System z, z/VM and System z, and (2.) its architecture and challenges.
TSM on zLinux: Talk at STGU Seville
TSM on zLinux: Talk at STGU Seville[url=/weblogs/roller-ui/blog/[email protected]]Ulf Troppens[/url][email protected] 23 AprLast week I have presented " New Workload for Linux on System z: Backup Consolidation with TSM and IRMM" in the System z Track of STG University in Seville, Spain. The session was well received. About 50 people from Tivoli, zLinux/zVM/System z, Storage and GTS attended both sessions.
Several people contacted me immediately after the session. One of them is working with a customer who already decided to consolidate workload on Linux on System z. Backup with TSM seems to be a reasonable candidate for moving to zLinux. Another one reported from a customer who is using multiple backup applications such as IBM Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM), EMC Legato NetWorker, and Symantec Veritas NetBackup. The bundling of TSM and zLinux could be an option to consolidate this customer's backup shop. I am very excited to see if one of them is poised for TSM on zLinux.
The presentation is available at Cattail. There is also a great transcript by Danny Williams.
Backup Consolidation with TSM and IRMM on zLinux
Backup Consolidation with TSM and IRMM on zLinux[url=/weblogs/roller-ui/blog/[email protected]]Ulf Troppens[/url][email protected] 22 AprLinux on System z is a very attractive platform for running multiple TSM server. The System z hardware is optimized for I/O intensive applications such as backup. Further advantages of TSM on Linux on System z include the quickly provisioning of new TSM server instances and workload balancing of TSM with day-time jobs.
Since 2005 I am supporting a customer who consolidated various backup islands on TSM running on Linux on System z. The customer expects savings of about
[url=/weblogs/roller-ui/blog/[email protected]]Ulf Troppens[/url][email protected] 27 JuneSo far I didn't get it managed to feature selected dogear bookmarks for this blog.
Hence, I use this entry to maintain my links and references for backup consolidation on zLinux.
Backup Consolidation
- This blog on Backup Consolidation
http://blogs.tap.ibm.com/weblogs/BackupConsolidation/ - Technical whitepaper on Backup Consolidation
http://cattail.cambridge.ibm.com/cattail/#[email protected]/files/93F8F290046B3DD8B33462E67F000001 - My current chart deck for presenting Backup Consolidation
http://cattail.cambridge.ibm.com/cattail/#[email protected]/files/C20C1BF0D0C53DD7B31182FE7F000001 - Related presentations and other related documents at Cattail
http://cattail.cambridge.ibm.com/cattail/#view=collections/4D38BAE0D0C53DD7B31182FE7F000001
Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM)
- TSM Internet Home
http://www-306.ibm.com/software/tivoli/products/storage-mgr/ - TSM Manuals
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/tivihelp/v1r1/index.jsp - TSM Performance Tuning Guide (PDF)
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/tivihelp/v1r1/topic/com.ibm.itsmm.doc/b_perf_tuning_guide.pdf
Integrated Removable Media Manager (IRMM)
- IRMM Internet Home
http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/z/os/linux/solutions/irmm/index.html - IRMM Intranet Home
http://w3.webahead.ibm.com/w3ki/display/IRMM/Home - IRMM Support Wiki
https://w3.webahead.ibm.com/w3ki/display/IRMMSUP/Home - Generic IRMM implementation concept
http://cattail.cambridge.ibm.com/cattail/#[email protected]/files/2F101E7004763DD8B33462E67F000001
Linux on System z, z/VM, and System z
- Linux on System z Home
§http://www-304.ibm.com/jct03004c/systems/z/os/linux/about.html
- Linux on System z Performance Tuning Hints and Tips
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/linux390/perf/index.html
- z/VM Home
§http://www.vm.ibm.com/
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TSM on zLinux: Technical Whitepaper (1. Draft)
- irmm
- backup
- consolidation
- linux
- system-z
- tsm
- zlinux
TSM on zLinux: Technical Whitepaper (1. Draft)[url=/weblogs/roller-ui/blog/[email protected]]Ulf Troppens[/url][email protected] 27 JuneI have compiled the previous blog entries in a Word document. This is the first draft of a technical whitepaper about 'Backup Consolidation with TSM and IRMM on Linux on System z". The table of contents gives you an impression of upcoming blog entries you can expect soon.
 Technical Whitepaper: Sizing and Tuning TSM on Linux on System z Backup Consolidation with TSM and IRMM on Linux on System z - DRAFT 20080916.pdf (433.2K) Ulf Troppens Last modified November 10 |
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Challenges of TSM on zLinux
- linux
- system-z
- backup
- zlinux
- irmm
- consolidation
- tsm
Challenges of TSM on zLinux[url=/weblogs/roller-ui/blog/[email protected]]Ulf Troppens[/url][email protected] 26 JuneSo far I presented TSM on Linux on System z in best shape. No we turn our focus to the technology, the bits and bytes, the ugly reality. Late in 2007 my example customer reported certain performance issues, and I got involved to resolve them. I approached experts of various components and asked for guidance. It was my plan to collect the expertise of various teams and to compile coordinated, well-adjusted recommendations.
Unfortunately it turned out quickly, that inside IBM we have nearly no knowledge or production proven best practices about sizing and tuning a TSM server farm running on Linux on System z. For instance, most TSM servers run on AIX, Windows" class="t_tag"> Windows and the like but not on Linux on System z. More and more customers consolidate business critical applications on Linux on System z using middleware like DB2, WebSphere and MQseries, but TSM on Linux on System z seems to be rarely used. Even worse, based on the experience with my example customer I know that the sizing and tuning of a single TSM server running on Linux on System z is completely different than the sizing and tuning of 20 or 30 TSM servers running on Linux on System z.
Customers need integrated sizing, configuration and tuning guidelines for the whole stack to consolidate backup successfully on Linux on System z. These integrated recommendations must cover all aspects of the end-to-end solution:
- Configuration of TSM clients
- Configuration of the LAN between TSM clients and TSM servers
- TCP tuning for System z, z/VM, and Linux on System z
- HiperSockets vs. VSWITCH vs. directs attached OSA
- Configuration of TSM servers
- Configuration of Linux
- Which distribution?
- Which kernel?
- Configuration of file system
- Which file system?
- Which mount options?
- Which block size?
- Configuration of multi-pathing software
- Which one?
- Which options?
- Configuration of z/VM
- QDIOASSIST enabled or disabled?
- Other?
- Configuration of zFCP HBAs
- Disk vs. tape workload
- TSM DB vs. TSM log vs. TSM disk storage pool workload
- Configuration of SAN Switches
- Configuration of DS8000
- Which RAID?
- Which disk layout?
- Configuration of tape attachment
This leads us to one missing ingredient: Integration testing for TSM running on Linux on System z. Customers expect an end-to-end service for backup consolidation with a single point of contact for architecture and support. This requires pre-tested recommendations for all software levels and pre-tested recommendations for the the sizing, the configuration and the tuning of the whole stack. Without these pre-tested recommendations IBM will fail to market and sell "Backup Consolidation with TSM and IRMM on Linux on System z" and to run the same configuration at multiple customers successfully.
Meanwhile I am in close contact with performance experts of the various components. They help me to develop an adjusted architecture and integrated sizing and tuning guidelines. Furthermore, I have established a test system in the Systems Lab Europe in Mainz, Germany to validate the developed recommendations. This blog reflects my progress developing these pre-tested recommendations. Upcoming blog entries will provide the answers to the questions above.
- 0 Comments
Selling IT consolidation with TSM on zLinux
- irmm
- consolidation
- backup
- tsm
- linux
- system-z
- zlinux
Selling IT consolidation with TSM on zLinux[url=/weblogs/roller-ui/blog/[email protected]]Ulf Troppens[/url][email protected] 24 JuneTSM on Linux on System z can be positioned as "Backup Consolidation with TSM on Linux on System z" and as "Server Consolidation with TSM on Linux on System z".
Backup Consolidation with TSM on Linux on System z
Mergers and acquisitions and missing central backup strategies lead to small, heterogeneous backup islands. Such customers typically run multiple backup products such as IBM Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM), Symantec Veritas NetBackup, EMC Legato NetWorker, and others. The backup data is typically spread across smaller disk subsystems and small tape libraries from different vendors. Obviously, such customers do not have standardized processes and service level agreements in place.
IBM is competing with other major backup vendors when a customer intends to consolidate the heterogeneous backup islands. Business partners tell me that the capabilities of the major backup products match each other thus it is a game of luck to win such a backup consolidation project only based on TSM.
IBM can change the rules of the game, if we bundle TSM with Linux on System z, System z and storage hardware, and service. No other competitor can provide such an integrated solution for large backup server farms comprising software, hardware and service. Hence, bundling TSM with other components positions IBM to win a backup consolidation projects like the one at our example customer ( 45+ TSM Server on zLinux �C A Case Study).
Server Consolidation with TSM on Linux on System z
Some customers have already decided to consolidate their applications on Linux on System z. For these customers it is just the next logical step to consolidate backup on Linux on System z as well. This is a home run, because the customer has already the skills and the infrastructure to run open systems applications on Linux on System z. And there are good chances that the workload profile of a TSM server farm is complimentary to other applications which are already running on Linux on System z.
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TSM on zLinux: Value Proposition
- system-z
- linux
- backup
- zlinux
- tsm
- consolidation
- irmm
TSM on zLinux: Value Proposition[url=/weblogs/roller-ui/blog/[email protected]]Ulf Troppens[/url][email protected] 23 JuneTivoli Storage Manager (TSM), z/VM, and System z are excellent examples for mature products which meet actual marketing themes such as 'Infrastructure Simplification' and ' Virtualization & IT Optimization' since decades. Integrated Removable Media Manager (IRMM), Linux on System z and Storage complete the list of components required for building a flexible backup infrastructure.
Infrastructure Simplification
TSM simplifies backup by various means. TSM's policy sets and management classes combined with include-exclude lists and TSM schedules allow the backup of data to be largely automated even in heterogeneous environments which comprise hundreds or thousands of clients. Furthermore, administrative schedules automate the management of the TSM storage pools, e.g. creating copies of backup data, moving backup data from primary backup storage (disk) to secondary backup storage (tape), and the movement of tapes to a vaulting location. This automation takes the pressure off the system administrator and helps to prevent errors.
IRMM simplifies the handling of tape for TSM. IRMM automatically detects available tape cartridges and tape drives and determines which drive is available on which server and by which device handle (e.g., \\.\Tape1, /dev/rmt2). IRMM provisions these resources to TSM servers and TSM storage agents when needed. This eliminates the need to define tape paths and scratch cartridges inside TSM.
Linux on System z simplifies the adoption of mainframe hardware for the consolidation of open system workload. In general, Linux virtualizes the under laying hardware providing an open de facto standard for running Unix-like operating systems on a broad range of different hardware. There are some differences in the device handling such as the attachment of disks and tapes. In addition to that, System z provides various LAN options for the fast communication between multiple Linux server which are running on the same System z server. However, once the devices are setup, the installation and configuration of applications like TSM is similar, whether they are running on Linux on System z or on Intel/AMD.
z/VM simplifies the provisioning of new Linux instances on the mainframe hardware. New Linux instances and thus new TSM servers can be provisioned when needed. Customers report that in their IT shop the provisioning of a new TSM server on Linux on System z is much faster than obtaining new hardware for running a TSM server on any other operating system. The TSM server on Linux on System z is running while the order of new hardware is still waiting for approval.
System z simplifies the LAN and SAN cabling. A single System z server can power several ten TSM servers. Hence, resources like LAN, disk storage and tape devices must be connected just to a single physical System z server.
Virtualization & IT Optimization
The TSM server virtualizes the backup media towards the TSM clients. The TSM clients just dump their backup data into a hole (a configurable TCP port of the TSM server) and the TSM server manages the organization of the backup data on the backup media. The TSM server, for instance, can keep recent backup data in an active disk storage pool for fast restores and destages older versions of backup data to tape storage pools to optimize the costs for backup media. This build-in hierarchy of backup media is hidden to the client: In the case of a restore request, the TSM client just connects the TSM server via the hole and specifies the data to be restored by a reference (e.g. a filename or the name of a file system). Then, the TSM server takes care for reading the restore data from the respective backup media and sends it to the TSM client. TSM's progressive incremental backup strategy, collocation groups, and tape reclamation are other examples for TSM's unmatched optimization capabilities to provide fast restores whiles reducing the cost for owning backup data.
IRMM virtualizes different library management interfaces (SCSI Media Changer, IBM 3494, Sun/STK ACSLS) providing TSM a consistent and standard-based access to all kind of tape libraries. Thus IRMM enables the sharing of tape resource in large, heterogeneous environments which scales far beyond TSM's built-in library sharing capabilities which are sufficient for small and medium sized environments. IRMM is even capable to share tape drives with other applications as TSM increasing the tape drive utilization.
IRMM's policies for drive and cartridge assignment enable the implementation of advanced business continuity requirements. For instance, IRMM allows to define a primary and a secondary physical tape library which are represented to TSM as a single logical tape library. A typical usage scenario stores backup data on the primary tape library by default and fails-over to the secondary tape library only if the primary tape library is down. It is better to have the data in a tape library which is in the wrong data center than having no backup to tape at all. Other IRMM customers have two data centers (A and B) each equipped with two tape libraries. IRMM's policies balance the load of both libraries in each data center and, for instance, redirects backup to tape from data center A to data center B if both libraries of data center A are down. Another IRMM customer is using three libraries in three different data centers to ensure the high availability of the TSM tape storage pool even if one data center is powered down for maintenance.
Linux virtualizes the quirks of the different under laying hardware platforms. Thus, a common skill set is required for administrating a single TSM server on Intel Linux in a branch office and multiple TSM servers on Linux on System z in a data center. Hence, an IT shop can select the hardware which optimally fits to an application's workload profile while maintaining a common set of administrator skills.
z/VM virtualizes the under laying mainframe hardware and enables a very flexible resource sharing among multiple Linux instances and other z/VM guest systems. z/VM enables to run several ten TSM server on a single System z server and to share resources like CPU and FCP ports across all Linux instances. During daily routine a TSM server runs several different tasks with very different resources needs. A respective scheduling allows to flatten peak workload and thus to optimally use the available hardware resources.
System z virtualizes the co-existence of workloads with very heterogeneous workload profiles. For instance, many System z servers peak during the office hours where most backups run during the nighttime. In the case of a major disaster, TSM's resource needs can peak during the daytime, for instance, for restoring one or more large application servers. System z's capacity on demand feature allows the quick activation of additional resources such as processors (CPU) and memory (RAM) during that peak period. Thus the System z server can power the restore requests without affecting other workload running on z/OS, z/ VSE or other Linux guests. Capacity on demand resources are only charged during their activation optimizing the overall IT costs for the backup infrastructure.
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TSM on zLinux: Presenting to customers at System z...
- zlinux
- backup
- system-z
- irmm
- tsm
- linux
- consolidation
TSM on zLinux: Presenting to customers at System z Technical Conference in Dresden[url=/weblogs/roller-ui/blog/[email protected]]Ulf Troppens[/url][email protected] 7 MayThis week I have presented "Backup Consolidation with TSM and IRMM on Linux on System z" at System z Technical Conference in Dresden, Germany. Basically I have used the same presentation as in Seville, but I have polished many slides to remove IBM internal messages. The session was well received. About 25 people from customers and IBM attended both sessions.
After a session, one customer shared the following experience: "We are going away from TSM on z/OS and are evaluating Sun Solaris and Linux on System z as alternatives. My IBM service people advised me: 'Sure, you can go with TSM on zLinux, but you should not do it now. We have heard about customers who are happy with TSM on zLinux, but to be honest, we do not know who these customers are.' "
System z is IBM's premier server platform with very high profit margins. Hence, it is in our interest to direct as much workload as possible from other platforms to System z. I can understand, if people favor System p for running TSM. But Sun Solaris??? Running TSM on Linux on System z helps to protect our System z install base. Thus we should reject to loose this workload to Sun!
Fortunately, this customer will give TSM on zLinux a try. It seems to be a long journey to spread the word that Linux on System z is an excellent choice for hosting TSM.
 Backup Consolidation with TSM and IRMM on Linux on System z Ulf Troppens - Backup Consolidation - 20080815.pdf (1.3M) Ulf Troppens Last modified August 15 |
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45+ TSM Server on zLinux �C A Case Study
- backup
- zlinux
- mainframe
- systemz
- linux
- consolidation
- tsm
- casestudy
45+ TSM Server on zLinux �C A Case Study[url=/weblogs/roller-ui/blog/[email protected]]Ulf Troppens[/url][email protected] 28 AprMy journey with TSM on zLinux started in 2005, when I got involved in a major backup consolidation project. The customer was running several backup islands which where spread across the whole country. Two TSM server on z/OS provided the backup of Lotus Domino for about 300.000 end users. Several application servers running on Solaris, AIX, and Linux were backed-up to TSM servers running on Sun Solaris. Finally, Symantec Veritas NetBackup was used to backup file servers and other Windows based applications.
IBM won the project by bundling hardware, software and service:
- IBM Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) is IBM’s premier solution for backup of open systems data. TSM is a client server application. The TSM server manages a hierarchy of backup media which typically comprise disk storage and tape storage. The TSM clients send their data (e.g. files, images, databases) to the TSM server for backup, archive, or space management (hierarchical storage management, HSM). The TSM server maintains a metadata database to keep track of all received data and its organization on the backup media.
- IBM Integrated Removable Media Manager for the Enterprise on System z (IRMM) enables features known from the mainframe's DFSMSrmm for open systems. It complements SVC, GPFS, TSM, and TPC to provide storage virtualization and advanced storage management for removable media. IRMM has the same value proposition for tape as SVC has for disk. Whilst TSM’s built-in library management capabilities are good enough for most setups, IRMM enables central management and monitoring across heterogeneous application and tape library boundaries and thus simplifies the tape management for very large TSM installations. For instance, IRMM automatically configures tape drives for TSM and it gathers audit trails and statistical data for the complete cartridge lifecycle.
The IRMM technology is based on Enterprise Removable Media Manager (eRMM), an IBM services offering that has been available since 2005. It has been in production since third quarter 2005 at several major European companies and has demonstrated its robustness and scalability. This technology is now being made available worldwide with the IRMM product. - System z, z/VM, and Linux on System z are optimized for I/O intensive workloads such as backup. System z can host a large TSM server farm on a single machine, where the mainframe economics reduces complexity and costs of operation. The mainframe’s energy efficiency saves space and reduces costs for power and facilities. z/VM offers the flexibility to add new TSM server as needed within a couple of hours. Capacity on demand allows to increase the processing power of a System z server quickly, for instance, to provide the resources for restoring several large application servers after a major disaster. Finally, Linux on System z provides a cost-effective platform for TSM to consolidate a heterogeneous backup landscape and to keep customers on the System z hardware who are going away from z/OS.
- IBM Disk and IBM Tape supply the storage capacity for the backup media. The cost-effective mix of disk and tape optimally supports the dynamic requirements of backup data which significantly change during their lifecycle.
- IBM Service helps to get the best from the hardware and the software. The correct design, installation and configuration are keys for customer satisfaction. Running a large TSM server farm is complex technology. Typically, customers have enough human resources for their day-to-day business, but additional resources are required during the consolidation phase to help with skills and man power. Hence, the addition of service protects the customer and IBM.
In 2007, the customer presented the project at a Guide Share Europe (GSE) conference and reported a reduction of the number of tape libraries from 75 to 2 saving floor space, power, and maintenance fees. A further highlighted advantage is the standardization of backup software, backup storage, and backup processes. Other advancements include the setup of a new network for backup and enhancements for disaster recovery. Overall, the customer anticipates a reduction of its IT infrastructure costs by about 11.5 Mio Euro in five years.
Since 2006 the customer consolidated additional backup workload growing this environment to 45+ TSM server running on Linux on System z. About 20 already existing TSM server and TSM storage agents running on Sun Solaris were integrated into eRMM to share the tape drives and the tape cartridges of the new backup environment. Additional tape drives, tape cartridges and WORM cartridges have been added to meet the growing demand for backup storage. Finally both System z990 have been replaced by two System z9.
The virtualization capabilities of z/VM and eRMM helped to master this continuously changing environment. z/VM made the addition of new TSM server and the migration from the System z990 to the System z9 easy. And eRMM automatically handled all the changes in the tape hardware without changing the tape definitions in TSM. The tape hardware changes included an upgrade of all IBM 3592 tape drives to IBM TS 1120, the movement of some drives from one tape library to the other, and the addition of additional drives and cartridges.
The next blog postings will cover (1.) the value proposition and sales strategies of bundling TSM, Linux on System z, z/VM and System z, and (2.) its architecture and challenges.
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TSM on zLinux: Talk at STGU Seville
- linux
- consolidation
- backup
- zlinux
- tsm
TSM on zLinux: Talk at STGU Seville[url=/weblogs/roller-ui/blog/[email protected]]Ulf Troppens[/url][email protected] 23 AprLast week I have presented " New Workload for Linux on System z: Backup Consolidation with TSM and IRMM" in the System z Track of STG University in Seville, Spain. The session was well received. About 50 people from Tivoli, zLinux/zVM/System z, Storage and GTS attended both sessions.
Several people contacted me immediately after the session. One of them is working with a customer who already decided to consolidate workload on Linux on System z. Backup with TSM seems to be a reasonable candidate for moving to zLinux. Another one reported from a customer who is using multiple backup applications such as IBM Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM), EMC Legato NetWorker, and Symantec Veritas NetBackup. The bundling of TSM and zLinux could be an option to consolidate this customer's backup shop. I am very excited to see if one of them is poised for TSM on zLinux.
The presentation is available at Cattail. There is also a great transcript by Danny Williams.
| Backup Consolidation with TSM and IRMM on Linux on System z Ulf Troppens - Backup Consolidation - 20080815.pdf (1.3M) Ulf Troppens Last modified August 15 |
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Backup Consolidation with TSM and IRMM on zLinux
- linux
- z
- mainframe
- consolidation
- zlinux
- tsm
- irmm
- system
- backup
Backup Consolidation with TSM and IRMM on zLinux[url=/weblogs/roller-ui/blog/[email protected]]Ulf Troppens[/url][email protected] 22 AprLinux on System z is a very attractive platform for running multiple TSM server. The System z hardware is optimized for I/O intensive applications such as backup. Further advantages of TSM on Linux on System z include the quickly provisioning of new TSM server instances and workload balancing of TSM with day-time jobs.
Since 2005 I am supporting a customer who consolidated various backup islands on TSM running on Linux on System z. The customer expects savings of about