How to Use LiteSpeed With TSM Archive

Using LiteSpeed with a TSM archive allows companies to back up and store huge amounts of data.

The IBM Tivoli Storage Manager, or TSM, is used to back up and store relatively large amounts of data in large enterprises. The LiteSpeed for SQL Server is a backup and storage solution that features high-performance compression and encryption technologies. It allows database administrators to easily recover lost data without interrupting the company's work flow. LiteSpeed also allows its users to back up and store data in a TSM archive by using the TSM API.

Things You'll Need

• Windows 2008
• SQL Server 2008

Instructions

1. Install the TSM backup archive client on your server. To do this, insert the CD in your CD drive and follow the on-screen installation instructions. A "Typical" installation of TSM is enough for the "Backup-Archive Client" to be installed. Note that TSM must be installed on the server targeted by LiteSpeed's backup/restore commands.

2. Go to where you installed TSM and open the "API" directory. The "apienu.dll" and "dscenu.txt" files must be present. If you are unable to find them, reinstall TSM.

3. Open the "baclient" directory and open "dsm.opt" with any text editor. Add the default communication method after "COMMMethod." For example, to use TCP/IP communication, you must use "COMMMethod TCPIP." Add the server address after "TCPServeraddress." For example, you can enter "TCPServeraddress lsp.example.com." Add your default TCP/IP port after "Tcpport." An example would be "Tcpport 1024."

4. Open the LiteSpeed UI Console and conduct a backup providing the TSM information. Note that this information must be provided using TSM arguments. You must provide at least the location of the TSM options file and the TSM object name (the name that identifies the object in TSM). For example, this command backs up the entire "example_database" database:

   exec master.dbo.xp_backup_database
   @database = 'example_database'
   , @tsmobject = 'Root\Backups\FirstBackup'
   , @tsmconfigfile = 'C:\Program Files\Tivoli\tsm\api\baclient\dsm.opt'
   , @init = 1

   "FirstBackup" is the TSM object name and "C:\Program Files\Tivoli\tsm\api\baclient\dsm.opt" is the location of the TSM options file.

Tips & Warnings

• You can specify the client node that is accessing the TSM Server and the node's owner password by using the "@tsmclientnode =" and "@tsmclientownerpwd =" parameters.

• You can create multiple options files, but LiteSpeed can use only one for each backup.

References

• Quest Software: LiteSpeed for SQL Server 6.5
• IBM: Chapter 2 - Configuring Tivoli Storage Manager

Resources

• IBM: Installing the Software on Your Workstation
• LiteSpeed: LiteSpeed Tutorials for Beginners