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Usage of multiple dsm.opt files with the new MMC GUI

Question & Answer


Question

How can I enable the new Management Console (MMC) GUI for Flash Copy Manager to use multiple option files?

Cause

The MMC GUI is the central user interface to interact with Tivoli FlashCopy Manager for Windows Version 3.1/3.2, Tivoli Storage Manager for Databases: Data Protection for Microsoft SQL Server Version 6.3/6.4 and Tivoli Storage Manager for Mail: Data Protection for Microsoft Exchange Server Version 6.3/6.4. This also applies to Tivoli FlashCopy Manger for Windows: Data Protection for File Systems/Custom Applications.

The MMC is designed to reduce complexity. The MMC configuration wizards will detect and configure all SQL Server and Exchange instances on the machine using a common configuration and all instances are displayed in the GUI at the same time. With that approach only a single node and option file are needed in order to protect all SQL Server or Exchange instances on the machine. Because of this the MMC is currently restricted to using the single option file located in the product folder i.e.: ...\program files\tivoli\tsm\tdpsql\dsm.opt , ...\program files\tivoli\tsm\tdpexchange\dsm.opt

If the configuration wizards are not used the configuration is done manually it's possible to associate different nodes and options files with each SQL Server or Exchange Server instance on a machine. In this case there will be an issue because the MMC will only use the default dsm.opt file.

While the MMC GUI has replaced the MFC GUI, the MFC GUI is still included in the package through version 6.3 and 3.1. It is removed in version 6.4 and 3.2. The MFC GUI can only display a single instance in the GUI at one time and so it provides options to indicate the instance and opt file to use.

For example, there are two SQL Server instances running - Instance1 and Instance2 and two separate dsm.opt files have been created - instance1.opt and instance2.opt.

The MFC GUI can be started as:

    tdpsql /sqlserver=instance1 /tsmoptfile=instance1.opt or
    tdpsql /sqlserver=instance2 /tsmoptfile=instance2.opt

providing a way to use specific option files for specific SQL Server instances.

The ability to use specific options files with specific instances with the MMC is being reviewed for a future release. Until that support is added the workaround described below can be used.

Answer

The /sqlserver, /tsmoptfile, /excserver and /configfile options continue to work with the command line interface which is also used for scheduling.

If needed, the MFC GUI can be used as described above through the 6.3/3.1 release.

The workaround for the MMC GUI is to use a script that accepts the options file to use. When the script starts it will make a backup of the original dsm.opt file and copy in the specified opt file in its place. The script starts the MMC and any changes made via property sheets will be saved to that options file. When the MMC is closed, the script will copy the dsm.opt file back to the original location.

This can be done using the sample PowerShell script which can be found at the end of this document.


Note: This script is provided as an example and not eligible for support by IBM. The customer assumes responsibility for adopting, modifying, troubleshooting, or debugging, this script in their specific environment.

Examples:
Note that all parameters default to an empty string which means that no copying will be done for


any files not explicitly specified. The script can also be started with the PowerShell -verbose
parameter to see details on which files are copied. For example:

PS C:\Users\administrator\desktop> .\start-mmc.ps1 -dpsqloptfile node1.opt -dpsqlcfgfile node1.cfg
-verbose
VERBOSE: copy C:\Program Files\Tivoli\tsm\TDPSql\dsm.opt C:\Program
Files\Tivoli\tsm\TDPSql\dsm.opt.bak
VERBOSE: copy C:\Program Files\Tivoli\tsm\TDPSql\node1.opt C:\Program
Files\Tivoli\tsm\TDPSql\dsm.opt
VERBOSE: copy C:\Program Files\Tivoli\tsm\TDPSql\tdpsql.cfg C:\Program
Files\Tivoli\tsm\TDPSql\tdpsql.cfg.bak
VERBOSE: copy C:\Program Files\Tivoli\tsm\TDPSql\node1.cfg C:\Program
Files\Tivoli\tsm\TDPSql\tdpsql.cfg
VERBOSE: starting mmc
VERBOSE: mmc completed. rc: 0
VERBOSE: copy C:\Program Files\Tivoli\tsm\TDPSql\dsm.opt C:\Program
Files\Tivoli\tsm\TDPSql\node1.opt
VERBOSE: copy C:\Program Files\Tivoli\tsm\TDPSql\dsm.opt.bak C:\Program
Files\Tivoli\tsm\TDPSql\dsm.opt
VERBOSE: copy C:\Program Files\Tivoli\tsm\TDPSql\tdpsql.cfg C:\Program
Files\Tivoli\tsm\TDPSql\node1.cfg
VERBOSE: copy C:\Program Files\Tivoli\tsm\TDPSql\tdpsql.cfg.bak C:\Program
Files\Tivoli\tsm\TDPSql\tdpsql.cfg


For an Exchange Server it would look like this:
PS C:\Users\administrator\desktop> .\start-mmc.ps1 -dpexcoptfile node1.opt -dpexccfgfile node1.cfg
-verbose

For File System protection:
PS C:\Users\administrator\desktop> .\start-mmc.ps1 -fcmclioptfile node1.opt -fcmclicfgfile node1cfg.xml
-verbose

Restrictions:

1) the MMC GUI will still display all SQL server/Exchange server instances. Each instance is an entry in the MMC tree view. Interaction should only be done with the instance(s) that corresponds to the specified option file.

2) Only one copy of the MMC should be started at a given time, because the last one to start will have its specified options file copied to the single default dsm.opt file

3)The default cfg / opt files (for example: tdpsql.cfg, dsm.opt) should not be used for scheduled
operations when the attached script is used. This is because the script temporarily copies specific
cfg/opt files to the defaults so that they can be used with the MMC and so to ensure that specific
files are used for scheduled operations the desired opt/cfg files should be specified explicitly
with the scheduled commands.

4) A desktop shortcut / icon can be created to launch the MMC with specific cfg / opt files. For
example, the target field in the shortcut properties can be set similar to the following when the
attached start-mmc.ps1 script is placed on the desktop.
C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -command
"C:\Users\administrator\Desktop\start-mmc.ps1 -dpsqloptfile node1.opt -dpsqlcfgfile node1.cfg

This problem is also addressed in APAR:
IC98441 FLASHCOPY MANAGER MMC DOES NOT INCLUDE OPTIONS TO ALLOW CONFIGURATION AND OPTIONS FILES IN A NON-DEFAULT LOCATION

Starting with Tivoli FlashCopy Manager 4.1 and Tivoli Data Protection products 7.1. the MMC can be started with the following options to point to non-default location option and configuration files:

SQL Server:
/SQLOPTfile= filename
/SQLCONFigfile= filename
/SQLInstancenames= instance1,instance2

Exchange Server:
/EXCCONFigfile= filename
/EXCOPTFile= filename

FlashCopy Manager for Custom applications:
/FSOPTfile= filename
/FSCONFigfile= filename

Please refer to the product documentation how to use these settings.

[{"Product":{"code":"SSTFZR","label":"Tivoli Storage Manager for Databases"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU054","label":"Systems w\/TPS"},"Component":"Data Protection for MS SQL","Platform":[{"code":"PF033","label":"Windows"}],"Version":"6.3;6.3.1;6.4","Edition":"All Editions","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB26","label":"Storage"}},{"Product":{"code":"SS36V9","label":"Tivoli Storage FlashCopy Manager"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU058","label":"IBM Infrastructure w\/TPS"},"Component":"FlashCopy Manager for Microsoft SQL Server","Platform":[{"code":"PF033","label":"Windows"}],"Version":"3.1;3.1.1;3.2","Edition":"All Editions","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB26","label":"Storage"}},{"Product":{"code":"SS36V9","label":"Tivoli Storage FlashCopy Manager"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU058","label":"IBM Infrastructure w\/TPS"},"Component":"FlashCopy Manager for Microsoft Exchange","Platform":[{"code":"PF033","label":"Windows"}],"Version":"3.1;3.1.1;3.2","Edition":"All Editions","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB26","label":"Storage"}},{"Product":{"code":"SSTFZR","label":"Tivoli Storage Manager for Databases"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU054","label":"Systems w\/TPS"},"Component":"Data Protection for MS SQL","Platform":[{"code":"PF033","label":"Windows"}],"Version":"6.3;6.3.1;6.4","Edition":"All Editions","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB26","label":"Storage"}},{"Product":{"code":"SSTG2D","label":"Tivoli Storage Manager for Mail"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU058","label":"IBM Infrastructure w\/TPS"},"Component":"Data Protection for MS Exchange","Platform":[{"code":"PF033","label":"Windows"}],"Version":"6.3;6.3.1;6.4","Edition":"All Editions","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB26","label":"Storage"}},{"Product":{"code":"SS36V9","label":"Tivoli Storage FlashCopy Manager"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU058","label":"IBM Infrastructure w\/TPS"},"Component":"FlashCopy Manager for Custom Applications","Platform":[{"code":"PF033","label":"Windows"}],"Version":"3.1;3.1.1;3.2","Edition":"All Editions","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB26","label":"Storage"}}]

Document Information

Modified date:
17 June 2018

UID

swg21597023