IBM Tivoli Storage FlashCopy Manager for Windows, Version 4.1

Scheduling tasks

Automate your data protection with Tivoli® Storage FlashCopy® Manager scheduling. Tivoli Storage FlashCopy Manager uses the Windows Scheduler to automate backup and restore operations. You can also schedule tasks by using the Tivoli Storage Manager Scheduler, and by using the PowerShell cmdlets that are available for use when you interact with the Management Console.

About this task

With Tivoli Storage FlashCopy Manager scheduling operations, you can schedule tasks to run periodically. However, you cannot schedule tasks to run only one time. When a schedule is defined, you can run it manually at any time by selecting the schedule and then clicking Run in the Action pane. For more granular control of your schedules, access the Windows scheduled tasks control panel.

By default, Tivoli Storage FlashCopy Manager schedules are activated by using Windows System Account permissions. If a schedule requires different Windows permissions, click Run as and enter the appropriate account and password. The following character is not supported: %

All defined schedules are displayed. You can also create, edit, enable, disable, delete, or run new schedules. Use the Scheduling wizard to guide you through the steps that are needed to define a local scheduled data protection task. The Scheduling wizard is available from the Action pane.

The scheduling wizards supports PowerShell and command line scripts. The default is PowerShell. There are templates for PowerShell and command line scripts. When you use the PowerShell scheduling tasks, you can take work that would have, in previous releases, required multiple schedules, and complete the work with a single scheduled task. For example, for a schedule to complete a full backup on Sunday and incremental backups on other days, a single schedule can be used. The PowerShell script determines what to do based on the day of the week, or additional criteria that you enter.

In the scheduling wizard, when PowerShell is selected, there are four templates that are available: file system, SQL, Exchange, and MMC. The MMC template can be used to generate and email a report.

The other templates include statements to ensure that the correct working directory is used, and that error information is handled properly. The templates also include sample statements to run queries and backups.

The scheduling-tasks area is divided into the following segments:

The first segment where defined schedules are displayed. You can also select options to create, edit, enable, disable, delete, or run new schedules.
The second segment where a list of all scheduled activity is displayed. Select an item in this list to display the output of the scheduled operation.
The third segment where the results of the selected activity are displayed.

Three types of schedules can be created:

Hourly: This type of schedule starts at a set time and runs indefinitely or for a set duration. It can be repeated at a specified time. Despite the duration or repeat settings, this type of schedule runs within one 24 hour period only.
Daily: This type of schedule starts at a set time and repeats each day as specified.
Weekly: This type of schedule starts at a set time and repeats every week as specified.

The scheduled history log file keeps entries for 60 days, by default. You can override this default by changing the scheduled history log prune value by using the main Tivoli Storage FlashCopy Manager settings control. To access The Main Tivoli Storage FlashCopy Manager settings, in the Tree View select the computer node that you want, and then from the Action pane select Properties.

Results

For more information about the cmdlets for scheduling, from a Windows PowerShell prompt, change directories to C:\Program Files\Tivoli\FlashCopyManager. Enter the following command:

gcm -mod FmModuleMMC *schedule*

Information about available cmdlets is displayed. For example, you might see information like the following sample:

CommandType Name ModuleName
----------- ---- ----------
Cmdlet Clear-FcmMmcScheduledActivityHistory FmModuleMMC
Cmdlet Disable-FcmMmcSchedule FmModuleMMC
Cmdlet Enable-FcmMmcSchedule FmModuleMMC
Cmdlet Get-FcmMmcSchedule FmModuleMMC
Cmdlet Get-FcmMmcScheduledActivity FmModuleMMC
Cmdlet New-FcmMmcSchedule FmModuleMMC
Cmdlet Remove-FcmMmcSchedule FmModuleMMC
Cmdlet Set-FcmMmcSchedule FmModuleMMC
Cmdlet Start-FcmMmcSchedule FmModuleMMC

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