Backup Group

Use the backup group command to create and back up a group containing a list of files from one or more file space origins to a virtual file space on the Tivoli® Storage Manager server.

AIX operating systemsAIX® only: You can enable snapshot-based group backup by using the option snapshotproviderfs=JFS2.

A group backup allows you to create a consistent point-in-time backup of a group of files that is managed as a single logical entity. Objects in the group are subject to the following processing rules:

  • Management class rebinding for grouped objects:
    • During full backups, all objects in a backup group are assigned to the same management class.
    • During differential backups, if a new management class is specified on an include statement for an existing backup group, the following behavior occurs:
      • Any new and changed objects in the backup group are bound to the new management class.
      • Any member objects of the group that are not changed appear as though they have not been bound to the new management class. These unchanged objects are not included in the Total number of objects rebound statistics that are displayed when the Backup Group command completes.
      • The unchanged objects are reassigned to a newly created backup group, and the new backup group is bound to the new management class. However, the original management class name is still displayed for the unchanged group objects.

        Even though the original management class name is still displayed for the unchanged objects, they are effectively bound to the new management class of the backup group.

  • Existing exclude statements for any files in the group are ignored.
  • All objects in the group are exported together.
  • All objects in the group are expired together as specified in the management class. No objects in a group are expired until all other objects in the group are expired, even when another group they belong to gets expired.
  • If you are performing full and differential group backups to a sequential device, during a restore the data is in no more than two locations. To optimize restore time, perform periodic full backups to back up the data to one location on the sequential media.
  • During a full group backup, all objects in the filelist are sent to the server. During a differential group backup, only data that has changed since the last full backup is sent to the server. Objects in the filelist that have not changed since the last full backups are assigned as members of the differential group backup. This data is not resent to the server, reducing backup time.
The backup group command requires the following options:
filelist
Specifies a list of files to add to a new group.
groupname
Specifies the fully qualified name of the group containing a list of files.
virtualfsname
Specifies the name of the virtual file space for the group on which you want to perform the operation. The virtualfsname option cannot be the same as an existing file space name.
mode
Specifies whether you want to back up all of the files in the filelist or only files that have changed since the last full backup.
Note:
  1. If any file in the group backup fails, the entire group backup fails.
  2. Use the query group command to query members of a group backup on the Tivoli Storage Manager server.
  3. Use the restore group command to restore specific members or all members of a group backup on the Tivoli Storage Manager server.
  4. Unless you are running Mac OS X, use the delete group command to delete a specific group backup from the Tivoli Storage Manager server.
  5. Use the query filespace command to display virtual file space names for your node that are stored on the Tivoli Storage Manager server.
  6. A group backup can be added to a backup set.
AIX operating systemsHP-UX operating systemsLinux operating systemsOracle Solaris operating systemsWindows operating systems

Supported Clients

AIX operating systemsHP-UX operating systemsLinux operating systemsOracle Solaris operating systemsThis command is valid for all UNIX and Linux clients except Mac OS X.

Windows operating systemsThis command is valid for all Windows clients.

Syntax

Read syntax diagramSkip visual syntax diagram
>>-Backup GRoup-- --options------------------------------------><

Parameters

Table 1. Backup Group command: Related options
Option Where to use
filelist Command line only.
groupname Command line only.
mode Command line only.
AIX operating systemssnapshotproviderfs AIX operating systemsSystem-options file (dsm.sys) within a server stanza or with the include.fs option.
Windows operating systemssnapshotproviderfs Windows operating systemsClient options file (dsm.opt) or with the include.fs option.
Windows operating systemssnapshotproviderimage Windows operating systemsClient options file (dsm.opt) or with include.image option.
virtualfsname Command line only.

Examples

Mac OS X operating systemsAIX operating systemsHP-UX operating systemsLinux operating systemsOracle Solaris operating systemsTask
Mac OS X operating systemsAIX operating systemsHP-UX operating systemsLinux operating systemsOracle Solaris operating systemsPerform a full backup of all the files in the /home/dir1/filelist1 file to the virtual file space name accounting containing the group leader /home/group1 file.
Command: 
backup group -filelist=/home/dir1/filelist1 -groupname=group1
-virtualfsname=/virtfs -mode=full
Windows operating systemsTask
Windows operating systemsPerform a full backup of all the files in the c:\dir1\filelist1 file to the virtual file space name \virtfs containing the group leader group1 file.
Command: 
backup group -filelist=c:\dir1\filelist1 -groupname=group1
-virtualfsname=\virtfs -mode=full