IMPORT NODE (Import client node information)

Use this command to import client node definitions from a server or sequential media to a target IBM® Tivoli® Storage Manager server.

Important: For commands that import administrators or nodes, you must consider the method of authentication. The Tivoli Storage Manager server cannot export or import passwords for nodes or administrators that are authenticating with LDAP directory servers. If the current authentication method uses an LDAP directory server and the password is not already synchronized by that server, you must update the password. After issuing the IMPORT command, set the password by issuing the UPDATE ADMIN or UPDATE NODE command.

If you specify a domain on the source server and if that policy domain also exists on the target server, the imported nodes get associated with that same policy domain on the target server. Otherwise, imported nodes are associated with the STANDARD policy domain on the target server.

IBM Tivoli Storage Manager servers with retention protection enabled do not allow import operations.

Restrictions:

If target and source server levels are not compatible, the operation might not work.
Importing data from a CENTERA device class is not supported. However, files that are being imported can be stored on a CENTERA storage device.
If you use an LDAP directory server to authenticate passwords, any target servers must be configured for LDAP passwords. Data that is imported from a node that authenticates with an LDAP directory server is inaccessible if the target server is not properly configured. If your target server is not configured, imported data from an LDAP node can still go there. But the target server must be configured to use LDAP in order for you to access the imported data.
If target and source server levels are not compatible, the operation might not work.
You cannot use a CENTERA device class as the target medium for an export command, or as the source medium for an import command.
Incrementally exporting/importing the following types of client data to another Tivoli Storage Manager server is not supported:
- VMWare backups where full plus incremental backups need to be periodically, incrementally transferred to another server.
- Backups groups where full plus differential backups need to be periodically, incrementally transferred to another server.
- Windows System State data that is periodically, incrementally transferred to another server.
Full export/import of this data to a new file system on the target is supported by exporting the entire filespace that contains the data. In other words, the export must not use the FILEDATA=ALLACTIVE, FROMDATE, TODATE, or MERGEFILESPACES options.

The best practice for incrementally transferring this type of data between two servers is to use Node Replication.

You can use the QUERY ACTLOG command to view the status of the import operation. You can also view this information from the server console.

This command generates a background process that can be canceled with the CANCEL PROCESS command. If an IMPORT NODE background process is canceled, some of the data might already be imported. To display information about background processes, use the QUERY PROCESS command.

For a server that has clients with support for Unicode, you can get the server to convert the file space name that you enter, or use the following parameters:

HEXFILESPACE
UNIFILESPACE

Limitation: The Tivoli Storage Manager server does not convert code pages during export, import, and node replication operations. If servers are running in different locales, some information in databases or system output might become unreadable. Invalid characters might be displayed, for example, in the contact information for the administrator and client nodes, and in descriptions of policy domains. Any field that is stored in the server character set and that includes extended ASCII characters can be affected. To resolve the issue after the import or node replication operation, update the fields with the appropriate UPDATE commands. This server limitation does not affect client data. Any client data that was exported, imported, or replicated can be restored, retrieved, and recalled.

Privilege class

To issue this command, you must have system privilege.

Syntax


                .-*-------------.   
>>-IMport Node--+---------------+------------------------------->
                | .-,---------. |   
                | V           | |   
                '---node_name-+-'   

>--+-----------------------------------+------------------------>
   |               .-,---------------. |   
   |               V                 | |   
   '-FILESpace--=----file_space_name-+-'   

>--+--------------------------------------+--------------------->
   |                  .-,---------------. |   
   |                  V                 | |   
   '-HEXFILESpace--=----file_space_name-+-'   

>--+--------------------------------------+--------------------->
   |                  .-,---------------. |   
   |                  V                 | |   
   '-UNIFILESpace--=----file_space_name-+-'   

>--+-----------------------------+------------------------------>
   |             .-,-----------. |   
   |             V             | |   
   '-DOmains--=----domain_name-+-'   

   .-FILEData--=--None-------------.  .-Preview--=--No------.   
>--+-------------------------------+--+---------------------+--->
   '-FILEData--=--+-ALl----------+-'  '-Preview--=--+-No--+-'   
                  +-None---------+                  '-Yes-'     
                  +-ARchive------+                              
                  +-Backup-------+                              
                  +-BACKUPActive-+                              
                  +-ALLActive----+                              
                  '-SPacemanaged-'                              

                                   .-Dates--=--Absolute-----.   
>--DEVclass--=--device_class_name--+------------------------+--->
                                   '-Dates--=--+-Absolute-+-'   
                                               '-Relative-'     

                     .-,-----------.      
                     V             |      
>--VOLumenames--=--+---volume_name-+--+------------------------->
                   '-FILE:--file_name-'   

   .-Replacedefs--=--No------.   
>--+-------------------------+---------------------------------->
   '-Replacedefs--=--+-No--+-'   
                     '-Yes-'     

   .-MERGEfilespaces--=--No------.   
>--+-----------------------------+------------------------------>
   '-MERGEfilespaces--=--+-No--+-'   
                         '-Yes-'     

   .-PROXynodeassoc--=--No------.   
>--+----------------------------+------------------------------><
   '-PROXynodeassoc--=--+-No--+-'   
                        '-Yes-'

Parameters

node_name

Specifies the client nodes for which you want to import information. This parameter is optional.

Separate multiple names with commas and no intervening spaces. You can use wildcard characters to specify names. All matching nodes are included in the list.

FILESpace

Specifies file space names for which you want to import information. This parameter is optional. The default is all file spaces.

Separate multiple names with commas and no intervening spaces. You can use wildcard characters to specify names.

Important:

Existing file spaces are not replaced. New file spaces are created when identical names are encountered. However, this new name might match an existing name on the client node, which can have file spaces that are not yet backed up to the server.
This parameter is only specified for non-Unicode file spaces. To import all file spaces that are both Unicode and non-Unicode, use the FILEDATA=ALL parameter without the FILESPACE and UNIFILESPACE parameters.

DOmains

Specifies the policy domains from which to import node information. These domains must be included in the data that was exported. This parameter is optional. The default is all domains that were exported.

Separate multiple names with commas and no intervening spaces. You can use wildcard characters to specify a name.

FILEData

Specifies the type of files that can be imported for all nodes that are specified and found on the export media. This parameter is optional. The default value is NONE.

If you are importing from sequential media, the device class that is used by the file data is determined by the device class for the storage pool. If it is the same device class that is specified in this command, two drives are needed to import the node information. The mount limit for the device class must be at least 2.

The following descriptions mention active and inactive backup file copies. An active backup file copy is the most recent backup copy for a file that still exists on the client workstation. All other backup file copies are called inactive copies. The parameter supports the following values:

ALl: The server imports all backup versions of files, all archived files, and all files that were migrated by a Tivoli Storage Manager for Space Management client. The file spaces that are included are both Unicode and non-Unicode.
None: Only node definitions are imported. The server does not import any files.
ARchive: The server imports only archived files.
Backup: The server imports only backup versions, whether active or inactive.
BACKUPActive: The server imports only active backup versions. These active backup versions are the active versions in the Tivoli Storage Manager database at the time that the IMPORT command is issued.
ALLActive: The server imports all active backup versions of files, all archived files, and all files that were migrated by a Tivoli Storage Manager for Space Management client. The active backup versions are the active versions in the Tivoli Storage Manager database at the time that the IMPORT command is issued.
SPacemanaged: The server imports only files that were migrated by a Tivoli Storage Manager for Space Management client.

Preview

Specifies whether to preview the results of the import operation, without importing information. The PREVIEW=YES option requires that you mount the export volumes. The following values are supported:

No: Specifies that the node information is to be imported.
Yes: Specifies that you want to preview the results of the import operation, without importing files. Information is reported to the server console and the activity log.

This parameter is optional. The default value is NO.

DEVclass (Required)

Specifies the device class from which import data is to be read. You cannot specify the DISK, NAS, or CENTERA device classes.

If all drives for the device class are busy when the import runs, the server cancels lower priority operations, such as identify duplicates, to make a drive available.

Dates

Specifies whether the dates for the file copies are set as the same date when the files were exported, or is adjusted to the import date.

This parameter supports the following values:

Absolute: The dates for file copies are set to the values specified when the files were exported.
Relative: The dates for file copies are adjusted to the import date.

The default value is ABSOLUTE.

If the export media is idle for some time after export, for example; if it is sitting on a shelf for six months, the original backup, or archive dates might be old enough to trigger the file copies to expire immediately when the data is imported into a server. The RELATIVE specification for this value adjusts for time that is elapsed since export so that the file copies are not immediately expired.

For example, assume that an export tape contains an archive file copy that was archived five days before the export operation. If the media is saved for six months and then imported, the archive file look like it is inserted six months and five days ago by default, the (DATES=ABSOLUTE) and might expire immediately depending on the retention value that is specified in the file's management class. Specifying DATES=RELATIVE results in resetting the archive date for the file to five days ago during import. The DATES=RELATIVE parameter thus adjusts file backup and archive dates for the time that elapsed since the export operation occurred.

VOLumenames (Required)

Specifies the volumes to be used for the import operation. Volumes must be imported in the same order as they were exported. The parameter supports the following values:

volume_name: Specifies the volume name. To specify multiple volumes, separate the names with commas and no intervening spaces.
FILE:file_name: Specifies the name of a file that contains a list of volumes that are used for the imported data. In the file, each volume name must be on a separate line. Blank and comment lines that begin with an asterisk are ignored.

Use these naming conventions when you specify volumes that are associated with the following device types:

For this device	Specify
Tape	1 - 6 alphanumeric characters.
FILE	Any fully qualified file name string. An example is /imdata/mt1. Any fully qualified file name string. For example, d:\program files\tivoli\tsm\data1.dsm.
REMOVABLEFILE	1 - 6 alphanumeric characters.
SERVER	1 - 250 alphanumeric characters.

Replacedefs

Specifies whether to replace definitions on the target server. The default value is NO. The parameter supports the following values:

No: Objects are not to be replaced.
Yes: Objects are to be replaced.

HEXFILESpace

Specifies the hexadecimal representation of the file space names in UTF-8 format. Separate multiple names with commas and no intervening spaces. This parameter is optional.

To view the hexadecimal representation of a file space name, you can use the QUERY FILESPACE command with FORMAT=DETAILED.

UNIFILESpace

Specifies that the file spaces that are known to the server are Unicode enabled. The server converts the names that you enter from the server code page to the UTF-8 code page to find the file spaces to import. The success of the conversion depends on the actual characters in the name and the server's code page. Separate multiple names with commas and no intervening spaces. A wildcard character can be used to specify a name. This parameter is optional.

MERGEfilespaces

Specifies whether Tivoli Storage Manager merges client files into existing file spaces on the target server (if they exist), or if Tivoli Storage Manager generates new file space names. The default is NO.

Valid values are:

Yes: Specifies that imported data on the target server is merged with the existing file space, if a file space with the same name exists on the target server.
No: Specifies that Tivoli Storage Manager generates a new file space name for imported data on the target server if file spaces with the same name exists.

PROXynodeassoc

Specifies whether proxy node associations are imported. This parameter is optional. The default value is NO.

Example: Import client node information from tapes

From the server, import client node information from tape volumes TAPE01, TAPE02, and TAPE03. Specify that these tape volumes be read by a device that is assigned to the MENU1 device class.

import node devclass=menu1 volumenames=tape01,tape02,tape03

Example: Import client node information from tapes listed in a file

AIX operating systems HP-UX operating systems Linux operating systems Oracle Solaris operating systems From the server, import client node information from tape volumes that are listed in a file named TAPEVOL.

Windows operating systems From the server, import client node information from tape volumes that are listed in a file named TAPEVOL.DATA.

This file contains these lines:

TAPE01
TAPE02
TAPE03

Specify that these tape volumes be read by a device that is assigned to the MENU1 device class. AIX operating systems

import node devclass=menu1 volumenames=file:tapevol

import node devclass=menu1 volumenames=file:tapevol.data

Example: Import the active backup for a client node

From the server, import the active backup versions of file data for client node JOE from tape volume TAPE01. The file space is Unicode.

import node joe unifilespace=\\joe\c$ filedata=backupactive devclass=menu1
    volumenames=tape01

Related commands

Table 1. Commands related to IMPORT NODE
Command	Description
CANCEL PROCESS	Cancels a background server process.
COPY ACTIVEDATA	Copies active backup data.
EXPORT NODE	Copies client node information to external media or directly to another server.
IMPORT ADMIN	Restores administrative information from external media.
IMPORT POLICY	Restores policy information from external media.
IMPORT SERVER	Restores all or part of the server from external media.
QUERY ACTLOG	Displays messages from the server activity log.
QUERY PROCESS	Displays information about background processes.