VSSPOLICY statements for backup types

For VSS backups, VSSPOLICY statements are used to associate VSS backups with management classes. When you change from legacy backups to VSS backups, consider the VSSPOLICY statements that you set for the backup.

The VSSPOLICY statements are in a configuration file, for example, tdpsql.cfg. A configuration file can include multiple VSSPOLICY statements. The configuration file is read from the bottom to the top of the file. VSSPOLICY statements in the tdpsql.cfg file are similar to the INCLUDE statements that are specified in the Tivoli® Storage Manager backup-archive client in the dsm.opt file.

If no VSSPOLICY statements are included in the configuration file, or if the VSSPOLICY statements do not match the type of backup that is created, the default management class for the policy domain is used. Backup expiration parameters for the default management class might differ from the settings that are used for preexisting legacy backups. For example, the backup expiration period might be set to 30 days. This setting means that after 30 days, the backup is deleted. Verify that the backups expire according to the business needs of your environment.

If you change the tdpsql.cfg file, you must restart the Tivoli Storage Manager client acceptor daemon (CAD), Tivoli Storage Manager remote client agent (DSMAgent), and the Tivoli Storage Manager Scheduler Service for Exchange Server. If the DSMAgent service state is set to Manual (Started), stop the service. The DSMAgent service starts when a VSS backup is initiated, but if the service is started and you change the policy settings, the policy settings do not take effect until you restart the service.

Sample VSSPOLICY statements

The following example shows the syntax of a VSSPOLICY statement: 
VSSPOLICY  *  *  COPY   TSM  VSS_FULL_TSM_MC

Legacy examples

Legacy backups use INCLUDE and EXCLUDE statements in the Data Protection for SQL Server options file. The examples int the following tables group statements that are intended to be used together. For example: 
\...\full*
\...\full*\*
and 
\...\file\f1*\*
\...\file\f1*
\...\f1\file*
Object matches for backuptype Specification
Example for all objects 
\...\*
Example for EXCLUDE statements with all type of backups (full, diff, log, group, file, set) 
\...\full*

\...\diff*
Example for INCLUDE and EXCLUDE statements with all type of backups (full, diff, log, group, file, set) 
\...\full*
\...\full*\*

\...\copyfull*
\...\copyfull*\*

\...\diff*
\...\diff*\*

\...\log*
\...\log\...\*

\...\group*
\...\group\...\*

\...\file*
\...\file\...\*

\...\set*
\...\set\...\*
Example for EXCLUDE statements with file (f1) and group (g1) 
\...\g1\group*
\...\f1\file*
Example for INCLUDE statements with file (f1) and group (g1) 
\...\group\g1*\* 
\...\group\g1* 
\...\g1\group* 

\...\file\f1*\* 
\...\file\f1* 
\...\f1\file*
Example for EXCLUDE statements with group or file object names beginning with g or f 
\...\g*\group*
\...\f*\file*
Example for INCLUDE statements with group or file object names beginning with g or f 
\...\group\g*\* 
\...\group\g* 
\...\g*\group* 

\...\file\f*\* 
\...\file\f* 
\...\f*\file*
Example for EXCLUDE statements same as \...\group* or \...\file* (there is no equivalent for INCLUDE statements) 
\...\*\group*
\...\*\file*
backuptype object with database matches Specification
Example for all objects with database name Db1 
\...\Db1\...\*
Example for all objects with database name Db1 beginning with Db 
\...\Db*\...\*
Ambiguous 
\...\*\...\*
Example for EXCLUDE statements using full, diff, copyfull objects with database name Db1 
\...\Db1\full*
\...\Db1\copyfull*
\...\Db1\diff*
Example for EXCLUDE and INCLUDE statements using full, diff, copyfull objects with database name Db1 
\...\Db1\full*
\...\Db1\full*\*

\...\Db1\copyfull*
\...\Db1\copyfull*\*

\...\Db1\diff*
\...\Db1\diff*\*
Example for EXCLUDE statements using log, group, file, set objects with database name Db1 
\...\Db1\...\log*
\...\Db1\...\group*
Example for EXCLUDE and INCLUDE statements using log, group, file, set objects with database name Db1 
\...\Db1\...\log*
\...\Db1\...\log*\...\*

\...\Db1\...\group*
\...\Db1\...\group*\...\*

\...\Db1\...\file*
\...\Db1\...\file*\...\*

\...\Db1\...\set*
\...\Db1\...\set*\...\*
Example for EXCLUDE statements using all group or file object names (g1, f1) with database name Db1 
\...\Db1\g1\group*
\...\Db1\f1\file*
Example for EXCLUDE and INCLUDE statements using all group or file object names (g1, f1) with database name Db1 
\...\Db1\group\g1*
\...\Db1\group\g1*\*
\...\Db1\g1\group*

\...\Db1\file\f1*
\...\Db1\file\f1*\*
\...\Db1\f1\file*
Example for EXCLUDE statements using all group or file object names beginning with g or f with database name Db1 
\...\Db1\g*\group*
\...\Db1\f*\file*
Example for EXCLUDE and INCLUDE statements using all group or file object names beginning with g or f with database name Db1 
\...\Db1\group\g*
\...\Db1\group\g*\*
\...\Db1\g*\group*

\...\Db1\file\f*
\...\Db1\file\f*\*
\...\Db1\f*\file*
Example for EXCLUDE statements using \...\Db1\...\group* or file* (there is no equivalent for INCLUDE statements) 
\...\Db1\*\group*
\...\Db1\*\file*
Example for EXCLUDE statements using \...\Db1\full* 
\...\Db1\...\full*
Example for EXCLUDE and INCLUDE statements using \...\Db1\full* 
\...\Db1\...\full*
\...\Db1\...\full*\*
Example for EXCLUDE statements using \...\full* 
\...\*\full*
Example for EXCLUDE and INCLUDE statements using \...\full* 
\...\*\full*
\...\*\full*\*
Example for EXCLUDE statements using \...\group* (there is no equivalent for INCLUDE statements) 
\...\*\*\group*
Example for EXCLUDE statements using \...\g1\group* (there is no equivalent for INCLUDE statements) 
\...\*\g1\group*
Ambiguous 
\...\*\...\log*
Nothing (typeInfo missing) \...\Db1\set*
Examples in the following table reflect these guidelines:
  • If you use only EXCLUDE statements with only \meta\, all objects (including data) are excluded.
  • If you use only EXCLUDE statements with only \data\, errors occur.
Meta and data object matches Specification
Example for all meta or data objects 
\...\meta\...\*
\...\data\...\*
Example for all meta full objects 
\...\meta\...\full*
Example for all data full objects 
\...\data\...\full*
\...\data\...\full*\*
Example for all meta group object names (g1) 
\...\meta\...\g1\group*
Example for all data group object names (g1) 
\...\data\...\group\g1*
\...\data\...\group\g1*\*
Example for all meta group object names beginning with g 
\...\meta\...\g*\group*
Example for all data group object names beginning with g 
\...\data\...\group\g*
\...\data\...\group\g*\*
Same as \...\meta\...\group* 
\...\meta\...\*\group*
Nothing (qualifiers missing) \...\meta\*\...\data\*
Meta and data object with database matches Specification
Example for all meta or data objects with database name Db1 
\...\meta\...\Db1\...\*
\...\data\...\Db1\...\*
Example for all meta objects with database name Db1 
\...\meta\...\Db1\full*
Example for full objects matching all data objects 
\...\data\...\Db1\full*
\...\data\...\Db1\full*\*
Example for all meta objects with database name Db1 
\...\meta\...\Db1\...\log*
Example for all log objects matching all data objects 
\...\data\...\Db1\...\log\...\*
Example for all group matching all meta objects 
\...\meta\...\Db1\...\group*
Example for group matching all data objects 
\...\data\...\Db1\group\...\*
Example for all meta object names (g1) with database name Db1 
\...\meta\...\Db1\g1\group*
Example for all data group object names (g1) with database name Db1 
\...\data\...\Db1\group\g1*
Example for all meta object names beginning with g with database name Db1 
\...\meta\...\Db1\g*\group*
Example for all data group object names beginning with g with database name Db1 
\...\data\...\Db1\group\g*
Same as \...\meta\...\Db1\...\group* (No equivalent for data objects) 
\...\meta\...\Db1\*\group*
Same as \...\meta\...\full* (No equivalent for data objects) 
\...\meta\...\*\full*
Same as \...\meta\...\group* (No equivalent for data objects) 
\...\meta\...\*\*\group*
Same as \...\meta\...\g1\group* (No equivalent for data objects) 
\...\meta\...\*\g1\group*
Ambiguous 
\...\meta\...\*\...\log*
\...\data\...\*\...\log*
Nothing (qualifiers missing) 
\...\meta\*\...\data\*
Server matches Specification
Example for all objects from all servers beginning with SQL 
SQL*\...\*
Example for all objects from all server instances with host SQL2012 
SQL2012\...\*
Example for all objects from server SQL2012\INST1 
SQL2012\INST1\...\*
Example for all objects from all servers beginning with SQL2012\INST 
SQL2012\INST*\...\*
Same as SQL2012\...\* 
SQL2012\*\...\*
Example for all meta or data objects from server SQL2012\INST1 
SQL2012\INST1\meta\...\*
SQL2012\INST1\data\...\*
Example for all meta or data objects from all named server instances with host SQL2012 
SQL2012\*\meta\...\*
Example for all meta or data objects from all server instances with host SQL2012 
SQL2012\...\meta\...\*
Example for all objects from server default instance (if no instance name matches ??ta) 
SQL2012\meta\...\*
SQL2012\data\...\*