TSM Backup - Reduce Data Stored on the TSM Backup Server

Overview

Reducing your data on the TSM backup server will help you stay within the limits of the service you chose, e.g., Basic, Standard, or Enterprise.

It is important that you always know how much data you are storing because if you exceed the limit per service level, you will be notified. If after the second notice, you are still exceeding the limit, you will be charged accordingly and this charge will appear on the monthly billing statement.

These monthly charges will stop when you reduce the amount of data below your service level limit.

Options for Reducing the Amount of Data

There are two options to help you reduce the amount of data you have stored on the TSM backup server:

• Option A deals with deleting files;
• Option B deals with deleting filespaces.

Option A:

Delete unwanted files on your machine before you run your next backup.

1. Delete the unwanted file(s) on your machine.
2. Run a backup.

• If you are using the Basic Service and want to reduce the amount of data you have stored on the server, you must delete unwanted files in specific directories
• If you are using the Standard or Enterprise Service, you can delete unwanted files in any directory.

Note: After you have deleted a file(s) and run a backup, the file(s) remains on the TSM server for 30 days. As a result, if you need a deleted file (within that 30 day period), you can restore (Macintosh, Windows, Linux) it from the server.

Option B:

Check to see if your TSM account has any old filespaces on the TSM server that can be deleted.
If deleting files still does not reduce the storage limit for your service level so that you can stay within that service level, your next step is to look at filespaces that could possibly be deleted. The term filespace describes how your files are stored on the TSM server. Each of your drives (or filesystems in UNIX) is backed up to its own TSM filespace.

On Windows, filespaces are usually named using the the machine name and the drive letter, \freightlinerc$. On UNIX and Macintosh, a filespace is usually the UNIX file system name, i.e. /usr

1. Find out what filespaces you have backed up.
   Look at the TSM Account Information. It shows the backed up filespace(s) for a specific node, how old it is, and its last backup date. Having this information will help you decide if you want to delete a filespace.
2. Consider deleting filespaces that are old, or were created if your computer used to have a different name, or if you replaced your hard drives within your computer.
3. Be aware that filespace deletion can take up to seven days.
4. Delete a filespace. Fill out the Delete Your Filespaces Form

Note: Be sure you do not need the filespace. There is no 30-day delay period for deleted filespaces as there is when you delete a file(s) on your machine. Once a filespace is deleted from a TSM server, its files cannot be restored.