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Managed System for SAN Storage Agent User's Guide


Types of Configurations

There are different types of configurations that take advantage of what can be accomplished using a storage agent in a LAN-free environment. Your environment is dependent upon the type of storage device you will be using for LAN-free data storage. The following sections cover descriptions and planning considerations for several typical LAN-free environments. These environments are:

  1. SCSI and 349X Tape Library sharing using the TSM Library Manager and Client. See Sharing Tape Storage using TSM Library Manager/Client.
  2. File device sharing using SANergy. See Sharing Disk Storage using Tivoli SANergy.

Sharing Tape Storage using TSM Library Manager/Client

When TSM servers share a SCSI tape or 349X storage device using a library manager and library clients, one server, the library manager, owns and controls the tape library device. The library manager operations include checking volumes into and out of the library, labeling volumes, mounting and dismounting volumes, auditing volumes, and creating an inventory of library contents, see Figure 2. The library manager also manages the storage hierarchy and performs such server functions as storage pool migrations, reclamation, collocation, and backup and restore of storage pools and the database. All of the other TSM servers sharing this library are considered library clients. A library client requests shared library resources such as, drives or media from the TSM server acting as the library manager, but uses the resources independently. The library manager coordinates the access to these resources. Data moves over the SAN between the storage device and either the library manager or the library client. Either the library manager or any library client can manage the LAN-free movement of client data as long as the client system includes a storage agent.

The Library Manager and Library Client configurations are represented in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Library Manager/Client LAN--free Configuration
LAN-free Configurations

Note:
An environment can have a Library Manager without a Library Client.

The configurations represented in the previous illustration are the following:

Sharing Disk Storage using Tivoli SANergy

When TSM servers share access to disk storage, the environment contains a FILE library (TSM server File device class) and utilizes the SANergy product. SANergy provides a file sharing accelerator. If you will be using a FILE library, you must determine where the Tivoli SANergy client and the Tivoli SANergy Metadata Controller (MDC) will be installed. You will also require a Windows(R) share (CIFS) or a Network File Share (NFS) on a Unix system to achieve file sharing. See Figure 3 and Table 1 for the possible Tivoli SANergy configurations. See the SANergy publications for additional information about configuring SANergy.

Figure 3. Tivoli SANergy Configurations
SANergy Configurations

In the following table, the numbers refer to those numbers in Figure 3. For example, one possible configuration is for the Tivoli SANergy client to be installed on the TSM client machine ((1)) and the Tivoli SANergy MDC to be installed on the TSM server ((2)). These configurations can also consist of multiple platforms. For example, an environment can consist of a SUN MDC working with a Windows and AIX client.

Table 1. Tivoli SANergy Configurations

Tivoli SANergy Component Where Installed
Tivoli SANergy Client (1) (2) (1) and (2)
Tivoli SANergy MDC (2) (1) (3)


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