Integrating Backup Recovery and Media Services and IBM Tivoli Storage Manager on the IBM eServer iSeries Server

176 Integrating Backup Recovery and Media Services and IBM Tivoli Storage Manager

8.2 Performing a system backup

You must back up system-related data to tape. There is no alternative. If you do not do this,

you have to use an old, but still valid, system backup to recover your system’s data portion.

The only other alternative is to use the distribution CDs. Both of these options normally lead

to loss of vital data that has been altered. You may also lose code corrections (program

temporary fixes (PTFs)).

The simple way is to use a BRMS control group that is already included in the product. This

assumes you have no special routines to take down your applications. If you have, make a

copy of the control group, name it something meaningful, and edit it using the steps needed to

bring down your applications in a proper manner.

A SAVSYS backup contains:

򐂰 Microcode

򐂰 Operating system

򐂰 System configuration

򐂰 User profiles and authorities

8.2.1 Using BRMS

When you use BRMS for your system backup, you can run it in either attended mode or

unattended mode as explained in the following sections.

In attended mode

In attended mode, you follow these steps:

1. Sign on the system console with a user profile with *SAVSYS and *IOCFG authority.

2. Enter the GO BRMS command.

3. On the displays that follow, select the following options in the order shown:

a. Select option 2 (Backup).

b. Select option 2 (Perform backup)

c. Select *SYSGRP.

4. Enter the following command:

STRBKUBRM CTLGRP(*SYSGRP)

Running unattended

To run BRMS in unattended mode, follow these steps:

1. Submit a job to a console for monitoring:

SBMJOB CMD(STRBKUBRM CTLGRP(*SYSGRP) SBMJOB(*CONSOLE)) JOB(SYSBACKUP) JOBQ)(QCTL)

SCDDATE(XXXXXX) SCDTIME(YYYYYY)

2. From the system console, sign on with a profile that has *SAVSYS and *IOCFG authority.

Make sure the device does not sign you off automatically (QINACTITV timer) and that it

does not have the QSYSOPR message queue in break mode.

3. Enter the GO BRMS command.

Attention: The iSeries operating system is divided in two parts: the OS/400 and its

microcode. The two parts interact closely so there is great risk in taking them from different

backups. You cannot predictable what such a system may run into when production starts.