Copying backup tapes and updating VM:Backup catalog.
search cancel

Copying backup tapes and updating VM:Backup catalog.

book

Article ID: 45168

calendar_today

Updated On:

Products

VM:Backup for z/VM

Issue/Introduction

How to copy tapes from one virtual tape library to another and re-catalog the data on the new tapes.

 

Environment

Release: 3.6
Component: VM:Backup

Creating backups with VM:Backup and using EMC DLM virtual tape library. 

 

Cause

We use an EMC DLM virtual tape library and are PLMing our old subsystem.   We have around 7.5 TB of data out there, the vast majority being VMBACKUP data, with a retention period of two years.  

Is there a way to copy the backup sets from the old to the new subsystem?    It would be really, really great if VMBACKUP had a function to copy old backup sets, and re-catalog the data on the new tapes.    
  
What do you recommend?

Resolution

Our customers need a means of migrating existing VM:Backup tape media and associated catalogs to new tape media and we
provide a solution for doing so, VMBMCOPY.

We recommend using VM:Backup's tape copy utility, VMBMCOPY.   The utility requires that you be running VM:Tape as well.

VMBMCOPY allows copying to a totally different media type with different capacities and labeled with a different volser.  Because of that, it is much more compatible with normal tape handling procedures.  It also has the advantage of creating a new VM:Backup catalog that refers to the new tape volsers.   

 



 

 

Additional Information

VMBMCOPY Utility documented at:

https://techdocs.broadcom.com/content/broadcom/techdocs/us/en/ca-mainframe-software/traditional-management/ca-vm-backup-for-z-vm/3-6/system-programmers-reference/utilities/vmbmcopy-utility.html