BRMS Cloud Storage Concepts

Cloud resources are created on IBM i using cloud resources that uniquely identify the connectors on the system.

INZBRM OPTION(*DATA) or STRMNTBRM must be run in order for BRMS to discover new cloud resources on the system and create objects that are required for BRMS to interact with the cloud resources. The following is a summary of the BRMS objects that will interact with cloud resources.

Storage locations

Storage locations are used in BRMS to indicate where media is located.  Locations can be viewed or changed using the WRKLOCBRM command and media is moved between locations using several different BRMS interfaces, for example WRKMEDBRM option 2, WRKMEDBRM option 8, MOVMEDBRM, STRMNTBRM MOVMED(*YES), BRMS GUI client, etc.

BRMS will create a storage location for each cloud resource on the system using the same name.  Whenever media is moved to a cloud storage location, the media will be transferred to the cloud.  Likewise, whenever media is moved from a cloud storage location, the media will be transferred back to the system. 

Cloud storage locations can be identified by using the following steps:

• run WRKLOCBRM

• specify option 5=Display to display the location

• the Media slotting field will be set to *CLD

Image catalogs

Virtual media, from tape or optical image catalogs, that is in the BRMS media inventory can be transferred to the cloud.  Other types of media can NOT be transferred to the cloud. 

When a user manages transfers to the cloud, the user is responsible for creating image catalogs, creating the media in the image catalogs, adding the media to the BRMS inventory and moving the media to a cloud location to initiate a transfer to the cloud.

When BRMS is being used to automatically transfer media to the cloud, BRMS will create and manage the required image catalogs. Image catalogs created by BRMS for automatic transfer will be created in library QUSRSYS and with a name of the form Q1ACQxxxxx where xxxxx is a random string.

BRMS always automatically creates and manages an image catalog in library QUSRSYS named Q1ABRMPOOL.  This image catalog is for internal BRMS use in the event of a volume span while saving media information or library QUSRBRM.

Media

Virtual tape or virtual optical media in an image catalog that is in the BRMS media inventory can be transferred to the cloud.  Other types of media can NOT be transferred to the cloud. Media can be viewed or changed using the WRKMEDBRM command.   Media is added to a media class in BRMS to make it available to BRMS backups and restores.

When a user manages transfers to the cloud, the user is responsible for creating image catalogs, creating the media in the image catalogs, adding the media to the BRMS inventory and moving the media to a cloud location to initiate a transfer to the cloud.

When BRMS is being used to automatically transfer media to the cloud, BRMS will create and manage the required media. Media created by BRMS for automatic transfer will be created with a name in the form Qxxxxx where xxxxx is a random string. 

NOTE: Users should not remove media named in the form Qxxxxx from the BRMS inventory that are in BRMS managed image catalog Q1ABRMPOOL or an image catalog name in the form Q1ACQxxxxx as this media is managed internally by BRMS.  BRMS will maintain 10 expired volumes in the Q1ABRMPOOL image catalog for internal BRMS use in the event of a volume span while saving media information for library QUSRBRM.  Users should not delete or change the image catalog entries or these volumes in the BRMS inventory.  

Media that is in the process of being transferred to or from a cloud location will have a BRMS status of *TRF to indicate the media is being transferred.  While media has a status of *TRF, it will not be available for use in other BRMS operations.  Media status can be displayed using the WRKMEDBRM command.

Control groups

Control groups are used by BRMS to define how objects should be saved during backups.  Control groups can be viewed or changed using the WRKCTLGBRM command and control group backups can be run using the STRBKUBRM command.

BRMS will create control groups named QCLDBxxxnn for each cloud resource on the system, where xxx indicates the type of backup that the control group will run and nn is a unique number for each cloud resource.  Control groups that have a QCLD prefix will cause BRMS to automatically create and transfer media to the cloud during backups.  For more information regarding automatic cloud transfers see Automatic Transfers of Media to Cloud Storage.

Move policy

Move policies are used by BRMS to indicate which storage location media should be at after the media has been used for a backup.  Move policies can be viewed or changed using the WRKPCYBRM TYPE(*MOV) command and move policies can be used to ensure media in at the correct location by running the MOVMEDBRM or VFYMOVBRM commands.

BRMS will create a move policy for each cloud resource on the system using the same name.  Each of these move policies will contain an entry for the storage location that was also created for the cloud resource and will be specified in the media policy that was also created for the cloud resource.

Media policy

Media policies are used by BRMS to define what is done with media after the media has been used for a backup.  Media policies can be viewed or changed using the WRKPCYBRM TYPE(*MED) command.

BRMS will create a media policy for each cloud resource on the system using the same name.  Each of these media policies are specified in the control groups that were also created for the cloud resource.

Media class

Media classes are used by BRMS to define groups of media based on media properties.  Media classes can be viewed or changed using the WRKCLSBRM TYPE(*MED) command.

BRMS will create two media classes that will be used with all cloud resources on the system.   QCLDVRTTAP will be used for virtual tape media that is automatically created when a control group starting with QCLD is used to do a backup.  Likewise,  QCLDVRTOPT will be used for virtual optical media that is automatically created when a control group starting with QCLD is used to do a backup.   These media classes will be specified in the media policy that is created for each cloud resource, to associate groups of media with the policy.