How to backup IFS objects on systems with IASPs

Separate control group entries for each IASP - RECOMMENDED

BRMS recommends that multiple saves should be used to save integrated file system (IFS) objects on IBM i systems that have one or more independent auxiliary storage pools (IASP) available. By using separate control group entries for the user ASPs and IASPs, BRMS will produce distinct saved items for each entry.  In turn, this will simplify the recovery report and recovery process. If using a single control group entry to save IFS data in *SYSBAS and IASP(s), systems in the same BRMS network may not see the correct saved information. Here are example control group entries for a system that has two IASPs (IASP1 and IASP2) configured, these control group entries will generate individual saves for ASPs (*SYSBAS and user ASPs) and each IASP (IASP1 and IASP2):

A single control group entry for all ASPs and IASPs

If an IBM i system has one or more IASPs available and a BRMS control group with a *LINK entry with ASP device *ALLAVL is used to save IFS objects, a single media file will be generated.  The media file will contain objects from the system ASP, user ASPs and IASPs.  BRMS will produce one saved item for objects on the system ASP and user ASPs and separate saved items for objects on each of the IASPs.  Each of the saved items refer to the same media file, this creates two problems:

1. If each of the IFS saved items are used to restore objects during the recovery without omitting any objects from the restore, each of the restores will restore all of the objects that were saved causing longer recovery times.

2. If a restore of an IFS saved item includes objects that were saved from an IASP and the IASP is not available during the restore, objects from the IASP will be restored into the system ASP.  Since IASPs may not be available during the early stages of a full system recovery, this can complicate the full system recovery process.