In release IBM i 7.1 and later, IBM Backup, Recovery and Media Services for i (BRMS) has been enhanced to support the transfer of virtual save media from image catalogs to/from the cloud using product 5733ICC – Cloud Storage Solutions for i. Cloud Storage Solutions for i allows cloud connector resources to be defined for cloud storage providers such as IBM’s SoftLayer and for private interfaces such as file transfer protocol (FTP).
BRMS will automatically create BRMS storage locations for each cloud resource defined on a system. When virtual media in the BRMS media inventory is moved to a cloud storage location, the media will be transferred to the cloud using the cloud resource associated with the storage location. Likewise, when media is moved from a cloud location to a different location, the media will be transferred back to the IBM i system. BRMS media can be moved using one of the following methods:
- run the CHGMEDBRM to change the location of the media
- run the WRKMEDBRM command and specify option 2=Change to change the location of the media
- run the WRKMEDBRM command and specify option 8=Move to change the storage location of the media
- run the MOVMEDBRM or STRMNTBRM MOVMED(*YES) command for media associated with a move policy
- use the BRMS GUI client to change the location of the media
To further simplify the use of the cloud connectors with BRMS, BRMS will automatically create additional BRMS objects that can be used during backups. When the objects are used to perform backups with the STRBKUBRM command, BRMS will automatically create virtual media, backup data to the media and transfer the media to the cloud. If a backup spans to multiple volumes, BRMS will attempt to continue with the save operation while previous media images from the save are transferred to the cloud.
Media that has been transferred to the cloud will be marked as full. Data cannot be written to full media and therefore save data cannot be appended to media after it has been transferred to the cloud.
Media in the cloud must be transferred back to the IBM i before it can be used by a restore. BRMS simplifies restores from cloud media by automatically transferring media to the IBM i so it can be used during a restore. After the restore is complete, the media will remain on the IBM i until it is moved back to the cloud location. This allows additional restores to use the media without having to wait for the media to be transferred back to the IBM i. If the media is moved back to the same cloud location, the media does not have to be transferred back to the cloud because BRMS leaves a copy in the cloud until the media expires. Moving media back to the cloud simply frees storage on the IBM i by deleting the virtual image.
To use BRMS with Cloud Storage Solutions for i, product 5733ICC – Cloud Storage Solutions for i must be installed on the system and the following BRMS PTF(s) must be installed on a stand-alone BRMS system or on all the systems in a BRMS network:
7.3 – SI61153 7.2 – SI61152 7.1 – SI61151
For more information about cloud connectors see 5733ICC – Cloud Storage Solutions for i. For more information about using BRMS with cloud connectors see the BRMS and Cloud Storage Solutions wiki page.
I’d like to thank MJ Thompson for writing this week’s blog. MJ is part of the BRMS development team at IBM in Rochester, MN. Thanks MJ!
This blog post was edited to update links on April 15, 2020.
This blog post was originally published on IBMSystemsMag.com and is reproduced here by permission of IBM Systems Media.