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BRMS using VTL iSCSI Device Requirements and Considerations

BRMS using VTL iSCSI Device Requirements and Considerations

Owned by Peter Lafler (Deactivated)
Last updated: Mar 07, 2025 by Aaron Fistler
6 min read

BRMS has created a backup solution that uses the IBM Virtual Tape Library (VTL) iSCSI attached device to provide a Network Install using Network File System (NFS) as a Disaster Recovery (DR) solution.  The solution creates BRMS control groups that can be run together and backed up to a VTL iSCSI device to produce a BRMS recovery report as a guide for a DR from NFS.

The following save data must be restored before BRMS can begin restoring save data directly from the VTL iSCSI device:

  • SAVSYS is required to install the operating system

  • product IBM Backup, Recovery and Media Services for i and BRMS save information is required before automatic recovery can be performed

  • product IBM TCP/IP Connectivity for i and configuration information is required to allow communications with the NFS server

  • configuration information required to establish connections with the VTL iSCSI device to restore remaining user data   

BRMS provides specific control groups to use to automatically save this data to virtual optical image files which are automatically backed up to the VTL iSCSI device. These image files then need to be restored and formatted for a Network Installation using Network File System (NFS).

Requirements

To enable BRMS support using VTL iSCSI devices, the following IBM i BRMS PTFs need to be applied:

Supported IBM i Release PTFs

Supported IBM i Release PTFs

7.2

7.3

7.4

SI75082

SI75083

SI75084

NOTE: Additional IBM i PTFs are required to enable support for VTL iSCSI devices, please reference IBM i Removable Media: Support for iSCSI VTL.

Configuration

To install and enable the default control group support for BRMS using the DSI VTL iSCSI device run this command:  INZBRM OPTION(*NFSCTLG)

NOTE: The BRMS Advanced feature (Option 2) is required to use this function.  

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 to automate the backup process needed for a Network Install from NFS using a VTL iSCSI attached device.  One set of control groups contains the SAVSYS data and critical system libraries such as QUSRSYS, QBRM, QUSRBRM which are required for a full system recovery which produce the NFS install image files. After the NFS install image files are created, BRMS will automatically back those image files to the specified VTL iSCSI device.  The other set of control groups contain the remaining system and user data which is backed up directly to the VTL iSCSI device.

The following control groups will be created by BRMS:

  • QNFSIPLFUL - Used to do SAVSYS and full backups of system and user objects to virtual optical image files that can be used to create NFS install image files.  Once the backup to virtual optical image files is complete, this control group automatically does an additional save of the virtual optical image files using the Device and Media Policy attributes assigned to the QNFSSYSFUL control group.  The additional save is identified in BRMS history as an IFS saved item named QNFSIPLFUL.

  • QNFSIPLINC - Used to do cumulative incremental backups of system and user objects to virtual optical image files that can be used to create NFS install image files.  Once the backup to virtual optical image files is complete, this control group automatically does an additional save of the virtual optical image files using the Device and Media Policy attributes assigned to the QNFSSYSINC control group.  The additional save is identified in BRMS history as an IFS save item named QNFSIPLINC.

  • QNFSSYSFUL - Used to do full backups of system and user objects that can be restored directly from the attached device.

  • QNFSSYSINC - Used to do cumulative incremental backups of system and user objects that can be restored directly from the attached device. 

It is critical to run the these cloud control groups in the correct order otherwise all necessary media information will not be available to do a recovery.  The control groups that produce media that will be backed up to the VTL iSCSI device must be run after the control groups that produce media that can be recovered directly from the VTL iSCSI device. 

For example:

On Sunday run:

STRBKUBRM CTLGRP(QNFSSYSFUL) SBMJOB(*NO)

STRBKUBRM CTLGRP(QNFSIPLFUL) SBMJOB(*NO) OMITS(*IGNORE)

On Monday through Saturday run:

STRBKUBRM CTLGRP(QNFSSYSINC) SBMJOB(*NO)

STRBKUBRM CTLGRP(QNFSIPLINC) SBMJOB(*NO) OMITS(*IGNORE)

NOTE:

  1. The control groups QNFSIPLFUL and QNFSIPLINC are required to use a device and Media Policy that resolve to a virtual optical device and should be run with OMITS(*IGNORE).

  2. The control groups QNFSSYSFUL and QNFSSYSINC are expected to use a device and Media Policy that resolve to a VTL iSCSI device, *MEDCLS is not supported as the device parameter.

  3. The VTL iSCSI device needs to be available with expired media for a successful backup.

  4. The virtual optical media used by control groups QNFSIPLFUL and QNFSIPLINC are automatically removed after the backup to the VTL iSCSI device.

  5. Do not copy ANY of these control groups expecting the same behavior.  Copies of these control groups will not provide the additional save processing associated with QNFSIPLFUL and QNFSIPLINC.  

  6. To run the VTL iSCSI control groups in restricted state, a TCP/IP restricted state interface has to be enabled.

  7. The user profile running these control groups must have *IOSYSCFG special authority.

  8. To use different retention periods when using control groups QNFS*, use the RETENTION parameter on the STRBKUBRM command.
    Example: STRBKUBRM RETENTION(*DAYS 365) for 1 year.

  9. When the control group attribute is set to IPL after backup for QNFSIPLFUL or QNFSIPLINC, the save to tape is run prior to the system IPL.

  10. When running these control groups with Full System FlashCopy (FSFC) Toolkit, the verify image catalog needs be set so the verify of the image catalog does not occur during the backup process using Verify Image Catalog After Backup.

  11. The control groups QNFSIPLFUL and QNFSIPLINC need to set the control group attribute Run maintenance after backup to *NO in order for the automatic backup to the VTL iSCSI device to complete successfully.

System Storage

Large amounts of storage may be required for backup media. The virtual optical media used to backup control groups QNFSIPLFUL and QNFSIPLINC are removed from the system after the image files are successfully saved to the VTL iSCSI device.

Recovery

The BRMS recovery report will identify the saved item backed up to the VTL iSCSI device containing the virtual optical image files required for an NFS install.  This saved item will need to be restored from the VTL iSCSI device and formatted as a NFS install image on the host NFS server. To generate a report for recovery using the VTL iSCSI device, run the following command:

STRRCYBRM OPTION(*CTLGRP) ACTION(*REPORT) CTLGRP((QNFSSYSFUL 1) (QNFSIPLFUL 2) (QNFSSYSINC 3) (QNFSIPLINC 4)) PERIOD((<time> <date>))
    where     
        <time> <date> is immediately prior to the date/time of the last full backup

It is important to review the recovery report to ensure it is complete.  If any of the media produced during the backup has not been successfully backed up the VTL iSCSI device, it will not be included in the recovery report.

Once the recovery report has been verified, the report should be stored in a safe location so it can be referred to during a recovery.

Considerations

  • The host NFS server is required to be an IBM i with the VTL iSCSI device configured.

  • The host NFS server should be at the same release or higher release level than the backup system information.

  • If the host NFS server has BRMS with the Advanced feature (Option 2) installed, INZBRM OPTION(*VFYNFSIMG) IMGCLG('image-catalog-name') can be used to prepare the server image for the NFS install.  This support automates step 3.2.1.1 Prepare server image for a full upgrade from the IBM i Network Install using Network File System instructions.

After restoring the critical operating system information from the NFS server, the remainder of the recovery report will the guide the restore of the remaining user data from the VTL iSCSI device.

NFS References

Network Install using Network File System (NFS) References

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