Tivoli Backup of message save files

[Terry Ankrom]

We are getting ready to go live with Cloverleaf 5.4 running on AIX 5.2. We our using Tivoli to backup our Cloverleaf files. The backup is unable to backup the current message save files, I assume because they are in use at the time of the backup. My question is are most sites backing these files up or not. We backup our files once a day so if we need to restore files say 16 hours after the backup we have lost all the messages that have been sent since the last backup. Is it useful to have the messages available from 16 hours earlier. Almost all if not all of our interfaces are dynamic, that is ADT, Orders, Results, for hospital departmental systems (LAB, Radiology, Med Rec, Surgery, etc). We service 13 hospitals with 140 plus interfaces currently. We are moving from another engine to Cloverleaf. NOT BIG BANG but one or two at a time (weekly).

Thanks

Terry

Topic

[Troy Morton]

Yes, unfortunately with AIX the SMAT files are locked and cannot be backed up while they are open.

We script a “cycle save” four times per day, then backup the .old SMAT files to an archive directory.

I know of at least one site that wrote their own OB-TPS proc to create SMAT files which can be backed up while the process is running.  The proc creates files that are exact duplicates of what Cloverleaf would create, so they are usable by the SMAT utility.  The only difference is they can be opened read-only while the engine process is running.

The interesting thing is that on other flavors of UNIX, the SMAT files are not locked from being opened read-only while the engine process is running.  On Solaris, for instance, you can open SMAT files with the SMAT utility or back them up while the engine process is running.

I don’t know what is different about AIX that makes the SMAT files behaive in this way.

Hope this helps!

Troy

[Jim Kosloskey]

This restriction disappears in Cloverleaf 5.6.

It is still a good idea to archive your SMAT fles as Troy indicated as that gives you the ability to research/resend/etc. messages right from your platform without having to get the Tivoli Admins involved for a restore.

You can also customize the size of your archives by thread by cycling and archiving on different frequencies.

email: jim.kosloskey@jim-kosloskey.com 29+ years Cloverleaf, 59 years IT - old fart.

[Troy Morton]

Jim Kosloskey wrote:

This restriction disappears in Cloverleaf 5.6.

Sweet!

[Author]

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