Tangential IBM experiences
Ofer Inbar
I'm working for a client that uses backup software from IBM called
"ADSM". ADSM apparently stands for "ADSTAR Distributed Storage
Manager" - I'm afraid to try to find out what ADSTAR stands for.
For all I know it could expand out to include some more acronyms, even
longer ones. After all, this is IBM.
But I'm not writing to y'all today about IBM's excess acronyms.
Join the AAAAA [1] for that. I'm writing because IBM gave me the
wrong file, and I realized that I'm working on a tangent to a tangent
to a tangent... aieeee!
OK, we've got ADSM Server Version 2 Release 1 Level 0.2, and various
ADSM clients installed on various hosts. One of our hosts, in fact
the one with the largest, most important disk, usually doesn't get
completely backed up, because the scheduler dies. I reported this to
ADSM support, and they asked what version of the server we're running.
Apparently, the latest version is Level 0.9, and I should upgrade to
that. I asked if this would solve the problem, and they wouldn't
commit one way or the other, they just said they refuse to debug old
code, so I need to upgrade before they'll look at the problem. OK,
fine, I ftp'ed the 2.1.0.9 upgrade file and tried to install.
It refused to install. According to smit, the ADSM Server 2.1.0.0
base code is a prerequisite to installing this patch, and our system
doesn't have it. Yes, we are running ADSM Server 2.1.0.2 on this
system, so obviously the code is there. But the AIX ODM thinks it
isn't, so there's no way to install the patch.
I called IBM, and asked if there was a way I could just tell the ODM
about this code. Obviously it exists, if we're using it to run
backups, but apparently it can't be done. The solution? Reinstall
ADSM server 2.1.0.0 base code from scratch. Downgrade before I can
upgrade. Argh.
The put the ADSM code on their ftp server for me, but I couldn't get
at it because for four hours straight their server was full to
capacity and not letting any more users in. I called them, and the
support rep I'd been dealing with agreed to ftp it to my server.
I finally had the file when I got in this morning, and tried to
install it. And found out that what I was trying to install, smit
though I already had - because the file IBM gave me is the ADSM
client, not the ADSM server.
For the record, the ADSM support person I've been dealing with has
been generally nice and helpful. But how much deeper down this
rathole am I going to find myself tomorrow???
[1] American Association Against Acronym Abuse
-- Cos (Ofer Inbar) -- c...@leftbank.com c...@cs.brandeis.edu
-- The Left Bank Operation -- l...@leftbank.com http://www.leftbank.com/
-- WBRS (100.1 FM) -- WB...@brandeis.edu http://www.wbrs.org/
"Aren't you ever *not* on-line?" -- Caitlin Xantha Hazen
Carl Dolmetsch
c...@zax.leftbank.com (Ofer Inbar) wrote:
[a bunch of stuff about IBM, ADSM and ADSTAR]]
Never fear! The PTF is in the mail that will link client & host into
a single manageable pkg. called ADDWATER/SHAKE&/STIRWELL.
Ofer Inbar
c...@zax.leftbank.com (Ofer Inbar) (that's me) wrote:
>I'm working for a client that uses backup software from IBM called
>"ADSM". ADSM apparently stands for "ADSTAR Distributed Storage
>Manager" - I'm afraid to try to find out what ADSTAR stands for.
>For all I know it could expand out to include some more acronyms, even
>longer ones. After all, this is IBM.
>But I'm not writing to y'all today about IBM's excess acronyms.
But if I *were* writing about that, I would have mentioned that the
command line interface to the ADSM Server is started by typing this
command "dsmadmc". Now type *that* three times fast.
-- Cos (Ofer Inbar) -- c...@leftbank.com c...@cs.brandeis.edu
-- The Left Bank Operation -- l...@leftbank.com http://www.leftbank.com/
"GUIs normally make it simple to accomplish simple actions and impossible to
accomplish complex actions." --Doug Gwyn (22/Jun/91 in comp.unix.wizards)