Backup and tests, without impact on the production

FLASH for i

Description

The purpose of the Flash for i product is to reduce the time for backup to a few minutes.

Flash for i product can facilitate certain operations by duplicating an IBM i partition to perform operations such as backup, application testing or data extraction without disrupting production.

For instance, users can remain active on the production partition while a full save (SAVE21) is being carried out on its clone.

Every Log and Historical data generated on the clone partition (DSPLOG, Job log, output files, BRMS history, …) are automatically transferred on the Production partition.

FLASH for i

Flash For i IBM Storage

FLASH for i

Objectives

Use the Flashcopy function on Storwize or SVC to create a clone of the production partition
No iASP is needed. Full system copy.
The clone partition can be used for several types of operation such as :
– Run a SAVE21 every day, without any impact on the production
– Run usual daily backup, with or without BRMS
– Test a new application on real data

FLASH for i

How it works

All operations are managed from the Production partition, using IBM I commands:

Interventions on HMC, VIOS or Storwize are automated
The FLCLONE command realizes the complete chaining
Secure connection between the production partition and other elements
The history of the operations carried out on the Clone partition is available on the Production

Get automatically a clone of the production partition

Backup an IBM i partition with no impact on the production

Based on the Flashcopy function of the IBM Storwize

Context

You have (or plan to acquire) a Power Server with one or more IBM i partitions, and external disks on an IBM Storwize array
The Database and applications must be available 24/7
You are having trouble finding enough time for a SAVE21.

Yours needs

Reduce the daily backup window to its simplest expression.
Have the opportunity to make a SAVE21 of the Production partition regularly, without stopping production during this time.
Obtain automatically, several times a week, a copy of the production partition to perform tests or pre-production.

The solutions brought by Flash for i

Create a “Clone” partition of production using the FlaschCopy feature of the IBM StorWise.
Allows you to perform any type of operation on the clone partition, with virtually no impact on production.
Fully automated process using IBM i commands available on the Production partition.
Monitoring of the state of the operations, and history available in real time on the Production partition.
automatically, several times a week, a copy of the production partition to perform tests or pre-production.

Benefits

Instantaneous and automatic generation of the Clone partition fully driven from an IBM i command
It becomes possible to perform a SAVE21 every day.
Possible to generate a pre-production partition frequently and automatically with updated production data, while using only 20% of the original disk space.

Download the brochure

FLASH for i

Principles

The Flash For i product manages the various hardware and software components involved in the IBM i production partition cloning process with the aim of making backups with a minimal impact on production.

All operations are managed from the Production partition (also called the “source partition”).

The source partition is cloned in 4 steps:

Stop the clone partition if necessary.
- The source partition sends the HMC/FSM an instruction to immediately stop the clone partition.
Quiesce the source partition.
- Using the CHGASPACT command, the source partition writes all the data contained in the memory to the disk.
Start or restart the FlashCopy consistency group.
- The source partition sends an instruction to the Storwize family system.
- At that point, the volumes presented to the target partition are an exact copy of the source partition volumes.
- The source and target volumes now can change independently.
Start the clone partition.
- The source partition sends the HMC/FSM an instruction to start the clone partition.

FLASH for i

When it starts after cloning, the clone partition adjusts several of its configuration parameters:

Change of system name
Network/IP configuration
Start-up program
All scheduled jobs (WRKJOBSCDE, JS1) are suspended

The clone partition then restarts in order to apply the new settings.

The Flash For i product also maps/unmaps volumes in the VIOS before stopping or after starting FlashCopy in order to avoid numerous error messages in the VIOS(es) (unless NPIV-type configuration has been performed).

Backup and tests, without impact on the production

FLASH for i

Description

FLASH for i

FLASH for i

Objectives

FLASH for i

How it works

Context

Yours needs

The solutions brought by Flash for i

Benefits

Download the brochure

FLASH for i

Principles

FLASH for i

IBM i

IBM i5-OS | AS/400

Built On Power

Products / Produits