If you’re new to IBM Tivoli Storage Manager (IBM TSM from here on), you may be curious as to why there’s so much love for this particular method of data storage and backup. Well, there are several reasons for this, that should illuminate its benefits and the various features putting it ahead of the competition.

Backup is probably one of the two main reasons people look into data storage management software, and this is arguably one of IBM TSM’s strongest features. IBM have implemented what they call a “revolutionary” progressive incremental backup system, that allows you to continuously backup new and changed files, while the old ones are kept as as single copy. Not only is this faster, it saves space, and you’ll soon find that it means you can restore backups and sift through backup data without the hassle of digging through countless identical copies of the same file.…

If you have been trying to upgrade TSM 5 to TSM 6 & received the following error:  “Format Completed with Return Code 499” Then follow the steps below, which I have got from IBM article to fix the problem. I have used these steps & they have worked for me & they should work for you too.

If this is not an upgrade & you started with a clean install, but you still got a missed up database then follow up the steps below & then follow up: “How do you remove a server instance without uninstalling the TSM server?” which will remove the corrupted instance & database & you will be ready for trying to initialize the instance again.…

Today while installing TSM 6.1.2 for one of my client I had end up with a crashed instance of TSM. I did not feel to reinstall TSM & wanted to delete that TSM instance & its database. Below the steps I have used to do just that:

1) Open a DOS command prompt and run “db2ilist”. This will list the TSM instances that are defined to DB2.

2) From the DOS command prompt issue “db2idrop <instance name>”. So if the instance you want to remove is “SERVER1” you would issue “db2idrop server1”

3) Open the registry to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\IBM\ADSM\CurrentVersion\Server. Here you will find the instance. Remove the instance directory. Do not remove HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\IBM\ADSM\CurrentVersion\Server itself.

NOTE: Before making any registry changes it is always advised to export the registry incase you need to recover.…