IBM Tivoli Interview Questions for freshers experienced :-
1. The Run as Administrator option is used to bypass user account control specifically on which operating system?
Windows 2008
2. Which service access point is created on the target computer during the Tivoli Common Agent installation?
Agent-Server (IPv4 / CommonAgent)
3. Which statement is true about static groups?
Members can be added anytime after group creation.
4. Which supported database can be used by IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager V7.2 on a Windows server?
IBM DB2
5. What are the two main catalogs managed by the image library?
1. Saved Images
2. Master Images
6. What are your daily activities?
TSM Server DB and Log size monitoring, client and admin schedule monitoring and library media management. I also have to install and configure TSM BA clients whenever required and troubleshoot backup/restore issues if any.
7. What are first * and second * in the “Query Event * *”?
First * is Domain name, the second * is schedule name
8. How to check admin schedules status?
Query Event * t=a
9. Where/How will you see, if errors occurred in the tapes?
- We can check it in actlog for hardware/media & read-write errors by using the command – “q actlog se=errors”
- To determine read/write errors for a particular volume run the command “q volume f=d“.
This output will show the number of read/write errors occurred to that particular volume.
10. What is your DB size in your environment?
Approximately 60 GB.
Tip: size depends on your environment
11. What is your tape model?
HP LTO4 tape – capacity 800 GB, speed is 120 MB/Sec.
12. Have you done the DR test?
Yes, In our environment we should do DR drills for every 6 months to ensure we are ready for any disaster recovery.
13. Have you done a library configuration?
Yes, I did it once.
14. What is your library model?
IBM 3584 library model with 4 drives
15. Can you explain how to install and configure the tdpsql?
STEPS TO INSTALL AND CONFIG TDPSQL
16. What is the use of a maximum number of mount points parameter?
Maximum parameter is used to increase/decrease the client backup/restore sessions. This parameter value should not be greater than available tape drives.
17. What are the TSM server tuning parameters?
- DBMEMPERCENT
- EXPINTERVAL
- MAX SESSIONS
- MOVEBATCHSIZE and MOVESIZETHRESH
- RESTOREINTERVAL
- TCPNODELAY
- TCPWINDOWSIZE
- TXNGROUPMAX
18. What is collocation? Where will you update it?
Collocation is the process of keeping the client backed up data in a minimum number of tapes. Collocation can be done by nodes, node groups and by Filespace. We will update collocation while defining or updating storage pool definitions.
update stgpool colloc=node
19. What is cloptset? Where will you update it?
Cloptset is used to define a name for a set of options which you can assign to clients for archive, backup, restore, and retrieve operations. We should first define a clioptset name by using “define cloptset” command and then define each client options to that cloptset by using “define clientopt” command. Then you should use this cloptset name while defining any client node. Generally, cloptset is used to assign extra client options for any particular node from the TSM Server end without logging into the client machine.
20. Have you performed TSM DB restoration?
Yes,
21. How will you see the errors in the tape?
To determine read/write errors for a particular volume run “q volume f=d“. This output will show the number of read/write errors occurred to that particular volume.
22. What will you do if u find errors in the tapes?
First, we have to figure it out the source of the error, whether tape drive has caused the error or tape itself has some problems. If the tape drive is the culprit make sure no other tapes are mounted on that particular tape. If tape itself has problems, then audit that tape by using “audit volume fix=no” command. This will show if there are any damaged files. IF there are no damaged files move the data from that tape to another tape, if there are any damaged files then we should restore the contents of that tape from the copy storage pool.
23. Have you done a manual backup?
Yes, We can do it by the BA client command line and also through the BA client GUI.
24. How will you login into the client machine do you have any credentials for you separately?
Yes, I have client login credentials with limited privileges.
25. How many servers in your environment?
3 TSM Servers
26. What is the TSM library manager?
TSM LIBRARY MANAGER
27. On which TSM Server you will define tape drives in a shared tape library environment?
We have to define all the drives on both the Library Manager and Library clients. CONFIGURATION OF TSM LIBRARY MANAGER
28. How will you see the lanfree backup process in the server side?
By running “storageagentname:q session”
Querying act log for “ANR0415I” message which says that “session 101 was proxies by storage agent S1 for node N1”
You can also check the backup report for total lanfree bytes transferred.
29. How will you clean the drive?
Generally, tape library will have separate cleaning drives, we have to just mount that drive through Library GUI. OR From TSM Server we can run “clean drive” command, this will also mount the cleaning cartridge/tape onto the drive and starts cleaning.
30. How to label the volume?
If new tapes are kept in I/O exit port, run this below command
label libvol search=bulk labelsource=barcode checkin=scratch
TROUBLESHOOTING TAPE LIBRARY
31. What are the parameters in the copy group?
a version exists, version deleted, retention extra, retention only, serialization, destination, mode, frequency …… etc.
31. What is the use of reclamation?
Reclamation makes the fragmented space on volumes usable again by moving any remaining files from one volume to another volume. This action makes the original volume available for reuse.
32. Is there any chance of moving inactive data from one volume to another using reclamation?
No, reclamation will move both active and inactive data.
33. What is audit volume?
Audit volume command is used to check the inconsistencies between database information and a storage pool volume.
34. What is fix=yes/no in audit volume command?
Fix — Specifies how the server resolves inconsistencies between the database inventory and the specified storage pool volume.
Fix=No — Tivoli Storage Manager reports, but does not delete, database records.
Fix=Yes — The server fixes any inconsistencies as they are detected
35. What is migration? use of migration?
Migration is used to move client files from one storage pool to the next storage pool in the storage hierarchy. The migration will make some empty space in disk pools which can be used for taking a backup of the client machine.
36. Have you done up gradation? which method you have used?
Yes, we used the Same System Media Method
37. Have you done upgradation for client machine?
Yes, First we have to copy all the important client configuration files, disconnect the connection with TSM Server and then uninstall/install new client version.
38. Have you done the installation of TSM server? tell me the procedure?
TSM SERVER 6.3 INSTALLATION STEPS
39. Explain the log flow in the 6.3?
RECOVERY LOG IN TSM VERSION 6.30
40. What are the details available in the dsmsched.log and dsmerror.log?
dsmsched.log & dsmerror.log will contain the client schedule status details and any schedule error details.
41. Will the lanfree data go to the disk pool?
No, Lanfree data will go directly to tape/tape pools. If we have a disk library in a SAN, then we can send lanfree to disks but we need another supporting software.
42. How to see the DB size?
Query db f=d
43. How to check the paths?
query path f=d
44. How to update path?
update path source name destination name srctype=server desttype=drive/library device=devicename online=yes
45. What is the difference between search=yes and search=bulk in LABEL command?
- YES – Specifies that the server labels only volumes that are stored in the library
- BULK – Specifies that the server searches the library entry/exit ports for usable volumes to label
46. In tdpsql what does tdpsql.cfg file contains?
It contains all the tdpsql performance monitoring parameters like Buffers, Buffers size, SQL buffers, SQL buffer size, data stripes, and log file, etc.
47. How to install tdpsql in the client machine?
INSTALL AND CONFIGURATION OF IBM TDPSQL
48. Any idea on TSM Offsite Reclamation?
OFFSITE RECLAMATION PROCESS
49. What is the use of storage pool backup (copy stgpools)?
If there are any read/write errors on the primary pool volumes, we can restore them from copy pool volumes.
50. How to do Lanfree configuration?
STEPS TO INSTALL AND CONFIGURE TSM STORAGE AGENT
51. Explain about policy management?
TSM POLICY MANAGEMENT BASICS & POLICY STRUCTURE
52. What are the parameters in the copy group?
a version exists, version deleted, retention extra, retention only, serialization, destination, mode, frequency …… etc
53. What is Serialization?
It specifies how Tivoli Storage Manager processes files or directories when they are modified during backup processing.