IBM Tivoli Storage Manager

IBM Storage Protect
Industry	Data protection software
Predecessor	Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM)
Founded	1988; 38 years ago
Founder	IBM Almaden Research Center
Area served	Global
Products	IBM Storage Protect (previously IBM Spectrum Protect, Tivoli Storage Manager)
Owner	IBM
Parent	IBM Spectrum Software Defined Storage portfolio

IBM Storage Protect (previously known as IBM Spectrum Protect and Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM)) serves as a comprehensive data protection solution, delivering enterprises centralized management for backup and recovery operations across virtual, physical, and cloud infrastructures. It stands as the premier offering within the IBM Spectrum Protect product line.

As a component of the IBM Spectrum Software Defined Storage portfolio, this solution functions independently from the Tivoli Management Framework.

History

The origins of TSM trace back to a 1988 initiative at the IBM Almaden Research Center focused on safeguarding VM/CMS environments. The first iteration, named Workstation Data Save Facility (WDSF), was designed to back up data from PC/DOS, OS/2, and AIX workstations onto VM/CMS and subsequently MVS servers. Over time, WDSF transformed into ADSTAR Distributed Storage Manager (ADSM), eventually adopting the name Tivoli Storage Manager in 1999.

Initially, TSM’s database employed a proprietary B+ tree structure, which imposed limits of approximately 530 GB for database size and 13 GB for log capacity. Starting with TSM version 6.1 (released May 2009), IBM transitioned to utilizing a Db2 instance, thereby eliminating these earlier architectural restrictions.

Product details

TSM manages a relational database that supported up to 534GB through version 5.5 and was expanded to accommodate up to 4TB by version 6.3.3 and later. Its recovery log capacity grew from a 13 GB limit in version 5.5 to 128GB with release 6.1 and beyond. The database stores configuration settings, metadata, and statistical information using 4KB pages organized into partitions every 4MB; typically, around 20GB of storage can handle approximately 25 million objects. Access to the database is provided via an emulated SQL-98 interface or through specialized command sets.

Data is organized within hierarchical storage pools that may include raw devices on UNIX systems, filesystem containers on Windows or Linux platforms, tape media, or optical disks. Support extends to Virtual Tape Libraries as well as EMC Centera WORM archival storage units. For redundancy or off-site retention purposes, duplicate copies can be written onto sequential media.

TSM Server version 5.5 offers compatibility with AIX, HP-UX, Linux, Solaris, Windows Server, and z/OS. Its client software additionally supports NetWare and macOS. Version 6.1 of TSM Server maintains support for AIX, HP-UX, Linux, Solaris, and Windows Server platforms; client support remains consistent across these operating systems. The TSM 6.3 release occurred in October 2011, with version 8.1.21 becoming available in December 2023.

Components

The Tivoli Storage Manager suite comprises several essential elements: the TSM Server, TSM Client, TSM Storage Agent, TSM Data Protector, TSM Operation Center, and TSM Administration Center.

Data Sources

At the core of TSM’s data intake is the TSM Client—often referred to as the "TSM Backup/Archive Client" or "B/A Client"—which enables selective incremental backups using methods such as "Progressive Incremental" or "Incremental Forever." This approach tracks each unique combination of client, filespace, path, and file individually for retention purposes. The B/A Client also facilitates archiving and retrieval processes that treat groups of objects as individual units; unlike conventional full or incremental backups that aggregate files into large archives or single files, this method stores them separately or in smaller clusters without incremental archives.

Additional sources include policy-driven hierarchical storage management (HSM) solutions available for AIX, Linux, and Windows platforms. These tools automate moving data from active production disks into TSM-managed storage hierarchies while preserving transparent access through mechanisms like DMAPI or NTFS reparse points.

Integration with IBM General Parallel File System (GPFS) allows TSM to function as a storage tier supporting GPFS’s Information Lifecycle Management (ILM). This integration delivers HSM capabilities for GPFS filesystems across Linux, Windows, and AIX environments by enabling seamless access to files regardless of whether they reside on disk or have been migrated to tape via TSM-managed save and retrieve operations.

Numerous applications interface with TSM through APIs for backing up databases, mail systems, system images, and user data within its repository. Except for TSM’s UNIX HSM product—which provides additional features—the client API primarily exposes "Backup" and "Archive" functionalities.

Agents

TSM employs two distinct specialized agents. The LAN-Free Storage Agent acts as a streamlined TSM server configured to function as a library client, managing storage resources through server-to-server interactions. While it is generally installed on the client side, it can also be accessed over the network to circumvent network congestion—for instance, linking two BladeCenter chassis via infiniband where one chassis has SAN-connected tape devices and the other lacks them, thus avoiding Ethernet bandwidth constraints without relocating the TSM server instance.

The NDMP API agent facilitates direct backup access to NetApp and other network attached storage (NAS) appliances themselves, bypassing the need to route through an attached NAS client.

Administration

Management tasks are performed using either the TSM Administrative command line interface or through the web-based TSM Operations Center dashboard.

Enterprise Edition Features

Disaster Recovery Manager (DRM) – Provides commands for handling offsite secondary data copies, backing up the TSM database, and preserving configuration data essential for database restoration.
IBM TSM for NDMP – Supports both LAN and LAN-free backups of network attached storage (NAS), compatible with NetApp filers, EMC Celerra datamovers, and most NDMP versions 3 and 4 clients.
IBM TSM for Storage Archive Manager – Facilitates archive retention necessary for meeting regulatory compliance requirements.

Associated Products

IBM brands all related offerings under "IBM Tivoli Storage Manager," with most products requiring individual licenses. Refer also to IBM Tivoli Storage Manager FastBack for continuous block-level data protection.

Client – Backup and archive client software supporting major operating systems.
Server – Server-side software compatible with leading server OS platforms.
for Advanced Copy Services (previously ITSM for Hardware) – Provides hardware-based snapshots tailored for major database backups; recent versions are marketed as FCM (FlashCopy Manager).
for Copy Services – Windows snapshot solutions designed specifically for Exchange and MSSQL environments.
for Databases – API support for Oracle RMAN, along with GUI and CLI tools facilitating MSSQL backup operations.
for Data Retention – A z/OS client dedicated to managing long-term archival of data.
for Enterprise Resource Planning – Enables online backup capabilities for SAP R/3 running on Oracle or Db2 platforms; initially developed by IBM Germany under the backint name and later incorporated as Tivoli Data Protection for R/3.
for Mail – Integrates with Lotus Domino (Notes) and Microsoft Exchange APIs to provide online backup functionality.
for SharePoint – A repackaged version of DocAve, distributed by OEM partner AvePoint.
for Space Management – Implements (HSM) on Linux and AIX systems by automating migration of inactive data to cost-effective storage media; the Windows variant ("IBM TSM HSM for Windows") is offered as OpenStore by INTERCOPE GmbH.
for Storage Area Networks (SAN) – Also known as "LAN Free Storage Agent," this is a customized TSM Server lacking a local database, enabling server-to-server sharing of libraries and tape writing without generating network traffic.
for System Backup and Recovery – A standalone bare metal recovery solution originally named Sysback/6000 for AIX, supporting backup and restoration of files, file systems, volume groups, and complete systems onto various media including TSM. Comparable competitor software includes Storix, which offers GUI management along with Linux compatibility.
for Virtual Environments – Delivers comprehensive data protection and versatile recovery options tailored to VMware vSphere ESX and ESXi server infrastructures.

Interface Solutions

IBM Tivoli Storage Manager Operational Reporting - Integrated within the TSM Microsoft Management Console (MMC) Plug-in for Windows, this tool produces webpages and emails derived from SQL queries. While it supports custom SQL, it notably lacks capabilities for trend analysis or graphical representation.
Power Administrator for TSM - A robust graphical user interface designed for the administration, oversight, monitoring, reporting, and troubleshooting of TSM environments. It includes a report builder for tailored reports and can dispatch SNMP alerts, emails, and generate trouble tickets.
Operator for TSM (OTSM) - A Windows-based GUI from Debriefing Software that facilitates management of multiple TSM servers and streamlines offsite volume operations through step-by-step guidance.
TSMExplorer - A Java application utilizing the SWT toolkit, enabling management and monitoring of several TSM servers via single sign-on authentication.
Wizards Storage Portal - Debriefing Software’s cloud-hosted monitoring and reporting platform supporting both TSM and SAN Volume Controller (SVC). It provides round-the-clock monitoring, customizable dashboards, graphical reports, remote administration, and seamless integration with Operator for TSM.

Clients Using Non-Tivoli APIs

ADINT - Created by IBM Germany’s Enterprise Service Division as a support tool to back up SAP MaxDB databases directly into TSM.
adsmpipe - An unsupported utility from IBM’s RedBook repository that pipes data straight into TSM; frequently utilized for MySQL backup operations.
Archive Backup Client for OpenVMS - Offered by STORServer Inc., this product extends OpenVMS file systems by enabling backup, archiving, restoration, querying, and management of OpenVMS files on TSM servers.
Caminosoft Managed Server HSM, Tivoli Edition - Hierarchical Storage Management software designed to archive infrequently accessed files to TSM; compatible with N series, NetApp, Windows, Linux, and NetWare platforms.
CBMR/TBMR - Cristie’s bare metal recovery solution supporting Linux, Solaris, AIX, and Windows environments with TSM as the storage backend.
Repostor DATA Protector - A backup and restore suite that supports multiple database engines through IBM Spectrum Protect integration.
IBM Db2 - A core IBM offering that directly interfaces with the TSM API.
SQL-Backtrack - Provided by BMC Software, this solution enables backup of various database products into TSM.
STORServer Data Protection for Oracle RDB on OpenVMS - STORServer Inc.’s Oracle backup software tailored for OpenVMS environments with integration to TSM.
STORServer Appliance for VMware Consolidated Backup - A VMware backup product that stores backups on TSM servers.
SPFS filesystem for Spectrum Protect - Developed by spictera, this product facilitates backups of numerous platforms including KVM, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, MariaDB, MySQL, OpenEdge, SAP IQ/ASE/HANA, Microsoft SQL Server variants, Ingres, FirebirdSQL, Cassandra, Redis, Elasticsearch, IBM Db2, Neo4j, Greenplum among others by mounting filespaces on servers to Spectrum Protect.
TapeTrack Tape Management Framework - GazillaByte LLC’s tape asset tracking software that integrates with TSM to provide comprehensive tape management capabilities.
Zmanda Recovery Manager - Zmanda’s integrated MySQL backup solution working in conjunction with TSM.

References