About Backup Classes and Sets

Robot Save’s automated backup process uses a structure made up of backup classes and their corresponding backup sets. This is a unique concept in automatic backups.

A Robot Save backup set describes all the procedures required to do a recurring backup, including what to save, customized tape management procedures, before- and after-save processing instructions, and more. You create a unique backup set for each recurring backup.

A backup class is simply a logical grouping of backup sets. It contains default information that is used by each backup set in the class. You can create as many backup classes as you want. Each backup class can have as many backup sets as you want.

To add or maintain backup classes and backup sets, you use the Automated Backup Setup Menu. From this menu, you select options to set up and modify backup classes and their backup sets, modify library save information, print system reports, use procedures for restoring your system, and work with object lists.

To display the Automated Backup Setup Menu, select option 5 on the Robot Save Main Menu. Press F1 from any panel for additional help.

Types of Backup Classes

Robot Save uses six types of backup classes:

  • Backup and Restore

  • Backup Only, No Restore

  • Data Set Management Only

  • Object Lists

  • Robot Reports

Each of these backup class types serves a specific purpose in the backup and recovery of your systems.

Backup and Restore Type Classes

Backup sets in the Backup and Restore-type class are used to save the system so that it can be restored easily in the case of a disk drive failure. The saves done by these classes create the Robot Save Guided Restoration Procedures and entries in the object archive system.

You can have as many backup and restore-type classes as you find necessary. We recommend that you set up the following classes:

  • Daily Backup (use backup set usage type 7)

  • Weekly (use backup set usage type 7; add SAVDLO, SAVSECDTA, SAVCFG, and Save All IFS to the backup set)

  • Monthly (use backup set usage type 9)

  • Quarterly (use backup set usage type 9)

  • Yearly (use backup set usage type 9)

Backup Only, No Restore Type Classes

Backup sets in the Backup Only, No Restore-type class save the items you specify, but are NOT used to create Robot Save restoration instructions. The backup sets in this class may be sent to other sites, or used to create entries in the object archive system.

For example, the tape volumes from your regular source file backups probably are stored off-site. One common use of a Backup Only, No Restore-type class is to create an extensive archive for your source members. You can create a backup set that saves just the daily changes to your source libraries and schedule the backup set in Robot Schedule to run every workday at noon. By keeping the resulting tapes on-site at all times, you can use these tapes to restore members when needed, such as when a source member is damaged.

You still will rely on the source member saves done by the sets in the backup and restore-type classes to restore your source files in case of disk drive failure.

Data Set Management Only Type Classes

Use the Data Set-type class to manage backups (and their tape volumes) performed outside of Robot Save’s backup and restore-type classes. Robot Save lets you manage these tape volumes along with the volumes managed automatically by other Robot Save backup classes. Data set backups also allow you to use Robot Save’s object archive.

All data sets are assigned to Data Set Management Only-type classes. These are tape read and write operations where files are stored off-line on tape. Data sets also are used to copy files to tape to be further processed by payroll or microfiche services. You must create a backup set for each of your data set operations.

Robot Save provides commands you code into your data set program to do the following:

  • Record all volumes used for a save

  • Create object archive entries

  • Tell operators which tapes to mount

  • Ensure that operators mount tapes in the right order

  • Update tape usage data

  • Create save status records

  • Print tape labels

The saves done by backup sets in a Data Set only-type class are NOT used to create the Robot Save restoration instructions.

Note: Robot Save automatically tracks the media volumes used for tape operations performed outside of Robot Save (called ad hoc operations). However, only data set-type classes create an object archive.

Object Lists Type Classes

Backup sets in the Object Lists-type class are used to save objects across several libraries. An object list consists of any number of objects that meet specified criteria. You create object lists using Robot Corral, our object selection manager. Once your object list is created, you can use Robot Save to save and restore the list. The saves done by object lists-type classes are not included in the Robot Save restoration instructions. However, object archive entries are created.

Robot Reports Backup Type Classes

The Robot Reports backup class is designed specifically for Robot Reports users who want to archive their reports using Robot Save. Robot Reports is our report management software. The Robot Reports backup class and its associated backup sets allow you to define multiple rotations for your Robot Reports archive backup, providing flexibility to your archiving strategy. Using Robot Save to archive your reports allows the reports to span multiple volumes, making it easy to archive large reports and minimizing the time necessary to complete the archive. See Using Robot Save to Archive Reports for complete information on how to set up your backup class and sets and use them to archive your reports.

Examples of Backup Classes and Backup Sets

The following diagram illustrates how you might use the backup class types and their backup sets to define a complete backup strategy for your IBM i. See Developing a Save Strategy for more information.