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Tivoli Storage Manager works VERY well for Db2 and zLiniux
April 11, 2019

Tivoli Storage Manager works VERY well for Db2 and zLiniux

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Tivoli

We use Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) primarily to store our database backups and logs. I believe it is used in other capacities for OS and file system backups, but I am not a user in that area and my review will focus on database and log backup storage. We use other solutions for mass storage as well - but due to the tight integration with DB2 and TSM, we will probably always use Tivoli in some aspect.
  • Tight integration with DB2. As an IBM product, it works seamlessly with DB2. You can query what is stored in TSM via DB2 itself. You can also use DB scripts to maintain the items being stored there.
  • Like most of its competitors, Tivoli handles deduplication well.
  • Provides a GUI for browsing and maintaining items stored there. I rarely use this feature, due to the next item I will post:
  • Command-line interface directly from my DB2 database servers.
  • Both client and server-side deduplication, compression and encryption are available.
  • If the requirements are zLinux and DB2 support then it's the most solid solution.
  • Can be complex to implement, but once up and running, it is rock-solid and immensely scalable.
  • Scalability is huge. Can be added onto easily.
  • For Oracle and SQL Server, there are other solutions that provide more "bells and whistles" such as storage-side restores, alerting, etc.
  • We sometimes struggle with passwords expiring, etc. It is not a complete "hands-off" solution, as it requires SOME maintenance (not much, really).
  • VMware backup capabilities lag behind competitors.
  • Very Client Driven (which is a mixed bag). I like this feature. New, younger users may not.
  • Data recoverability is tough to quantify. Having a reliable solution can mean EVERYTHING to your business. Tivoli provides us with that.
  • It does take about one FTE to maintain all our mass storage, which includes Tivoli.
Tivoli sits right in the middle of these two products, all things considered. Each has its own strengths (Cohesity has bells and whistles, CommVault works well with Microsoft). Tivoli is a nice blend and rock-solid once implemented.
For either DB2 or zLinux, Tivoli is hands-down the best solution. For Oracle and other operating systems, there are more advanced solutions available. Some of these features are considered "game-changing" by our Sys Admins. Of the three solutions I've dealt with, Tivoli ranks right in the middle with cost, features, and complexity. A nice solution (and the best for the options I listed above), but not cutting-edge.