Hi Falko,

What exactly would you like to know?

We have a customer running two LPARs with PowerHA Geographic Mirroring, and we developed a CL program to automate the entire process: detach the ASP session, bring down the cluster, activate the DR IASP, run the ~4 TB BRMS backups to ASP2 completing in roughly one hour, vary off the DR IASP, reactivate the cluster, and reattach the ASP session.

You must have the buckets configured in WRKCFGICC, and the APP definition for IBM_QICC created in DCM with the appropriate CA trust configured. If needed, refer to the TechXchange blog

 Certificate configuration for IBM i communication with IBM Cloud Object Storage

Regarding BRMS, we are using media class QAVVRTTAP for the media policy (*WRKPCYBRM MED).

For WRKLOCBRM, our storage location looks like this:

                           Display Storage Location                   
                                                                      
Storage location  . . . . . . . . :   XPTO                       
Text  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :   Bucket xpto - On Frankfurt
                                                                      
Address line 1  . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Address line 2  . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Address line 3  . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Address line 4  . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Address line 5  . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Contact name  . . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Contact telephone number. . . . . :                                   
Retrieval time  . . . . . . . . . :   0,0                             
Allow volumes to expire . . . . . :   *YES                            
Media slotting  . . . . . . . . . :   *CLD                

You can also find useful resources in the Fortra Wiki:

 https://fortradocs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/IWT/pages/165642461/Welcome+to+IBM+Backup+Recovery+Media+Services+BRMS+for+i 

For encryption at-rest check my blog 5733ICC – Configuring File-at-Rest Encryption for IBM Cloud Object Storage on IBM i

Let me know if there's anything else you'd like to know.

------------------------------
Ricardo Martins
IBM Power Technical Leader @Blue Chip Portugal
IBM Cloud Certified Professional Architect
IBM Power Virtual Server v1 Specialty
IBM Cloud for Financial Services v2 Specialty
IBM Champion 2025
IBM Influencer 2025
------------------------------

Hallo Ricardo,

Everything is set up and configured without any problems. However, daily tasks are proving somewhat difficult. The processes are sometimes not transparent.

• For example, a tape in WRKMEDBRM has been stuck in the *TRF status for days. It was successfully completed using WRKSTSICC, but a restore doesn't work because the tape isn't available locally and can't be moved.
• Sometimes tapes aren't transferred automatically. In these cases, the QICCSBS subsystem needs to be restarted.
• Occasionally, no new tapes are created. Then, a BRM148A message needs to be answered.
• Restores sometimes take a very long time and require a lot of CPU.
• I haven't been able to create a backup using QCLDBIPL01.

In short, yes, it works, but I don't feel comfortable relying on it in a production environment.

Hi Falko,

What exactly would you like to know?

We have a customer running two LPARs with PowerHA Geographic Mirroring, and we developed a CL program to automate the entire process: detach the ASP session, bring down the cluster, activate the DR IASP, run the ~4 TB BRMS backups to ASP2 completing in roughly one hour, vary off the DR IASP, reactivate the cluster, and reattach the ASP session.

You must have the buckets configured in WRKCFGICC, and the APP definition for IBM_QICC created in DCM with the appropriate CA trust configured. If needed, refer to the TechXchange blog

 Certificate configuration for IBM i communication with IBM Cloud Object Storage

Regarding BRMS, we are using media class QAVVRTTAP for the media policy (*WRKPCYBRM MED).

For WRKLOCBRM, our storage location looks like this:

                           Display Storage Location                   
                                                                      
Storage location  . . . . . . . . :   XPTO                       
Text  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :   Bucket xpto - On Frankfurt
                                                                      
Address line 1  . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Address line 2  . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Address line 3  . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Address line 4  . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Address line 5  . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Contact name  . . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Contact telephone number. . . . . :                                   
Retrieval time  . . . . . . . . . :   0,0                             
Allow volumes to expire . . . . . :   *YES                            
Media slotting  . . . . . . . . . :   *CLD                

You can also find useful resources in the Fortra Wiki:

 https://fortradocs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/IWT/pages/165642461/Welcome+to+IBM+Backup+Recovery+Media+Services+BRMS+for+i 

For encryption at-rest check my blog 5733ICC – Configuring File-at-Rest Encryption for IBM Cloud Object Storage on IBM i

Let me know if there's anything else you'd like to know.

------------------------------
Ricardo Martins
IBM Power Technical Leader @Blue Chip Portugal
IBM Cloud Certified Professional Architect
IBM Power Virtual Server v1 Specialty
IBM Cloud for Financial Services v2 Specialty
IBM Champion 2025
IBM Influencer 2025

Hallo Ricardo,

Everything is set up and configured without any problems. However, daily tasks are proving somewhat difficult. The processes are sometimes not transparent.

• For example, a tape in WRKMEDBRM has been stuck in the *TRF status for days. It was successfully completed using WRKSTSICC, but a restore doesn't work because the tape isn't available locally and can't be moved.
• Sometimes tapes aren't transferred automatically. In these cases, the QICCSBS subsystem needs to be restarted.
• Occasionally, no new tapes are created. Then, a BRM148A message needs to be answered.
• Restores sometimes take a very long time and require a lot of CPU.
• I haven't been able to create a backup using QCLDBIPL01.

In short, yes, it works, but I don't feel comfortable relying on it in a production environment.

Hi Falko,

What exactly would you like to know?

We have a customer running two LPARs with PowerHA Geographic Mirroring, and we developed a CL program to automate the entire process: detach the ASP session, bring down the cluster, activate the DR IASP, run the ~4 TB BRMS backups to ASP2 completing in roughly one hour, vary off the DR IASP, reactivate the cluster, and reattach the ASP session.

You must have the buckets configured in WRKCFGICC, and the APP definition for IBM_QICC created in DCM with the appropriate CA trust configured. If needed, refer to the TechXchange blog

 Certificate configuration for IBM i communication with IBM Cloud Object Storage

Regarding BRMS, we are using media class QAVVRTTAP for the media policy (*WRKPCYBRM MED).

For WRKLOCBRM, our storage location looks like this:

                           Display Storage Location                   
                                                                      
Storage location  . . . . . . . . :   XPTO                       
Text  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :   Bucket xpto - On Frankfurt
                                                                      
Address line 1  . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Address line 2  . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Address line 3  . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Address line 4  . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Address line 5  . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Contact name  . . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Contact telephone number. . . . . :                                   
Retrieval time  . . . . . . . . . :   0,0                             
Allow volumes to expire . . . . . :   *YES                            
Media slotting  . . . . . . . . . :   *CLD                

You can also find useful resources in the Fortra Wiki:

 https://fortradocs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/IWT/pages/165642461/Welcome+to+IBM+Backup+Recovery+Media+Services+BRMS+for+i 

For encryption at-rest check my blog 5733ICC – Configuring File-at-Rest Encryption for IBM Cloud Object Storage on IBM i

Let me know if there's anything else you'd like to know.

------------------------------
Ricardo Martins
IBM Power Technical Leader @Blue Chip Portugal
IBM Cloud Certified Professional Architect
IBM Power Virtual Server v1 Specialty
IBM Cloud for Financial Services v2 Specialty
IBM Champion 2025
IBM Influencer 2025

Ricardo's responses are all exactly on point regarding the various issues with the BRMS integration. Additionally, we're looking to improve restore/download performance from the Cloud - stay tuned in that regard..

Hallo Ricardo,

Everything is set up and configured without any problems. However, daily tasks are proving somewhat difficult. The processes are sometimes not transparent.

• For example, a tape in WRKMEDBRM has been stuck in the *TRF status for days. It was successfully completed using WRKSTSICC, but a restore doesn't work because the tape isn't available locally and can't be moved.
• Sometimes tapes aren't transferred automatically. In these cases, the QICCSBS subsystem needs to be restarted.
• Occasionally, no new tapes are created. Then, a BRM148A message needs to be answered.
• Restores sometimes take a very long time and require a lot of CPU.
• I haven't been able to create a backup using QCLDBIPL01.

In short, yes, it works, but I don't feel comfortable relying on it in a production environment.

Hi Falko,

What exactly would you like to know?

We have a customer running two LPARs with PowerHA Geographic Mirroring, and we developed a CL program to automate the entire process: detach the ASP session, bring down the cluster, activate the DR IASP, run the ~4 TB BRMS backups to ASP2 completing in roughly one hour, vary off the DR IASP, reactivate the cluster, and reattach the ASP session.

You must have the buckets configured in WRKCFGICC, and the APP definition for IBM_QICC created in DCM with the appropriate CA trust configured. If needed, refer to the TechXchange blog

 Certificate configuration for IBM i communication with IBM Cloud Object Storage

Regarding BRMS, we are using media class QAVVRTTAP for the media policy (*WRKPCYBRM MED).

For WRKLOCBRM, our storage location looks like this:

                           Display Storage Location                   
                                                                      
Storage location  . . . . . . . . :   XPTO                       
Text  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :   Bucket xpto - On Frankfurt
                                                                      
Address line 1  . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Address line 2  . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Address line 3  . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Address line 4  . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Address line 5  . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Contact name  . . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Contact telephone number. . . . . :                                   
Retrieval time  . . . . . . . . . :   0,0                             
Allow volumes to expire . . . . . :   *YES                            
Media slotting  . . . . . . . . . :   *CLD                

You can also find useful resources in the Fortra Wiki:

 https://fortradocs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/IWT/pages/165642461/Welcome+to+IBM+Backup+Recovery+Media+Services+BRMS+for+i 

For encryption at-rest check my blog 5733ICC – Configuring File-at-Rest Encryption for IBM Cloud Object Storage on IBM i

Let me know if there's anything else you'd like to know.

------------------------------
Ricardo Martins
IBM Power Technical Leader @Blue Chip Portugal
IBM Cloud Certified Professional Architect
IBM Power Virtual Server v1 Specialty
IBM Cloud for Financial Services v2 Specialty
IBM Champion 2025
IBM Influencer 2025

Hallo Ricardo,

Everything is set up and configured without any problems. However, daily tasks are proving somewhat difficult. The processes are sometimes not transparent.

• For example, a tape in WRKMEDBRM has been stuck in the *TRF status for days. It was successfully completed using WRKSTSICC, but a restore doesn't work because the tape isn't available locally and can't be moved.
• Sometimes tapes aren't transferred automatically. In these cases, the QICCSBS subsystem needs to be restarted.
• Occasionally, no new tapes are created. Then, a BRM148A message needs to be answered.
• Restores sometimes take a very long time and require a lot of CPU.
• I haven't been able to create a backup using QCLDBIPL01.

In short, yes, it works, but I don't feel comfortable relying on it in a production environment.

Hi Falko,

What exactly would you like to know?

We have a customer running two LPARs with PowerHA Geographic Mirroring, and we developed a CL program to automate the entire process: detach the ASP session, bring down the cluster, activate the DR IASP, run the ~4 TB BRMS backups to ASP2 completing in roughly one hour, vary off the DR IASP, reactivate the cluster, and reattach the ASP session.

You must have the buckets configured in WRKCFGICC, and the APP definition for IBM_QICC created in DCM with the appropriate CA trust configured. If needed, refer to the TechXchange blog

 Certificate configuration for IBM i communication with IBM Cloud Object Storage

Regarding BRMS, we are using media class QAVVRTTAP for the media policy (*WRKPCYBRM MED).

For WRKLOCBRM, our storage location looks like this:

                           Display Storage Location                   
                                                                      
Storage location  . . . . . . . . :   XPTO                       
Text  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :   Bucket xpto - On Frankfurt
                                                                      
Address line 1  . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Address line 2  . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Address line 3  . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Address line 4  . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Address line 5  . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Contact name  . . . . . . . . . . :                                   
Contact telephone number. . . . . :                                   
Retrieval time  . . . . . . . . . :   0,0                             
Allow volumes to expire . . . . . :   *YES                            
Media slotting  . . . . . . . . . :   *CLD                

You can also find useful resources in the Fortra Wiki:

 https://fortradocs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/IWT/pages/165642461/Welcome+to+IBM+Backup+Recovery+Media+Services+BRMS+for+i 

For encryption at-rest check my blog 5733ICC – Configuring File-at-Rest Encryption for IBM Cloud Object Storage on IBM i

Let me know if there's anything else you'd like to know.

------------------------------
Ricardo Martins
IBM Power Technical Leader @Blue Chip Portugal
IBM Cloud Certified Professional Architect
IBM Power Virtual Server v1 Specialty
IBM Cloud for Financial Services v2 Specialty
IBM Champion 2025
IBM Influencer 2025

Falko, 

Perhaps also consider VTL Solutions that works on IBM i BRMS if you want a more stable approach? 

Best way also is to involve FORTRA (they are the maintainers of BRMS ) to they will perhaps look at your situation more closely and recommend a way forward. 

Falko-san,

It's not me, but my colleague who has the track record. Here's a link to a case study article. It's in Japanese, so please use machine translation…

https://www.imagazine.co.jp/powervs_imbi-liftup/