Several techniques can be implemented to reduce the backup window by conducting backups from a second copy of the data.
If you are saving from a second copy, you should ensure
that the contents of the copy are consistent. You may need to quiesce the
application.
Saving from a second system
Some technologies, such as replication, make available a second copy of the data that can be used to shift the save window from the primary copy to the secondary copy. This technique can eliminate the backup window on the primary system. Therefore, it does not affect production since the backup processing is done on a second system.
IBM® TotalStorage® Enterprise Storage Server® (ESS) FlashCopy® used with the iSeries Copy Services for ESS toolkit
IBM TotalStorage Enterprise Storage Server (ESS) provides enhanced storage capabilities. This technology uses the ESS function of FlashCopy on an independent disk pool. A single ESS server creates a point-in-time version of the independent disk pool where the host is not aware of the copy. The toolkit enables bringing the copy on to the backup system to perform saves or other processing. For information on IBM TotalStorage (ESS) and its features, see IBM TotalStorage website.