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You are on page 1/ 422

IBM Spectrum Protect Plus

Version 10.1.5

Installation and User's Guide

IBM
Note:
Before you use this information and the product it supports, read the information in “Notices” on page
395.

Ninth edition (November 2020)


This edition applies to version 10, release 1, modification 5 of IBM Spectrum Protect Plus (product number 5737-F11)
and to all subsequent releases and modifications until otherwise indicated in new editions.
© Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2017, 2020.
US Government Users Restricted Rights – Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with
IBM Corp.
Contents

About this publication...........................................................................................ix


Who should read this publication............................................................................................................... ix
Publications ................................................................................................................................................ ix

What's new in Version 10.1.5................................................................................ xi

Getting involved in product development.............................................................xiii


Sponsor user program............................................................................................................................... xiii
Beta program............................................................................................................................................. xiii

Chapter 1. Product overview..................................................................................1


Product components....................................................................................................................................1
Product dashboard.......................................................................................................................................3
Alerts............................................................................................................................................................ 4
Role-based access control.......................................................................................................................... 5
Replicate backup-storage data................................................................................................................... 5
Copy snapshots to secondary backup storage........................................................................................... 6
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus on IBM Cloud.................................................................................................. 8
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus on AWS............................................................................................................9

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.................................................. 11


Product deployment roadmap...................................................................................................................11
System requirements ................................................................................................................................11
Component requirements ................................................................................................................... 11
Hypervisor requirements .................................................................................................................... 26
File indexing and restore requirements...............................................................................................27
Microsoft Exchange Server requirements........................................................................................... 32
Db2 requirements................................................................................................................................ 36
MongoDB requirements....................................................................................................................... 39
Office 365 requirements...................................................................................................................... 42
Oracle requirements............................................................................................................................ 45
Microsoft SQL Server requirements.....................................................................................................49
Kubernetes Backup Support requirements.........................................................................................55
Obtaining the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus installation package.............................................................. 58
Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus as a VMware virtual appliance.....................................................59
Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus as a Hyper-V virtual appliance.....................................................60
Assigning a static IP address.....................................................................................................................62
Uploading the product key........................................................................................................................ 63
Editing firewall ports..................................................................................................................................64
Installing iSCSI initiator utilities................................................................................................................65

Chapter 3. Installing vSnap servers......................................................................67


Installing a vSnap server........................................................................................................................... 67
Installing a physical vSnap server....................................................................................................... 67
Installing a virtual vSnap server in a VMware environment................................................................68
Installing a virtual vSnap server in a Hyper-V environment............................................................... 69
Uninstalling a vSnap server....................................................................................................................... 70

Chapter 4. Managing vSnap servers......................................................................73

iii
Adding a vSnap server as a backup storage provider............................................................................... 73
Editing settings for a vSnap server...................................................................................................... 74
Configuring backup storage options.................................................................................................... 75
Initializing the vSnap server...................................................................................................................... 80
Completing a simple initialization........................................................................................................80
Completing an advanced initialization.................................................................................................81
Expanding a vSnap storage pool............................................................................................................... 81
Establishing a replication partnership for vSnap servers......................................................................... 82
Changing the throughput rate................................................................................................................... 82
Replacing a failed vSnap server................................................................................................................ 83
vSnap server administration reference .................................................................................................... 83
Storage management........................................................................................................................... 84
Network management..........................................................................................................................86
Synchronizing the vSnap Password..................................................................................................... 87
Kernel headers and tools..................................................................................................................... 88

Chapter 5. Getting off to a quick start...................................................................89


Start IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.............................................................................................................. 91
Manage sites.............................................................................................................................................. 92
Create backup policies.............................................................................................................................. 93
Create a user account for the application administrator..........................................................................95
Add resources to protect........................................................................................................................... 96
Add resources to a job definition...............................................................................................................98
Start a backup job...................................................................................................................................... 99
Run a report............................................................................................................................................. 100

Chapter 6. Updating IBM Spectrum Protect Plus components............................. 103


Updating the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance...................................................................103
Additional steps for updating virtual machines in Hyper-V Replica environments...............................105
Updating vSnap servers...........................................................................................................................105
Updating the operating system for a physical vSnap server.............................................................106
Updating the operating system for a virtual vSnap server................................................................106
Updating a vSnap server.................................................................................................................... 107
Updating VADP proxies............................................................................................................................108
Applying early availability updates......................................................................................................... 109

Chapter 7. Configuring the system environment................................................. 111


Managing secondary backup storage......................................................................................................111
Managing cloud storage..................................................................................................................... 111
Managing repository server storage.................................................................................................. 117
Managing keys and certificates......................................................................................................... 121
Managing sites......................................................................................................................................... 125
Adding a site.......................................................................................................................................125
Editing a site....................................................................................................................................... 126
Deleting a site.....................................................................................................................................127
Managing LDAP and SMTP servers..........................................................................................................127
Adding an LDAP server.......................................................................................................................128
Adding an SMTP server...................................................................................................................... 129
Editing settings for an LDAP or SMTP server.....................................................................................130
Deleting an LDAP or SMTP server...................................................................................................... 130
Configuring global preferences............................................................................................................... 131
Logging on to the administrative console............................................................................................... 134
Setting the time zone...............................................................................................................................135
Uploading an SSL certificate from the administrative console.............................................................. 136
Logging on to the virtual appliance......................................................................................................... 137
Accessing the virtual appliance in VMware....................................................................................... 137
Accessing the virtual appliance in Hyper-V.......................................................................................137

iv
Testing network connectivity.................................................................................................................. 138
Running the Service Tool from a command line............................................................................... 138
Running the Service Tool remotely....................................................................................................139
Adding virtual disks................................................................................................................................. 139
Adding a disk to the virtual appliance............................................................................................... 140
Adding storage capacity from a new disk to the appliance volume................................................. 140

Chapter 8. Managing SLA policies for backup operations.....................................145


Creating an SLA policy............................................................................................................................. 145
Editing an SLA policy............................................................................................................................... 149
Deleting an SLA policy............................................................................................................................. 149

Chapter 9. Protecting hypervisors...................................................................... 151


VMware.................................................................................................................................................... 151
Adding a vCenter Server instance......................................................................................................151
Backing up VMware data................................................................................................................... 155
Managing VADP backup proxies........................................................................................................ 161
Restoring VMware data......................................................................................................................164
Hyper-V.................................................................................................................................................... 174
Adding a Hyper-V server.................................................................................................................... 174
Backing up Hyper-V data................................................................................................................... 176
Restoring Hyper-V data......................................................................................................................180
Restoring files.......................................................................................................................................... 186

Chapter 10. Protecting applications................................................................... 189


Db2...........................................................................................................................................................189
Prerequisites for Db2......................................................................................................................... 189
Adding a Db2 application server........................................................................................................192
Backing up Db2 data.......................................................................................................................... 196
Restoring Db2 data ............................................................................................................................202
Exchange Server...................................................................................................................................... 214
Prerequisites...................................................................................................................................... 214
Privileges ........................................................................................................................................... 214
Adding an Exchange application server............................................................................................ 215
Backing up Exchange databases....................................................................................................... 217
Incremental forever backup strategy................................................................................................220
Restoring Exchange databases..........................................................................................................220
Accessing Exchange database files with instant access mode........................................................ 248
MongoDB..................................................................................................................................................252
Prerequisites for MongoDB................................................................................................................ 252
Adding a MongoDB application server.............................................................................................. 254
Backing up MongoDB data.................................................................................................................259
Restoring MongoDB data .................................................................................................................. 263
Microsoft Office 365................................................................................................................................ 278
Registering with Azure Active Directory ........................................................................................... 278
Registering the Office 365 tenant with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus ............................................... 280
Detailed process logs.........................................................................................................................281
Backing up Office 365 data................................................................................................................282
Restoring Office 365 data.................................................................................................................. 282
Oracle.......................................................................................................................................................283
Adding an Oracle application server..................................................................................................284
Backing up Oracle data...................................................................................................................... 285
Restoring Oracle data........................................................................................................................ 288
SQL Server................................................................................................................................................295
Adding an SQL Server application server.......................................................................................... 296
Backing up SQL Server data...............................................................................................................297
Restoring SQL Server data................................................................................................................. 301

v
Chapter 11. Protecting containers...................................................................... 309
Overview.................................................................................................................................................. 309
Backup and restore types.................................................................................................................. 310
SLA policies........................................................................................................................................ 311
User roles........................................................................................................................................... 311
Kubernetes Backup Support requests.............................................................................................. 312
Security features................................................................................................................................ 313
Installing Kubernetes Backup Support...................................................................................................315
Prerequisites...................................................................................................................................... 315
Installing and deploying Kubernetes Backup Support..................................................................... 317
Uninstalling Kubernetes Backup Support......................................................................................... 322
Completely uninstalling Kubernetes Backup Support...................................................................... 323
Backing up container data.......................................................................................................................324
Scheduling backups of persistent volumes.......................................................................................324
Backing up a persistent volume on demand..................................................................................... 327
Restoring container data......................................................................................................................... 328
Managing container backup and restore jobs.........................................................................................331
Viewing the status of backup and restore jobs................................................................................. 331
Pausing scheduled backups.............................................................................................................. 335
Resuming scheduled backups........................................................................................................... 336
Deleting container backups............................................................................................................... 336
Viewing jobs and running reports............................................................................................................338
Viewing job logs..................................................................................................................................338
Creating backup history reports........................................................................................................ 339

Chapter 12. Protecting IBM Spectrum Protect Plus............................................. 341


Backing up the application...................................................................................................................... 341
Restoring the application........................................................................................................................ 341
Managing restore points..........................................................................................................................342
Expiring job sessions..........................................................................................................................342
Deleting resource metadata from the catalog.................................................................................. 343

Chapter 13. Managing jobs and operations......................................................... 345


Job types..................................................................................................................................................345
Concurrent jobs....................................................................................................................................... 346
Creating jobs and job schedules............................................................................................................. 346
Starting jobs on demand......................................................................................................................... 347
Viewing jobs and job logs........................................................................................................................ 347
Pausing and resuming jobs......................................................................................................................349
Editing jobs and job schedules................................................................................................................349
Canceling jobs..........................................................................................................................................350
Deleting jobs............................................................................................................................................ 350
Rerunning partially completed backup jobs........................................................................................... 351
Running an ad hoc backup job................................................................................................................ 351
Configuring scripts for backup and restore operations.......................................................................... 352
Uploading a script.............................................................................................................................. 352
Adding a script to a server................................................................................................................. 353

Chapter 14. Managing reports and logs...............................................................355


Types of reports.......................................................................................................................................355
Backup storage utilization reports.................................................................................................... 355
Protection reports.............................................................................................................................. 356
System reports................................................................................................................................... 358
Running VM environment reports......................................................................................................359
Report actions..........................................................................................................................................361
Running a report.................................................................................................................................361

vi
Creating a custom report................................................................................................................... 362
Scheduling a report............................................................................................................................ 362
Collecting and reviewing audit logs for actions...................................................................................... 363

Chapter 15. Managing user access..................................................................... 365


Managing user resource groups.............................................................................................................. 366
Creating a resource group..................................................................................................................366
Editing a resource group.................................................................................................................... 368
Deleting a resource group..................................................................................................................369
Managing roles.........................................................................................................................................369
Creating a role.................................................................................................................................... 370
Editing a role.......................................................................................................................................372
Deleting a role.................................................................................................................................... 373
Managing user accounts..........................................................................................................................373
Creating a user account for an individual user.................................................................................. 373
Creating a user account for an LDAP group.......................................................................................373
Editing user account credentials....................................................................................................... 374
Deleting a user account..................................................................................................................... 375
Managing identities................................................................................................................................. 375
Adding an identity.............................................................................................................................. 375
Editing an identity.............................................................................................................................. 375
Deleting an identity............................................................................................................................ 376

Chapter 16. Troubleshooting..............................................................................377


Collecting log files for troubleshooting................................................................................................... 377
Troubleshooting Kubernetes Backup Support....................................................................................... 377
Quick reference.................................................................................................................................. 377
Troubleshooting backups and restores.............................................................................................379
Collecting Kubernetes Backup Support log files...............................................................................385
Setting the trace level of log files...................................................................................................... 386
Viewing trace logs for Kubernetes Backup Support......................................................................... 387

Chapter 17. Product messages...........................................................................389


Message prefixes..................................................................................................................................... 389

Appendix A. Search guidelines........................................................................... 391

Appendix B. Accessibility...................................................................................393

Notices..............................................................................................................395
Glossary............................................................................................................ 399

Index................................................................................................................ 401

vii
viii
About this publication
This publication provides overview, planning, installation, and user instructions for IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus.

Who should read this publication


This publication is intended for administrators and users who are responsible for implementing a backup
and recovery solution with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus in one of the supported environments.
In this publication, it is assumed that you have an understanding of the applications that support IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus as described in “System requirements ” on page 11.

Publications
The IBM Spectrum Protect product family includes IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, IBM Spectrum Protect for
Virtual Environments, IBM Spectrum Protect for Databases, and several other storage management
products from IBM®.
To view IBM product documentation, see IBM Knowledge Center.

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2017, 2020 ix


x IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide
What's new in Version 10.1.5
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Version 10.1.5 introduces new features and updates.
For a list of new features and updates in this release and previous Version 10 releases, see IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus updates.
If changes were made in the documentation, they are indicated by a vertical bar (|) in the margin.

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2017, 2020 xi


xii IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide
Getting involved in product development
You can influence the future of IBM Storage products by sharing your insights with the design and
development teams. To get involved, join the sponsor user program or the beta program.

Sponsor user program


The IBM Storage sponsor user program allows you to work directly with designers and developers to
influence the direction of products that you use.
IBM invites you to share your experience and expertise. By joining the program, you can help us to
explore, and potentially implement, new product features that are important to you and your business.
Do you use an IBM Storage software product, such as IBM Spectrum Protect Plus?
Are you ready to share your vision?
Then sign up for the sponsor user program to participate in the product innovation process. In addition, as
a sponsor user, you can preview upcoming storage releases and participate in beta programs to test new
product features.
To join the sponsor user program or to obtain additional information, complete the following form:
IBM Storage Sponsor User
Your information will remain confidential and will be used by the IBM design and development teams only
for product development purposes.

Beta program
The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus beta program gives you a first glance at upcoming product features and a
chance to influence design changes. You can test new software in your environment and have a direct
voice in the product development process.
The beta program attracts a broad range of participants, including customers, IBM Business Partners, and
IBM employees.
The program offers the following benefits:
Gain access to early code and evaluate new product features and enhancements
You get access to the beta code before general availability of the product release to determine
whether the new features and enhancements are a good fit for your organization. After the code is
downloaded, you can run and validate the new software in your environment. You can then identify
and resolve any concerns before the code is available, thus saving time and helping to prevent
production issues later. When the code becomes available, you are ready to install it and take
advantage of the new capabilities.
Interact with design and development teams
The product designers, architects, developers, and testers help to plan the beta release and support
its participants. These experts can assist you with resolving any issues.
Become an IBM reference customer
After your positive beta experience, IBM invites you to participate in the reference program. The IBM
marketing team helps you craft a message to let other potential beta testers know about your success
in adopting and using early code.

Contact and enrollment information


You can enroll by completing the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Beta Program Signup Form.

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2017, 2020 xiii


xiv IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide
Chapter 1. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus overview
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus is a data protection and availability solution for virtual environments and
database applications that can be deployed in minutes and protect your environment within an hour.
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus can be implemented as a stand-alone solution or integrated with cloud
storage or a repository server such as an IBM Spectrum Protect server for long-term data storage.

Product components
The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus solution is provided as a self-contained virtual appliance that includes
storage and data movement components.
Sizing component requirements: Some environments might require more instances of these
components to support greater workloads. For guidance about sizing, building, and integrating
components in your IBM Spectrum Protect Plus environment, see the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
Blueprints.
The following are the base components of IBM Spectrum Protect Plus:
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus server
This component manages the entire system. The server consists of several catalogs that track various
system aspects such as restore points, configuration, permissions, and customizations. Typically,
there is one IBM Spectrum Protect Plus service in a deployment, even if the deployment is spread
across multiple locations.
The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus server contains an onboard vSnap server and VMware vStorage API
for Data Protection (VADP) proxy server. For smaller backup environments, these servers might be
sufficient. However, for larger environments, more servers might be required.
The onboard vSnap server can be used to back up and restore a small number of virtual machines and
evaluate IBM Spectrum Protect Plus operations. As your requirements for backing up and restoring
data grow, your vSnap storage can be expanded by adding external vSnap servers. By adding external
vSnap servers to your environment, you can reduce the load on the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
appliance.
Site
This component is an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus policy construct that is used to manage data
placement in the environment. A site can be physical, such as a data center, or logical, such as a
department or organization. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus components are assigned to sites to localize
and optimize data paths. A deployment always has at least one site per physical location. The
preferred method is to localize data movement to sites by placing vSnap servers and VADP proxies
together at a single site. The placement of backup data to a site is governed by service level
agreement (SLA) policies.
vSnap server
This component is a pool of disk storage that receives data from production systems for the purposes
of data protection or reuse. The vSnap server consists of one or more disks and can be scaled up
(adding disks to increase capacity) or scaled out (introducing multiple vSnap servers to increase
overall performance). Each site can include one or more vSnap servers.
vSnap pool
This component is the logical organization of disks into a pool of storage space, which is used by the
vSnap server component. This component is also referred to as a storage pool.
VADP proxy
This component is responsible for moving data from vSphere data stores to provide protection for
VMware virtual machines and is required only for protection of VMware resources. Each site can
include one or more VADP proxies.

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2017, 2020 1


User interfaces
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus provides the following interfaces for configuration, administrative, and
monitoring tasks:
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user interface
The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user interface is the primary interface for configuring, administering,
and monitoring data protection operations.
A key component of the interface is the dashboard, which provides summary information about the
health of your environment. For more information about the dashboard, see “Product dashboard” on
page 3.
The menu bar in the user interface contains the following items:

Item Description
Alerts icon This icon opens the Alerts window. For more
information about alerts, see “Alerts” on page
4.
Help icon This icon opens the online help system.

User menu This menu shows the name of the user who is
logged on. The menu provides access to product
information and documentation, logs, and the
user sign out option.

vSnap command-line interface


The vSnap command-line interface is a secondary interface for administering some data protection
tasks. Run the vsnap command to access the command line interface. The command can be invoked
by the user ID serveradmin or any other operating system user who has vSnap admin privileges.
Administrative console
The administrative console is used to install software patches and updates and to complete other
administrative tasks such as managing security certificates, starting and stopping IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus, and changing the time zone for the application.

Example deployment
The following figure shows IBM Spectrum Protect Plus deployed in two active locations. Each location has
inventory that requires protection. Location 1 has a vCenter server and two vSphere datacenters (and an
inventory of virtual machines) and Location 2 has a single datacenter (and a smaller inventory of virtual
machines).
The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus server is deployed in only one of the sites. VADP proxies and vSnap
servers (with their corresponding disks) are deployed in each site to localize data movement in the
context of the protected vSphere resources.
Bidirectional replication is configured to take place between the vSnap servers at the two sites.

2 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Figure 1. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus deployment across two geographical locations

Product dashboard
The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus dashboard summarizes the health of your virtual environment in three
sections: Jobs and Operations, Destinations, and Coverage.

Jobs and Operations


The Jobs and Operations section shows a summary of job activities for a selected time period. Select the
time period from the drop-down list. The following information is shown in this section:
Currently Running
The Currently Running section shows the total number of jobs that are running and the percentage of
central processor unit (CPU) usage in the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance. This
percentage is refreshed every 10 seconds.
To view detailed information about running jobs, click View.
History
The History section shows the total number of jobs that were completed within the selected time
period. This number does not include running jobs.
This section also shows the success rate for jobs over the selected time period. The success rate is
calculated by using the following formula:
100 x Successful Jobs / Total Jobs = Success Rate
Completed jobs are shown by job status:
Successful
The number of jobs that were completed with no warnings or critical errors.
Failed
The number of jobs that failed with critical errors or that failed to be completed.
Warning
The number of jobs that were partially completed, skipped, or otherwise resulted in warnings.
To view detailed information job history information, click View.

Destinations
The Destination section shows a summary of the devices that are used for backup operations. The
following information is shown in this section:

Chapter 1. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus overview 3


Capacity Summary
The Capacity Summary section shows the current usage and availability of the vSnap servers that are
available to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
To view information about vSnap servers, click View.
Device Status
The Device Status section shows the total number of devices that are available for use.
The number of devices that are offline or otherwise unavailable is shown in the Inactive field.
The number of devices that are at capacity is shown in the Full field.
Data Reduction
The Data Reduction section shows data deduplication and data compression ratios.
The data deduplication ratio is the amount of data that is protected compared with the physical space
that is required to store the data after duplicates are removed. This ratio represents space savings
achieved in addition to the compression ratio. If deduplication is disabled, this ratio is 1.

Coverage
The Coverage section shows a summary of the resources that are inventoried by IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus and the service level agreement (SLA) policies that are assigned to the resources. The following
information is shown in this section:
Source Protection
The Source Protection section shows the total number of source resources, such as virtual machines
and application servers, that are inventoried in the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus catalog. The number of
protected and unprotected resources are shown.
This section also shows the ratio of resources that are protected in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to the
total resources, expressed as a percent.
Policies
The Policies section shows the total number of SLA policies with associated protection jobs.
This section also shows the three SLA policies that have the highest count assigned resources.
To view detailed information about all SLA policies, click View.

Alerts
The Alerts menu displays current and recent warnings and errors in the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
environment. The number of alerts is displayed in a red circle, indicating that alerts are available to view.
Click the Alerts menu to view the alerts list. Each item in the list includes a status icon, a summary of the
alert, the time the associated warning or error occurred, and a link to view associated logs.
The alert list can include the following alert types:
Alert types
Job failed
Is displayed when a job fails.
Job partially succeeded
Is displayed when a job partially succeeds.
System disk space low
Is displayed when the amount of free disk space is 10% or less.
vSnap storage space low
Is displayed when the amount of free disk space is 10% or less.
System memory low
Is displayed when memory usage exceeds 95%.
System CPU usage high
Is displayed when processor usage exceeds 95%.

4 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Hypervisor VM not found
Is displayed when the VM is not found.
Replication storage snapshot locked exception
Is displayed when the replication storage snapshot is locked. Increase replication retention or
increase the replication frequency policy.
Copy storage snapshot locked exception
Is displayed when the most recently copied storage snapshot is locked. Increase copy retention
or increase the copy frequency policy.
SQL log backup failure
Is displayed when log backup fails for a database.
SQL log SMO backup failure
Is displayed when there is a Server Management Object transaction log backup failure.
SQL log size too large
Is displayed when the transaction log size is larger than space available on disk.
SQL log remaining space low
Is displayed when the transaction log backup staging directory is low on disk space and displays
the amount of space remaining.
Disabled deduplication on storage
Is displayed when deduplication gets disabled and displays the IP of the storage server. This will
occur when the vSnap auto disable deduplication table (DDT) option is enabled and the defined
size or percentage threshold is exceeded.

Role-based access control


Role-based access control defines the resources and permissions that are available to IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus user accounts.
Role-based access provides users with access to only the features and resources that they require. For
example, a role can allow a user to run backup and restore jobs for hypervisor resources, but does not
allow the user to complete administrative tasks such as creating or modifying user accounts.
To complete the tasks that are described in this documentation, the user must belong to a role that has
the required permissions. Ensure that your user account belongs to a role that has the required
permissions before you start the task.
To set up and manage user access, see Chapter 15, “Managing user access,” on page 365.

Replicate backup-storage data


When you enable replication of backup data, data from one vSnap server is asynchronously replicated to
another vSnap server. For example, you can replicate backup data from a vSnap server on a primary site
to a vSnap server on a secondary site.

Enabling replication of backup-storage data


Enable backup-storage data replication by taking the following actions:
1. Establish a replication partnership between vSnap servers. Replication partnerships are established in
the Manage pane of a registered vSnap server. In the Configure Storage Partners section, select
another registered vSnap server as a storage partner to serve as the target of the replication
operations.
Ensure that the pool on the partner server is sufficiently large enough to hold replicated data from the
primary server's pool.
2. Enable replication of backup-storage data. The replication feature is enabled by using backup policies,
which are also referred to as service level agreement (SLA) policies. These policies define parameters
that are applied to backup jobs, including the frequency of backup operations and the retention policy

Chapter 1. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus overview 5


for the backups. For more information about SLA policies, see Chapter 8, “Managing SLA policies for
backup operations,” on page 145.
You can define the backup storage replication options in the Operational Protection > Replication
Policy section of an SLA policy. Options include the frequency of the replication, the target site, and
the retention of the replication.

Considerations for enabling replication of backup-storage data


Review the considerations for enabling replication of backup-storage data:
• If your environment includes a mixture of encrypted and unencrypted vSnap servers, select Only use
encrypted disk storage to replicate data to encrypted vSnap servers. If this option is selected and no
encrypted vSnap servers are available, the associated job will fail.
• To create one-to-many replication scenarios, where a single set of backup data is replicated to multiple
vSnap servers, create multiple SLA policies for each replication site.

Copy snapshots to secondary backup storage


The vSnap server is the primary backup location for snapshots. All IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
environments have at least one vSnap server. Optionally, you can copy snapshots from a vSnap server to
secondary backup storage.
Terminology change: In previous releases, the process of copying data from IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
to secondary backup storage was known as offloading data. Beginning with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
Version 10.1.5, the process is known as copying data.
The following secondary backup storage targets are available for copy operations:
• IBM Cloud® Object Storage (including IBM Cloud Object Storage Systems)
• Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3)
• Microsoft Azure
• Repository servers (for the current release of IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, the repository server must be
an IBM Spectrum Protect server)
These targets support the following storage types. The storage type that you use depends on factors such
as your recovery time and security goals.
Standard object storage
Standard object storage is a method of storing data in which data is stored as discrete units, or
objects, in a storage pool or repository that does not use a file hierarchy but that stores all objects at
the same level.
Standard object storage is an option when you copy snapshot data to an IBM Spectrum Protect server
or a cloud storage system. When snapshot data is copied to standard object storage, a full copy is
created during the first copy operation. Subsequent copies are incremental and capture cumulative
changes since the last copy operation.
Copying snapshots to standard object storage is useful if you want relatively fast backup and recovery
times and do not require the longer-term protection, cost, and security benefits that are provided by
tape or cloud archive storage.
Tape or cloud archive storage
Tape storage means that data is stored on physical tape media or in a virtual tape library (VTL). Tape
storage is an option when you copy snapshot data to an IBM Spectrum Protect server.
Cloud archive storage is long-term storage method that copies data to one of the following storage
services: Amazon Glacier, IBM Cloud Object Storage Archive Tier, or Microsoft Azure Archive.
When you copy snapshot data to tape or to a cloud storage system, a full copy of the data is created.
Copying snapshots to tape or cloud object archive storage provides extra cost and security benefits.
By storing tape volumes at a secure, offsite location that is not connected to the internet, you can help
to protect your data from online threats such as malware and hackers. However, because copying to

6 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


these storage types requires a full data copy, the time required to copy data increases. In addition,
the recovery time can be unpredictable and the data might take longer to process before it is usable.
For information about how snapshot data is copied to standard object storage and archive object storage
for each cloud storage system, see “Cloud requirements” on page 23.

Adding secondary backup storage and creating backup policies


To copy snapshots to secondary storage, the following actions are required:

Action How to
To copy snapshots to a repository server See “Configuration overview” on page 117 and
“Adding a repository server as a backup storage
• Set up IBM Spectrum Protect Plus as an object
provider” on page 119.
client in the IBM Spectrum Protect server
environment.
• Add the storage to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.

To copy snapshots to cloud storage, add the Follow the instructions for your selected storage
storage to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. type:
• “Adding Amazon S3 Object Storage” on page 111
• “Adding IBM Cloud Object Storage as a backup
storage provider” on page 112
• “Adding Microsoft Azure cloud storage as a
backup storage provider” on page 114
• “Adding a repository server as a backup storage
provider” on page 119

Create a backup policy that includes the storage. See “Create backup policies” on page 93.

Example deployments
The following figure shows IBM Spectrum Protect Plus deployed in two active locations. Each location has
inventory that requires protection. Location 1 has a vCenter server and two vSphere datacenters (and an
inventory of virtual machines) and Location 2 has a single datacenter (and a smaller inventory of virtual
machines).
The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus server is deployed in only one of the sites. VADP proxies and vSnap
servers (with their corresponding disks) are deployed in each site to localize data movement in the
context of the protected vSphere resources.
Bi-directional replication is configured to take place between the vSnap servers at the two sites.
Snapshots are copied from the vSnap server at the secondary site to cloud storage for long-term data
protection.

Chapter 1. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus overview 7


Figure 2. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus deployment across two geographical locations with copy to cloud
storage

The following figure shows the same deployment as the previous figure.
However, in this deployment, snapshots are copied from the vSnap server at the secondary site to IBM
Spectrum Protect for long-term data protection.

Figure 3. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus deployment across two geographical locations with copy to IBM
Spectrum Protect

IBM Spectrum Protect Plus on IBM Cloud


IBM Spectrum Protect Plus is available as an IBM Cloud for VMware Solutions service, IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus on IBM Cloud.
IBM Cloud for VMware Solutions enables you to integrate or migrate your on-premises VMware workloads
to the IBM Cloud by using the scalable IBM Cloud infrastructure and VMware hybrid virtualization
technology.
IBM Cloud for VMware Solutions provides the following major benefits:

8 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Global reach
Expand your hybrid cloud footprint to a maximum of 30 enterprise-class IBM Cloud datacenters
around the world.
Streamlined integration
Use the streamlined process to integrate the hybrid cloud with the IBM Cloud infrastructure.
Automated deployment and configuration
Deploy an enterprise-class VMware environment with on-demand IBM Cloud Bare Metal Servers and
virtual servers by using automated deployment and configuration of the VMware environment.
Simplification
Use a VMware cloud platform without identifying, procuring, deploying, and managing the underlying
physical compute, storage, and network infrastructure, and software licenses.
Expansion and contraction flexibility
Expand and contract your VMware workloads according to your business requirements.
Single management console
Use a single console to deploy, access, and manage the VMware environments on IBM Cloud.

Available features in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus on IBM Cloud


IBM Spectrum Protect Plus supports both VMware and Microsoft Hyper-V environments.
However, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus on IBM Cloud supports only VMware environments.
This documentation includes topics about features that are specific to Hyper-V. These features are not
available if you are using IBM Spectrum Protect Plus on IBM Cloud.
The current version of IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and IBM Spectrum Protect Plus on IBM Cloud might not
be the same. To find the documentation for the version of IBM Spectrum Protect Plus on IBM Cloud that
you are using, go to the online product documentation and select the product version.

For more information


For information about how to order, install, and configure IBM Spectrum Protect Plus on IBM Cloud, see
the following documentation. An IBMid is required to access the documentation.
• Getting started with IBM Cloud for VMware Solutions
• Components and considerations for IBM Spectrum Protect Plus on IBM Cloud
• Managing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus on IBM Cloud

IBM Spectrum Protect Plus on the AWS cloud platform


IBM Spectrum Protect Plus on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud platform is a data protection
solution for users who want to protect databases that are running on AWS. In addition, users can protect
virtual machines that are managed by VMware Cloud (VMC) on AWS while having the IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus server installed on VMC and the vSnap server installed on an AWS Virtual Private Cloud
(VPC).
You can deploy IBM Spectrum Protect Plus on AWS in one of the following configurations. Support for
VMC on AWS is available only in a hybrid environment. For more information about support for VMC on
AWS, see IBM Spectrum Protect Plus for VMware Cloud on AWS .
All-on-cloud environment
In this configuration, both the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus server and the vSnap server are deployed in
AWS on an existing or new VPC. An on-premises IBM Spectrum Protect Plus server and a VMware or
Microsoft Hyper-V infrastructure are not required.
This option might benefit new IBM Spectrum Protect Plus users who want to protect databases on
AWS and do not have IBM Spectrum Protect Plus running in an on-premises environment.

Chapter 1. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus overview 9


Hybrid environment
In this configuration, only the vSnap server is deployed in AWS on an existing or new VPC. The IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus server is installed and maintained on premises or another location. This option
might benefit existing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus users who want to continue protecting workloads
that are running on premises and in the cloud environment.
In addition to backup and recovery operations, you can also use a hybrid environment to replicate and
reuse data between your on-premises location and AWS for additional data protection. For example,
you might want to use data that is protected at your on-premises site on AWS for DevOps, quality
assurance, testing, and disaster recovery purposes.

Deploying IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to AWS


The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus page on AWS Marketplace provides the AWS CloudFormation templates
that are required to deploy the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus server and vSnap server in AWS as well as
pricing, usage, and support information. Follow the instructions on this page and the IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus on the AWS Cloud Deployment Guide to set up your on-premises and AWS environments.

10 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
Before you install IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, review the system requirements and installation
procedures.

Product deployment roadmap


Follow the roadmap to install, configure, and start using IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.

Action How to
Ensure that your system environment meets the See “System requirements ” on page 11.
hardware and software requirements.
Determine how to size, build, and place the See the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Blueprints.
components in your IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
environment.
Install IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. See Chapter 2, “Installing IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus,” on page 11.
If additional vSnap servers are required to support See Chapter 3, “Installing vSnap servers,” on page
your environment, install and configure the 67.
servers.
If additional VMware vStorage API for Data See “Managing VADP backup proxies” on page
Protection (VADP) proxies are required to support 161.
your environment, create and configure the
proxies.
Complete the basic steps to set up and start using See Chapter 5, “Getting off to a quick start,” on
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. page 89.

System requirements
Before you install IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, review the hardware and software requirements for the
product and other components that you plan to install in the storage environment.
To help ensure that backup and restore operations can be run successfully, your system must meet the
hardware and software requirements. Use the following requirements as a starting point. For the most
current requirements, which might include updates, see technote 2013790.
To determine how to size, build, and place the components that are listed in the specifications in your
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus environment, see the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Blueprints.

Component requirements
Ensure that you have the required system configuration and a supported browser to deploy and run IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus.
To help ensure that backup and restore operations can be run successfully, your system must meet the
hardware and software requirements. Use the following requirements as a starting point. For the most
current requirements, which might include updates, see technote 2013790.
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus support for third-party platforms, applications, services, and hardware
depend on the third-party vendors. When a third-party vendor product or version enters extended
support, self-serve support, or end of life, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus supports the product or version at
the same level as the vendor.

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2017, 2020 11


Virtual machine installation
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus is installed as a virtual appliance. Before you deploy IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus to the host, ensure that one of the following requirements is met:
• vSphere 6.0, 6.5, or 6.7
• Microsoft Hyper-V 2016 or Microsoft Hyper-V 2019
For initial deployment, configure your virtual appliance to meet the following minimum requirements:
• 64-bit 8-core machine
• 48 GB memory
• 536 GB disk storage for the virtual machine (VM)
Use a Network Time Protocol (NTP) server to synchronize the time zones across IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus resources in your environment, such as the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance, storage arrays,
hypervisors, and application servers. If the clocks on the various systems are significantly out of sync, you
might experience errors during application registration, metadata cataloging, inventory, backup, or file
restore jobs. For more information about identifying and resolving timer drift, see the following VMware
knowledge base article: Time in virtual machine drifts due to hardware timer drift

Browser support
Run IBM Spectrum Protect Plus from a computer that has access to the installed virtual appliance. IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus was tested and certified with the following web browsers:
• Firefox 55.0.3 and later
• Google Chrome 60.0.3112 and later
• Microsoft Edge 40.15063 or Microsoft EdgeHTML 15.15063 and later
If your screen resolution is lower than 1024 x 768, some items might not fit in the window. Enable pop-up
windows in your browser to access the help system and some IBM Spectrum Protect Plus operations.

IBM Spectrum Protect requirements


If you plan to use IBM Spectrum Protect as a repository server for copying data to cloud storage, ensure
that you are using IBM Spectrum Protect V8.1.9.

IBM Spectrum Protect Plus ports


IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and associated services use the following ports. The ports use secure
connections (HTTPS or SSL).
Note: In IBM Spectrum Protect Plus V10.1.3, port 9090 was used for online help. Starting with V10.1.4,
this port is no longer required for online help. No further action is required.

Table 1. Communication ports when the target is an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance
Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
22 Transmission vSnap server IBM Spectrum Provides access to
Control Protocol Protect Plus troubleshoot and
(TCP) appliance maintain tasks on
the IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus
appliance by using
the Secure Shell
(SSH) protocol.

12 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Table 1. Communication ports when the target is an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance (continued)
Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
443 TCP IBM Spectrum IBM Spectrum Provides web
Protect Plus user Protect Plus access by using the
interface appliance Hypertext Transfer
Protocol Secure
(HTTPS). This is the
main entry point
for client
connections, which
use the Secure
Sockets Layer
(SSL) protocol.
5671 TCP and Advanced VMware vStorage IBM Spectrum Used to manage
Message Queuing API for Data Protect Plus messages
Protocol (AMQP) Protection proxy appliance produced and
(VADP proxy) host consumed by the
VADP proxy and
VMware job
management
workers. This is a
RabbitMQ message
framework, which
also facilitates job
log management.
8090 TCP Administrative IBM Spectrum Provides access for
console Protect Plus system
appliance administration.
This extensible
framework
supports plugins
that run operations
such as system
and network
updates.
8761 TCP VADP proxy host IBM Spectrum Automatically
Protect Plus discovers VADP
appliance proxies and is used
by IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus virtual
machine (VM)
backup operations.
111 TCP vSnap server IBM Spectrum Allows Open
Protect Plus Network
appliance: Computing (ONC)
Onboard vSnap clients to discover
server ports for
communicating
with ONC servers.

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 13


Table 1. Communication ports when the target is an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance (continued)
Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
2049 TCP vSnap server IBM Spectrum Used to transfer
Protect Plus Network File
appliance: System (NFS) file
Onboard vSnap sharing by the
server vSnap server.
3260 TCP vSnap server IBM Spectrum Used for Internet
Protect Plus Small Computer
appliance: System Interface
Onboard vSnap (iSCSI) data
server transfer by the
vSnap server.
20048 TCP vSnap server IBM Spectrum Used for NFS data
Protect Plus transfer by the
appliance: vSnap server.
Onboard vSnap
server

Table 2. Communication ports when the initiator is an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance
Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
22 TCP IBM Spectrum vSnap server or Provides access to
Protect Plus VADP proxy host troubleshoot and
appliance maintain tasks on
remote vSnap
servers and the
VADP proxy by
using Secure Shell
(SSH) protocol.
25 TCP IBM Spectrum Email server that Provides access to
Protect Plus can be accessed by an email service.
appliance using the Simple
Mail Transfer
Protocol (SMTP)
389 TCP IBM Spectrum Lightweight Provides access to
Protect Plus Directory Access Active Directory
appliance Protocol (LDAP) Services.
server
443 TCP IBM Spectrum Hypervisor: Provides access to
Protect Plus VMware ESXi host ESXi and vCenter
appliance and vCenter for managing
operations.

636 TCP IBM Spectrum LDAP server Provides access to


Protect Plus Active Directory
appliance Services by using
the SSL protocol.

14 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Table 2. Communication ports when the initiator is an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance (continued)
Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
902 TCP IBM Spectrum Hypervisor: Used for the
Protect Plus VMware ESXi host Network File Copy
appliance (NFC) protocol,
which provides a
file-type-aware
File Transfer
Protocol (FTP)
service for vSphere
components. By
default, ESXi uses
NFC for operations
such as copying
and moving data
between
datastores.
5985 TCP IBM Spectrum Hypervisor: Hyper- Provides access to
Protect Plus V or agents that the Microsoft
appliance use the ISCSI Windows Remote
initiator Management
(WinRM) service for
Windows-based
servers.
5986 TCP IBM Spectrum Hypervisor: Hyper- Provides access to
Protect Plus V or agents that the Secure WinRM
appliance use the ISCSI service for
initiator Windows-based
servers.
8098 TCP IBM Spectrum VADP proxy host Supports
Protect Plus Representational
appliance State Transfer
application
programming
interface (REST
API)
communications
between the IBM
Spectrum Protect
Plus appliance and
the VADP proxy by
using the Transport
Layer Security
(TLS) protocol.
8900 TCP IBM Spectrum vSnap server Supports the Open
Protect Plus Virtual Appliance
appliance (OVA) or Installer
version of the
intelligent storage
framework that is
used as a target for
data protection
operations.

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 15


Use the following diagram as guidance for the communication paths managed by IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus. This diagram can provide assistance for troubleshooting and network configuration for deployment
scenarios.
• The labeled resources in the gray background represent the core services of the IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus virtual appliance.
• The colors of the various modules represent different types of services as defined by the key, which is
below the diagram.
• The area that is labeled Firewall represents the network firewall.
• Services that appear in the Firewall area indicative of the ports that are open on the firewall.
• Dashed arrows represent communication among resources and services.
• The arrow flows TOWARD the listening port.
• The port numbers that need to be open are indicated by the LISTENING port. For example, the vSnap
service is represented as being external to the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance. It is
listening on port 8900 as well as other ports.
• A component in the virtual appliance establishes a communication path with a connection to the vSnap
service at port 8900.

16 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Figure 4. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus diagram

1. The following agents use an iSCSI initiator: Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Exchange.
2. The following agents use an NFS client: VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V, Db2®, Oracle, MongoDB,
Kubernetes, and Office 365.
Note: The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance contains the base components: IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus server, site, vSnap server, vSnap pool, and VADP proxy. In the diagram, "Open source server"
refers to theIBM Spectrum Protect Plus server.

vSnap server requirements


A vSnap server is the primary backup destination for IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. In either a VMware or
Hyper-V environment, one vSnap server with the name localhost is automatically installed when
theIBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance is initially deployed. In larger backup enterprise environments,
more vSnap servers might be required.

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 17


Allocate memory based on backup capacity for more efficient data deduplication. For more information
about how to build an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus solution, see the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Blueprints.
For initial deployment, ensure that your VM or physical Linux® server meet the following minimum
requirements:
• 64-bit 8-core processor
• 32 GB memory
• 16 GB free space on root file system
• 128 GB free space in a separate file system mounted at /opt/vsnap-data
The Linux Network Management service must be installed and running.
Optionally, use a solid-state drive (SSD) to help improve backup and restore performance:
• To improve backup performance, configure the pool to use one or more log devices that are backed up
to an SSD. Specify at least two log devices to create a mirrored log for better redundancy.
• To improve restore performance, configure the pool to use a cache device that is backed up to an SSD.

vSnap server VM installation requirements


Before you deploy the vSnap server to the host, ensure that one of the following requirements is met:
• vSphere 6.0, 6.5. or 6.7
• Microsoft Hyper-V 2016 or Microsoft Hyper-V 2019.

vSnap server physical installation requirements


Beginning with V10.1.3, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus provides new functions that requires the kernel levels
that are supported in Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 7.5 and CentOS 7.5. If you must use operating
systems earlier than RHEL 7.5 and CentOS 7.5, use IBM Spectrum Protect Plus for physical vSnap
V10.1.2 installations.
The following Linux operating systems are supported for IBM Spectrum Protect Plus V10.1.5 physical
vSnap server installations:
• CentOS 7.1804 (7.5) (x86_64)
• CentOS 7.1810 (7.6) (x86_64)
• RHEL 7.5 (x86_64)
• RHEL 7.6 (x86_64)
If you are using the following operating systems, use IBM Spectrum Protect Plus for physical vSnap server
V10.1.2 installations:
• CentOS 7.3.1611 (x86_64)
• CentOS 7.4.1708 (x86_64)
• RHEL 7.3 (x86_64)
• RHEL 7.4 (x86_64)

vSnap server ports


The following ports are used by vSnap servers. The ports use secure connections (HTTPS or SSL).

18 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Table 3. Communication ports when the target is a vSnap server
Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
22 TCP IBM Spectrum vSnap server Provides access to
Protect Plus troubleshoot and
appliance, maintain tasks on
hypervisors or vSnap servers by
agents that use using Secure Shell
NFS client (SSH) protocol.
111 TCP vSnap server, vSnap server Allows Open
VADP proxy or Network
agents that use the Computing (ONC)
NFS client clients to discover
ports for
communicating
with ONC servers.
137 UDP vSnap server or vSnap server Provides a target
agents that use the port that is used by
ISCSI initiator the vSnap Server
Message Block
(SMB) or the
Common Internet
File System (CIFS)
to mount file
system shares for
transaction log
backup and
recovery
operations.
138 UDP vSnap server or vSnap server Provides a target
agents that use the port that is used by
ISCSI initiator the vSnap SMB or
the CIFS to mount
file system shares
for transaction log
backup and
recovery
operations.
139 TCP vSnap server or vSnap server Provides a target
agents that use the port that is used by
ISCSI initiator the vSnap SMB or
the CIFS to mount
file system shares
for transaction log
backup and
recovery
operations.

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 19


Table 3. Communication ports when the target is a vSnap server (continued)
Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
445 TCP vSnap server or vSnap server Provides a target
agents that use the port that is used by
ISCSI initiator the vSnap SMB or
the CIFS to mount
file system shares
for transaction log
backup and
recovery
operations.
2049 TCP vSnap server, vSnap server Used to transfer
VADP proxy host or Network File
agents that use System (NFS) file
NFS client sharing by the
vSnap server.
3260 TCP vSnap server or vSnap server Used for iSCSI data
agents that use transfer by the
NFS client vSnap servers.
8900 TCP IBM Spectrum vSnap server Supports the Open
Protect Plus Virtual Appliance
appliance (OVA) or Installer
version of the
intelligent storage
framework that is
used as a target for
data protection
operations.
20048 TCP vSnap server, vSnap server Mounts vSnap file
VADP proxy host or systems on clients
agents that use such as the VADP
NFS client proxy, application
servers, and
virtualization data
stores. This port is
also used for NFS
data transfer to
vSnap servers.

VADP proxy requirements


In IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, running VM backup jobs through VADP requires significant system
resources. By creating VADP backup job proxies, you enable load sharing and load balancing for your IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus backup jobs. If proxies exist, the entire processing load is shifted from the IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus appliance onto the proxies.
VADP proxies support the following VMware transport modes: File, SAN, HotAdd, NBDSSL, and NBD. For
more information about VMware transport modes, see Virtual Disk Transport Methods.
This feature is supported only in 64-bit quad core or higher configurations with a minimum kernel version
of 2.6.32 in the following Linux environments:
• CentOS 6.5 and later maintenance and modification levels (beginning with 10.1.1 patch 1)
• CentOS 7.0 and later maintenance and modification levels (beginning with 10.1.1 patch 1)
• RHEL 6, Fix pack 4 and later maintenance and modification levels

20 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


• RHEL 7 and later maintenance and modification levels
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 and later maintenance and modification levels
For more information about how to build an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus solution, IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus Blueprints.
For initial deployment of a VADP proxy server, ensure that your Linux server meets the following minimum
requirements:
• 64-bit quad core processor
• 8 GB random access memory (RAM) required, 16 GB preferred
• 60 GB free disk space
Because of increased CPU usage and concurrency on the VADP proxy server, the memory that is allocated
on the proxy server must be increased. The proxy must be able to mount NFS file systems, which in many
cases require an NFS client package to be installed. The package details vary based on the distribution.
Each proxy must have a fully qualified domain name and must be able to resolve and reach the vCenter.
The vSnap servers must be reachable from the proxy.
Port 8098 on the VADP proxy server must be open when the proxy server firewall is enabled.

VADP proxy ports


The following ports are used by VADP proxies. The ports use secure connections (HTTPS or SSL).

Table 4. Communication ports when the target is a VADP proxy host


Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
22 TCP IBM Spectrum VADP proxy host Provides access to
Protect Plus troubleshoot and
appliance maintain tasks on
VADP proxy hosts
by using the SSH
protocol.
8098 TCP IBM Spectrum VADP proxy host Supports
Protect Plus Representational
appliance State Transfer
application
programming
interface (REST
API)
communications
between the IBM
Spectrum Protect
Plus appliance and
the VADP proxy by
using the Transport
Layer Security
(TLS) protocol.

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 21


Table 5. Communication ports when the initiator is a VADP proxy host
Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
111 TCP VADP proxy host vSnap server Allows Open
Network
Computing (ONC)
clients to discover
ports for
communicating
with ONC servers.
443 TCP VADP proxy host Hypervisor: Provides access to
VMware ESXi Host ESXi and vCenter
and vCenter for managing
operations.
902 TCP VADP proxy host Hypervisor: Used for the
VMware ESXi Host Network File Copy
(NFC) protocol,
which provides a
file-type-aware
File Transfer
Protocol (FTP)
service for vSphere
components.
By default, ESXi
uses NFC for
operations such as
copying and
moving data
between
datastores.

2049 TCP VADP proxy host vSnap server Used to transfer


Network File
System (NFS) file
sharing by the
vSnap server.
5671 TCP and AMQP VADP proxy host IBM Spectrum Used to manage
Protect Plus messages
appliance produced and
consumed by the
VADP proxy and
VMware job
management
workers. This is a
RabbitMQ message
framework, which
also facilitates job
log management.

22 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Table 5. Communication ports when the initiator is a VADP proxy host (continued)
Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
8761 TCP VADP proxy host IBM Spectrum Automatically
Protect Plus discovers VADP
appliance proxies and is used
by IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus virtual
machine (VM)
backup operations.
20048 TCP VADP proxy host vSnap server Mounts vSnap file
systems on clients
such as the VADP
proxy, application
servers, and
virtualization data
stores. This port is
also used for NFS
data transfer to
vSnap servers.

Tip: VADP proxies can be pushed and installed on Linux-based servers over SSH port 22.
If the firewall command script is not available on your system, edit the firewall manually to add necessary
ports, and restart the firewall. For instructions about editing firewall ports, see “Editing firewall ports” on
page 64.

VADP proxy on vSnap server requirements


VADP proxies can be installed on the vSnap servers in your IBM Spectrum Protect Plus environment. A
combination VADP proxy and vSnap server must meet the minimum requirements of both devices.
Consider the system requirements of both devices and add the core and RAM requirements together to
identify the minimum requirements of the combination VADP proxy and vSnap server. Ensure that your
combination VADP proxy and vSnap server meet the following minimum requirements, which are the sum
of the requirements for each device.
Ensure that your combination VADP proxy and vSnap server meet the following minimum requirements,
which are the sum of the requirements for each device.
VADP proxy installed on a virtual vSnap server:
• 64-bit 8-core processor
• 48 GB RAM
All required VADP proxy and vSnap server ports must be open on the combination VADP proxy and vSnap
server. Review the VADP proxy and vSnap ports sections of the system requirements for more
information.

Cloud requirements
To copy data to cloud storage, ensure that your IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and cloud environments meet
the following requirements.
Disk cache area
For all functions related to data copy and restore operations to and from cloud and archival targets,
the vSnap server requires a disk cache area to be present on the vSnap server.
• During copy operations, this cache is used as a temporary staging area for objects that are pending
upload to the cloud endpoint.

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 23


• During restore operations, the disk cache area is used to cache downloaded objects and to store any
temporary data that might be written into the restore volume.
For instructions about sizing and installing the cache, see the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Blueprints.
Certificate requirements
• Self-signed certificates: If the cloud endpoint or repository server uses a self-signed certificate,
you must specify certificate in Privacy Enhanced Mail (PEM) format when you register the cloud or
repository server in the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user interface.
• Certificates signed by private Certificate Authority: If the cloud endpoint or repository server
uses a certificate signed by a private certificate authority (CA), the endpoint certificate must be
specified (in PEM format) when you register the cloud or repository server in the IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus user interface. In addition, you must add the root or intermediate certificate of the
private CA to the system certificate store in each vSnap server by using the following procedure:
1. Log in to the vSnap server console as the serveradmin user and upload any private CA
certificates (in PEM format) to a temporary location.
2. Copy each certificate file to the system certificate store directory (/etc/pki/ca trust/
source/anchors/) by running the following command:

$ sudo cp /tmp/private-ca-cert.pem /etc/pki/ca-trust/source/anchors/

3. To incorporate the newly added custom certificate and update the system certificate bundle, run
the following command:

$ sudo update-ca-trust

• Certificates signed by public Certificate Authority: If the cloud endpoint uses a public CA-signed
certificate, no special action is required. The vSnap server validates the certificate by using the
default system certificate store.
Network requirements
The following ports are used for communication between the vSnap servers and cloud or repository
server endpoints.

Table 6. Communication ports when the target is a cloud server or repository server endpoint
Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
443 TCP vSnap server Cloud server Allows the vSnap
endpoints to communicate
with Amazon
Simple Storage
Service (S3),
Microsoft Azure,
or IBM Cloud
Object Storage
endpoints.
9000 TCP vSnap server Repository server Allows the vSnap
endpoints to communicate
with IBM
Spectrum Protect
(repository server)
endpoints.

Any firewalls or network proxies that perform SSL Interception or Deep Packet Inspection for traffic
between the vSnap servers and cloud endpoints might interfere with SSL certificate validation on
vSnap servers. This interference can also cause cloud copy job failures. To prevent this interference,

24 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


the vSnap servers must be exempted from SSL interception and inspection in the firewall or proxy
configuration.
Cloud provider requirements for standard and archive object storage
Native life-cycle management is not supported. IBM Spectrum Protect Pluss manages the life-cycle of
uploaded objects automatically by using an incremental-forever approach where older objects can
still be used by newer snapshots. Automatic or manual expiration of objects outside of IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus leads to data corruption.
If the cloud provider uses an SSL certificate that is self-signed or signed by a private certificate
authority, see Certificate requirements.
Amazon S3 cloud requirements
• Standard Object Storage: When the cloud provider is registered in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus,
an existing bucket in one of the supported storage tiers must be specified: S3 Standard, S3
Intelligent-Tiering, S3 Standard-Infrequent Access, or S3 One Zone-Infrequent Access.
• Archive Object Storage: When the cloud provider is registered in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus,
an existing bucket in one of the supported storage tiers must be specified: S3 Standard, S3
Intelligent-Tiering, S3 Standard-Infrequent Access, or S3 One Zone-Infrequent Access. IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus directly uploads data files to the Glacier tier. Some small metadata files
are stored in the default tier for the bucket. A copy of these metadata files is also placed into the
Glacier tier for disaster recovery purposes.
IBM Cloud Object Storage requirements
• Standard Object Storage: When the cloud provider is registered in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus,
an existing bucket must be specified. If the specified bucket has a WORM policy that locks
objects for a certain time period, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus automatically detects the
configuration and deletes snapshots after the WORM policy removes the lock. The bucket must
have the Name Index setting enabled.
• Archive Object Storage: When the cloud provider is registered in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus,
an existing bucket must be specified. If the specified bucket has a WORM policy that locks
objects for a certain time period, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus automatically detects the
configuration and deletes snapshots after the WORM policy removes the lock. IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus creates a single life-cycle management rule on the bucket to migrate data files to
the archive tier. The bucket must have the Name Index setting enabled.
Microsoft Azure requirements
• Standard Object Storage: When the cloud provider is registered in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus,
an existing container in a hot or cool storage account must be specified.
• Archive Object Storage: When the cloud provider is registered in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus,
an existing container in a hot or cool storage account must be specified. IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus moves files between tiers on demand. Data files are immediately moved to the archive tier
and temporarily returned to the hot tier only during restore operations. Some small metadata
files are stored in the default tier for the container. A copy of these metadata files is also placed
in the archive tier for disaster recovery purposes.
IBM Spectrum Protect (repository server) requirements
• Standard Object Storage: When the cloud provider is registered in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus,
you cannot use an existing bucket. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus creates a uniquely named bucket
for its own use.
• Archive Object Storage: When the cloud provider is registered in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus,
you cannot use an existing bucket. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus creates a uniquely named bucket
for its own use. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus directly uploads data files to IBM Spectrum Protect
tape storage. Some small metadata files are stored in IBM Spectrum Protect object storage. A
copy of these metadata files is also placed on IIBM Spectrum Protect tape storage for disaster
recovery purposes.

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 25


Table 7. Copy and archive copy requirements for cloud providers
Operation Provider Requirements
Copy Amazon S3 An existing bucket must be
specified from one of the
supported storage tiers.
Copy IBM Cloud Object Storage An existing bucket must be
specified. The bucket must have
the Name Index setting
enabled.
Copy Microsoft Azure An existing container must be
specified from a hot or cool
storage tier.
Copy IBM Spectrum Protect IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
creates its own unique bucket.
Archive copy Amazon S3 vSnap server must be able to
communicate with IBM
Spectrum Protect (repository
server) endpoints.
Archive copy IBM Cloud Object Storage An existing bucket must be
specified from the archive tier.
The bucket must have the Name
Index setting enabled.
Archive copy Microsoft Azure An existing container must be
specified from the hot storage
tier and archive tier.
Archive copy IBM Spectrum Protect IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
creates its own unique bucket
to be copied to IBM Spectrum
Protect tape.

For more information about how to set up and copy data to specific cloud providers, see Data offload
to cloud object storage with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.

Hypervisor requirements
Review the hypervisor requirements for IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
To help ensure that backup and restore operations can be run successfully, your system must meet the
hardware and software requirements. Use the following requirements as a starting point. For the most
current requirements, which might include updates, see technote 2013790.

Hyper-V requirements
The Microsoft Hyper-V server must meet the following minimum requirements:
• Hyper-V Server 2016 or Microsoft Hyper-V on Windows Server 2016
• Hyper-V Server 2019 or Microsoft Hyper-V on Windows Server 2019
Backup and restore operations are only supported on virtual hard disks (VHDX). For more information, see
Known Issues and Limitations: IBM Spectrum Protect Plus V10.1.5.x
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus protects virtual machines that are enabled to use the Hyper-V Replica feature.
Depending on your Hyper-V environment, you might be required to update some SLA policies when you
upgrade to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus V10.1.5. For more information about the upgrade requirements for

26 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


virtual machines in Hyper-V environments, see “Additional steps for updating virtual machines in Hyper-V
Replica environments” on page 105.
The Microsoft iSCSI Initiator Service must be running on all Hyper-V servers, including cluster nodes. In
the Services window, set the startup type for the Microsoft iSCSI Initiator Service to Automatic so that
the service is available when the Hyper-V server or cluster node starts.
The DiskPart automount parameter must be enabled on the Hyper-V server. For more information
about enabling the automount parameter, see the Automount topic on the Microsoft website.
Hyper-V servers can be registered by using a Domain Name System (DNS) name or an Internet Protocol
(IP) address. DNS names must be resolvable by IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. If the Hyper-V server is part
of a cluster, all nodes in the cluster must be resolvable by DNS. If DNS is not available, you must add the
server to the /etc/hosts file on the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance by using the command line. If
more than one Hyper-V server is set up in a cluster environment, you must add all of the servers to
the /etc/hosts file. When you are registering the cluster in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, register the
Failover Cluster Manager.
Install 64-bit Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable Package on Windows-based guest virtual
machines. This is required when restoring the guest virtual machine with a different IP address.

VMware requirements
The following VMware vSphere versions are supported:
• vSphere 6.0, including all updates and patch levels
• vSphere 6.5, including all updates and patch levels
• vSphere 6.7, including all updates and patch levels
Ensure that the latest version of VMware Tools is installed in your environment.
Physical RDM (pRDM) volumes do not support snapshots. Virtual machines that contain one or more raw
device-mapping (RDM) volumes that are provisioned in physical-compatibility mode (pRDM) are backed
up. However, the pRDM volumes are not processed as part of the virtual machine backup operation.
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus V10.1.5 protect virtual machines managed by a VMware Cloud (VMC) on AWS
Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC). For more information about this new capability, see IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus for VMware Cloud on AWS .
Install 64-bit Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable Package on Windows-based guest virtual
machines. This is required when restoring the guest virtual machine with a different IP address.

File indexing and restore requirements


Review file indexing and restore requirements for IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
To help ensure that backup and restore operations can be run successfully, your system must meet the
hardware and software requirements. Use the following requirements as a starting point. For the most
current requirements, which might include updates, see technote 2013790.
iSCSI disks that are directly mapped to the guest operating system will not be indexed. Supported
volumes include virtual machine disk (VMDK) or virtual hard disk (VHD) volumes that are mounted
through the configuration of the associated virtual machine.
The amount of free space required for the metadata in the catalog depends on the total number of files
present in the environment. To catalog 1 million files, the catalog volume in the IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus appliance requires roughly 350 MB of free space per retained version. The space used by file
indexing metadata is reclaimed when the corresponding backup instances expire.

VMware requirements
In the virtual machine settings under Advanced Configuration, the disk.enableUUID parameter must
be set to true.

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 27


Windows requirements

Item Description
Supported operating systems • Windows Server 2008 R2
• Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server
2012 R2 core
• Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server 2016
Core
• Windows Server 2019 and Windows Server 2019
core

Supported file systems • New Technology file system (NTFS)


• Resilient file system (ReFS)
• File allocation table (FAT)

Supported disk storage types Basic disks with the following partitions:
• MBR (Master boot record)
• GPT (GUID partition table)
Restriction: You cannot back up or restore files on
dynamic disks.

• IBM Spectrum Protect Plus supports only the operating systems that are available to your hypervisors.
Review your hypervisor documentation for information about supported operating systems.
• File indexing and restore operations support SCSI disks in a Hyper-V environment. Integrated Drive
Electronics (IDE) disks are not supported. Generation 1 virtual machines require IDE boot disks;
however, if more SCSI disks are available, file indexing and restore operations are supported on those
disks.
• Windows Remote Shell (WinRM) must be enabled.
Important: IBM Spectrum Protect Plus can protect and restore virtual machines with other file
systems, but only the previously listed file systems are eligible for file indexing and restore.
• When files are indexed in a Windows environment, the following directories on the resource are
skipped:
\Program Files
\Program Files (x86)
\Windows
\winnt
Files within these directories are not added to the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus inventory and are not
available for file recovery.
• Ensure that the latest version of VMware Tools is installed on VMware virtual machines, and Hyper-V
Integration Services is installed on your Hyper-V virtual machines.
• File indexing and file restore of a Windows VM require that the Windows Powershell binary path is set in
the %PATH% environment variable.
• Encrypted Windows file systems are not supported for file cataloging or file restore.
• File indexing and file restore are not supported from restore points that were offloaded to cloud
resources or repository servers.
• When restoring files in a Resilient File System (ReFS) environment, restores from newer versions of
Windows Server to earlier versions are not supported. For example, restoring a file from Windows
Server 2016 to Windows Server 2012.

28 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


• File cataloging, backup, point-in-time restores, and other operations that invoke the Windows agent will
fail if a non-default local administrator is entered as the Guest OS Username when defining a backup
job. A non-default local administrator is any user that has been created in the guest OS and has been
granted the administrator role.
This occurs if the registry key LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy in [HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
\CurrentVersion\Policies\System] is set to 0 or not set. If the parameter is set to 0 or not set, a local
non-default administrator cannot interact with WinRM, which is the protocol IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
uses to install the Windows agent for file cataloging, send commands to this agent, and get results from
it.
Set the LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy registry key to 1 on the Windows guest that is being backed up
with Catalog File Metadata enabled. If the key does not exist, navigate to [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System] and add a DWord Registry key
named LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy with a value of 1.
• Prior to backing up a Windows-based guest virtual machine, install 64-bit Microsoft Visual C++ 2008
SP1 Redistributable Package on the virtual machine. This is required when restoring the guest virtual
machine with a different IP address.
Space requirements
• The C:\ drive must have sufficient temporary space to save the file indexing results.
• When file systems are indexed, temporary metadata files are generated under the /tmp directory
and are deleted when the indexing is complete. The amount of free space required for the metadata
depends on the total number of files in the system. Ensure that there is approximately 350 MB of
free space per 1 million files.
Connectivity requirements
• The host name of the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance should be resolvable from the Windows
virtual machine.
• The Internet Protocol (IP) address of the virtual machine selected for indexing must be visible to the
vSphere client or Hyper-V Manager.
• The Windows virtual machine selected for indexing must allow outgoing connections to port 22
(SSH) on the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance.
• All firewalls must be configured to allow IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to connect to the server
through WinRM.
Authentication and privilege requirements
The credentials that are specified for the virtual machine must include a user with the following
privileges:
• The user identity must have the Log on as a service right, which is assigned through the
Administrative Tools control panel on the local server (Local Security Policy > Local Policies > User
Rights Assignment > Log on as a service).
For more information about the Log on as a service right, see Add the Log on as a service Right to
an Account.
• The default security policy uses the Windows NTLM protocol, and the user identity follows the
default domain\Name format if the Hyper-V virtual machine is attached to a domain. The format
<local administrator> is used if the user is a local administrator. Credentials must be
established for the associated virtual machine through the Guest OS Username and Guest OS
Password option within the associated backup job definition.
• The system login credential must have the permissions of the local administrator.
Kerberos requirements
• Kerberos-based authentication can be enabled through a configuration file on the IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus appliance. This setting overrides the default Windows NTLM protocol. Kerberos does
not allow local user accounts to be used and is suitable only for environments in which all virtual
machines are on a single domain.

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 29


• For Kerberos-based authentication only, the user identity must be specified in the username@FQDN
format. The specified user must be able to authenticate by using the registered password to obtain
a ticket-granting ticket (TGT) from the key distribution center (KDC) on the domain specified by the
fully qualified domain name.
• Kerberos authentication also requires that the clock skew between the Domain Controller and the
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance is less than 5 minutes. The default Windows NTLM protocol is
not time dependent.
Group Policy Object requirements
The Group Policy Object (GPO) setting for the Computer Configuration > Policies > Windows
Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > Security Options > Network security: Restrict
NTLM: Incoming NTLM traffic, must be set to one of the following options:
• Allow all
• Allow all accounts
The Group Policy Object (GPO) setting for the Computer Configuration > Policies > Windows
Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > Security Options > Network security: Restrict
NTLM: Outgoing NTLM traffic, must be set to one of the following options:
• Allow all
• Allow all accounts

Linux requirements

Item Description
Supported operating systems • Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 6.4 and later
maintenance and modification levels
• CentOS 6.4 and later maintenance and
modification levels
• RHEL 7.0 and later maintenance and
modification levels
• CentOS 7.0 and later maintenance and
modification levels
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12.0 and later
maintenance and modification levels

Supported file systems • ext2


• ext3
• ext4
• XFS

• A file system created on a newer kernel version might not be mountable on a system with an older
kernel, in which case restoring files from the newer to the older system is not supported.
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus supports only the operating systems available to your hypervisors. Review
your hypervisor documentation for information about supported operating systems.
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus can protect and restore virtual machines with other file systems, but only
the previously listed file systems are eligible for file indexing and restore operations.
• When file indexing is performed in a Linux environment, the following directories on the resource are
skipped:
/tmp
/usr/bin

30 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


/Drivers
/bin
/sbin
• Files in virtual file systems like /proc, /sys, and /dev are also skipped. Files within these directories
are not added to the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus inventory and are not available for file recovery.
Space requirements
• The system disk must have sufficient temporary space to save the file indexing results.
• When file systems are indexed, temporary metadata files are generated under the /tmp directory
and then deleted when the indexing is complete. The amount of free space required for the
metadata depends on the total number of files in the system. Ensure that there is approximately
350 MB of free space per 1 million files.
Software requirements
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux / CentOS 6.x only: Ensure that the util-linux-ng package is current by
running the following command: yum update util-linux-ng.
• Depending on your version or distribution, the package might be named util-linux.
• If data resides on LVM volumes, ensure that the LVM version is 2.0.2.118 or later. Run the lvm
version command to check the version and run the yum update lvm2 to update the package if
necessary.
• If data resides on LVM volumes, the lvm2-lvmetad service must be disabled, as it can interfere
with the ability of IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to mount and resignature volume group snapshots
and clones. To disable the service, complete the following steps:
1. Run the following commands:

systemctl stop lvm2-lvmetad


systemctl disable lvm2-lvmetad

2. Edit /etc/lvm/lvm.conf and specify the following setting:

use_lvmetad = 0

For details of the lvmetad service, see The Metadata Daemon (lvmetad).
• If data resides on XFS file systems and the version of xfsprogs is between 3.2.0 and 4.1.9, the file
restore operation can fail due to a known issue in xfsprogs that causes corruption of a clone or
snapshot file system when its UUID is modified. To resolve this issue, update xfsprogs to version
4.2.0 or later.
For more information, see Debian Bug report logs.
Connectivity requirements
The SSH service must be running on port 22 on the server, and any firewalls must be configured to
allow IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to connect to the server through Secure Shell (SSH). The secure file
transfer protocol (SFTP) subsystem for SSH must also be enabled.
Authentication and privilege requirements
The credentials specified for the virtual machine must specify a user that has the following sudo
privileges:
• The sudoers configuration must allow the user to run commands without a password.
• The !requiretty setting must be specified.
The recommended approach is to create a dedicated IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user with the
following privileges. Sample configuration:
• Create user: useradd -m sppagent
where sppagent specifies the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user.
• Set a password by using the command: passwd <sppagent>

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 31


Place the following lines at the end of your sudoers configuration file, typically /etc/sudoers. If
your existing sudoers file is configured to import configurations from another directory (for
example, /etc/sudoers.d), you can also place the lines in a new file in that directory:

Defaults: sppagent !requiretty


sppagent ALL=(root) NOPASSWD:ALL

Microsoft Exchange Server requirements


Before you install IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, review the hardware and software requirements for the
product and other components.
To help ensure that backup and restore operations can be run successfully, your system must meet the
hardware and software requirements. Use the following requirements as a starting point. For the most
current requirements, which might include updates, see technote 2013790.
The Exchange database backup and restore requirements for IBM Spectrum Protect Plus are as follows.

Configuration
Make sure that the Microsoft Exchange Server version that you are using is supported on your operating
system.
Application Versions
• Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 CU16 and later CU and maintenance levels: Standard or Enterprise
editions.
• Microsoft Exchange Server 2016 CU5 and later CU and maintenance levels: Standard and Enterprise
editions.
• Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 and later maintenance levels: Standard and Enterprise editions.
Note: Microsoft Exchange database availability groups (DAG) are supported.
Operating Systems
• Windows Server 2012R2 and later maintenance levels (64-bit kernel): Standard and Datacenter
editions
• Windows Server 2016 and later maintenance levels (64-bit kernel): Standard and Datacenter editions
• Windows Server 2019 and later maintenance levels (64-bit kernel): Standard and Datacenter editions
Note: Windows Server 2019 with the Server Core option is supported. However, the granular restore
feature is not supported by the Server Core installation option.
Additional Notes
Install the latest Microsoft Exchange Server patches and updates in your environment.
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus supports Microsoft Exchange Server running on a physical (bare metal) server,
also in a virtualization environment. The following virtualization environments are supported:
• VMware ESX guest operating system
• Microsoft Windows Hyper-V guest operating system

Incremental backups
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus uses update sequence number (USN) change journal technology to perform
incremental backups in a Microsoft Exchange Server environment. The USN change journal provides write
range tracking for a volume when the file size meets the minimum file size threshold requirement. The
changed bytes offset and length extent information can be queried against a specific file.
To enable write range tracking, the system environment must meet the following requirements:
• Windows Server 2012 R2 or later
• New Technology File System (NTFS) Version 3.0 or later

32 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


The following technologies are not supported for changed bytes tracking:
• Resilient File System (ReFS)
• Server Message Block (SMB) 3.0 protocol
• SMB Transparent Failover (TFO)
• SMB 3.0 with scale-out file shares
By default, 512 MB of space is allocated for USN change journaling. In addition, when journal overflow is
detected, the allocated space doubles in size when an overflow is detected, to a maximum of 2 GB.
The minimum space required for shadow copy storage is 100 MB, although more space might be required
on systems with increased activity.
A base backup of a file is forced when the following conditions are detected:
• Journal discontinuity is reported. This can occur when the log reaches its maximum size, when
journaling is disabled, or when the cataloged USN ID is changed.
• The file size is less than or equal to the tracking threshold size, which by default is 1 MB.
• A file is added after a previous backup job.

Software
Ensure that a supported version of a Windows 64-bit operating system is installed.
The following prerequisites from Microsoft are required and must be installed before you use IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus:
• Windows PowerShell 4 or later
• Windows Management Framework 4 or later
When you use Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 and the granular restore feature, the minimum level that
is supported for Microsoft Exchange Messaging API (MAPI) Client and Collaboration Data Objects (MAPI/
CDO) is version 6.5.8320.0.
Note: MAPI and CDO are required for Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 only.
When you use the granular restore feature with Microsoft Exchange Server 2016 or 2019, Microsoft 32-bit
Outlook 2013, Outlook 2016, or Outlook 2019 is required.
The following prerequisites from Microsoft are required, and are installed automatically by the IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus granular restore feature, if not already present on your virtual machine.
• 32-bit Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 Redistributable Package
• 64-bit Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 Redistributable Package
• 32-bit Microsoft Visual C++ 2017 Redistributable Package
• 64-bit Microsoft Visual C++ 2017 Redistributable Package
• Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5
• Microsoft ReportViewer 2012 SP1 Redistributable Package
• Microsoft SQL Server 2012 System CLR Types
• Microsoft SQL Server 2014 System CLR Types
• Microsoft SQL Server 2016 System CLR Types
Tip: Installation of these prerequisites might require a system restart. To avoid a system restart, ensure
that these prerequisites are installed before you start the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus granular restore
feature.

Registration
Register each Microsoft Exchange Server with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus by name or IP address.

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 33


Restriction: The IP address must be reachable from the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus server and from the
vSnap server. The fully qualified domain name of each Microsoft Exchange Server must be resolvable and
can be routed from the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus server and from the vSnap server. The fully qualified
domain name of the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus server must be resolvable and can be routed from the
Microsoft Exchange servers.
The user identity must have sufficient rights to install and start the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Tools
Service on the node. These rights include Log on as a service rights. For more information, see the
Microsoft article: Add the Log on as a service Right to an Account

Privileges
To use an Exchange database, an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user must have the following
permissions:
• Microsoft Exchange Server is protected by role-based authentication. For the Microsoft Exchange agent
to work in your IBM Spectrum Protect Plus environment, you must set up the appropriate privileges.
• The Encrypting File System (EFS) must be enabled in the local or group domain policy, and a valid
Domain Data Recovery Agent (DRA) certificate must be available.
• Exchange digital certificates must be installed and configured for the mailbox browser to function
during a granular restore operation. Ensure that the current Exchange certificates are installed and
configured correctly in your environment.
Note: With Microsoft Exchange Server 2016 and 2019, the Exchange Server is configured to use
Transport Layer Security (TLS) by default. This TLS security encrypts communication between internal
Exchange servers, and between Exchange services on the local server.
For more information, see “Privileges ” on page 214.
Group Policy Object
For the Network security: LAN Manager authentication level policy setting at Computer Configuration
> Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > Security Options, specify one of the
following options:
• Not Defined.
• Send NTLMv2 response only.
• Send NTLMv2 response only. Refuse LM.
• Send NTLMv2 response only. Refuse LM & NTLM.
The Send NTLM response only option is not compatible with the vSnap Common Internet File System
(CIFS) and Server Message Block (SMB) version and can cause CIFS authentication problems.
You can specify the Group Policy Object (GPO) setting by navigating to:
• Computer Configuration > Policies > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies >
Security Options > Network security: Restrict NTLM: Incoming NTLM traffic
Or
• Computer Configuration > Policies > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies >
Security Options > Network security: Restrict NTLM: Outgoing NTLM traffic
Then, choose one of the following options:
• Allow all
• Allow all accounts

Ports
The following ports are used by IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agents users. The ports use secure
connections (HTTPS or SSL).

34 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Table 8. Communication ports when the target is an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent
Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
5985 Transmission IBM Spectrum Microsoft Exchange Provides access to
Control Protocol Protect Plus Server the Microsoft
(TCP) appliance Windows Remote
Management
(WinRM) service for
Windows-based
servers.
5986 TCP IBM Spectrum Microsoft Exchange Provides access to
Protect Plus Server the Microsoft
appliance Windows Remote
Management
(WinRM) service for
Windows-based
servers.

Table 9. Communication ports when the initiator is an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user
Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
3260¹ TCP Microsoft Exchange vSnap server The Microsoft
Server iSCSI Initiator
service vSnap
target port that is
used for mounting
LUNS for backup
and recovery
operations
137 User Datagram Microsoft Exchange vSnap server vSnap Server
Protocol (UDP) Server Message Block
(SMB) or Common
Internet File
System (CIFS)
target port that is
used for mounting
file system shares
for transaction log
backup and
recovery
operations
138 UDP Microsoft Exchange vSnap server vSnap SMB or CIFS
Server target port that is
used for mounting
file system shares
for transaction log
backup and
recovery
operations

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 35


Table 9. Communication ports when the initiator is an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user (continued)
Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
139 TCP Microsoft Exchange vSnap server vSnap SMB or CIFS
Server target port that is
used for mounting
file system shares
for transaction log
backup and
recovery
operations
443² TCP Microsoft Exchange vSnap server Port that allows the
Server agent to
communicate with
IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus for
sending alerts in
case of log backup
failures
445 TCP Microsoft Exchange vSnap server vSnap SMB or CIFS
Server target port that is
used for mounting
file system shares
for transaction log
backup and
recovery
operations

¹ iSCSI initiator is required on this node.


² For Microsoft Exchange Server, this port is available in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus V10.1.4 and later.

Hardware

Table 10. Minimum hardware requirements


System Disk Space Disk Space for Granular Restore
Operations
x64: Compatible hardware that is A minimum of 500 MB of disk At least 2.1 GB disk space for
supported by the operating space for the product to be extra Microsoft prerequisites,
system and Microsoft Exchange installed which are installed automatically
Server

Db2 requirements
Before you register Db2 with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, ensure that your system environment meets the
outlined requirements.
To help ensure that backup and restore operations can be run successfully, your system must meet the
hardware and software requirements. Use the following requirements as a starting point. For the most
current requirements, which might include updates, see technote 2013790.
The IBM Db2 database backup and restore requirements for IBM Spectrum Protect Plus are as follows.

Configuration requirements
The following IBM Db2 databases are supported:
• IBM Db2 Version 10.5 and later maintenance levels and modification levels: Enterprise Server Edition.

36 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


• IBM Db2 Version 11.1 and later maintenance levels and modification levels: Enterprise Server Edition.
• IBM Db2 Version 11.5 and later maintenance levels and modification levels: Enterprise Server Edition.

Operating systems
The following operating systems are supported:
• On PowerPC®:
– AIX® 7.1 and later modification and fix pack levels (64-bit kernel).
– AIX 7.2 and later modification and fix pack levels (64-bit kernel).
• On Linux x86_x64:
– Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.8 and later maintenance levels and modification levels.
– Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 and later maintenance levels and modification levels.
– SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11.0 SP4 and later maintenance levels and modification levels.
– SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12.0 SP1 and later maintenance levels and modification levels.
• On Linux on Power® System (little endian)
– Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.1 and later maintenance and modification levels.
– SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12.0 SP1 and later maintenance and modification levels.

Additional notes
Install the latest IBM Db2 patches and updates in your environment.
IBM Db2 pureScale® is not supported
Ensure that your Db2 environment is configured to meet the following criteria:
• Db2 archive logging is activated and Db2 is in recoverable mode.
• Logical volumes holding Db2 table spaces (data and temporary table spaces), the local database
directory, and Db2 log files are managed by Logical Volume Manager (LVM2) on Linux and by JFS2 on
AIX. LVM2 on Linux and JFS2 on AIX are used for creating temporary volume snapshots. The logical
volume grows in size with data as it changes on the source volume while the snapshot exists. For more
information, see “LVM2 and JFS2” on page 191.
• Db2 must be in parallel backup mode if multiple partitions are to be protected. Parallel backup mode
can be enabled by using Db2 registry variables. For more information, see “Prerequisites for Db2” on
page 189.

Software
Review the following software requirements:
• The bash and sudo packages must be installed. Sudo must be version 1.7.6p2 or above. Run sudo -V to
check the version.
Tip: The required bash and sudo packages are included in the supported Linux86_64 and Linux Power
Systems (little endian) operating systems.
• Ensure that the supported version of Linux x86_64, Linux Power Systems (little endian), or AIX is
installed.

Connectivity
Ensure that the following connectivity criteria are in place:
• The SSH service is running on port 22 on the server.
• Firewalls must be configured to allow IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to connect to the server using SSH.
• The Secure Shell (SSH) subsystem for SSH is enabled.

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 37


• The server can be registered by using a Domain Name System (DNS) name or IP address. DNS names
must be resolvable by IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
• On AIX, ensure that the NFS communication is configured with reserved ports by using the command:
nfso -p -o nfs_use_reserved_port=1.

Authentication and privileges


The Db2 server must be registered in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus by using an operating system user that
exists on the Db2 server (referred to as IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user).
Ensure that the password is correctly configured and that the user can log in without facing any other
prompts, such as prompts to reset the password.
To use a Db2 database, an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user must have the following permissions:
• Privileges to run commands as the root user and as the Db2 software owner user by using sudo. IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus requires these privileges for various tasks such as discovering storage layouts,
mounting and unmounting disks, and managing databases.
– The sudoers configuration must allow the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user to run commands
without a password.
– The !requiretty setting must be set.
• Privileges to read the Db2 inventory using /usr/local/bin/db2ls. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
requires this privilege to discover and collect information about Db2 instances and databases.

Ports
The following ports are used by IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agents. Ports that are marked as Accept use a
secure connection (HTTPS/SSL).

Table 11. Communication ports when the target is an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent
Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
22 Transmission IBM Spectrum Db2 database Provides access to
Control Protocol Protect Plus virtual troubleshoot and
(TCP) appliance. maintain vSnap
IBM Spectrum servers by using
Protect Plus virtual the Secure Shell
appliance contains (SSH) protocol
the following base
components:
• IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus
server
• site
• vSnap server
• vSnap pool
• VADP proxy

38 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Table 12. Communication ports when the initiator is the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent
Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
111 TCP Db2 database vSnap server Allows Open
Network
Computing (ONC)
clients to discover
ports for
communications
with ONC servers
2049 TCP Db2 database vSnap server Used for Network
File System (NFS)
data transfer to
and from vSnap
servers
20048 TCP Db2 database vSnap server Mounts vSnap file
systems on clients
such as the
VMware vStorage
API for Data
Protection (VADP)
proxy, application
servers, and
virtualization data
stores

Hardware

System Disk Space


Compatible hardware that is supported by the A minimum of 500 MB of disk space for the
operating system and Db2 database product to be installed

MongoDB requirements
Before you register a MongoDB application server with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, ensure that the
system environment meets the following requirements.
To help ensure that backup and restore operations can be run successfully, your system must meet the
hardware and software requirements. Use the following requirements as a starting point. For the most
current requirements, which might include updates, see technote 2013790.

Configuration
Database versions:
• MongoDB Version 3.6 and later maintenance and modification levels: Community Server and Enterprise
Server Editions.
• MongoDB Version 4.0 and later maintenance levels and modification levels: Community Server and
Enterprise Server Editions.
Operating systems:
• On Linux x86_64:
– Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 6.8 and later maintenance and modification levels
– CentOS 6.8 and later maintenance and modification levels
– RHEL 7 and later maintenance and modification levels

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 39


– CentOS 7 and later maintenance and modification levels
– SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12.0 SP1 and later maintenance and modification levels
• On Linux on Power Systems (little endian):
– RHEL 7.1 and later maintenance and modification levels
– CentOS 7 and later maintenance and modification levels
Restriction: On Linux on Power Systems (little endian), only the MongoDB Enterprise Server Edition is
supported.
Additional notes
Install the latest MongoDB patches and updates in your environment.
Ensure that your MongoDB environment is configured to meet the following criteria:
• The MongoDB is configured as a stand-alone instance or replica set. Backups of MongoDB sharded
cluster instances are not supported. A backup always includes all databases in the instance.
• The MongoDB instance is configured to use the WiredTiger Storage Engine.
• The user in the MongoDB application server registration in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus must be able to
retrieve server information and status from the MongoDB admin database.
• Logical volumes of MongoDB data and log paths are managed by Linux Logical Volume Manager (LVM2).
LVM2 is used to create temporary volume snapshots. The database files and the journal must be on a
single volume. The logical volume grows in size with data as the data changes on the source volume
while the snapshot exists. For more information, see “Linux LVM2 ” on page 254.
• In MongoDB, you must use file path names with ASCII characters.

Software
• When the MongoDB application server runs RHEL 6 or CentOS 6, ensure that the openssl package is at
version 1.0.1e-57 or later. To update the version, run the following command: yum update openssl.
• Ensure that the supported version of Linux x86_64 or Linux on Power Systems (little endian) is installed.

Connectivity
Ensure that the following connectivity criteria are in place:
• The Secure Shell (SSH) service is running on port 22 on the server.
• Firewalls must be configured to allow IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to connect to the server by using SSH.
• The secure file transfer protocol (SFTP) subsystem for SSH is enabled.
• The application server can be registered in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus by using a Domain Name System
(DNS) name or Internet Protocol (IP) address. DNS names must be resolvable by IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus.

Authentication and privileges


• The MongoDB server must be registered with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus by using an operating system
user that exists on the MongoDB server (referred to as IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user for the rest
of this topic).
• Ensure that the password is correctly configured and that the user can log in without facing any other
prompts, such as prompts to reset the password.
• On MongoDB, SSL-based encryption and certificate-based authentication are not supported.
• With the MongoDB Enterprise Server Edition, only Encrypted Storage Engine is supported.
To use a MongoDB database, an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user must have the following
permissions:

40 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


• Privileges to run commands as root and as a MongoDB software owner user by using sudo. IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus requires these privileges for various tasks such as discovering storage layouts,
mounting and unmounting disks, and managing databases.
– The sudoers configuration must allow the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user to run commands
without a password.
– The !requiretty setting must be specified.
• Privileges to read the standard MongoDB server module /usr/local/bin/mongod. IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus requires these privileges to use the PyMongo API to connect to the MongoDB servers by
using the instance's assigned DNS name or IP address name and port. This mechanism is used to
gather information about MongoDB instances and databases.
• If the MongoDB server is protected by role-based authentication, you must set up the appropriate
privileges, see “Roles for MongoDB” on page 253..

Ports
The following ports are used by IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent users. The ports use secure
connections (HTTPS or SSL).

Table 13. Communication ports when the target is an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent
Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
22 Transmission IBM Spectrum MongoDB Provides access to
Control Protocol Protect Plus virtual troubleshoot and
(TCP) appliance1 maintain remote
proxy host servers
running guest
applications
components by
using the Secure
Shell (SSH)
protocol.

Table 14. Communication ports when the initiator is the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent
Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
111 TCP MongoDB vSnap server Allows Open
Network
Computing (ONC)
clients to discover
ports for
communications
with ONC servers.
2049 TCP MongoDB vSnap server Used for Network
File System (NFS)
data transfer to
and from vSnap
servers.

1 The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance contains the base components: IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus server, site, vSnap server, vSnap pool, and VADP proxy.

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 41


Table 14. Communication ports when the initiator is the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent (continued)
Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
20048 TCP MongoDB vSnap server Mounts vSnap file
systems on clients
such as the
VMware vStorage
API for Data
Protection (VADP)
proxy, application
servers, and
virtualization data
stores.

Table 15. Minimum hardware requirements


System Disk Space
Compatible hardware that is supported by the A minimum of 500 MB of disk space for the
operating system and MongoDB. product to be installed.

Office 365 requirements


This document details the Microsoft Office 365 backup and restore requirements for IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus Version 10.1.5. Before you register a proxy host with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, ensure that
the system environment meets the following requirements. The proxy host server is referred to in the
user interface (UI) as the application server.

Cloud service configuration


To protect a Microsoft Office 365 application, you must register the application with Azure Active
Directory and grant the appropriate permissions. To be able to do that, ensure that you have the following
items in place:
• Active Microsoft Office 365 subscription.
• Microsoft Office 365 administrative user ID and password.
For more information about how to register Azure, see Registering with Azure Active Directory.
Ensure that you have a Microsoft Office 365 administrative account. Then, you can add users to ensure
that they have valid licenses. For instructions, see Microsoft 365 in Visual Studio subscriptions.
Note: The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus server and agent user do not store administrative user IDs or
passwords for the Microsoft Office 365 tenant.

Application versions
The following Microsoft Office applications are supported:
• Microsoft Office 365 Business
• Microsoft Office 365 Business Premium
• Microsoft Office 365 Business Essentials
• Microsoft Office 365 Education
Note: The Microsoft Office 365 tenant must be in a global region as defined by Microsoft. National regions
are not supported. For more information about regions, see https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/
deployments.

42 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Operating systems
The following operating systems are supported:
• On Linux x86_x64
– Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.0 and later maintenance and modification levels
– CentOS 7.0 and later maintenance and modification levels

Additional notes
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus supports the proxy host server running on a physical (bare metal) server and
in a virtualization environment.

Software
Ensure that the supported version of Linux x86_64 is installed. In addition, the following software must
be installed:
• Java™ 8
• The International Components for Unicode (libicu) rpm-package that corresponds to the installed
operating system.

Connectivity
• The Secure Shell (SSH) service must be running on port 22 on the proxy host server. Any firewalls must
be configured to allow IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to connect to the proxy host server by using SSH. The
secure file transfer protocol (SFTP) subsystem for SSH must also be enabled.
• The server can be registered by using a Domain Name System (DNS) name or Internet Protocol (IP)
address. DNS names must be resolvable by IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
• If DNS is not available, you must add the server to the /etc/hosts file on the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
virtual appliance by using the command prompt.

Authentication and privileges


• The agent host must be registered with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus by using an operating system user
that exists on the agent host. The agent host user is then referred to as the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
agent user.
• Ensure that the password is correctly configured and that the user can log in without other prompts,
such as prompts to reset the password.
• The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user must have privileges to run commands as root using sudo.
The sudoers configuration must allow the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user to run commands
without a password.

Network File System (NFS)


The proxy host server must have the native Linux NFS client installed. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus uses
NFS to mount storage volumes for backup and restore operations.

Ports
The following ports are used by IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agents users. The ports use secure
connections (HTTPS or SSL).

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 43


Table 16. Communication ports when the target is an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user.
Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
22 Transmission IBM Spectrum Proxy host server Provides access to
Control Protocol Protect Plus virtual troubleshoot and
(TCP) appliance. maintain vSnap
IBM Spectrum servers by using
Protect Plus virtual the Secure Shell
appliance contains (SSH) protocol
the following base
components:
• IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus
server
• site
• vSnap server
• vSnap pool
• VADP proxy

Table 17. Required communication ports when the initiator is an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user.
Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
111 TCP Proxy host server vSnap server Allows Open
Network
Computing (ONC)
clients to discover
ports for
communications
with ONC servers
443 TCP Proxy host server vSnap server Allows agents to
communicate with
IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus for
sending alerts if log
backup failures
2049 TCP Proxy host server vSnap server Used for NFS data
transfer to and
from vSnap servers
20048 TCP Proxy host server vSnap server Mounts vSnap file
systems on clients
such as the
VMware vStorage
API for Data
Protection (VADP)
proxy, application
servers, and
virtualization data
stores

44 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Hardware

Table 18. Minimum hardware requirements for Office 365


System Disk Space Memory
Compatible hardware with quad- 5 GB of available disk space for 4 GB Random Access Memory
core processor supported by the temporary files at run time (RAM)
operating system

Oracle Server database backup and restore requirements


Review the Oracle database backup and restore requirements for IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
To help ensure that backup and restore operations can be run successfully, your system must meet the
hardware and software requirements. Use the following requirements as a starting point. For the most
current requirements, which might include updates, see technote 2013790.

Configuration
Database versions
• Oracle 11g R2 Enterprise Edition
• Oracle 12c R1 Enterprise Edition
• Oracle 12c R2 Enterprise Edition
• Oracle 18c Enterprise Edition
• Oracle 19c Enterprise Edition
Note: For multitenant databases in Oracle 12c and later, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus supports protection
and recovery of the container database, including all pluggable databases (PDBs) under it. Granular
recovery of specific PDBs can be performed by using an Instant Disk Restore recovery combined with the
Recovery Manager (RMAN).
Operating systems
On IBM PowerPC:
• AIX 6.1 TL9 and later maintenance and modification levels
• AIX 7.1 and later maintenance and modification levels
On Linux x86_64:
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 6.5 and later maintenance and modification levels
• RHEL 7.0 and later maintenance and modification levels
• Cent OS 6.5 and later maintenance and modification levels
• Cent OS 7.0 and later maintenance and modification levels
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11.0 SP4 and later maintenance and modification levels
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12.0 SP1 and later maintenance and modification levels
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15.0 and later maintenance and modification levels
Restrictions:
• Oracle DataGuard is not supported.
• Databases must be in ARCHIVELOG mode. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus cannot protect databases
running in NOARCHIVELOG mode.
• Real Application Cluster (RAC) database recovery operations are not server pool-aware. IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus can recover databases to an RAC, but not to specific server pools.
• RAC databases must be configured such that the RMAN Snapshot Control File location points to shared
storage that is accessible to all cluster instances.

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 45


• When restoring an Oracle database that was configured for multithreading at the time of backup, the
restored database is non-multithreaded. The restored database must be manually reconfigured to use
multi-threading.

Software
• The bash and sudo packages must be installed. The sudo package must be version 1.7.6p2 or later.
Run sudo -V to check the version.
Tip: The required bash and sudo packages are included in the supported Linux86_64 operating
systems.
• RHEL and CentOS 6 users only:
To ensure that the util-linux-ng package is current, run the following command:

yum update util-linux-ng

Depending on your version or distribution, the package might be named util-linux.

Connectivity
• The Secure Shell (SSH) service must be running on port 22 on the server and any firewalls must be
configured to allow IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to connect to the server by using SSH. The subsystem
for SSH must also be enabled.
• The server can be registered by using a Domain Name System (DNS) name or Internet Protocol (IP)
address. DNS names must be resolvable by IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
• If DNS is not available, you must add the server to the /etc/hosts file on the IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus appliance by using the command line.
• When you register Oracle RAC nodes, register each node by using its physical IP or name. Do not use a
virtual name or Single Client Access Name (SCAN).

Authentication and privileges


• The Oracle Server must be registered in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus by using an operating system user
that exists on the Oracle Server. The user is then referred to as theIBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent
user.
• Ensure that the password is correctly configured and that the user can log in without other prompts,
such as prompts to reset the password.
To use an Oracle Server, the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user must have the following permissions:
• Privileges to run commands as root and as an Oracle software owner user (for example, oracle or
grid) by using sudo. These privileges are required for tasks such as discovering storage layouts,
mounting and unmounting disks, and managing databases and Automatic Storage Management (ASM).
– The sudoers configuration must allow the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user to run commands
without a password.
– The !requiretty setting must be set.
– The ENV_KEEP setting must allow the ORACLE_HOME and ORACLE_SID environment variables to be
retained.
• Privileges to read the Oracle inventory. These privileges are required for tasks such as discovering and
collecting information about Oracle homes and databases.
To achieve this, the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user must belong to the Oracle inventory group,
typically named oinstall.
For information about creating a new user with the required privileges, see “Sample configuration of an
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user” on page 47.

46 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Network file system (NFS)
The Oracle server must have the native Linux or AIX NFS client installed. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus uses
NFS to mount storage volumes for backup and restore operations.
For database restore operations, the Oracle Direct NFS feature is required. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
automatically enables Direct NFS if it is not already enabled.
For Direct NFS to work correctly, the executable oracle_home/bin/oradism in each Oracle home
directory must be owned by root and have setuid privileges. Typically, the binary is preconfigured by the
Oracle installer, but on certain systems, this binary might not have the required privileges.
Run the following commands to set the correct privileges:

chown root:oinstall ORACLE_HOME/bin/oradism

chmod 750 ORACLE_HOME/bin/oradism

where oinstall specifies the group that owns the installation.

Database discovery
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus discovers Oracle installations and databases by searching the /etc/
oraInst.loc and /etc/oratab files and the list of running Oracle processes. If the files are not
present in their default location, the locate utility must be installed on the system so that IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus can search for the files.
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus discovers databases and their storage layouts by connecting to running
instances and querying the locations of their data files, log files, and other files. In order for IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus to correctly discover databases during cataloging and copy operations, databases
must be in MOUNTED, READ ONLY, or READ WRITE mode. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus cannot discover or
protect database instances that are shut down.

Block change tracking


IBM Spectrum Protect Plus requires Oracle block change tracking to be enabled on protected databases
to efficiently perform incremental backups. If block change tracking is not already enabled, IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus enables it automatically during the backup job.
To customize the placement of the block change tracking file, you must manually enable the block change
tracking feature before you run an associated backup job. If the feature is enabled automatically by IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus, the following rules are used to determine the placement of the block change
tracking file:
• If the db_create_file_dest parameter is set, the block change tracking file is created in the location
specified by this parameter.
• If the db_create_file_dest parameter is not set, the block change tracking file is created in the
same directory as the SYSTEM table space.

Log backup
• The cron daemon must be enabled on the application server.
• The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user must have the necessary privileges to use the crontab
command and create cron jobs. Privileges can be granted through the cron.allow configuration file.

Sample configuration of an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user


The following commands are examples for creating and configuring an operating system user that IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus uses to log in to the Oracle Server. The command syntax might vary depending on
your operating system type and version.

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 47


• Create the user that is designated as the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user:

useradd -m sppagent

• Set a password:

passwd sppagent

• If using key-based authentication, place the public key in the /home/sppagent/.ssh/


authorized_keys directory, or the appropriate file depending on your sshd configuration, and ensure
that the correct ownership and permissions are set. The commands are structured as shown in the
following example:

chown -R sppagent:sppagent /home/sppagent/.ssh


chmod 700 /home/sppagent/.ssh
chmod 600 /home/sppagent/.ssh/authorized_keys

• Add the user to the Oracle installation and OSDBA group:

usermod -a -G oinstall,dba sppagent

• If you plan to use ASM, also add the user to the OSASM group:

usermod -a -G asmadmin sppagent

• Place the following lines at the end of the sudoers configuration file, typically /etc/sudoers. If the
existing sudoers file is configured to import a configuration from another directory (for
example, /etc/sudoers.d), you can also place the lines in a new file in that directory:

Defaults:sppagent !requiretty
Defaults:sppagent env_keep+="ORACLE_HOME"
Defaults:sppagent env_keep+="ORACLE_SID"
sppagent ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL

Ports
The following ports are used by IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent users. The ports use secure
connections (HTTPS or SSL).

Table 19. Communication ports when the target is an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent
Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
22 Transmission IBM Spectrum Oracle Server Provides access to
Control Protocol Protect Plus virtual troubleshoot and
(TCP) appliance2 maintain remote
proxy host servers
running guest
applications
components by
using the Secure
Shell (SSH)
protocol

2 The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance contains the base components: IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus server, site, vSnap server, vSnap pool, and VADP proxy.

48 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Table 20. Communication ports when the initiator is an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user
Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
111 TCP Oracle Server vSnap server Allows Open
Network
Computing (ONC)
clients to discover
ports for
communications
with ONC servers
443 TCP Oracle Server vSnap server Allows agents to
communicate with
IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus for
sending alerts if log
backups fail.
2049 TCP Oracle Server vSnap server Used for NFS data
transfer to and
from vSnap servers
20048 TCP Oracle Server vSnap server Mounts vSnap file
systems on clients
such as the
VMware vStorage
API for Data
Protection (VADP)
proxy, application
servers, and
virtualization data
stores

Hardware

Table 21. Minimum hardware requirements


System Disk Space
Compatible hardware that is supported by the A minimum of 500 MB of disk space for the
operating system and Oracle Server product to be installed

Microsoft SQL Server database backup and restore requirements


Review the Microsoft SQL Server database backup and restore requirements for IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus.
To help ensure that backup and restore operations can be run successfully, your system must meet the
hardware and software requirements. Use the following requirements as a starting point. For the most
current requirements, which might include updates, see technote 2013790.

Configuration
Database versions
• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 SP3
• Microsoft SQL Server 2012
• Microsoft SQL Server 2012 SP2
• Microsoft SQL Server 2014

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 49


• Microsoft SQL Server 2016
• Microsoft SQL Server 2017
Install the latest Microsoft SQL Server patches and updates in your environment.
Operating systems
• Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2
• Microsoft Windows Server 2016
• Microsoft Windows Server 2019
Note: Standard and Datacenter editions
Authentication modes
Microsoft SQL Server must be configured to use Windows Authentication, sometimes called trusted
connections, for it's Authentication Mode. For more information about SQL Server Authentication Modes
and steps on changing the SQL Server Authentication Mode, see https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/
database-engine/configure-windows/change-server-authentication-mode?view=sql-server-ver15.
Ensure that the following connectivity requirements are met:
• The network adapter used for the connection must be configured as a Client for Microsoft Networks.
• The Microsoft Windows Remote Management (WinRM) service must be running.
• Firewalls must be configured to enable IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to connect to the server by using
WinRM.
An iSCSI route must be enabled between the Microsoft SQL Server system and vSnap server. For more
information, see Microsoft iSCSI Initiator Step-by-Step Guide.
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus inventory jobs discover system databases and mark the databases that are
eligible for protection. Log backups are marked as ineligible for all system databases and databases
running in simple recovery model.
Microsoft SQL Server backup and restore operations require that the Windows PowerShell binary path is
set in the %PATH% environment variable.
Microsoft SQL Server backup operations are limited to less than 64 TB volume size. If you plan to back up
test mode restored databases, use the global preference to limit the size of backup target volumes to a
size less than 64 TB. You must set this global preference before you run the first backup for the service
level agreement (SLA) that protects the databases. If the size of the backup target volumes is 64 TB or
more, the backup fails.

In-Memory online transaction processing (OLTP)


In-Memory online transaction processing (OLTP) is a memory-optimized database engine that is used to
improve database application performance. This engine is supported in Microsoft SQL Server 2014 and
later. The following requirements and limitations apply to In-Memory OLTP usage:
• The restore file path is limited to 256 or fewer characters. If the original path exceeds this length,
consider using a customized restore file path to reduce the length.
• The metadata that can be restored is subject to Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) and Microsoft SQL
Server restore capabilities.

Incremental backups
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus uses update sequence number (USN) change journal technology to perform
incremental backups in a Microsoft SQL Server environment. The USN change journal provides write
range tracking for a volume when the file size meets the minimum file size threshold requirement. The
changed bytes offset and length extent information can be queried against a specific file.
To enable write range tracking, the system environment must meet the following requirements:
• Windows Server 2012 R2 or later

50 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


• New Technology File System (NTFS) Version 3.0 or later
The following technologies are not supported for changed bytes tracking:
• Resilient File System (ReFS)
• Server Message Block (SMB) 3.0 protocol
• SMB TFO (Transparent Failover)
• SMB 3.0 with Scale-Out file shares (SO)
By default, 512 MB of space is allocated for USN change journaling. In addition, when journal overflow is
detected, the allocated space doubles in size when an overflow is detected, to a maximum of 2 GB.
The minimum space required for shadow copy storage is 100 MB, although more space might be required
on systems with increased activity. If the free space on the source volume is less than 100 MB, the
Microsoft SQL Server agent checks the source volume space and causes a backup to fail. A warning
message is displayed in the job log when free space is less than 10%, and then the backup proceeds.
A base backup is forced when the following conditions are detected:
• Journal discontinuity is reported. This condition can occur when the log reaches the maximum size,
when journaling is disabled, or when the cataloged USN ID is changed.
• The file size is less than or equal to the tracking threshold size, which by default is 1 MB.
• A file is added after a previous backup job.

Log backups
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus supports log backups:
With staging area
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus uses the backup folder that is configured for the Microsoft SQL Server
instance to stage the collection of logs, before copying log files to the vSnap repository. Sufficient free
space must be available to store transaction logs in a log backup. The staging area can be modified by
changing the backup folder configuration by using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).
Without staging area
This type of log backup requires vSnap Active Directory (AD) integration. To learn how to configure the
vSnap server, see Setting vSnap Active Directory.
The Microsoft SQL service user must be in an Active Directory (AD) domain. The SLA policy must be
configured to use a site that contains a vSnap that is integrated to the same AD domain as the SQL
Server service user.
To ensure that SQL Server Log Backup works properly, a Windows Group Policy change might be required.
The Group Policy Object (GPO) setting for the Network security: LAN Manager authentication level
policy at Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > Security
Options, must be set to one of the following options:
• Not Defined
• Send NTLMv2 response only.
• Send NTLMv2 response only. Refuse LM.
• Send NTLMv2 response only. Refuse LM & NTLM.
The Send NTLM response only option is not compatible with the vSnap Common Internet File System
(CIFS) and SMB version and can cause CIFS authentication problems.
The Group Policy Object (GPO) setting for the Computer Configuration > Policies > Windows Settings >
Security Settings > Local Policies > Security Options > Network security: Restrict NTLM: Incoming
NTLM traffic, must be set to one of the following options:
• Allow all
• Allow all accounts

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 51


The Group Policy Object (GPO) setting for the Computer Configuration > Policies > Windows Settings >
Security Settings > Local Policies > Security Options > Network security: Restrict NTLM: Outgoing
NTLM traffic, must be set to one of the following options:
• Allow all
• Allow all accounts

Configuring always on availability groups


Configure the preferred instance for backup operations by using Microsoft SQL Server Management
Studio. Complete the following steps:
1. Select the Availability Group node.
2. Select the availability group you that you want to configure. Then, select Properties.
3. In the Availability Group Properties dialog box, select Backup Preferences.
4. In the Where should backups occur pane, select any option.
When a secondary replica is preferred, and more than one secondary replica is available, the IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus job executor selects the first secondary replica in the preferred list reported by the
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus SQL Server agent.
The Microsoft SQL Server agent sets the VSS backup type to COPY_ONLY.
The No Recovery option does not support production mode restore operations for SQL AlwaysOn
availability groups.

Registration and authentication


Register each Microsoft SQL server with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus by name or IP address. When you
register an SQL Server Cluster node, register each node by name or IP address.
Restriction: The IP address must be reachable from the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus server and from the
vSnap server. Both servers must have a Windows Remote Management service that is listening on port
5985. The fully qualified domain name must be resolvable and can be routed from the IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus server and from the vSnap server.
The user identity must have sufficient rights to install and start the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Tools
Service on the node. These permissions include Log on as a service and Log on as batch job
rights in the Local Security Policy. For more information, see the Microsoft article: Add the Log on as a
service Right to an Account
If the virtual machine is attached to a domain, the user identity follows the default domain\Name format.
If the user is a local administrator, the format local administrator is used.

Kerberos
Kerberos-based authentication can be enabled by specifying a configuration file on the IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus appliance. The settings override the default Windows NT LAN Manager (NTLM) protocol.
For Kerberos-based authentication only, the user identity must be specified in the username@FQDN
format. The user name must be able to authenticate by using the registered password to obtain a ticket-
granting ticket (TGT) from the key distribution center (KDC) on the domain specified by the fully qualified
domain name.

Privileges
To use a Microsoft SQL Server, an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user must have the following
permissions:
• Microsoft SQL Server public and sysadmin permissions
• Windows local administration permission, which are required by the VSS framework, and volume and
disk access

52 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


• Permissions to access cluster resources in an SQL Server AlwaysOn and SQL Server FCI environment.
Every Microsoft SQL Server host can use a specific user account to access the resources of that particular
SQL Server instance.
The SQL Server Virtual Device Interface (VDI)-based framework is used to interact with SQL Server
databases and to log backup and restore operations. A VDI connection requires Microsoft SQL Server
sysadmin permissions. The owner of a restored database is not changed to the original owner. A manual
step is required to modify the owner of a restored database. For more information about the VDI
framework, see the Microsoft article: SQL Server VDI backup and restore operations require Sysadmin
privileges
The target Microsoft SQL Server service account must have permissions to access SQL Server restore
files. See Administrative Considerations in the Microsoft article: Securing Data and Log Files
The Windows Task Scheduler is used to schedule log backups. Depending on the environment, users
might receive the following error:

A specified logon session does not exist. It might already have been terminated.

This behavior occurs when a network access Group Policy setting is enabled. For instructions about
disabling the setting, see the Microsoft Support article: A specified logon session does not exist. It may
already have been terminated, error when you try to map to a network drive of a DFS share

Ports
The following ports are used by IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent users. The ports use secure
connections (HTTPS or SSL).

Table 22. Communication ports when the target is an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent
Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
5985 Transmission IBM Spectrum Microsoft SQL Provides access to
Control Protocol Protect Plus virtual Server the Microsoft
(TCP) appliance3 Windows Remote
Management
(WinRm) service
for Windows-based
servers.
5986 TCP IBM Spectrum Microsoft SQL Provides access to
Protect Plus virtual Server the Microsoft
appliance Windows Remote
Management
(WinRm) service
for Windows-based
servers.

3 The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance contains the base components: IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus server, site, vSnap server, vSnap pool, and VADP proxy.

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 53


Table 23. Communication ports when the initiator is an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user
Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
32604 TCP Microsoft SQL vSnap server The Microsoft
Server iSCSI Initiator
service vSnap
target port that is
used for mounting
LUNS for backup
and recovery
operations
137 User Datagram Microsoft SQL vSnap server vSnap SMB or CIFS
Protocol (UDP) Server target port that is
used for mounting
file system shares
for transaction log
backup and
recovery
operations
138 UDP Microsoft SQL vSnap server vSnap SMB or CIFS
Server target port that is
used for mounting
file system shares
for transaction log
backup and
recovery
operations
139 TCP Microsoft SQL vSnap server vSnap SMB or CIFS
Server target port that is
used for mounting
file system shares
for transaction log
backup and
recovery
operations
4435 TCP Microsoft SQL vSnap server Port that allows the
Server agent to
communicate with
IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus for
sending alerts in
case of log backup
failures
445 TCP Microsoft SQL vSnap server vSnap SMB or CIFS
Server target port that is
used for mounting
file system shares
for transaction log
backup and
recovery
operations

4 iSCSI initiator is required on this node.


5 For Microsoft SQL Server, this port is available in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus V10.1.4 and later.

54 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Hardware

Table 24. Minimum hardware requirements


System Disk Space
Compatible hardware that is supported by the A minimum of 500 MB of disk space for the
operating system and Microsoft SQL Server product to be installed

Kubernetes Backup Support requirements


Before you deploy IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Kubernetes Backup Support in the Kubernetes
environment, ensure that your system environment meets the outlined requirements.
To help ensure that backup and restore operations can be run successfully, your system must meet the
hardware and software requirements. Use the following requirements as a starting point. For the most
current requirements, which might include updates, see technote 2013790.
Kubernetes Backup Support is available only in English in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Version 10.1.5.

Container versions
Docker containers are supported in Kubernetes Backup Support.

Operating systems
On Linux x86_64:
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 7.6
• RHEL 7.7

Additional requirements
• Kubernetes 1.13 and later patches and updates
• Kubernetes 1.14 and later patches and updates
• Kubernetes 1.15 and later patches and updates
• Kubernetes 1.16 and later patches and updates
• Ceph Container Storage Interface (CSI) driver 1.1 with Rados Block Device (RBD) storage
To install and configure container backup support, the backup administrator must deploy the Kubernetes
Backup Support software in the Kubernetes environment. For instructions, see “Installing Kubernetes
Backup Support” on page 315.

Software
• Kubernetes Backup Support protects only persistent storage that was allocated by a storage plug-in
that supports the Container Storage Interface (CSI).
• Only formatted volumes can be mounted to the data mover for copy operations.
• Ensure that Kubernetes Metrics Server 0.3.5 or later is installed and running on your cluster. The
metrics server is required for the Kubernetes Backup Support scheduler to determine the resources
that are used for multiple concurrent data mover instances. For more information, see “Verifying
whether the metrics server is running” on page 316.
• Copy backup and snapshot restore operations require the VolumeSnapshotDataSource alpha
feature to be enabled. To enable the VolumeSnapshotDataSource alpha feature, you must patch the
Kubernetes scheduler, controller, and API server. For instructions, see “Enabling the
VolumeSnapshotDataSource feature” on page 315.
• Ensure that the following cluster prerequisites are met:
– You must be running a Kubernetes cluster with CSI support.

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 55


– Persistent storage must be provided by the CSI driver, which must support CSI snapshot capabilities.
– A storage class must be defined for the persistent volumes that are being protected.
– The Kubernetes command-line tool kubectl must be accessible on the installation host and in the
local path.
– CSI snapshot support must be enabled on the kubectl command line.
– The target image registry must be accessible from the Kubernetes cluster. The target image registry
can be a local image registry or an external image registry. For an external image registry, you can
configure the image pull secret to secure your environment.
– The Kubernetes Backup Support product installation package must be on the master node or another
administration node. The administration node must have similar access to the master node with
regards to Docker, the kubectl tool, and the cluster image registry.
– To create new cluster-wide resources, you must be logged in to the target cluster as a user with
cluster-admin privileges.
– Ensure that Kubernetes Backup Support secrets that include user IDs, passwords, and keys are
encrypted at rest in the etcd distributed key-value store. For more information, see Encrypting
Secret Data at Rest.

Helm prerequisites
The Helm tool must be configured on the target cluster so that a new deployment can be run with the
helm command line. Deploying a package with Helm enables cluster-wide role-based access control
(RBAC) rules and role bindings to be generated.
For the Kubernetes cluster, to install Helm as root user with the Kubernetes administrative user account,
run the following script, which is included in the installation package:

./helm_install_k8s.sh

IBM Spectrum Protect Plus prerequisites


External, non-container components such as IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and the IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus vSnap server must be provisioned and configured by the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus administrator.
• An administrative account for Kubernetes Backup Support must be configured on IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus.
This administrative account can be configured as a global Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)
account in the data center. This global account is required for access to all external components that
Kubernetes Backup Support operates with.
You must specify this account name in the BAAS_ADMIN parameter in the baas_config.cfg
configuration file before you deploy Kubernetes Backup Support. The baas_config.cfg is located in
the installer directory. For instructions, see “Installing and deploying Kubernetes Backup Support
images” on page 317.
• An IBM Spectrum Protect Plus instance must be deployed and licensed as a VMware virtual appliance.
Network connectivity must exist to and from the target cluster. The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus IP
address and port number must be specified in the baas_config.cfg file before you deploy
Kubernetes Backup Support. Only one port (443) can be specified for use with all IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus instances.
• An IBM Spectrum Protect Plus vSnap instance must be deployed as a VMware virtual appliance.
– Network connectivity must exist to and from the target Kubernetes cluster and IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus vSnap instance.
– The vSnap instance must be configured as an external vSnap server for storing backups. For
instructions, see Chapter 3, “Installing vSnap servers,” on page 67.

56 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


– If backups are encrypted at rest, ensure that enough capacity is allocated for encryption on the
vSnap server.

Connectivity
Ensure that the following connectivity criteria are in place:
• SSH service is running on Kubernetes NodePort services.
• Firewalls must be configured to allow IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to connect data mover containers by
using SSH over the NodePort port range of the Kubernetes cluster. The NodePort service allows the
specific port in the NodePort range to be determined by Kubernetes at run time.
• The server can be registered in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus by using a Domain Name System (DNS)
name or an Internet Protocol (IP0 address. DNS names must be resolvable by IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus.

Authentication and privileges


Ensure that you specify the user name for the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus administrative account and data
mover in the baas_config.cfg configuration file. For more information, see “Installing and deploying
Kubernetes Backup Support images” on page 317.
To access the device that is associated with the persistent volume, the data mover container must be a
privileged container.

Ports
The following communications ports are used by IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agents. The ports use secure
connections (HTTPS or SSL).

Table 25. Communication ports when the target is an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent
Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
Assigned by the TCP IBM Spectrum Kubernetes Used by IBM
NodePort service in Protect Plus virtual Spectrum Protect
Kubernetes appliance6 Plus to connect to
the data mover
container to deploy
and run agents.

For SSH connections between containers in the Kubernetes environment, port 22 is used. For everywhere
else, whether on the Kubernetes hosts or outside the cluster, the port that the NodePort service assigned
at runtime is used.

Table 26. Communication ports when the initiator is the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent
Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
111 TCP Kubernetes vSnap server Allows ONC clients
to discover ports
for
communications
with ONC servers

6 Refers to the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus server, which is a component of the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
virtual appliance.

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 57


Table 26. Communication ports when the initiator is the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent (continued)
Port Protocol Initiator Target Description
443 TCP Kubernetes vSnap server Used for IBM
Spectrum Protect
Plus issued
commands to run
backup, restore,
inventory, and
other configuration
operations
2049 TCP Kubernetes vSnap server Used for NFS data
transfer to and
from vSnap servers
20048 TCP Kubernetes vSnap server Mounts vSnap file
systems on clients
such as the VADP
proxy, application
servers, and
virtualization data
stores

Related concepts
“Protecting containers” on page 309
Kubernetes Backup Support is a feature of IBM Spectrum Protect Plus that extends data protection to
containers in Kubernetes clusters. Kubernetes is a system for orchestrating containers across clusters of
hosts.

Obtaining the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus installation package


You can obtain the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus installation package from an IBM download site, such as
Passport Advantage or Fix Central. These packages contain a files that are required to install or update
the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus components.

Before you begin


For the list of installation packages by component, and the links to the download site for the files, see
technote 1072392.

Procedure
Download the appropriate installation file.
A different installation file is provided for installation on VMware and Microsoft Hyper-V systems. Ensure
that you download the correct file for your environment.
Important: Do not change the names of the installation or update files. The original file names are
required for the installation or update process to complete without errors.
Related concepts
“Updating IBM Spectrum Protect Plus components” on page 103
You can update the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance, vSnap servers, and the VADP proxy
servers to get the latest features and enhancements. Software patches and updates are installed by using
the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus administrative console or command-line interface for these components.
Related tasks
“Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus as a VMware virtual appliance” on page 59

58 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


To install IBM Spectrum Protect Plus in a VMware environment, deploy an Open Virtualization Format
(OVF) template. Deploying an OVF template creates a virtual appliance containing the application on a
VMware host such as an ESXi server.
“Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus as a Hyper-V virtual appliance” on page 60
To install IBM Spectrum Protect Plus in a Microsoft Hyper-V environment, import the IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus for Hyper-V template. Importing a template creates a virtual appliance containing the IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus application on a Hyper-V virtual machine. A local vSnap server that is already
named and registered is also installed on the virtual appliance.
“Installing a vSnap server” on page 67
When you deploy an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance, a vSnap server is automatically installed. This
server is the primary backup destination. In larger enterprise environments, additional vSnap servers
might be required.

Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus as a VMware virtual appliance


To install IBM Spectrum Protect Plus in a VMware environment, deploy an Open Virtualization Format
(OVF) template. Deploying an OVF template creates a virtual appliance containing the application on a
VMware host such as an ESXi server.

Before you begin


Complete the following tasks:
• Review the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus system requirements in “Component requirements ” on page 11
and “Hypervisor requirements ” on page 26.
• Download the virtual appliance template installation file CC1QCML.ova from Passport Advantage®
Online. For information about downloading files, see technote 1072392.
• Verify the MD5 checksum of the downloaded template installation file. Ensure that the generated
checksum matches the one provided in the MD5 Checksum file, which is part of the software download.
• During deployment, you will be prompted to enter network properties from the VMware user interface.
You can enter a static IP address configuration, or leave all fields blank to use a DHCP configuration.
• To reassign a static IP address after deployment, you can use the NetworkManager Text User Interface
(nmtui) tool. For more information, see “Assigning a static IP address” on page 62.
Note the following considerations:
• You might need to configure an IP address pool that is associated with the VM network where you plan
to deploy IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. Correct configuration of the IP address pool includes the setup of
IP address range (if used), netmask, gateway, DNS search string, and a DNS server IP address.
• If the hostname of the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance changes after deployment, either through
user intervention or if a new IP address is acquired through DNS, the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
appliance must be restarted.
• A default gateway must be configured properly before deployment. Multiple DNS strings are supported,
and must be separated by commas without the use of spaces.
• For later versions of vSphere, the vSphere Web Client might be required to deploy IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus appliances.
• IBM Spectrum Protect Plus has not been tested for IPv6 environments.
Note: The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and vSnap appliance is a closed system and anti-virus (AV)
installation is not supported on virtual or physical deployments.

Procedure
To install IBM Spectrum Protect Plus as a virtual appliance, complete the following steps:
1. Deploy IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. Using either the vSphere Client (HTML5) or the vSphere Web
Client (FLEX), from the Actions menu, click Deploy OVF Template.
2. Specify the location of the CC1QCML.ova file and select it. Click Next.

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 59


3. Provide a meaningful name for the template, which becomes the name of your virtual machine.
Identify an appropriate location to deploy the virtual machine. Click Next.
4. Select an appropriate destination compute resource. Click Next.
5. Review the template details. Click Next.
Important: If you are using the vSphere Web Client (FLEX), verify that disk.enableUUID = true
presents in Extra Configuration. If that is not the case or if you are using the vSphere Client (HTML5),
proceed with the installation steps and enable this option from the vSphere Web Client at a later
time.
6. Read and accept the End User License Agreement. Check I accept all license agreements for
vSphere Client or click Accept for vSphere Web Client. Click Next.
7. Select the storage to which the virtual appliance is to be installed. The datastore of this storage must
be configured with the destination host. The virtual appliance configuration file and the virtual disk
files will be stored in it. Ensure the storage is large enough to accommodate the virtual appliance
including the virtual disk files associated with it. Select a disk format of the virtual disks. Thick
provisioning allows for better performance of the virtual appliance. Thin provisioning uses less disk
space at the expense of performance. Click Next.
8. Select networks for the deployed template to use. Several available networks on the ESXi server
might be available by clicking Destination Network. Select a destination network that allows you to
define the appropriate IP address allocation for the virtual machine deployment. Click Next.
9. For vSphere Web Client, enter the property values for the virtual appliance: DNS, Default Gateway,
Domain, Network IP Address and Network Prefix. A static IP address can be provided. If left blank, a
dynamic IP address assigned by a DHCP server will be used. The network prefix must be entered
using Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR) notation where valid values are 1 - 24. Click Next.
Note: For vSphere Client, these properties can be configured using the NetworkManager Text User
Interface (nmtui) tool. Additionally, information for the Search Domain field can be added using this
command. For more information, see Assigning a static IP address.
10. Review your template settings. Click Finish to exit the wizard and to start deployment of the OVF
template.
11. After the OVF template is deployed, power on your newly created VM. You can power on the VM from
the vSphere Client.
Important: Wait several minutes for IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to initialize completely.

What to do next
Once the virtual appliance has been deployed, the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus application as well as a
local vSnap server which is built into it will be registered and installed on it automatically. To start IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus, complete the following actions:

Action How to
Connect to the console of the IBM Spectrum See Assigning a static IP address.
Protect Plus virtual appliance by using VMware
Remote Console or SSH. Set up network
configurations using the NetworkManager Text
User Interface (nmtui).
Upload the product key. See “Uploading the product key” on page 63.
Start IBM Spectrum Protect Plus from a supported See “Start IBM Spectrum Protect Plus” on page
web browser. 91.

Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus as a Hyper-V virtual appliance


To install IBM Spectrum Protect Plus in a Microsoft Hyper-V environment, import the IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus for Hyper-V template. Importing a template creates a virtual appliance containing the IBM

60 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Spectrum Protect Plus application on a Hyper-V virtual machine. A local vSnap server that is already
named and registered is also installed on the virtual appliance.

Before you begin


Complete the following tasks:
• Review the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus system requirements in “Component requirements ” on page 11
and “Hypervisor requirements ” on page 26.
• Download the installation file CC1QDML.exe from Passport Advantage Online. For information about
downloading files, see technote 1072392.
• Review additional Hyper-V system requirements. See System requirements for Hyper-V on Windows
Server.
• Verify the MD5 checksum of the downloaded template installation file. Ensure that the generated
checksum matches the one provided in the MD5 Checksum file, which is part of the software download.
• If the hostname of the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance changes after deployment, either
through user intervention or if a new IP address is acquired through DNS, the IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus virtual appliance must be restarted.
• All Hyper-V servers, including cluster nodes, must have the Microsoft iSCSI Initiator Service running in
their Services lists. Set startup type of this service to Automatic so that it starts running when the server
starts.
• Administrative privileges may be required to complete certain steps during the installation process.
Note: The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and vSnap appliance is a closed system and anti-virus (AV)
installation is not supported on virtual or physical deployments.

Procedure
To install IBM Spectrum Protect Plus as a virtual appliance, complete the following steps:
1. Copy the CC1QDML.exe file to your Hyper-V server.
2. Open the installer and complete the Setup Wizard.
3. Open Hyper-V Manager and select the required server.
4. From the Actions pane in Hyper-V Manager, click Import Virtual Machine. The Import Virtual
Machine wizard opens. Click Next.
5. In the Locate Folder step, click Browse... and navigate to the folder that was designated during the
installation. Select the folder with SPP-{release} in it. Click Next.
6. In the Select Virtual Machine step, ensure the virtual machine SPP-{release} is selected and then
click Next. The Choose Import Type dialog opens.
7. In the Choose Import Type step, select Register the virtual machine in-place (use the existing
unique ID). Click Next.
Important: Do not import multiple IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual alliances on a single Hyper-V
server.
8. In the Connect Network step, set Connection to the virtual switch to use. Click Next.
9. In the Summary step, review the Description. Click Finish to close the Import Virtual Machine
wizard.
10. In Hyper-V Manager, locate the new virtual machine named SPP-{release}. Right-click this virtual
machine and click Settings.
11. The Settings dialog for this virtual machine will open. In the navigation pane, click Hardware > IDE
Controller 0 > Hard Drive.
12. In the Media section, ensure that the correct virtual hard disk is selected. Note the file name of the
original virtual disk. Click Edit.
13. The Edit Virtual Hard Disk Wizard will open. Go to the Choose Action step.
14. In the Choose Action step, click Convert and then click Next.

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 61


15. In the Choose Disk Format step, ensure that VHDX is selected. Click Next.
16. For the Choose Disk Type step, click Fixed Size. Click Next.
17. For the Configure Disk step, locate the folder to store the virtual disk file of the IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus virtual alliance. Reuse the same file name that was noted in Step 12. If the same
installation directory from Step 12 is reused, use a different name. Click Next.
Important: Ensure that the disk drive on which the folder resides has enough disk space available to
accommodate the fixed-size virtual disk file.
18. In the Summary step, review the Description. Click Finish to close the Edit Virtual Hard Disk wizard
and to initiate the conversion of the virtual disk. Once the process completes, the original virtual hard
disk file may be deleted.
19. In the Settings dialog for the virtual machine, click Browse. Open the newly created virtual hard disk
(VHDX) file that was created in the previous step.
20. Repeat steps 12 through 19 for each hard drive under Hardware > SCSI Controller. Click OK to close
the Settings dialog.
21. In the Hyper-V Manager, right-click the virtual machine and click Start.
22. Use Hyper-V Manager to identify the IP address of the new virtual machine if the address is
automatically assigned. To assign a static IP to the virtual machine, use the NetworkManager Text
User Interface (nmtui) tool.
For more information, see “Assigning a static IP address” on page 62.
Important: IBM Spectrum Protect Plus or vSnap virtual machines that are deployed using Hyper-V
failover clustering should be configured with a static media access control (MAC) address for each
virtual network adapter. If a dynamic MAC address is used, the Linux networking configuration may
be lost after failover because a new MAC address is assigned to the virtual network adapter. The MAC
address may be configured by editing the settings of the virtual machine in the Hyper-V Manager or
Failover Cluster Manage. Ensuring that each virtual network adapter is assigned a static MAC address
will prevent the loss of the network configuration.

What to do next
After you install the virtual appliance, complete the following actions:

Action How to
Restart the virtual appliance. Refer to the documentation for the virtual
appliance.
Upload the product key. See “Uploading the product key” on page 63.
Start IBM Spectrum Protect Plus from a supported See “Start IBM Spectrum Protect Plus” on page
web browser. 91.

Assigning a static IP address


To reassign a new static IP address after initial deployment, a network administrator can assign a static
IP address by using the NetworkManager Text User Interface (nmtui) tool. Sudo privileges are required
to run nmtui.

Procedure
To reassign a new static IP address, ensure that the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual machine is
powered on and complete the following steps:
1. Log on to the virtual machine console with the user ID serveradmin.
The initial password is sppDP758-SysXyz. You are prompted to change this password during the first
logon. Certain rules are enforced when creating a new password. For more information, see the
password requirement rules in “Start IBM Spectrum Protect Plus” on page 91.
2. From a CentOS command line, enter nmtui to open the interface.

62 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


3. From the main menu, select Edit a connection, and then click OK.
4. Select the network connection, then click Edit.
5. On the Edit Connection screen, enter an available static IP address that is not already in use.
6. Save the static IP configuration by clicking OK, then restart the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance.
Related tasks
“Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus as a VMware virtual appliance” on page 59
To install IBM Spectrum Protect Plus in a VMware environment, deploy an Open Virtualization Format
(OVF) template. Deploying an OVF template creates a virtual appliance containing the application on a
VMware host such as an ESXi server.
“Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus as a Hyper-V virtual appliance” on page 60
To install IBM Spectrum Protect Plus in a Microsoft Hyper-V environment, import the IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus for Hyper-V template. Importing a template creates a virtual appliance containing the IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus application on a Hyper-V virtual machine. A local vSnap server that is already
named and registered is also installed on the virtual appliance.

Uploading the product key


IBM Spectrum Protect Plus runs in an evaluation mode for a limited time period. A valid product key is
required to enable IBM Spectrum Protect Plus features indefinitely.

Before you begin


Save the product key to a computer with internet access and record the location of the key.

Procedure
Note: When a catalog backup from an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus server that is using a trial license during
the evaluation period is restored to another IBM Spectrum Protect Plus server also using a trial license in
the evaluation period, the remaining day count of the trial license of the catalog backup source server still
applies. This does not apply to production licenses with valid product keys.
To upload the product key, complete the following steps:
1. From a supported browser, enter the following URL:

https://HOSTNAME:8090/

Where HOSTNAME is the IP address of the virtual machine where the application is deployed.
2. In the login window, select Authentication Type > System. Enter the serveradmin password to
access the Administration Console. The default password is sppDP758-SysXyz.
You are prompted to change this password during the first logon. Certain rules are enforced when
creating a new password. For more information, see the password requirement rules in “Start IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus” on page 91.
3. Click Manage your licenses.
4. Click Choose File, and then browse for the product key on your computer,
5. Click Upload new license.
6. Click Logout.

What to do next
After you upload the product key, complete the following action:

Action How to
Start IBM Spectrum Protect Plus from a supported See “Start IBM Spectrum Protect Plus” on page
web browser. 91.

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 63


Editing firewall ports
Use the provided examples as a reference for opening firewall ports on remote VADP proxy servers or
application servers. You must restrict port traffic to only the required network or adapters.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 and later, and CentOS 7 and later
Use the following commands to open ports on remote VADP proxy servers or application servers.
Use the following command to list the open ports:

firewall-cmd --list-ports

Use the following command to list zones:

firewall-cmd --get-zones

Use the following command to list the zone that contains the Ethernet port eth0:

firewall-cmd --get-zone-of-interface=eth0

Use the following command to open port 8098 for TCP traffic. This command is not permanent.

firewall-cmd --add-port 8098/tcp

Use the following command to open port 8098 for TCP traffic after you restart the firewall rules. Use this
command to make the changes persistent:

firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port 8098/tcp

To undo the change to the port, use this command:

firewall-cmd --remove-port 8098/tcp

Use the following command to open a range of ports:

firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port 60000-61000/tcp

Use the following command to reload the firewall rules with the firewall updates:

firewall-cmd --reload

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12


Edit the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 advanced security firewalls options from the Security and Users
menu. Specify the new port range that you require and apply the changes.

Firewall configurations that use IP tables


The iptables utility is available on most Linux distributions to enable firewall rules and policy settings.
These Linux distributions include Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.8, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 and later,
CentOS 7 and later, and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12. Before you use these commands, check which
firewall zones are enabled by default. Depending upon the zone setup, the INPUT and OUTPUT terms
might have to be renamed to match a zone for the required rule.
For Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 and later, see the following example commands:
Use the following command to list the current firewall policies:

sudo iptables -S sudo iptables -L

64 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Use the following command to open port 8098 for inbound TCP traffic from an internal subnet
<172.31.1.0/24>:

sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp -s 172.31.1.0/24 --dport 8098 -j ACCEPT

Use the following command to open port 8098 for outbound TCP traffic to internal subnet
<172.31.1.0/24>:

sudo iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp -d 172.31.1.0/24 --sport 8098 -j ACCEPT

Use the following command to open port 8098 for outbound TCP traffic to external subnet
<10.11.1.0/24> and only for Ethernet port adapter eth1:

sudo iptables -A OUTPUT -o eth1 -p tcp -d 10.11.1.0/24 --sport 8098 -j ACCEPT

Use the following command to open port 8098 for inbound TCP traffic to a range of CES IP addresses
(10.11.1.5 through 10.11.1.11) and only for Ethernet port adapter eth1:

sudo iptables -A INPUT -i eth1 -p tcp -m iprange --dst-range 10.11.1.5-10.11.1.11 --dport 8098 -
j ACCEPT

Use the following command to allow an internal network, Ethernet port adapter eth1 to communicate
with an external network Ethernet port adapter eth0:

sudo iptables -A FORWARD -i eth1 -o eth0 -j ACCEPT

. This example is for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 and later specifically.
Use the following command to open port 8098 for inbound traffic from subnet 10.18.0.0/24 on Ethernet
port eth1 within the public zone:

iptables -A IN_public_allow -i eth1 -p tcp -s 10.18.0.0/24 --dport 8098 -j ACCEPT

Use the following command to save firewall rule changes to persist after a firewall restart process:

sudo iptables-save

Use the following command to stop and start Uncomplicated Firewall (UFW):

service iptables stop service iptables start

Installing iSCSI initiator utilities


You must install Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) utilities if iSCSI mounted storage
devices are directly connected to the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance or to a vSnap server. After the
iSCSI initiator utilities are installed, iSCSI mounted storage devices can be connected to the appliance or
to the server on which the package is installed.

About this task


iSCSI initiator utilities can be installed on the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance or a vSnap server. The
iSCSI initiator utilities are delivered along with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, but are not installed
automatically. To install the utilities, follow the procedure.

Procedure
1. Log on to the appliance or server that is to be directly connected to the iSCSI mounted storage.
• For the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance, use the Secure Shell (SSH) protocol and authenticate
with the appropriate administrative credentials.
• For a vSnap server, use SSH or access the server directly and authenticate with the appropriate
administrative credentials.

Chapter 2. Installing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 65


2. Install the iSCSI initiator utilities by running the following command:

sudo /usr/bin/yum --disablerepo=* --enablerepo=base,updates install iscsi-initiator-utils

66 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Chapter 3. Installing vSnap servers
Every installation of IBM Spectrum Protect Plus requires at least one vSnap server, which is the primary
backup destination.
In both VMware and Hyper-V environments, one vSnap server with the name localhost is automatically
installed when the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance is initially deployed. An onboard vSnap server
resides on a partition of the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance and is registered and initialized in IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus. In smaller backup environments, the onboard vSnap server might be sufficient.
In larger enterprise environments, additional vSnap servers might be required. For guidance about sizing,
building, and placing vSnap servers and other components in your IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
environment, see the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Blueprints.
Additional vSnap servers can be installed on either virtual or physical appliances any time after the IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus appliance is installed and deployed. After installation, some registration and
configuration steps are required for these stand-alone vSnap servers.
The process for setting up a stand-alone vSnap server is as follows:
1. Install the vSnap server.
2. Add the vSnap server as Disk Storage in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
3. Initialize the system and create a storage pool.

Installing a vSnap server


When you deploy an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance, a vSnap server is automatically installed. This
server is the primary backup destination. In larger enterprise environments, additional vSnap servers
might be required.

Before you begin


Complete the following steps:
1. Review the vSnap system requirements in “Component requirements ” on page 11.
2. Download the installation package. Different installation files are provided for installation on physical
or virtual machines. Ensure that you download the correct files for your environment. For more
information about downloading files, see technote 1072392.
Note: The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and vSnap appliance is a closed system and anti-virus (AV)
installation is not supported on virtual or physical deployments.
Important: IBM Spectrum Protect Plus components, including vSnap, should not be installed on the
same machine, physical or virtual, as IBM Spectrum Protect Server.

Installing a physical vSnap server


A Linux operating system that supports physical vSnap installations is required to install a vSnap server
on a physical machine.

Procedure
1. Install a Linux operating system that supports physical vSnap installations. See “vSnap server physical
installation requirements” on page 18 for supported operating systems.
The minimum installation configuration is sufficient, but you can also install additional packages
including a graphical user interface (GUI). The root partition must have at least 8 GB of free space after
installation.
2. Edit the /etc/selinux/config file to change the SELinux mode to Permissive.
3. Run setenforce 0 to apply the setting immediately without requiring a restart.

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2017, 2020 67


4. Download the vSnap installation file CC1QGML.run from Passport Advantage Online. For information
about downloading files, see technote 1072392.
5. Make the file executable through the command chmod +x CC1QGML.run, and then run the
executable. The vSnap packages are installed, plus all of required components.

What to do next
After you install the vSnap server, complete the following action:

Action How to
Add the vSnap server to IBM Spectrum Protect See Chapter 4, “Managing vSnap servers,” on page
Plus and configure the vSnap environment. 73.

Installing a virtual vSnap server and a VADP proxy in a VMware environment


To install a virtual vSnap server and a vStorage API for Data Protection (VADP) proxy in a VMware
environment, deploy an Open Virtualization Format (OVF) template. This creates a machine that contains
the vSnap server and the VADP proxy.

Before you begin


For easier network administration, use a static IP address for the virtual machine. Assign the address by
using the NetworkManager Text User Interface (nmtui) tool. For instructions, see “Assigning a static IP
address” on page 62, Work with your network administrator when configuring network properties.

Procedure
1. Download the server and proxy template installation file CC1QEML.ova from Passport Advantage
Online. For information about downloading files, see technote 1072392.
2. Deploy the vSnap server. Using the vSphere Client (HTML5) or the vSphere Web Client (FLEX), click
the Actions menu and then click Deploy OVF Template.
3. Specify the location of the CC1QEML.ova file and select it. Click Next.
4. Provide a meaningful name for the template, which becomes the name of your virtual machine.
Identify an appropriate location to deploy the virtual machine. Click Next.
5. Select an appropriate destination compute resource. Click Next.
6. Review the template details. Click Next.
7. Read and accept the End User License Agreement. Check I accept all license agreements for
vSphere Client or click Accept for vSphere Web Client. Click Next.
8. Select the storage to which the virtual appliance is to be installed. The datastore of this storage must
be configured with the destination host. The virtual appliance configuration file and the virtual disk
files will be stored in it. Ensure the storage is large enough to accommodate the virtual appliance
including the virtual disk files associated with it. Select a disk format of the virtual disks. Thick
provisioning allows for better performance of the virtual appliance. Thin provisioning uses less disk
space at the expense of performance. Click Next.
9. Select a disk format to store the virtual disks. To optimize performance, you can select thick
provisioning, which is preselected. Thin provisioning requires less disk space, but might impact
performance. Click Next.
10. Select networks for the deployed template to use. Several available networks on the ESX server may
be available by clicking Destination Networks. Select a destination network that allows you to define
the appropriate IP address allocation for the virtual machine deployment. Click Next.
11. Provide details of the VADP configuration, including the IP address of the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
appliance.
For ESXi server 5.5, this prompt is shown when the OVF deployment template reaches the Properties
step.
For the ESXi server 6.0 and later, this prompt is shown when the OVF deployment template reaches
the Customize Template step.

68 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


12. Enter network properties for the virtual machine default gateway, DNS, search domain, IP address,
network prefix, and machine host name. If you are using a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
(DHCP) configuration, leave all fields blank.
Restriction: A default gateway must be properly configured before deployment of the OVF template.
Multiple DNS strings are supported, and must be separated by commas without the use of spaces.
The network prefix should be specified by a network administrator. The network prefix must be
entered using CIDR notation; valid values are 1 - 24.
13. Click Next.
14. Review your template selections. Click Finish to exit the wizard and to start deployment of the OVF
template. Deployment might take significant time.
15. After the OVF template is deployed, power on your newly created virtual machine. You can power on
the VM from the vSphere Client.
Important: The VM must remain powered on for the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus application to be
accessible.
16. Record the IP address of the newly created VM.
The IP address is required to access and register the vSnap server. Find the IP address in vSphere
Client by clicking the VM and reviewing the Summary tab.

What to do next
After you install the vSnap server, complete the following action:

Action How to
Add the vSnap server to IBM Spectrum Protect See Chapter 4, “Managing vSnap servers,” on page
Plus and configure the vSnap environment. 73.
Configure the VADP environment. See “Setting options for VADP proxies” on page
163.

Installing a virtual vSnap server in a Hyper-V environment


To install a vSnap server in a Hyper-V environment, import a Hyper-V template. This creates a virtual
appliance containing the vSnap server on a Hyper-V virtual machine.

Before you begin


All Hyper-V servers, including cluster nodes, must have the Microsoft iSCSI initiator service running in
their Services list. Set the service to Automatic so that it is available when the machine is restarted.

Procedure
1. Download the vSnap installation file CC1QFML.exe from Passport Advantage Online. For information
about downloading files, see technote 1072392.
2. Copy the installation file to your Hyper-V server.
3. Start the installer and complete the installation steps.
4. Open Hyper-V Manager and select the required server. For Hyper-V system requirements, see
System requirements for Hyper-V on Windows Server.
5. From the Actions menu in Hyper-V Manager, click Import Virtual Machine, and then click Next. The
Locate Folder dialog opens.
6. Browse to the location of the Virtual Machines folder within the unzipped vSnap folder. Click Next.
The Select Virtual Machine dialog opens.
7. Select vSnap, and then click Next. The Choose Import Type dialog opens.
8. Choose the following import type: Register the virtual machine in place. Click Next.

Chapter 3. Installing vSnap servers 69


9. If the Connect Network dialog opens, specify the virtual switch to use, and then click Next. The
Completing Import dialog opens.
10. Review the description, and then click Finish to complete the import process and close the Import
Virtual Machine wizard. The virtual machine is imported.
11. Right-click the newly deployed VM, and then click Settings.
12. Under the section named IDE Controller 0, select Hard Drive.
13. Click Edit, and then click Next.
14. In the Choose Action screen, choose Convert then click Next.
15. For the Disk Format, select VHDX.
16. For the Disk Type, select Fixed Size.
17. For the Configure Disk option, give the disk a new name and optionally, a new location.
18. Review the description, and then click Finish to complete the conversion.
19. Click Browse, and then locate and select the newly created VHDX.
20. Repeat steps 12 through 18 for each disk under the SCSI Controller section.
21. Power on the VM from Hyper-V Manager. If prompted, select the option where the kernel starts in
rescue mode.
22. Use Hyper-V Manager to identify the IP address of the new virtual machine if automatically assigned.
To assign a static IP to the virtual machine using NetworkManager Text User Interface, see the
following section.
23. If the address of the new VM is automatically assigned, use Hyper-V Manager to identify the IP
address. To assign a static IP to a VM, use the NetworkManager Text User Interface (nmtui) tool. For
instructions, see “Assigning a static IP address” on page 62.

What to do next
After you install the vSnap server, complete the following action:

Action How to
Add the vSnap server to IBM Spectrum Protect See Chapter 4, “Managing vSnap servers,” on page
Plus and configure the vSnap environment. 73.

Uninstalling a vSnap server


You can remove a vSnap server from your IBM Spectrum Protect Plus environment.

Before you begin


Ensure that no jobs use SLA policies that define the vSnap server as a backup location. To view the SLA
policies that are associated with jobs, see the Backup page for the hypervisor or application that is
scheduled for backup. For example, for VMware backup jobs, click Manage Protection > Hypervisors >
VMware.

Procedure
1. Log on to the vSnap server console with the user ID serveradmin. The initial password is sppDP758-
SysXyz. You are prompted to change this password during the first logon. Certain rules are enforced
when creating a new password. For more information, see the password requirement rules in “Start
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus” on page 91.
You can also use a user ID that has vSnap administrator privileges that you create by using the vsnap
user create command. For more information about using console commands, see “vSnap server
administration reference ” on page 83.
2. Run the following commands:

systemctl stop vsnap


yum remove vsnap

70 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


3. Optional: If you do not plan to reinstall the vSnap server after it is uninstalled, remove the data and
configuration by running the following commands:

rm -rf /etc/vsnap
rm -rf /etc/nginx
rm -rf /etc/uwsgi.d
rm -f /etc/uwsgi.ini

4. Reboot the system to ensure kernel modules are unloaded and detach the data disks containing vSnap
pool data.
Note: To uninstall IBM Spectrum Protect Plus in a Hyper-V environment, delete the IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus appliance from Hyper-V and then delete the installation directory.

Results
After a vSnap server is uninstalled, the configuration is retained in the /etc/vsnap directory. The
configuration is reused if the vSnap server is reinstalled. The configuration is removed if you ran the
optional commands to remove the configuration data.

Chapter 3. Installing vSnap servers 71


72 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide
Chapter 4. Managing vSnap servers
To enable backup and restore jobs, at least one IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance and at least
one vSnap server is required. The vSnap server can be located on the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
appliance or on its own appliance, or it can be a physical vSnap installation. Each vSnap server location
must be added so that IBM Spectrum Protect Plus recognizes it.

Adding a vSnap server as a backup storage provider


The onboard vSnap server is registered in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus when the appliance is deployed.
You must add any additional servers that are installed on either virtual or physical appliances so that they
are recognized by IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.

Before you begin


After you add a vSnap server as a backup storage provider, you might have to configure and administer
certain aspects of vSnap, such as network configuration or storage pool management. For more
information, see “vSnap server administration reference ” on page 83.

Procedure
To add a vSnap server as a backup storage device, complete the following steps:
1. Log on to the vSnap server console with the user ID serveradmin. The initial password is sppDP758-
SysXyz.
You are prompted to change this password during the first logon. Certain rules are enforced when
creating a new password. For more information, see the password requirement rules in “Start IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus” on page 91.
2. Run the vsnap user create command to create a user name and password for the vSnap server.
3. Start the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user interface by entering the host name or IP address of the
virtual machine where IBM Spectrum Protect Plus is deployed in a supported browser.
4. In the navigation pane, click System Configuration > Backup Storage > Disk.
5. Click Add Disk Storage.
6. Complete the fields in the Storage Properties pane:
Hostname/IP
Enter the resolvable IP address or hostname of the backup storage.
Site
Select a site for the backup storage. Available options are Primary, Secondary, or Add a new site.
If more than one primary, secondary, or user-defined site is available to IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus, the site with the largest amount of available storage is used first.
Username
Enter the user name for the vSnap server that you created in step “2” on page 73.
Password
Enter the password for the user.
7. Click Save.
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus confirms a network connection and adds the backup storage device to the
database.

What to do next
After you add a backup storage provider, take the following actions:

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2017, 2020 73


Action How to
Initialize the vSnap server. See “Initializing the vSnap server” on page 80.
Expand the vSnap storage pool. See “Expanding a vSnap storage pool” on page
81.
If necessary, configure and administer certain “vSnap server administration reference ” on page
aspects of vSnap, such as network configuration or 83
storage pool management.

Related tasks
“Start IBM Spectrum Protect Plus” on page 91
Start IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to begin using the application and its features.

Editing settings for a vSnap server


You can edit the configuration settings for a vSnap server to reflect changes in your IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus environment.

Procedure
To edit the settings for a vSnap server, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click System Configuration > Backup Storage > Disk.
2. Click the edit icon that is associated with a vSnap server.
The Edit Storage pane is displayed.
3. Revise the vSnap server settings, and then click Save.

Deleting a vSnap server


You can delete a vSnap server that is no longer used in your IBM Spectrum Protect Plus environment.

Before you begin


When a vSnap server is deleted, all recovery points that are associated with the vSnap server are purged
from IBM Spectrum Protect Plus during the next maintenance job.
Attention: Deletion of a vSnap server can result in loss of data.

Before you delete a vSnap server, review the scenarios to determine whether deletion is appropriate or
whether other action must be taken.
Scenario 1: The vSnap server is temporarily down due to storage or network issues.
• Do not delete the vSnap server. If you delete the vSnap server, recovery points that are associated with
the server will be purged and backups will be rebased.
• Complete the necessary storage or network maintenance to bring the vSnap server back online.
Scenario 2: The vSnap server is assigned a new host name or IP address.
• Do not delete the vSnap server. If you delete the vSnap server, recovery points that are associated with
the server will be purged and backups will be rebased.
• Edit the settings for the vSnap server to specify the new host name or IP address. To edit the settings
for a vSnap server, follow the instructions “Editing settings for a vSnap server” on page 74.
Scenario 3: The vSnap server is not in use, and there are no plans to reuse it.
• Delete the vSnap server and run a maintenance job to ensure that recovery points that are associated
with the vSnap server are purged from IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
– Incremental backups of the data that was present on the vSnap server will no longer be possible.
– Recovering data that was present on the vSnap server will no longer be possible.

74 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


• Subsequent runs of backup jobs will automatically create new volumes on another vSnap server in the
same site and will perform new base backups.
Scenario 4: The vSnap pool is lost and you want to build a new pool on the same vSnap server.
1. Delete the vSnap server and run a maintenance job to ensure that recovery points that are associated
with the old vSnap pool are purged from IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
• Incremental backups of the data that was present in the old pool will no longer be possible.
• Recovering data that was present in the old pool will no longer be possible.
2. On the vSnap server, create a pool.
3. Add the vSnap server back into IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. To add a vSnap server to IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus, see “Adding a vSnap server as a backup storage provider” on page 73.
• Subsequent runs of backup jobs will automatically create volumes on this or another vSnap server in
the same site and will perform new base backups.
Scenario 5: The vSnap pool or server is lost and you intend to repair it. This can be achieved by replicating
data from a vSnap replication server.
• Do not delete the vSnap server from IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. The deletion process will cause
backups to be rebased.
• Replace the vSnap server. For information about replacing a failed, primary vSnap server, see
“Replacing a failed vSnap server” on page 83.

Procedure
To delete a vSnap server, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click System Configuration > Backup Storage > Disk.
2. Click the delete icon that is associated with a vSnap server.
3. Click Yes to delete the server from IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.

Configuring backup storage options


You can configure additional storage-related options for your primary and secondary backup storage
hosts.

Procedure
To configure backup storage options for your registered disks, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click System Configuration , Backup Storage > Disk.
The Disk Storage table lists the hostname of primary and secondary sites with the version and the
capacity usage.
2. In the Disk Storage pane, click the manage icon that is associated with the disk that you want to
update.
3. Select from the storage options as shown.

Chapter 4. Managing vSnap servers 75


Enable Compression: Select this option to compress each incoming block of data by using a
compression algorithm before the data is written to the storage pool. Compression consumes a
moderate amount of additional CPU resources.
Enable Deduplication: Select this option so that each incoming block of data is hashed and compared
against existing blocks in the storage pool. If compression is enabled, the data is compared after it is
compressed. Duplicate blocks are skipped instead of being written to the pool. Deduplication is
deselected by default because it consumes a large amount of memory resources (proportional to the
amount of data in the pool) to maintain the deduplication table of block hashes.
Encryption Enabled: This option displays the encryption status of the primary or secondary backup
storage host. Encryption can be enabled only during vSnap initialization. This option cannot be
changed in this pane.
4. Click Save.

Adding new disks to backup storage


If you require more space for backup operations in a selected storage pool, you can add unused disk
storage. This applies to primary and secondary backup storage.

Procedure
To add new unused disks to a disk storage pool, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation, click System Configuration , Backup Storage > Disk.
2. In the Disk Storage pane, click the manage icon that is associated with the server that you want to
edit.
3. Select a disk to add to your storage environment from the list of available disks in the Add New Disks
to Backup Storage table.

76 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


4. Click Save.

Configuring backup storage partners


You can configure your backup storage primary and secondary sites to establish replication partnerships
with other sites to extend your environment. After you configure replication partners, you can copy data
from one site to another for an added layer of data protection.

Procedure
To add partners to your a server in your storage environment, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation, click System Configuration , Backup Storage > Disk.
Configured partners that are already added are listed in the table.
2. In the Partners pane, select a partner to add to you primary or secondary backup storage host from
the drop-down menu.

3. Click Add Partner to add the partner and close the window.

Configuring an Active Directory


You can associate your primary and secondary backup storage with an active directory domain. When the
primary or secondary host is added to a domain, any Microsoft SQL Server log backup jobs that are
associated with that host will use domain authentication to mount the log backup volume. In this way,
you can avoid the requirement to use a local staging area on the application server when for log backup
operations.

Chapter 4. Managing vSnap servers 77


Before you begin
You might have to configure the Domain Name System (DNS) server so that the domain controller is
available to the network and can be associated with the primary or secondary host.

Procedure
To add an Active Directory for backup and restore operations, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click System Configuration , Backup Storage > Disk.
2. On the Active Directory tab, click the manage icon that is associated with the primary or secondary
host that you want to edit.
3. Enter the domain name of the Active Directory, along with the user name and password for the Active
Directory adminsitrraro as shown in the following picture.

4. Click Join.

Configuring advanced storage options


You can set advanced storage-related options for the primary or secondary backup storage in your
environment.

Procedure
To configure advanced options for your backup storage, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click System Configuration , Backup Storage > Disk.
2. In the Manage Backup Storage pane, click the manage icon that is associated with the host that
you are managing.
3. On the Advanced Options tab, configure advanced options as shown in the following example:

78 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Figure 5. Manage backup storage advanced options.

• Concurrent stream limit for copy to archive object storage: This value defines the maximum
number of concurrent streams that are used by this backup host when you are copying data to
archive Object Storage.
• Concurrent stream limit for copy to standard object storage: This value defines the maximum
number of concurrent streams that are used by this backup host when you are copying data to
standard Object Storage.
• Concurrent stream limit for replication: This value defines the maximum number of concurrent
streams that are used by this backup host when you are replicating data to other backup hosts.
• Rate limit per stream in bytes/second for copy to standard object storage: This value defines the
maximum transfer rate in bytes per second that the backup host uses for each data stream when you
are copying data to standard Object Storage. The specified value is the maximum in the absence of
any other limiting factors. The actual rate of each data stream can be less than this value and
depends on available system resources, network conditions, and any bandwidth throttling defined in
site options.
• Rate limit per stream in bytes/second for replication: This value defines the maximum transfer
rate in bytes per second that the backup host uses for each data stream when you are replicating.
The specified value is the maximum in the absence of any other limiting factors. The actual rate of
each data stream can be less than this value and depends on available system resources, network
conditions, and any bandwidth throttling defined in site options.
• Retrieval tier for restore from AWS archive object storage (Bulk, Standard, or Expedited): This
value specifies the retrieval tier that is used by this backup host during restore operations from
Amazon Glacier archive Object Storage. This value must be specified as Bulk, Standard, or
Expedited. The retrieval tier can be modified to achieve faster restore operation times at the cost
of higher data charges. For information about the available retrieval tier options and associated
pricing, see the Amazon Web Services documentation.
• Concurrent Backup: This option specifies the maximum number of parallel backup streams to the
host when multiple jobs that run concurrently. For application backup operations, each database is
treated as a single stream. For hypervisor backup operations, each virtual disk is treated as a single
stream. The concurrent backup options can be used to prevent multiple or large SLA policies from
sending too many data streams to a small backup host that cannot accommodate the load. To
reduce processing time for backup operations, set this option to one of the following options:

Chapter 4. Managing vSnap servers 79


Unlimited: an unlimited number of concurrent backup streams can run.
Pause: to pause the use of this backup host. Jobs attempting to utilize this backup host will
pause while this setting is selected. This option should be used in situations where the backup
host requires emergency maintenance and will temporarily prevent it from being used by any
jobs.
Limit: to set a maximum limit on the number of backup streams that can run concurrently. Enter
a numerical value specifying the maximum number of concurrent streams.
Tip: When you change an option value, the new value is applied when you click into the next option
field. Alongside the updated option, the following message is displayed, .
4. Click Close.

Initializing the vSnap server


The initialization process prepares a new vSnap server for use by loading and configuring software
components and initializing the internal configuration. This is a one-time process that you must run only
for new installations.

About this task


As part of the initialization process, vSnap creates a storage pool using any available unused disks on the
system. The OVA-based deployments of vSnap each contain a default 100 GB unused virtual disk which is
used to create the pool.
If no unused disks are found, the initialization process completes without creating a pool.
For information about how to expand, create, and administer storage pools, see “Storage management”
on page 84.
You can use the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user interface or the vSnap server console to initialize vSnap
servers.
For servers that are deployed in a virtual environment, the user interface provides a simple method to run
the initialization operation.
For servers that are deployed in a physical environment, the vSnap server console offers more options for
initializing the server, including the ability to create a storage pool by using advanced redundancy options
and a specific list of disks.

Completing a simple initialization


To prepare a vSnap server for use, you must initialize the vSnap server. Use the IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus to initialize a vSnap server that is deployed in a virtual environment.

About this task


For the onboard vSnap installation that is registered as part of an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus installation,
you are prompted to start the initialization process the first time you log in to the user interface. No
further steps are required.

Procedure
To initialize a vSnap server by using the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user interface, complete the following
steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click System Configuration > Backup Storage > Disk.
2. From the Actions menu that is associated with the server, select the initialization method:
Initialize with Encryption
Enable encryption of backup data on the vSnap server.

80 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Initialize
Initialize the vSnap server without encryption enabled.
The initialization process runs in the background and requires no further user interaction. The process
might take 5 - 10 minutes to complete.

Completing an advanced initialization


Use the vSnap server console to initialize a vSnap server that is deployed in a physical environment.
Initializing by using the vSnap server console offers more options for initializing the server, including the
ability to create a storage pool by using advanced redundancy options and a specific list of disks.

Procedure
To initialize a vSnap server by using the vSnap server console, complete the following steps:
1. Log in to the vSnap server console with the user ID serveradmin. The initial password is sppDP758-
SysXyz. You are prompted to change this password during the first logon. Certain rules are enforced
when creating a new password. For more information, see the password requirement rules in “Start
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus” on page 91.
You can also use a user ID that has vSnap admin privileges that you create by using the vsnap user
create command. For more information about using console commands, see “vSnap server
administration reference ” on page 83.
2. Run the vsnap system init --skip_pool command. The command requires no further
interaction and completes all initialization tasks except for the creation of a storage pool. The process
might take 5 - 10 minutes to complete.

What to do next
After you complete the initialization, complete the following action:

Action How to
Create a storage pool See “Storage management” on page 84.

Expanding a vSnap storage pool


If IBM Spectrum Protect Plus reports that a vSnap server is reaching its storage capacity, the vSnap
storage pool must be expanded. To expand a vSnap storage pool, you must first add virtual or physical
disks on the vSnap server, either by adding virtual disks to the vSnap virtual machine or adding physical
disks to the vSnap physical server. See the vSphere documentation for information about creating
additional virtual disks.

Before you begin


Virtual or physical disks must be added to the vSnap server prior to this procedure. Expanding existing
volumes is not supported.

Procedure
To expand a vSnap storage pool, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click System Configuration > Backup Storage > Disk.
2. Select Actions > Rescan for the vSnap server that you want to rescan.
3. Click the manage icon that is associated with the vSnap server, and then expand the Add New
Disks to Backup Storage section.
4. Add and save the selected disks. The vSnap pool expands by the size of the disks that are added.

Chapter 4. Managing vSnap servers 81


Establishing a replication partnership for a vSnap server
By using backup storage replication, you can asynchronously backup data from one vSnap server to
another.

Before you begin


All vSnap servers must be at the same version level for replication to function. Replication between
different versions is not supported.

Procedure
To establish a replication partnership, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click System Configuration > Backup Storage > Disk.
2. Click the manage icon that is associated with the vSnap server that you want to add a replication
partnership to, and then expand the Configure Storage Partners section.
3. Click the add icon .
4. From the Select Partner list, select a vSnap server with which to establish a replication partnership.
5. Click Add Partner.

What to do next
After you create a replication partnership, complete the following action to enable replication:

Action How to
Select the Backup Storage Replication option in See “Creating an SLA policy” on page 145
the SLA policy that is associated with the backup
job.

Changing the throughput rate


Change the throughput for site replication and copy operations so that you can manage your network
activity on a defined schedule.

Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, click System Configuration > Site to open the Site Properties pane.

2. Click the edit icon that is associated with the site for which you want to change the throughput.
3. Click Enable Throttle.
The rate of the throughput is displayed in MB/s.
4. Adjust the throughput:
• Change the rate of throughput with the up and down arrows.
• Change the data value. The choices include Bytes/s, KB/s, MB/s, or GB/s.

82 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Figure 6. Enabling different throttles for different times to improve throughput
5. Select times for the changed throughput in the weekly schedule table, or specify a day and time for the
changed rate.
Note: To clear a timeslot, click the timeslot. The scheduled selections are listed underneath the
schedule table.
6. Click Save to commit the changes and close the panel.

Replacing a failed vSnap server


In an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus environment, the target vSnap server is the destination for backing up
data. If the vSnap server becomes corrupted or fails to respond, you can replace the vSnap server with a
new server and recover the stored data.

Before you begin


Important: Do not unregister the failed vSnap server from IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. The failed server
must remain registered for the replacement procedure to work correctly.
One or more active, initialized vSnap replica servers must exist in the environment to successfully
complete this process.

About this task


The procedure for replacing a failed vSnap server is documented in technote 1103847.

vSnap server administration reference


After the vSnap server is installed, registered, and initialized, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus automatically
manages its use as a backup target. Volumes and snapshots are created and managed automatically
based on the SLA policies that are defined in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
You might have to configure and administer certain aspects of vSnap, such as network configuration or
storage pool management.

Chapter 4. Managing vSnap servers 83


Managing vSnap by using the command line interface
The vSnap command-line interface is the primary means of administering vSnap. Run the vsnap
command to access the command line interface. The command can be invoked by the user ID
serveradmin or any other operating system user who has vSnap admin privileges. Use the vsnap user
create command to create additional operating system users that have these privileges. The initial
serveradmin password is sppDP758-SysXyz. You are prompted to change this password during the
first logon. Certain rules are enforced when creating a new password. For more information, see the
password requirement rules in “Start IBM Spectrum Protect Plus” on page 91.
The command line interface consists of several commands and sub-commands that manage various
aspects of the system. See “Storage management” on page 84 and “Network management” on page
86 for details on using these commands. You can also pass the --help flag to any command or
subcommand to view usage help, for example, vsnap --help or vsnap pool create --help.

Managing vSnap by using the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user interface
Some of the most common operations can also be completed from the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user
interface. Log in to the user interface and click System Configuration > Backup Storage > Disk in the
navigation pane. Click the manage icon for a vSnap server to edit its settings.
Related tasks
“Managing vSnap servers” on page 73
To enable backup and restore jobs, at least one IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance and at least
one vSnap server is required. The vSnap server can be located on the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
appliance or on its own appliance, or it can be a physical vSnap installation. Each vSnap server location
must be added so that IBM Spectrum Protect Plus recognizes it.
“Configuring advanced storage options” on page 78
You can set advanced storage-related options for the primary or secondary backup storage in your
environment.

Storage management
You can configure and administer storage pools for a vSnap server.

Managing disks
vSnap creates a storage pool using disks provisioned to the vSnap server. In the case of virtual
deployments, the disks can be RDM or virtual disks provisioned from datastores on any backing storage.
In the case of physical deployments, the disks can be local or SAN storage attached to the physical
server. The local disks may already have external redundancy enabled via a hardware RAID controller, but
if not, vSnap can also create RAID-based storage pools for internal redundancy.
Disks that are attached to vSnap servers must be thick provisioned. If disks are thin provisioned, the
vSnap server will not have an accurate view of free space in the storage pool, which might lead to data
corruption if the underlying datastore runs out of space.
Attention: Once a disk has been added to a storage pool, it should not be removed. Removing a
disk will corrupt the storage pool.
If vSnap was deployed as part of a virtual appliance, it already contains a 100 GB starter virtual disk that
can be used to create a pool. You can add more disks before or after creating a pool and accordingly use
them to create a larger pool or expand an existing pool. If job logs report that a vSnap server is reaching
its storage capacity, additional disks can be added to the vSnap pool. Alternatively, creating new SLA
policies will force backups to use an alternate vSnap.
It is essential to protect against corruption caused by a VMware datastore on a vSnap server reaching its
capacity. Create a stable environment for virtual vSnap servers that do not use RAID configurations by
utilizing thick provisioned VMDKs. Replicating to external vSnap servers provides further protection.
A vSnap server will become invalidated if the vSnap pool is deleted or if a vSnap disk is deleted in a non-
redundant RAID configuration. All data on the vSnap server will be lost. If your vSnap server becomes

84 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


invalidated you must unregister the vSnap server using the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus interface, then run
the maintenance job. Once complete, the vSnap server can be re-registered.

Managing encryption
To enable encryption of backup data on a vSnap server, select Initialize with encryption enabled when
you initialize the server. Encryption settings cannot be changed after the server is initialized and a pool is
created. All disks of a vSnap pool use the same encryption key file, which is generated upon pool creation.
Data is encrypted when at rest on the vSnap server.
vSnap encryption utilizes the following algorithm:
Cipher name
Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)
Cipher mode
xts-plain64
Key
256 bits
Linux Unified Key Setup (LUKS) header hashing
sha256

Managing encryption keys


The disk encryption key files generated upon pool creation are stored under the directory /etc/vsnap/
keys/ on each vSnap server. For disaster recovery purposes, back up the key files manually outside the
vSnap server. After a pool is created, use the following commands as the serveradmin user to copy them
to a temporary location and then copy them to a desired, secure backup location outside the vSnap host.
mkdir /tmp/keybackup-$(hostname)
sudo cp -r /etc/vsnap/keys /tmp/keybackup-$(hostname)

Detecting disks
If you add disks to a vSnap server, use the command line or the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user interface
to detect the newly attached disks.
Command line: Run the vsnap disk rescan command.
User interface: Click System Configuration > Backup Storage > Disk in the navigation pane, and then
click the Actions menu next to the relevant vSnap server and select Rescan.

Showing disks
Run the vsnap disk show command to list all disks that are on the vSnap system,
The USED AS column in the output shows whether each disk is in use. Any disk that is unformatted and
unpartitioned is marked as unused, otherwise they are marked as used by the partition table or file
system that is discovered on them.
Only disks that are marked as unused are eligible for creating or adding to a storage pool. If a disk that
you plan to add to a storage pool is not seen as unused by vSnap, it might be because it was previously in
use and thus contains remnants of an older partition table or file system. You can correct this by using
system commands like parted or dd to wipe the disk partition table.

Showing storage pool information


Run the vsnap pool show command to view information about each storage pool.

Chapter 4. Managing vSnap servers 85


Creating a storage pool
If you completed the simple initialization procedure described in “Completing a simple initialization” on
page 80, a storage pool was created automatically and the information in this section is not applicable.
To complete an advanced initialization, use the vsnap pool create command to create a storage pool
manually. Before you run the command, ensure that one or more unused disks are available as described
in “Showing disks” on page 85. For information about available options, pass the --help flag for any
command or subcommand.
Specify a user-friendly display name for the pool and a list of one or more disks. If no disks are specified,
all available unused disks are used. You can choose to enable compression and deduplication for the pool
during creation. You can also update the compression/deduplication settings at a later time by using the
vsnap pool update command.
The pool type that you specify during the creation of the storage pool dictates the redundancy of the pool:
raid0
This is the default option when no pool type is specified. In this case vSnap assumes your disks have
external redundancy, for example, if you use virtual disks on a datastore backed by redundant
storage. In this case, the storage pool will have no internal redundancy.
Once a disk has been added to a raid0 pool it cannot be removed. Disconnecting the disk will result in
the pool becoming unavailable, which can be resolved only by destroying and recreating the pool.
raid5
When you select this option, the pool is comprised of one or more RAID5 groups each consisting of
three or more disks. The number of RAID5 groups and the number of disks in each group depends on
the total number of disks you specify during pool creation. Based on the number of available disks,
vSnap chooses values that maximize total capacity while also ensuring optimal redundancy of vital
metadata.
raid6
When you select this option, the pool is comprised of one or more RAID6 groups each consisting of
four or more disks. The number of RAID6 groups and the number of disks in each group depends on
the total number of disks that you specify during pool creation. Based on the number of available
disks, vSnap chooses values that maximize total capacity while also ensuring optimal redundancy of
vital metadata.

Expanding a storage pool


Before expanding a pool, ensure that one or more unused disks are available as described in “Showing
disks” on page 85.
Use the command line or the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user interface to expand a storage pool.
Command line: Run the vsnap pool expand command. For information about available options, pass
the --help flag for any command or subcommand.
User interface: Click System Configuration > Backup Storage > Disk in the navigation pane. Click the
manage icon for a vSnap server to manage it, and then expand the Add New Disks tab. The tab
displays all unused disks discovered on the system. Select one or more disks and click Save to add them
to the storage pool.

Network management
Configure and administer network services for a vSnap server.

Showing network interface information


Run the vsnap network show command to list network interfaces and the services that are associated
with each interface.
By default, the following vSnap services are available of all network interfaces:

86 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


mgmt
This service is used for management traffic between IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and vSnap.
nfs
This service is used for data traffic when backing up data using NFS.
iscsi
This service is used for data traffic when backing up data using iSCSI.
smb
This service is used for data traffic when backing up data using SMB/CIFS.
repl
This service is used for data traffic between vSnap servers during replication.

Modifying services associated with network interfaces


Run the vsnap network update command to modify services that are associated with an interface. For
example, if you are using a dedicated interface for data traffic to improve performance.
The following options are required:
--id <id>
Enter the ID of the interface to update.
--services <services>
Specify all or a comma-separated list of services to enable on the interface. The following are valid
values: mgmt, nfs, smb, and iscsi.
If a service is available on more than one interface, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus can use any one of the
interfaces.
Ensure that the mgmt service remains enabled on the interface that was used to register the vSnap server
in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.

Preventing job failures by synchronizing vSnap and CIFS passwords


Communications between a vSnap server and a Common Internet File System (CIFS) share can be
disrupted if credentials are shared, but passwords are out of sync. To prevent jobs from failing, you must
synchronize the vSnap and CIFS passwords.

About this task


When you synchronize credentials, the vSnap password is changed to the CIFS share password. In the
procedure, the user name vsnapuser is used as an example.

Procedure
1. Log on to the vSnap server console with the user ID serveradmin. The initial password is sppDP758.
2. Update the operating system credentials that are used for communication management with the
vSnap API by opening a command prompt and issuing the following command.

sudo passwd vsnapuser

3. Using the same password from Step 2, update the CIFS credentials that are used for communication
on the vSnap server by issuing the following command:

sudo smbpasswd vsnapuser

4. Update the vSnap server registration in the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance. Set the Password
parameter to match the new password. For more information on editing vSnap settings, see “Editing
settings for a vSnap server” on page 74.

Chapter 4. Managing vSnap servers 87


Results
Communication between the vSnap server and CIFS shares is established after password
resynchronization. Rerun any jobs that failed because the passwords were not synchronized.

Installing kernel headers and tools


Kernel headers and tools are not installed by default. If you plan to compile and use custom drivers,
modules, or other software, install the appropriate kernel header or tool on the vSnap server.

About this task


When vSnap is installed or updated, Linux kernel Version 4.19.xxxx is installed by default. If you opt out of
the kernel upgrade to V4.19.xxxx and remain on the V3.10.xxxx, a kernel V3.10.xxxx that is compatible
with the vSnap server is installed and used. In both cases, kernel headers and tools associated with the
kernel are not installed. If you plan to compile or use customer drivers, modules or other software, you
must install the kernel packages. The Red Hat Package Manager (RPM) installers for the kernel headers
and tools are available in the vSnap installation directory.

Procedure

1. Log on to the vSnap server as the serveradmin user. The initial password is sppDP758-SysXyz. You
are prompted to change this password during the first logon. Certain rules are enforced when creating
a new password. For more information, see the password requirement rules in “Start IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus” on page 91.
2. To determine the Linux kernel version, open a command line and issue the following command:

$ uname -r

The output is displayed, where xxxx represents the revision number of the kernel:

$ 4.19.xxxx

3. After the kernel version is determined, navigate to the appropriate directory.


For kernel version 4.19.xxxx, navigate to this directory:

$ cd /opt/vsnap/config/pkgs/kernel-ml/

For kernel version 3.10.xxxx, navigate to this directory:

$ cd /opt/vsnap/config/pkgs/kernel/

4. In the directory, locate the xxxxxxxx.rpm file, which is the package to be installed. To install the
kernel header or tool, issue the following command:

$ sudo yum localinstall xxxxxxxx.rpm

Results
The kernel header or tool is installed.

88 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Chapter 5. Getting off to a quick start
To start using IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, you must complete steps that include defining resources that
you want to protect and creating service level agreement (SLA) policies, also known as backup policies,
for those resources. This getting started section provides the basic steps to set up and start using IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus to back up data. Other tasks such as copying and restoring data are discussed in
detail in other areas of the documentation.
Before you start, ensure that you followed the instructions in the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Blueprints to
determine how to size, build, and place the components in your IBM Spectrum Protect Plus environment
and that the tasks listed in the “Product deployment roadmap” on page 11 are complete.
As shown in the following table, the initial installation and configuration tasks are completed by the IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus infrastructure administrator. By default, the admin user account is created for use
by the infrastructure administrator to start the application for the first time.
Then, hypervisor and database application backup and restore tasks are completed by the application
administrator. However, a single administrator might be responsible for all tasks in your environment.

Action Owner Description


Start IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Infrastructure administrator and The infrastructure administrator
application administrator starts the application for the first
time by using the default admin
user account with the password
password. The administrator is
prompted to reset the user name
for this account after logging in.
The administrator cannot reset
the user name to admin, root,
or test.
After the initial startup, the
application administrator can
start the application by using this
user account or another account
that the infrastructure
administrator creates.

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2017, 2020 89


Action Owner Description
“Manage sites” on page 92 Infrastructure administrator A site is used to group vSnap
servers based on a physical or
logical location to help quickly
identify and interact with backup
data. A site is assigned to a
vSnap server when the server is
added to IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus.
The default sites are named
Primary and Secondary, but a
custom site can also be created
and assigned when the vSnap
server is added.
Before continuing to the
following actions, review the
available sites and determine
whether you want to add new
sites or modify the existing ones.

Create backup policies Infrastructure administrator Backup policies define the


parameters that are applied to
backup jobs. These parameters
include the frequency and
retention of backups and the
options to replicate data from
one vSnap server to another and
to copy backup data to secondary
backup storage for longer-term
protection.
Backup policies also define the
target site to for backing up data.
A site can contain one or more
vSnap servers.
Backup policies are called SLA
policies in IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus.

Create a user account for the Infrastructure administrator User accounts determine the
application administrator resources and functions that are
available to the user.

Add resources to protect Application administrator Resources are servers for


hypervisors or database
applications that host data that
you want to protect.
Add resources to a job definition Application administrator Job definitions associate the
resources that you want to
protect with one or more SLA
policies. The options and
schedules that are defined in the
SLA policies are used for backup
jobs for the resources.

90 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Action Owner Description
Start a backup job Application administrator Backup jobs are started as
defined in the SLA policy that is
associated with the job definition.
You can also manually start a job.
Run a report Application administrator IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
provides a number of predefined
reports that you can run with
default parameters or modify to
create custom reports.

Start IBM Spectrum Protect Plus


Start IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to begin using the application and its features.

Procedure
To start IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, complete the following steps:
1. In a supported web browser, enter the following URL:

https://host_name

Where host_name is the IP address of the virtual machine where the application is deployed. This
connects you to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
2. Enter your user name and password to log on.
If this is your first time logging on, the default user name is admin and the password is password. You
are prompted to reset the default user name and password. You cannot reset the user name to admin,
root, or test.
3. Click Sign In.
4. If you are logging on to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus for the first time, you are prompted to complete the
following actions:
• Change the serveradmin password. The initial password is sppDP758-SysXyz. The
serveradmin user is used to access the administrative console and the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
virtual appliance. The the password for serveradmin must be changed before accessing the
administrative console and IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance.
The following rules are enforced when creating a new password:
– The minimum acceptable password length is 15 characters.
– There must be eight characters in the new password that are not present in the previous
password.
– The new password must contain at least one character from each of the classes (numbers,
uppercase letters, lowercase letters, and other).
– The maximum number of identical consecutive characters that are allowed in the new password is
three characters.
– The maximum number of identical consecutive class of characters that are allowed in the new
password is four characters.
• Start the initialization process for the onboard vSnap server. Select Initialize or Inititalize with
encryption enabled to encrypt data on the server.

Chapter 5. Getting off to a quick start 91


Manage sites
A site is used to group vSnap servers based on a physical or logical location to help quickly identify and
interact with backup data. A site is assigned to a vSnap server when the server is added to IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus.

About this task


A site is assigned to a vSnap server when the server is added to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. Review the
available sites by clicking System Configuration > Site in the navigation pane and decide whether you
want to add new sites or edit the existing ones for your vSnap servers.
Note: You can change the site name and other options for the default Primary and Secondary sites.
The Demo site is available only for the onboard vSnap server. You cannot use this site with any other
vSnap server.

Procedure
To add or edit a site, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click System Configuration > Site.
2. To add new sites or edit existing sites, take the appropriate action:

Action How to
Add a new site. a. Click Add Site.
b. Enter a site name.
c. Optional: Select Enable Throttle to manage
the throughput for site replication and copy
operations as described in “Adding a site” on
page 125.
d. Click Save.

Edit a site. a. Click Edit Site.

b. Click the edit icon that is associated with a


site.
c. Optional: Select Enable Throttle to manage
the throughput for site replication and copy
operations as described in “Editing a site” on
page 126.
d. Click Save.

Related concepts
“Product components” on page 1
The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus solution is provided as a self-contained virtual appliance that includes
storage and data movement components.
“Managing sites” on page 125

92 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


A site is an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus policy construct that is used to manage the placement of data in
an environment.

Create backup policies


Backup policies, which are also referred to as service level agreement (SLA) policies, define parameters
that are applied to backup jobs. These parameters include the frequency and retention of backups.

About this task


The three default SLA policies are Gold, Silver, and Bronze. You can use these policies as they are or
modify the policies. You can also create custom SLA policies.
If a virtual machine is associated with multiple SLA policies, ensure that the policies are not scheduled to
run concurrently. Either schedule the SLA policies to run with a significant amount of time between them,
or combine them into a single SLA policy.
For example purposes, this task does not include instructions for enabling replication for vSnap servers or
for copying data to secondary backup storage, which are optional features. For information about how to
set up these features in the SLA policy, see “Creating an SLA policy” on page 145.
Backup copies of data are called snapshots.

Procedure
To create an SLA policy, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Policy Overview.
2. Click Add SLA Policy.
The New SLA Policy pane is displayed.
3. In the Name field, enter a name that provides a meaningful description of the SLA policy.
4. In the Operational Protection section under Main Policy, set the following options for backup
operations. These operations occur on the vSnap servers that are defined in the System Configuration
> Backup Storage > Disk window.
Retention
Specify the retention period for the backup snapshots.
Disable Schedule
Select this check box to create the main policy without defining a frequency or start time. Policies
created without a schedule can be run on-demand.
Frequency
Enter the frequency for backup operations.
Start Time
Enter the date and time that you want the backup operation to start.
Target Site
Select the target backup site for backing up data.
A site can contain one or more vSnap servers. If more than one vSnap server is in a site, IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus server manages data placement in the vSnap servers.
Only sites that are associated with a vSnap server are shown in this list. Sites that are added to
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, but are not associated with a vSnap server, are not shown.
Only use encrypted disk storage
Select this check box to back up data to encrypted vSnap servers if your environment includes a
mixture of encrypted and unencrypted servers.
Restriction: If this option is selected and no encrypted vSnap servers are available, the associated
job will fail.

Chapter 5. Getting off to a quick start 93


The following example shows a new SLA policy named Copper that runs every 3 days at midnight with
a retention of 1 month:

Figure 7. Creating an SLA policy


5. Click Save. The SLA policy can now be applied to backup job definitions as shown in “Add resources to
a job definition” on page 98.
Related concepts
“Replicate backup-storage data ” on page 5
When you enable replication of backup data, data from one vSnap server is asynchronously replicated to
another vSnap server. For example, you can replicate backup data from a vSnap server on a primary site
to a vSnap server on a secondary site.
“Copy snapshots to secondary backup storage” on page 6
The vSnap server is the primary backup location for snapshots. All IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
environments have at least one vSnap server. Optionally, you can copy snapshots from a vSnap server to
secondary backup storage.
“Managing SLA policies for backup operations” on page 145

94 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Service level agreement (SLA) policies, also known as backup policies, define parameters for backup jobs.
These parameters include the frequency and retention period of backups and the option to replicate or
copy backup data. You can use predefined SLA policies, or customize them to meet your needs.

Create a user account for the application administrator


Create a user account for an administrator who can run backup and restore operations for the hypervisors
or applications that are in your environment.

Before you begin


For example purposes, the following steps show how to create an account for an individual user who is
responsible for protecting VMware data. This account uses an existing user role and resource group.
To create an account for an LDAP group, see “Creating a user account for an LDAP group” on page 373.
To create custom user roles and resource groups, see “Creating a resource group” on page 366 and
“Creating a role” on page 370

Procedure
To create an account for an application administrator, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Accounts > User.
2. Click Add User. The Add User pane is displayed.
3. Click Select the type of user or group you want to add > Individual new user.
4. Enter a name and password for the application administrator.
5. In the Assign Role section, select VM Admin.
The permissions are shown in the Permission Groups section.

Figure 8. Creating a user account and assigning a role


6. Click Continue.

Chapter 5. Getting off to a quick start 95


7. In the Add Users - Assign Resources section, select the All Resources resource group, and then click
Add resources.
The resource group is added to the Selected Resources section.

Figure 9. Selecting a resource group for the user account


8. Click Create user.
Related concepts
“Managing user access” on page 365
By using role-based access control, you can set the resources and permissions available to IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus user accounts.

Add resources to protect


Resources are servers for hypervisors or applications that host data that you want to protect. After a
resource is registered, an inventory of the resource is captured and added to the IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus inventory, enabling you to complete backup and restore jobs, as well as to run reports.

About this task


For example purposes, this task describes how to add a VMware resource. To add other resources, see
the instructions by resource type in Chapter 9, “Protecting hypervisors,” on page 151 and Chapter 10,
“Protecting applications,” on page 189.

Procedure
To add a vCenter Server instance, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Hypervisors > VMware.
2. Click Manage vCenter, and then click Add vCenter.
3. Populate the fields in the vCenter Properties section:

96 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Hostname/IP
Enter the resolvable IP address or a resolvable path and machine name.
Use existing user
Enable to select a previously entered user name and password for the vCenter Server instance.
Username
Enter your user name for the vCenter Server instance.
Password
Enter your password for the vCenter Server instance.
Port
Enter the communications port of the vCenter Server instance. Select the Use SSL check box to
enable an encrypted Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) connection. The typical default port is 80 for non
SSL connections or 443 for SSL connections.
4. In the Options section, configure the following option:
Maximum number of VMs to process concurrently per ESX server and per SLA
Set the maximum number of concurrent VM snapshots to process on the ESX server. The default
setting is 3.
The following example shows populated fields.

Figure 10. Adding a vCenter Server instance


5. Click Save.

Chapter 5. Getting off to a quick start 97


IBM Spectrum Protect Plus confirms a network connection, adds the resource to the database, and
then catalogs the resource. If a message appears indicating that the connection is unsuccessful,
review your entries. If your entries are correct and the connection is unsuccessful, contact a network
administrator to verify and possible fix the connections.

Add resources to a job definition


Before you can back up a resource, you must create a job definition that associates the resource with one
or more backup policies, also referred to as SLA policies.

About this task


For example purposes, this task describes how select an SLA policy for resources that are in a VMware
vCenter. To select a policy for other resources, see the instructions by resource type in Chapter 9,
“Protecting hypervisors,” on page 151 and Chapter 10, “Protecting applications,” on page 189.

Procedure
To select an SLA policy, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Hypervisors > VMware.
2. Select the resources that you want to back up. You can select all resources in a vCenter or drill down
to select specific resources.
Use the search function to search for available resources and toggle the displayed resources by using
the View filter. Available options are VMs and Templates, VMs, Datastore, Tags and Categories, and
Hosts and Clusters. Tags, which are applied in vSphere, make it possible assign metadata to virtual
machines.
The following example shows a specific hard disk that is selected for backup:

Figure 11. Selecting resources for backup


3. Click Select SLA Policy to add one or more SLA policies that meet your backup data criteria to the job
definition.
The following example shows the SLA policy Copper selected:

98 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Figure 12. Selecting an SLA policy
4. To create the job definition by using default options, click Save.
The job name is auto generated and is constructed of the resource type followed by the SLA policy that
is used for the job. For this example job, the name vmware_Copper is created.
5. Optional: To configure additional options, click Select Options and follow the instructions in “Backing
up VMware data” on page 155.
6. Click Save.
After the job definition is saved, available virtual machine disks (VMDKs) in a virtual machine are
discovered and are shown when VMs and Templates is selected in the View filter. By default, these
VMDKs are assigned to the same SLA policy as the virtual machine. Optionally, to define a more
granular policy by excluding individual VMDKs, follow the instructions in “Excluding VMDKs from the
SLA policy for a job” on page 159.

Results
The job runs as defined by the SLA policies that you selected, or you can manually run the job by clicking
Jobs and Operations and then clicking the Policy and Job List tab. For instructions, see “Start a backup
job” on page 99.
Related concepts
“Protecting IBM Spectrum Protect Plus” on page 341
Protect the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus application by backing up the underlying databases for disaster
recovery scenarios. Configuration settings, registered resources, restore points, backup storage settings,
and job information are backed up to a vSnap server that is defined in the associated SLA policy.

Start a backup job


You can start a backup job on demand outside of the schedule that is set by the SLA policy.

Procedure
To start a backup job on demand, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation, click Jobs and Operations, and open the Schedule tab.
If your job is not a scheduled job but is an on-demand job, click the Job History tab.
2. Choose the job that you want to run and click Actions > Start as shown in the following example:

Chapter 5. Getting off to a quick start 99


Figure 13. Starting a job
3. To view the job log in detail, click the job in the Running Jobs tab.
The log screen shows the following details:
• Status: shows whether the message is an error, warning, or an information message.
• Time: shows the time stamp of the message.
• ID: shows the unique identifier for the message if applicable.
• Description: shows what the message is.
4. You can download a job log from the page by clicking Download .zip. If you want to cancel the job,
click Actions > Cancel.
Related concepts
“Managing jobs and operations” on page 345
You can manage and monitor jobs in the Jobs and Operations window. You can also configure scripts to
run before or after jobs.

Run a report
Run reports with predefined default parameters or custom parameters.

Procedure
To run a report, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Reports and Logs > Reports.
2. Expand a report type and select a report to run as shown in the following example:

100 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Figure 14. Selecting a report to run
3. Run the report either with custom parameters or default parameters:
• To run the report with custom parameters, set the parameters in the Options section, and click Run.
Parameters are unique to each report.
• To run the report with default parameters, click Run.
Related concepts
“Managing reports and logs” on page 355
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus provides a number of predefined reports that you can customize to meet your
reporting requirements. A log of actions that users complete in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus is also
provided.

Chapter 5. Getting off to a quick start 101


102 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide
Chapter 6. Updating IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
components
You can update the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance, vSnap servers, and the VADP proxy
servers to get the latest features and enhancements. Software patches and updates are installed by using
the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus administrative console or command-line interface for these components.
For information about available update files and how to obtain them from an IBM download site, see
technote 1072392.
Before you update IBM Spectrum Protect Plus components, review the hardware and software
requirements for the components to confirm any changes that might have occurred from previous
versions.
Review the following restrictions and tips:
• You must separately update vSnap servers that are not on IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual
appliances.
• The update process through the administrative console updates IBM Spectrum Protect Plus features
and the underlying infrastructure components including the operating system and file system. Do not
use another method to update these components.
• Do not update any of the underlying components for IBM Spectrum Protect Plus unless the component
is provided in an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus update package. Infrastructure updates are managed by
IBM update facilities. The administrative console is the primary means for updating IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus features and underlying infrastructure components including the operating system and file
system.
Take the following actions:
• Before you update components, it is important that you back up your IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
environment as described in “Backing up the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus application ” on page 341.
• After IBM Spectrum Protect Plus is updated, it cannot roll back to a previous version without a virtual
machine snapshot. Create a virtual machine snapshot of the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance
before you update to a new version of IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. If you later want to roll back IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus to an earlier version, you must have a virtual machine snapshot. After the
upgrade is completed successfully, remove the virtual machine snapshot.

Updating the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance


Use the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus administrative console to update the virtual appliance. Updating IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus can be run offline or online if you have external internet access.

Before you begin


You can update IBM Spectrum Protect Plus directly from two previous versions (n-2) to the current
version (n). If you are using an older version, you must update at least to (n-2) version and then update to
the current version.
Before you begin the update process, complete the following steps:
1. Ensure that your IBM Spectrum Protect Plus environment is backed up before you run updates. For
more information about backing up your environment, see “Backing up the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
application ” on page 341.
2. For offline updates, download the prerequisite IBM Spectrum Protect Plus update named
CC1QHML.iso to a directory on the computer that is running the browser for the administrative
console. The update file is installed first.

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2017, 2020 103


3. Ensure that no jobs are running during the update procedure. Pause the schedule for any jobs that
have a status of IDLE or COMPLETED.
For a list of download images, including the required operating system update for the virtual appliance,
see technote 1072392.

About this task


When you have access to the internet, you can choose to run the update procedure online. If you do not
have access to the internet, you can run the offline update procedure.

Procedure
To update the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance, complete the following steps:
1. From a supported web browser, access the administrative console by entering the following address:

https://hostname:8090/

where hostname is the IP address of the virtual machine where the application is deployed.
2. In the login window, select one of the following authentication types in the Authentication Type list:
Authentication Type Login information
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus To log in as an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user
with SUPERUSER privileges, enter your
administrator user name and password. If you log
in by using the admin user account, you are
prompted to reset the user name and password.
You cannot reset the user name to admin, root,
or test.
System (recommended) To log on as a system user, enter the
serveradmin password. The default password
is sppDP758-SysXyz. You are prompted to
change this password during the first logon.
3. Click Updates and Hotfix Management to open the updates management page.
If you have access to the FTP site, public.dhe.ibm.com, the administrator console checks for available
updates automatically and lists them.
4. Click Run Update to install the available updates.
• When the updates are installed successfully, go to Step 6.
• If you are planning to install an update from an ISO file, click Click Here to run the offline
updates. Go to Step 5.
Note: If you want to run online updates but can see only the offline mode, check your internet
connectivity and reattempt to access the FTP site, public.dhe.ibm.com.
5. Choose the update that you want to run, as follows:
• Online mode: Updates are listed automatically in the repository when they are made available.
Click Run Update.
• Offline mode: Click Choose file to browse for the downloaded file. The file has an iso or rpm
extension like this example, <filename>.iso. Click Upload Update Image (or) Hotfix.
Note: You can select only one update file at a time.
When the update completes, the virtual machine where the application is deployed automatically
restarts.
Important: After the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus update completes, you must update any external
vSnap and VADP proxy servers in your environment.
6. Clear the browser cache.

104 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


HTML content from previous versions of IBM Spectrum Protect Plus might be stored in the cache.
7. Start the updated version of IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
8. In the navigation pane, click Jobs and Operations, and then click the Schedule tab.
Find the jobs that you paused.
9. From the Actions menu for the paused jobs, select Release Schedule.
Related tasks
“Updating vSnap servers” on page 105
The default vSnap server is updated with the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance. You must update
additional vSnap servers that are installed on either virtual or physical appliances separately.

Additional steps for updating virtual machines in Hyper-V Replica


environments
Beginning with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Version 10.1.5, you can protect virtual machines (VMs) that
are enabled to use the Hyper-V Replica feature.
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus processes the data on the source and replicated instances of the VMs
separately. For example, if a VM named VM1 is on the Hyper-V host named Host1 and the VM is
replicated to Host2, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus assigns the IDs VM1@Host1 and VM1@Host2 to the VMs.
You can then select one or both of the VMs for data protection.

Considerations for VMs that are defined in existing SLA policies


If you update IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, you might have to take additional steps to ensure that data
protection continues for VMs that are currently included in your service level agreement (SLA) policies.
An SLA policy can implicitly or explicitly include a replicated VM. You might be required to update the SLA
policy when you update to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus V10.1.5 or later.
An example of an SLA policy that implicitly includes a replicated VM is a scenario in which the policy
protects all VMs on Host1, which contains the VM VM1. VM1 is replicated to Host2. In this scenario, a
change to the SLA policy is not required after you update IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. The SLA policy
creates a full backup of the instance of VM1 on Host2 and creates a new full backup of the instance of
VM1 on Host1. Existing backups of VM1 on Host1 that were created before the update will expire based
on the SLA policy retention settings.
An example of an SLA policy that explicitly includes a replicated VM is a scenario in which the policy
protects VM1 on Host1, and VM1 is replicated to Host2. In this scenario, you must re-add the instance of
the VM on each host to the SLA policy after you update IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.

Updating vSnap servers


The default vSnap server is updated with the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance. You must update
additional vSnap servers that are installed on either virtual or physical appliances separately.

Before you begin


You can update the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and vSnap servers directly from two previous versions
(n-2) to the current version (n). If you are using an older version, you must update at least to (n-2) version
and then update to the current version.
Test restore jobs need to complete prior to initiating an update to vSnap. During a vSnap upgrade, a
reboot will occur and any clients will experience a temporary disconnection. This disconnection may
result in errors for any virtual machines or applications with active test mode restore. Additionally, jobs
that are not completed or canceled when an update is initiated will not be visible once the update has
completed. If jobs are not visible once the update has completed, re-run test restore jobs.
You might also be required to update the operating system for the vSnap servers prior to updating the
servers. For operating system requirements, see “Component requirements ” on page 11.

Chapter 6. Updating IBM Spectrum Protect Plus components 105


To check the current version and operating system for your vSnap servers, complete the following steps:
1. Log on to the vSnap server as the serveradmin user. If you are using IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
10.1.1, log in by using the root account.
2. To check the vSnap server version and operating system, use the vSnap command-line interface to
issue the following command:

vsnap system info

Ensure that no jobs that use the vSnap server are running during the update procedure. Pause the
schedule for any jobs that have a status of IDLE or COMPLETED.

Updating the operating system for a physical vSnap server


If you have installed the vSnap server on a machine that is running Red Hat Enterprise Linux, you must
update the operating system to version 7.5 or 7.6 before you update the vSnap server. For instructions
about how to update the operating system, see the Red Hat Enterprise Linux documentation.
Related tasks
“Updating a vSnap server” on page 107
The default vSnap server is updated with the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance. You must update
additional vSnap servers that are installed on either virtual or physical appliances separately.

Updating the operating system for a virtual vSnap server


Updating the vSnap server operating system provides the latest available patches and security updates. If
the operating system is CentOS Linux version 7.4 or earlier, you must update the operating system before
you update the vSnap server software. Updating the operating system is optional for version 7.5 or 7.6.

Before you begin


You can update the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and vSnap servers directly from two previous versions
(n-2) to the current version (n). If you are using an older version, you must update at least to (n-2) version
and then update to the current version.
Before you begin the update process, complete the following steps:
1. Ensure that you have backed up your IBM Spectrum Protect Plus environment as described in
“Backing up the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus application ” on page 341.
2. For information on obtaining the ISO file, see “Updating the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual
appliance” on page 103.
Restriction: The ISO should not be used if updating a physical Red Hat Enterprise Linux server. It should
only be used on OVA deployments.

Procedure
1. Download the ISO file CC1QHML.iso. Move the ISO file to the /tmp directory on the vSnap server and
rename the file to spp_with_os.iso.

$mv CC1QHML.iso /tmp/spp_with_os.iso

Important: It is critical to rename the downloaded ISO file as described in this step and move it to
the /tmp directory on the vSnap server if you wish to update the operating system.
2. Proceed with the instructions found in the “Updating a vSnap server” on page 107 topic. When the
CC1QGML.run file is executed, the installer will optionally update the operating system if /tmp/
spp_with_os.iso is present.
One of the two following scenarios will occur depending on the presence of the ISO file.
• If the file is present, operating system packages are upgraded, then vSnap software is upgraded.
• If the file is not present, a message is displayed:

106 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


File /tmp/spp_with_os.iso is not present, skipping update of OS packages.
To update OS packages, download the ISO file to /tmp/spp_with_os.iso and rerun this
installer.

Then vSnap software is then is upgraded.


Once the installer completes, /tmp/spp_with_os.iso can be deleted.
Related tasks
“Updating a vSnap server” on page 107
The default vSnap server is updated with the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance. You must update
additional vSnap servers that are installed on either virtual or physical appliances separately.

Updating a vSnap server


The default vSnap server is updated with the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance. You must update
additional vSnap servers that are installed on either virtual or physical appliances separately.

Before you begin


You can update the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and vSnap servers directly from two previous versions
(n-2) to the current version (n). If you are using an older version, you must update at least to (n-2) version
and then update to the current version.
Test restore jobs need to complete prior to initiating an update to vSnap. During a vSnap upgrade, a
reboot will occur and any clients will experience a temporary disconnection. This disconnection may
result in errors for any virtual machines or applications with active test mode restore. Additionally, jobs
that are not completed or canceled when an update is initiated will not be visible once the update has
completed. If jobs are not visible once the update has completed, re-run test restore jobs.
Before you begin the update process, complete the following steps:
1. Ensure that you have backed up your IBM Spectrum Protect Plus environment as described in
“Backing up the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus application ” on page 341.
2. Download the vSnap update file CC1QGML.run and copy it to a temporary location on the vSnap
server. For information about downloading files, see technote 1072392.

Procedure
To update a vSnap server, complete the following steps:
1. Log on to the vSnap server as the serveradmin user.
2. From the directory where the CC1QGML.run file is located, make the file executable and run the
installer by issuing the following commands:

$ chmod +x CC1QGML.run

$ sudo ./CC1QGML.run

The vSnap packages are installed.


3. Start the updated version of IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
4. In the navigation pane, click Jobs and Operations, and then click the Schedule tab.
Find the jobs that you paused.
5. From the Actions menu for the paused jobs, select Release Schedule.

Chapter 6. Updating IBM Spectrum Protect Plus components 107


Updating VADP proxies
Updating the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance automatically updates all the VADP proxies that
are associated with the virtual appliance. In rare scenarios such as loss of network connectivity, you must
update the VADP proxy manually.

Before you begin


Before you begin, ensure that you have backed up your IBM Spectrum Protect Plus environment as
described in “Backing up the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus application ” on page 341.
Note: If the VADP proxy is not registered with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, the VADP component that is
packaged in the vSnap appliance will not be updated. Only VADP proxies registered with IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus will be updated.

Procedure
If a VADP proxy update is available for external proxies during a restart of the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
virtual appliance, the update will be automatically applied to any VADP proxy associated with an identity.
To associate a VADP proxy with an identity, navigate to System Configuration > VADP Proxy. Click the
options icon and select Set Options. Through the User setting, select a previously entered username
and password for the VADP proxy server.
To update a VADP proxy manually, complete the following steps:
1. Navigate to the System Configuration > VADP Proxy page in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
2. The VADP Proxy page displays each proxy server. If a newer version of the VADP proxy software is
available, an update icon displays in the Status field.
3. Ensure that there are no active jobs that use the proxy, and then click the update icon
.
The proxy server enters a suspended state and installs the latest update. When the update completes,
the VADP proxy server automatically resumes and enters an enabled state.
If you are attempting to update as a non-root user, special instructions will need to be followed in order to
push-install or push-update a VADP proxy.
1. Create a file in the /etc/sudoers.d/ directory.

sudo cd /etc/sudoers.d/

2. Write the text to the file and save it by pressing CTRL+D on the keyboard when done.

sudo cat > 99-vadpuser


Defaults !requiretty
vadpuser ALL=NOPASSWD: /tmp/cdm_guestapps_vadpuser/runcommand.sh
<<Press CTRL+D>>

3. Set the appropriate permissions on the file.

sudo chmod 0440 99-vadpuser

What to do next
After you update the VADP proxies, complete the following action:

108 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Action How to
Run the VMware backup job. See “Backing up VMware data” on page 155.
The proxies are indicated in the job log by a log
message similar to the following text:
Run remote vmdkbackup of MicroService:
http://<proxy
nodename, IP:proxy_IP_address

Related tasks
“Creating VADP proxies” on page 161
You can create VADP proxies to run VMware backup jobs with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus in Linux
environments.
Related reference
“Editing firewall ports” on page 64
Use the provided examples as a reference for opening firewall ports on remote VADP proxy servers or
application servers. You must restrict port traffic to only the required network or adapters.

Applying early availability updates


Early availability updates provide fixes for authorized program analysis reports (APARs) and minor issues
between IBM Spectrum Protect Plus releases. These updates are available in bundles from the Fix Central
Online website.

About this task


Early availability updates might not contain fixes for all IBM Spectrum Protect Plus components.
For instructions about how to obtain and install interim fixes, see the download information that is
published when the fixes are available.

Chapter 6. Updating IBM Spectrum Protect Plus components 109


110 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide
Chapter 7. Configuring the system environment
System management tasks include adding backup storage, managing sites, registering Lightweight
Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) or Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) servers, and managing keys
and certificates for cloud resources.
Maintenance tasks include reviewing the configuration of the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual
appliance, collecting log files for troubleshooting, and managing Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates.
In most cases, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus is installed on a virtual appliance. The virtual appliance
contains the application and the inventory. Maintenance tasks are completed in vSphere Client, by using
the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus command line, or in a web-based management console.
Maintenance tasks are completed by a system administrator. A system administrator is usually a senior-
level user who designed or implemented the vSphere and ESX infrastructure, or a user with an
understanding of IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, VMware, and Linux command-line usage.
Infrastructure updates are managed by IBM update facilities. The administrative console serves as the
primary means for updating IBM Spectrum Protect Plus features and underlying infrastructure
components, including the operating system and file system.
Attention: Update underlying components of IBM Spectrum Protect Plus only by using the update
facilities that are provided by IBM.

Managing secondary backup storage


The vSnap server is the primary backup location for snapshots. All IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
environments have at least one vSnap server. Optionally, you can copy snapshots from a vSnap server to
a cloud storage system or a repository server.
For information about copying snapshot data to secondary storage, see “Copy snapshots to secondary
backup storage” on page 6.

Managing cloud storage


You can copy snapshot data to cloud storage for longer-term data protection.

Adding Amazon S3 Object Storage


You can add Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) as a backup storage provider to IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus to enable copy operations to Amazon S3 storage.

Before you begin


Configure the key that is required for the cloud object. For instructions, see “Adding an access key” on
page 121.
Ensure that cloud storage buckets are created for the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus data. For instructions
about creating buckets, see Amazon Simple Storage Service Documentation.

Procedure
To add Amazon S3 cloud storage as a backup Object Storage provider, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation menu, click System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object Storage.
2. Click Add Object Storage.
3. From the Provider list, select Amazon S3.
4. Complete the fields in the Object Storage Registration form:
Name
Enter a meaningful name that helps you to identify the cloud storage.

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2017, 2020 111


Region
Select the Amazon Web Services (AWS) regional endpoint of the cloud storage.
Use existing key
Enable this option to select a previously entered key for the storage, and then select the key from
the Select a key list.
If you do not select this option, complete the following fields to add a key:
Key name
Enter a meaningful name to help to identify the key.
Access key
Enter the AWS access key. Access keys are created in the AWS Management Console.
Secret key
Enter the AWS secret key. Secret keys are created in the AWS Management Console.
Enable Deep Archive
Optionally select this option to enable the Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive storage class.
5. Click Get Buckets to connect IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to AWS to retrieve the list of available
buckets.
6. Select the bucket that you plan to use as the copy target.
The Standard object storage bucket and Archive object storage bucket fields are displayed.
7. In the Standard object storage bucket field, select a bucket to serve as the copy target.
8. Optional: In the Archive object storage bucket field, select a cloud storage resource to serve as the
archive target.
Archiving data creates a full data copy and can provide longer-term protection, cost, and security
benefits. For more information about archiving data, see the information about copying data to cloud
archive storage in “Copy snapshots to secondary backup storage” on page 6.
9. Select Deep Archive to register Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive Buckets for long-term archiving.
10. Click Register to complete the operation.
The cloud storage is added to the cloud servers table.

What to do next
After you add the S3 storage, complete the following action:

Action How to
Associate the cloud storage with the SLA policy To create an SLA policy, see “Creating an SLA
that is used for the backup job. policy” on page 145.
To modify an existing SLA policy, see “Editing an
SLA policy” on page 149.

Adding IBM Cloud Object Storage as a backup storage provider


Add IBM Cloud Object Storage to enable IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to copy data to IBM Cloud.

Before you begin


Configure the key and certificate that are required for the cloud object. For instructions, see “Adding an
access key” on page 121 and “Adding a certificate” on page 122.
Ensure that there are cloud storage buckets created for the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus data before you
add the cloud storage in the following steps. For information how to create buckets, see About IBM Cloud
Object Storage.
When creating a bucket on IBM Cloud Object Storage (COS), ensure that both Add Archive rule and Add
Expiration rules are not selected when creating buckets that are to be used for copy or archive. This can
result in a failure with the “bucket has an unsupported lifecycle configuration” error when the job

112 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


attempts to run in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. The Add Retention policy option may be set for a bucket
to be used for copy, but should not be set for a bucket that will be used for archiving.
The Cold Vault bucket of type should only be used when archiving, as it is the lowest-cost option and is
described as ideal for long-term retention of data that will be minimally accessed.
When adding IBM Cloud Object Storage (COS), the method for obtaining the access and secret key will
depend on the deployment model. If on-premise, keys can be obtained from the IBM COS Manager
Console. For IBM COS IaaS, keys are created when a service account is created and can be obtained from
the softlayer portal. If using IBM COS (COS as a Service), the access and secret key are not created by
default; when a service account is created, check the Include HMAC Credential box, and add
{“HMAC”:true} to the Add Inline Configuration Parameters text area.

Procedure
To add IBM Cloud Object Storage as a backup storage provider, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation menu, click System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object Storage.
2. Click Add Object Storage.
3. From the Provider list, select IBM Cloud Object Storage.
4. Complete the fields in the Object Storage Registration pane:
Name
Enter a meaningful name to help identify the cloud storage.
Endpoint
Select the endpoint of the cloud storage.
Use existing key
Enable to select a previously entered key for the storage, and then select the key from the Select a
key list.
If you do not select this option, complete the following fields to add a key:
Key name
Enter a meaningful name to help to identify the key.
Access key
Enter the access key.
Secret key
Enter the secret key.
Certificate
Select a method of associating a certificate with the resource:
Upload
Select and click Browse to locate the certificate, then click Upload.
Copy and paste
Select to enter the name of the certificate, copy and paste the contents of the certificate, then
click Create.
Use existing
Select to use a previously uploaded certificate.
A certificate is not required if you are adding public IBM Cloud Object Storage.
5. Click Get Buckets, and then select a bucket to serve as the copy target.
After the buckets are generated, the Standard object storage bucket and Archive object storage
bucket fields are displayed.
6. In the Standard object storage bucket field, select a bucket to serve as the copy target.
7. Optional: In the Archive object storage bucket field, select a cloud storage resource to serve as the
archive target.

Chapter 7. Configuring the system environment 113


Archiving data creates a full data copy and can provide longer-term protection, cost, and security
benefits. For more information about archiving data, see the information about copying data to cloud
archive storage in “Copy snapshots to secondary backup storage” on page 6.
8. Click Register.
The cloud storage is added to the cloud servers table.

What to do next
After you add the IBM Cloud Object Storage, complete the following action:

Action How to
Associate the cloud storage with the SLA policy To create an SLA policy, see “Creating an SLA
that is used for the backup job. policy” on page 145.
To modify an existing SLA policy, see “Editing an
SLA policy” on page 149.

Adding Microsoft Azure cloud storage as a backup storage provider


Add Microsoft Azure cloud storage to enable IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to copy data to Microsoft Azure
Blob storage.

Before you begin


Ensure that there are cloud storage buckets created for the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus data before you
add the cloud storage in the following steps. For information how to create buckets, see Azure
documentation.

Procedure
To add Microsoft Azure cloud storage as backup storage provider, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object Storage.
2. Click Add Object Storage.
3. From the Provider list, select Microsoft Azure Blob Storage.
4. Complete the fields in the Object Storage Registration pane:
Name
Enter a meaningful name to help identify the cloud storage.
Endpoint
Select the endpoint of the cloud storage.
Use existing key
Enable to select a previously entered key for the storage, and then select the key from the Select a
key list.
If you do not select this option, complete the following fields to add a key:
Key name
Enter a meaningful name to help identify the key.
Storage Account Name
Enter the Microsoft Azure access storage account name. This is from the Azure Management
Portal.
Storage Account Shared Key
Enter the Microsoft Azure key from any one of the key fields in the Azure Management Portal,
either key1 or key2.
5. Click Get Buckets, and then select a bucket to serve as the copy target.
After the buckets are generated, the Standard object storage bucket and Archive object storage
bucket fields are displayed.
6. In the Standard object storage bucket field, select a bucket to serve as the copy target.

114 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


7. Optional: In the Archive object storage bucket field, select a cloud storage resource to serve as the
archive target.
Archiving data creates a full data copy and can provide longer-term protection, cost, and security
benefits. For more information about archiving data, see the information about copying data to cloud
archive storage in “Copy snapshots to secondary backup storage” on page 6.
8. Click Register.
The cloud storage is added to the cloud servers table.

What to do next
After you add the Microsoft Azure storage, complete the following action:

Action How to
Associate the cloud storage with the SLA policy To create an SLA policy, see “Creating an SLA
that is used for the backup job. policy” on page 145.
To modify an existing SLA policy, see “Editing an
SLA policy” on page 149.

Adding S3 compatible object storage


In addition to backing up data to Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) and IBM Cloud Object Storage, you
might want to back up data to other S3 compatible object storage providers. Before you back up data in a
production environment to any other S3 compatible object storage, ensure that the object storage has
been validated for use with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.

Before you begin


Tip:
For information about compatible object storage providers, see technote 108714.
Configure the key that is required for the cloud object. For instructions, see “Adding an access key” on
page 121.
Ensure that cloud storage buckets are available. For more information about cloud storage buckets, see
the documentation for the S3 compatible storage provider.

Procedure
To add S3 compatible cloud storage as a backup target, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation menu, click System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object Storage.
2. Click Add Object Storage.
3. From the Provider list, select S3 Compatible Storage.
4. Complete the fields in the Object Storage Registration pane:
Name
Enter a meaningful name to help identify the cloud storage.
Endpoint
Enter the endpoint of the cloud storage.
Use existing access key
Enable this option to select a previously entered key for the storage, and then select the key from
the Select a key list.
If you do not select this option, complete the following fields to add a key:
Key name
Enter a meaningful name to identify the key.

Chapter 7. Configuring the system environment 115


Access key
Enter the S3 compatible access key. For instructions about obtaining access keys, see the
documentation for the S3 compatible storage provider.
Secret key
Enter the S3 compatible secret key. For instructions about obtaining access keys, see the
documentation for the S3 compatible storage provider.
Certificate
Select the appropriate option to add a certificate for the S3 compatible storage:
Upload
To upload a certificate, click Browse to locate and select the certificate. Click Upload.
Copy and paste
Enter a name for the certificate and paste the certificate into the text area. Click Create.
Use existing
If a certificate exists, select the certificate from the Select a certificate list.
5. Click Get Buckets, and then select a bucket to serve as the target.
After the buckets are generated, the Standard object storage bucket and Archive object storage
bucket fields are displayed.
6. In the Standard object storage bucket field, select a bucket to serve as the backup target.
7. Optional: In the Archive object storage bucket field, select a cloud storage resource to serve as the
archive target.
Archiving data creates a full data copy and can provide longer-term protection, cost, and security
benefits. For more information about archiving data, see the information about copying data to cloud
archive storage in “Copy snapshots to secondary backup storage” on page 6.
8. Click Register.
The cloud storage is added to the cloud servers table.

What to do next
After you add the S3 compatible storage, complete the following action:

Action How to
Associate the cloud storage with the SLA policy To create an SLA policy, see “Creating an SLA
that is used for the backup job. policy” on page 145.
To modify an existing SLA policy, see “Editing an
SLA policy” on page 149.

Editing settings for cloud storage


Edit the settings for a cloud storage provider to reflect changes in your cloud environment.

Procedure
To edit a cloud storage provider, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation menu, click System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object Storage.
2. Click the edit icon that is associated with an object storage provider.
The Update Object Storage pane is displayed.
3. Revise the settings for the cloud provider, and then click Update.

116 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Deleting cloud storage
Delete a cloud storage provider to reflect changes in your cloud environment. Ensure that the provider is
not associated with any SLA policies before deleting the provider.

Procedure
To delete a cloud storage provider, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation menu, click System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object Storage.
2. Click the delete icon that is associated with a provider.
3. Click Yes to delete the provider.

Managing repository server storage


You can copy data to a repository server for longer-term data protection. For the current release of IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus, the repository server must be an IBM Spectrum Protect server Version 8.1.7 or
later. To copy data to tape, IBM Spectrum Protect server Version 8.1.8 or later is required.
You can choose to replicate the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus data that is copied to the IBM Spectrum
Protect server to a target server. However, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus is not aware of subsequent IBM
Spectrum Protect server replication operations and you cannot restore the replicated data from the target
IBM Spectrum Protect server to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.

Configuration overview
To copy IBM Spectrum Protect Plus data to an IBM Spectrum Protect server, you must complete
configuration tasks in both environments.

Tasks for configuring IBM Spectrum Protect


You must configure the IBM Spectrum Protect server to communicate with the IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus server and to process requests for backup and restore operations. The Amazon Simple Storage
Service (S3) protocol enables communication between the two servers.

Chapter 7. Configuring the system environment 117


Action How to
Create a storage pool or pools for the data that is To create storage pools by using the IBM Spectrum
copied from IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. Protect Operations Center, following the
You can copy data to standard object storage or to instructions in the following topics:
tape storage. • Directory-container: Configuring a directory-
Copying data to standard object storage container storage pool for data storage
When data is copied to standard object • Cloud-container: Configuring a cloud-container
storage, a full copy is created during the first storage pool for data storage
copy operation. Subsequent copies are
• Cold-data-cache: Configuring operations for
incremental and capture cumulative changes
copying data to tape
since the last copy operation. Copying data to
standard object storage is useful if you want Tip: Alternatively, issue the DEFINE STGPOOL
relatively fast backup and recovery times and command to create a storage pool as described in
do not require the longer-term protection, cost, the following topics:
and security benefits that are provided by tape
• Directory-container: Define a directory-container
storage.
storage pool
To copy data to standard object storage, you
• Cloud-container: Define a cloud-container
must create a cloud-container or directory-
storage pool
container storage pool.
• Cold-data-cache: Define a primary storage pool
Copying data to tape
for offloading data to tape
When data is copied to tape, a full copy of the
data is created. Copying data to tape provides
extra cost and security benefits. By storing
tape volumes at a secure, offsite location that
is not connected to the internet, you can help
to protect your data from online threats such as
malware and hackers. However, because
copying to these storage types requires a full
data copy, the time required to copy data
increases. In addition, the recovery time can be
unpredictable and the data might take longer
to process before it is usable.
To copy data to tape, you must create a cloud-
container or directory-container storage pool
and a cold-data-cache storage pool. A a cloud-
container or directory-container storage pool is
required to store metadata that is used for
restore and other IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
operations.

Create a policy domain that points to the storage To create a policy domain by using the Operations
pool or pools. Center, follow the instructions in Creating a policy
The policy domain defines the rules that control domain.
the backup services for IBM Spectrum Protect Tip: Alternatively, issue the DEFINE
Plus. OBJECTDOMAIN command to create a storage pool
as described in Define a policy domain for object
clients.

118 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Action How to
Add an object agent and object client on the IBM To create an object agent and object client, follow
Spectrum Protect server. the instructions in Configuring an object agent
The object agent provides a gateway between the service .
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus server and the IBM
Spectrum Protect server.
The object client identifies the IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus server and enables IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus to store objects in the IBM Spectrum
Protect server.
You must create the object agent before you can
create the object client.

Tasks for configuring IBM Spectrum Protect Plus


You must add the IBM Spectrum Protect server as a backup storage provider for IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus. Then select the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus server as a data copy target in the service level
agreement (SLA) policy for the resources that you want to protect.

Action How to
Add the IBM Spectrum Protect server as a backup To add the IBM Spectrum Protect server to IBM
storage provider. Spectrum Protect Plus, follow the instructions in
“Adding a repository server as a backup storage
provider” on page 119.
Select the IBM Spectrum Protect server as a target To create an SLA policy that defines the IBM
for standard object storage or archive object Spectrum Protect server as backup storage target,
storage (tape) in the SLA policy for the resources follow the instructions in “Creating an SLA policy”
that you want to protect. on page 145.

Adding a repository server as a backup storage provider


Add a repository server to enable IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to copy data to the server.

Before you begin


Configure the key and certificate that are required for the repository server. For instructions, see “Adding
an access key” on page 121 and “Adding a certificate” on page 122.
For the current release of IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, the repository server must be an IBM Spectrum
Protect server.
Configure IBM Spectrum Protect Plus as an object client to the IBM Spectrum Protect server. The object
client node transfers and stores copied data. After you complete the setup procedure, the wizard provides
you with the endpoint for communicating with the object agent on the server, and the access ID, secret
key, and certificate for connecting securely.
Certificates can be obtained from the IBM Spectrum Protect server Operations Center by navigating to the
following pane: Server > Object Agent > Agent Certificate. Alternatively, the certificate can be obtained
from the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance by running the following command: openssl s_client
-showcerts -connect <ip-address>:9000 </dev/null 2>/dev/null | openssl x509
Copy retention settings are fully controlled through associated SLA policies in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
IBM Spectrum Protect server copygroup retention settings are not used for copy operations.

Procedure
To add an IBM Spectrum Protect server as backup storage provider complete the following steps:

Chapter 7. Configuring the system environment 119


1. In the navigation menu, click System Configuration > Backup Storage > Repository Server.
2. Click Add Repository Server.
3. Complete the fields in the Register Repository Server pane:
Name
Enter a meaningful name to help identify the repository server.
Hostname
Enter the high-level address (HLA) of the repository server object agent. Running the IBM
Spectrum Protect q serv OBJAGENT f=d command retrieves this information.
Port
Enter the communications port of the repository server.
Use existing key
Enable to select a previously entered key for the repository, and then select the key from the
Select a key list.
If you do not select this option, complete the following fields to add a key:
Key name
Enter a meaningful name to help to identify the key.
Access key
Enter the access key.
Secret key
Enter the secret key.
Certificate
Select a method of associating a certificate with the resource. If copying the certificate, the BEGIN
and END lines of text must be included.
Upload
Select and click Browse to locate the certificate, then click Upload.
Copy and paste
Select to enter the name of the certificate, copy and paste the contents of the certificate, then
click Create.
Use existing
Select to use a previously uploaded certificate.
4. Click Register.
The IBM Spectrum Protect server is added to the repository servers table.

What to do next
After you add a repository server, complete the following action:

Action How to
Associate the repository server with the SLA policy To create an SLA policy, see “Creating an SLA
that is used for the backup job. policy” on page 145.
To modify an existing SLA policy, see “Editing an
SLA policy” on page 149.

Related concepts
“Configuration overview” on page 117

120 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


To copy IBM Spectrum Protect Plus data to an IBM Spectrum Protect server, you must complete
configuration tasks in both environments.

Editing settings for a repository server


Edit the settings for a repository server provider to reflect changes in your cloud environment.

Procedure
To edit a repository server provider, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation menu, click System Configuration > Backup Storage > Repository Server.
2. Click the edit icon that is associated with a repository server provider.
The Update Repository Server pane is displayed.
3. Revise the settings for the repository server provider, and then click Update.

Deleting a repository server


Delete a repository server provider to reflect changes in your environment. Ensure that the provider is not
associated with any SLA policies before deleting the provider.

Procedure
To delete a repository server provider, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation menu, click System Configuration > Backup Storage > Repository Server.
2. Click the delete icon that is associated with a repository server provider.
3. Click Yes to delete the provider.

Managing keys and certificates


Cloud resources and repository servers require credentials to serve as copy destinations. Access keys and
secret keys are provided by your cloud resource or repository server interface. These keys serve as the
user name and password of your copy destinations and allow them to be accessed by IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus. Some copy destinations also require certificates for additional data security.
When utilizing a resource in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus that requires credentials to access a copy
destination, select Use existing key or Use existing certificate, and select the associated key or
certificate.

Adding an access key


Add an access key to provide cloud resource or repository server credentials.

Procedure
To add a key, complete the following steps:
1. Create your access key and secret key through the interface of the cloud resource or repository server.
Make note of the access key and secret key.
2. In the navigation menu, click System Configuration > Keys and Certificates.
3. From the Access Keys section, click Add Access Key.
4. Complete the fields in the Key Properties pane:
Name
Enter a meaningful name to help identify the access key.
Access Key
Enter the access key of the cloud resource or repository server. For Microsoft Azure, enter the storage
account name.
Secret Key

Chapter 7. Configuring the system environment 121


Enter the secret key of the cloud resource or repository server. For Microsoft Azure, enter the key from
one of the key fields, either key1 or key2.
5. Click Save.
The key displays in the Access Keys table and can be selected when utilizing a feature that requires
credentials to access a resource through the Use existing key option.

Deleting an access key


Delete an access key when it becomes obsolete. Ensure that you reassign a new access key to your cloud
resource or repository server.

Procedure
To delete an access key, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation menu, click System Configuration > Keys and Certificates.
2. Click the delete icon that is associated with an access key.
3. Click Yes to delete the access key.

Adding a certificate
Add a certificate to provide cloud resource or repository server credentials.

Procedure
To add a certificate, complete the following steps:
1. Export a certificate from your cloud resource or repository server.
2. In the navigation menu, click System Configuration > Keys and Certificates.
3. In the Certificates section, click Add Certificate.
4. Complete the fields in the Certificate Properties pane:
Type
Select the cloud resource or repository server type.
Certificate
Select a method to add the certificate:
Upload
Select to browse for the certificate locally.
Copy and paste
Select to enter the name of the certificate and copy and paste the contents of the certificate.
5. Click Save.
The key displays in the Certificates table and can be selected when utilizing a feature that requires
credentials to access a resource through the Use existing certificate option.

Deleting a certificate
Delete a certificate when it becomes obsolete. Ensure that you reassign a new certificate to your cloud
resource or repository server.

Procedure
To delete a certificate, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation menu, click System Configuration > Keys and Certificates.
2. Click the delete icon that is associated with a certificate.
3. Click Yes to delete the certificate.

122 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Adding an SSH key
You can add an SSH key to provide credentials for Linux-based resources on virtual machines managed by
vCenter and Hyper-V, as well as Oracle, Db2, and MongoDB application servers. SSH keys help to provide
a secure connection between IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and target resources for file indexing and
restore operations.

Before you begin


• The SSH service must be running on port 22 on the server and any firewalls must be configured to allow
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to connect to the server using SSH. The SFTP subsystem for SSH must also
be enabled.
• The user account on the target resource that is used to generate the SSH key pair must have sudo
privileges. This account, which will be assigned to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, is known as the IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus user agent (sppagent).
• If the environment includes virtual machines managed by vCenter, ensure that the latest VMware Tools
are installed.

Procedure
To add a key, complete the following steps:
1. On the target resource, generate an SSH key by using the ssh-keygen command with the user
account that will be assigned to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. This account must have sudo privileges.
For example, on an Oracle server, enter the following command in the terminal and follow the
instructions:

ssh-keygen

If you use the default settings, two files are created in the specified directory: id_rsa.pub is the
public key and id_rsa is the private key.
2. When prompted enter the file name in which the key will be saved, enter a directory and file name. If
you do not specify a directory and file name, the default is used:

/home/priveleged_user/.ssh/id_rsa

where priveleged_user is the account assigned to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, sppagent. If a key
with the default name already exists, this will be indicated with the message displayed below. Be
careful not to overwrite preexisting keys if they are in use. Press N to enter a different file in which to
save the key.

/home/<priveleged user>/.ssh/id_rsa already exists.


Overwrite (y/n)?

This procedure is based on the assumption that the key is saved in the default location using the
default file name (id_rsa). If the key file is created using a different file name, use that file name in
the steps that follow.
3. Supply a passphrase and press Enter. Otherwise, simply press Enter for no passphrase.
4. If a passphrase was supplied, enter it again. Press Enter.
5. Copy the contents of the id_rsa.pub key into the authorized_keys file. If the file already exists,
append the public key to the authorized_keys file.

cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

6. Assign the required privileges to the authorized_keys file by issuing the chmod 600 command.

chmod 600 ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

7. Edit the /etc/ssh/sshd_config file to set the PubkeyAuthentication setting to yes by using a
text editor. To ensure that the setting is not commented out, remove the number sign (#) if it appears
at the beginning of the line.

Chapter 7. Configuring the system environment 123


sudo vi /etc/ssh/sshd_config

...
PubkeyAuthentication yes
...

8. Restart the SSH service on the target resource.

systemctl restart sshd

9. In the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus navigation pane, click System Configuration > Keys and
Certificates.
10. From the SSH Keys section, click Add SSH Key.
11. Complete the fields in the SSH Key Properties pane:
Name
Enter a meaningful name to identify the SSH key.
User
Enter the user account that is associated with the target resource and SSH key. This is the user
account used to generate the public and private keys in the previous steps.
Encrypted
Check this box if a passphrase was supplied when generating the public and private key.
Passphrase
This box is only displayed if the Encrypted check box is selected. If a passphrase was supplied when
generating the public and private key, provide the passphrase in this box.
Private key
Copy and paste the private key into this box. This will be the key contained in the id_rsa file on the
target resource. The file is similar to the following example:

cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa

-----BEGIN OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY-----


ZRYtuinjaHx2mKgW4LnfqzlyAIIq5Amasi/J8/AAAFiFiP4GZYj+BmAAAAB3NzaC1yc2
...
...
Q5ZqZ1Ec8N7dsAAAANdG9vckBVYnVudHVWQgECAwQFBg==
-----END OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY-----

12. Click Save.


The key is displayed in the SSH Keys table and can be selected when you use a feature that requires
credentials to access a resource with the Key option.

Deleting an SSH key


Delete an SSH key when it becomes obsolete. Ensure that you reassign a new SSH key to your resources.

Procedure
To delete an SSH key, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation menu, click System Configuration > Keys and Certificates.
2. Click the delete icon that is associated with an SSH key.
3. Click Yes to delete the access key.

124 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Managing sites
A site is an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus policy construct that is used to manage the placement of data in
an environment.
A site can be physical, such as a data center, or logical, such as a department or organization. IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus components are assigned to sites to localize and optimize data paths. An IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus deployment always has at least one site per physical location.
By default, the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus environment has a primary site, a secondary site, and a demo
site.

Adding a site
After you add a site to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, you can assign backup storage servers to the site.

Procedure
To add a site, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click System Configuration > Site.
2. Click Add Site.
The Site Properties pane is displayed.
3. Enter a site name.
4. Optional: To manage the network activity on a defined schedule, change the throughput for site
replication and copy operations:
a) Select the Enable Throttle check box.
b) In the Rate field, adjust the throughput:
1) Change the numerical rate of throughput by clicking the up or down arrows.
2) Select a unit for the throughput. The choices include bytes/s, KB/s, MB/s, and GB/s.
The default throughput is 100 MB/s (megabytes per second).

Figure 15. Enabling different rates of throttling for different times to improve throughput

Chapter 7. Configuring the system environment 125


c) In the weekly schedule table, select daily times for throttling, or select specific days and times for
throttling. The time that is specified should be based on the local time of the one or more vSnap
servers that are assigned to the site.
Tip: To select a time, click a timeslot in the table. The selected timeslot is highlighted. To clear a
timeslot, click a highlighted time slot. To select the same timeslot for every day of the week, click a
timeslot in the All row.
After you make your selections, throttling days and times are listed underneath the schedule table.
5. Click Save to commit the changes and close the pane.

Results
The site is displayed in the sites table and can be applied to new and existing backup storage servers.

Editing a site
Revise site information to reflect changes in your IBM Spectrum Protect Plus environment.

Procedure
To edit a site, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click System Configuration > Site.
2. Click the edit icon that is associated with a site.
The Site Properties pane is displayed.
3. Revise the site name.
4. Optional: To manage the network activity on a defined schedule, change the throughput for site
replication and copy operations:
a) Select the Enable Throttle check box.
b) In the Rate field, adjust the throughput:
1) Change the numerical rate of throughput by clicking the up or down arrows.
2) Select a unit for the throughput. The choices include bytes/s, KB/s, MB/s, and GB/s.
The default throughput is 100 MB/s (megabytes per second).

126 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Figure 16. Enabling different rates of throttling for different times to improve throughput
c) In the weekly schedule table, select daily times for throttling, or select specific days and times for
throttling. The time that is specified should be based on the local time of the one or more vSnap
servers that are assigned to the site.
Tip: To select a time, click a timeslot in the table. The selected timeslot is highlighted. To clear a
timeslot, click a highlighted time slot. To select the same timeslot for every day of the week, click a
timeslot in the All row.
After you make your selections, throttling days and times are listed underneath the schedule table.
5. Click Save to commit the changes and close the pane.

Deleting a site
Delete a site when it becomes obsolete. Ensure that you reassign your backup storage to different sites
before deleting the site.

Procedure
To delete a site, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click System Configuration > Site.
2. Click the delete icon that is associated with a site.
3. Click Yes to delete the site.

Managing LDAP and SMTP servers


You can add a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) and Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)
server for use in the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus for use in user account and report features.
Related tasks
“Creating a user account for an LDAP group” on page 373

Chapter 7. Configuring the system environment 127


With IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, you can use a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) server to
manage users. When you create an LDAP user account, you can add the user account to a user group.
“Scheduling a report” on page 362
You can schedule reports in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to run at specific times.

Adding an LDAP server


You must add an LDAP server to create IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user accounts by using an LDAP group.
These accounts allows users to access IBM Spectrum Protect Plus by using LDAP user names and
passwords. Only one LDAP server can be associated with an instance of IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
virtual appliance.

About this task


You can add a Microsoft Active Directory or OpenLDAP server. Note that OpenLDAP does not support the
sAMAaccountName user filter that is commonly used with Active Directory. Additionally, the memberOf
option must be enabled on the OpenLDAP server.

Procedure
To register an LDAP server, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click System Configuration > LDAP/SMTP.
2. In the LDAP Servers pane, click Add LDAP Server.
3. Populate the following fields in the LDAP Servers pane:
Host Address
The IP address of the host or logical name of the LDAP server.
Port
The port on which the LDAP server is listening. The typical default port is 389 for non SSL
connections or 636 for SSL connections.
SSL
Enable the SSL option to establish a secure connection to the LDAP server.
Use existing user
Enable to select a previously entered user name and password for the LDAP server.
Bind Name
The bind distinguished name that is used for authenticating the connection to the LDAP server.
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus supports simple bind.
Password
The password that is associated with the Bind Distinguished Name.
Base DN
The location where users and groups can be found.
User Filter
A filter to select only those users in the Base DN that match certain criteria. An example of a valid
default user filter is cn={0}.
Tips:
• To enable authentication by using the sAMAccountName Windows user naming attribute, set the
filter to samaccountname={0}. When this filter is set, users log in to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
by using only a user name. A domain is not included.
• To enable authentication using the user principal name (UPN) naming attribute, set the filter to
userprincipalname={0}. When this filter is set, users log in to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus by
using the username@domain format.

128 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


• To enable authentication by using an email address that is associated with LDAP, set the filter to
mail={0}.
The User Filter setting also controls the type of user name that appears in the IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus display of users.
User RDN
The relative distinguished path for the user. Specify the path where user records can be found. An
example of a valid default RDN is cn=Users.
Group RDN
The relative distinguished path for the group. If the group is at a different level than the user path,
specify the path where group records can be found.
4. Click Save.

Results
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus completes the following actions:
1. Confirms that a network connection is made.
2. Adds the LDAP server to the database.
After the SMTP server is added, the Add LDAP Server button is no longer available.

What to do next
If a message is returned indicating that the connection is unsuccessful, review your entries. If your
entries are correct and the connection is unsuccessful, contact a network administrator to review the
connections.
Related tasks
“Creating a user account for an LDAP group” on page 373
With IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, you can use a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) server to
manage users. When you create an LDAP user account, you can add the user account to a user group.

Adding an SMTP server


You must add an SMTP server to send scheduled reports to email recipients. Only one SMTP server can be
associated with a IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance.

Procedure
To add an SMTP server, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click System Configuration > LDAP/SMTP.
2. In the SMTP Servers pane, click Add SMTP Server.
3. Populate the following fields in the SMTP Servers pane:
Host Address
The IP address of the host, or the path and host name of the SMTP server.
Port
The communications port of the server that you are adding. The typical default port is 25 for non-
SSL connections or 443 for SSL connections.
Username
The name that is used to access the SMTP server.
Password
The password that is associated with the user name.

Chapter 7. Configuring the system environment 129


Timeout
The email timeout value in milliseconds.
From Address
The address that is associated with email communications from IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
Subject Prefix
The prefix to add to the email subject lines sent from IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
4. Click Save.

Results
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus completes the following actions:
1. Confirms that a network connection is made.
2. Adds the server to the database.
If a message is returned indicating that the connection is unsuccessful, review your entries. If your
entries are correct and the connection is unsuccessful, contact a network administrator to review the
connections.
To test the SMTP connection, click the Test SMTP Server button, then enter an e-mail address. Click
Send. A test e-mail message is sent to the e-mail address to verify the connection.
After the SMTP server is added, the Add SMTP Server button is no longer available.

What to do next
Related tasks
“Scheduling a report” on page 362
You can schedule reports in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to run at specific times.

Editing settings for an LDAP or SMTP server


Edit the settings for an LDAP or SMTP server to reflect changes in your IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
environment.

Procedure
To edit the settings for an LDAP or SMTP server, complete the following steps:
1. From the navigation menu, click System Configuration > LDAP/SMTP.
2. Click the edit icon that is associated with the server.
The edit pane is displayed.
3. Revise the settings for the server, and then click Save.

Deleting an LDAP or SMTP server


Delete an LDAP or SMTP server when it becomes obsolete. Ensure that the server is not in use by IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus before deleting the server.

Procedure
To delete an LDAP or SMTP server, complete the following steps:
1. From the navigation menu, click System Configuration > LDAP/SMTP.
2. Click the delete icon that is associated with the server.
3. Click Yes to delete server.

130 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Configuring global preferences
As the administrator, you can configure preferences that apply to all IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
operations in the Global Preferences pane.

Before you begin


You must have administrator credentials to configure global preferences.
Attention: Modify global preferences only if absolutely necessary. The modification of global
preferences can affect your storage environment.

About this task


The Global Preferences pane lists configurable global parameter settings in the following categories:
Application, General, Job, Logging, Protection, and Security. As the administrator, you can edit the
settings to meet your organization's requirements. Any changes that you make to parameter default
values apply to all IBM Spectrum Protect Plus operations when you save the changes.

Procedure
To edit the values for any setting and apply them globally, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click System Configuration > Global Preferences.
2. To apply global application preferences, edit the settings in the Application category. The default
values for the preferences are shown in the following image:

You can edit the following application preferences:


Enable SQL Server databases restored in test mode eligible for backup
Back up SQL Server databases that were restored in test mode. When this option is selected, SQL
Server databases that were restored in test mode are available for selection in the SQL Backup
pane or ad hoc backup wizard.
Maximum volume size for backup target LUNs on Windows (TB)
The maximum size of the storage for a backup target.
Maximum concurrent servers running backups
The maximum number of concurrent application servers per backup session.
Perform DB backup when log backup chain is broken
Run a database backup job when IBM Spectrum Protect Plus detects a break in the log backup
chain for a database.
3. To apply general preferences, edit the settings in the General category. The default values for the
preferences are shown in the following image:

Chapter 7. Configuring the system environment 131


You can edit the following general preferences:
Restriction: The Access log retention (days) option is available only if you install IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus interim fix 10.1.5.2199 or later.
Access log retention (days)
Enter the number of days that the access log should be retained.
Tools working folder on Linux guest
The working folder for tools on Linux VM guests.
Tools working folder on Windows guest
The working folder for tools on Windows VM guests.
Linux/AIX Clients Port (SSH) used for application and file indexing
The SSH port that is used for application and file indexing on Linux and AIX clients.
Windows Clients Port (WinRM) used for application and file indexing
The Windows Remote Management (WinRM) port that is used for application and file indexing on
Windows clients.
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Server IP Address
The list of available IP addresses for the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus server. This IP address is used
to communication from VADP proxies back to the IP of the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus server. It is
also used for remote agent communication.
4. To apply job or logging preferences, edit the values in the Job or Logging categories. The default values
for the preferences are shown in the following image:

You can edit the following job and logging preferences:

132 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Job log retention (days)
The number of days to retain job logs before the logs are deleted.
Job notification status
The status level for sending alerts. Alerts are sent when a job is completed with the specified
status. For example, if the job notification status is failed, when the failed status is reported
for a job, an alert is sent.
Enable logging IBM Spectrum Protect Plus alerts to the system log
Include alerts that are generated by IBM Spectrum Protect Plus in the system log. After you enable
this feature, you can search the system log to find alerts.
5. To apply protection preferences, edit the settings in the Protection category. The default values for the
preferences are shown in the following image:

You can edit the following protection preferences:


Number of seconds to wait before checking connection
The amount of time that IBM Spectrum Protect Plus waits before checking the connection to a
cloud object.
Number of times to check for valid connection
The number of times that IBM Spectrum Protect Plus checks for an available connection.
Temporary folder for file index zip files
The temporary folder for storing the compressed (.zip) files that contain the metadata for
indexing. When the indexing is completed, the files are deleted.
Temporary folder for file indexing on Windows server
The temporary folder for storing the compressed (.zip) files that contain the metadata for
indexing the Windows server. When the indexing is completed, the folder is deleted.
Group VMs by
Virtual machines can be grouped together. The group can be defined by a count of the VMs that are
included in the group or the size of the VMs that are included in the group.
For VM grouping, four VM groups are available and each VM group can have a maximum of five
VMs. Each group corresponds to one destination volume (data stream). A maximum of 20 VMs
(four data streams) can be grouped at a time based on size calculations.

Chapter 7. Configuring the system environment 133


Target free space error (percentage)
The percentage threshold of remaining free space in the vSnap storage pool. Errors are displayed
in the job log. For example, if a value of 5 is specified, an error is displayed if the vSnap storage
pool has 5% or less of remaining free space.
Target free space warning (percentage)
The percentage threshold of remaining free space in the vSnap storage pool. Warnings are
displayed in the job log. For example, if a value of 10 is specified, a warning is displayed if the
vSnap storage pool has 10% or less of remaining free space.
Catalog object update count
The count that you can set to limit how many objects are queried and updated in the catalog. For
example, if the catalog includes 100 objects and the update count is 20, IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus updates the catalog in five iterations.
Virtual machine backup status update interval (seconds)
The frequency at which messages about the progress of data transfer are updated in the job log.
vSnap auto disable deduplication when DDT size reaches resource limit
The deduplication table (DDT) is enabled by default. When either of the threshold limits defined by
disk space (gigabytes) or percentage is exceeded, vSnap data deduplication is disabled and an
alert is displayed.
vSnap DDT size limit as percentage of total memory cache
The threshold as a percentage of the vSnap deduplication table (DDT) as compared to the total
memory cache. The DDT is disabled when the vSnap auto disable option is selected and the
defined threshold is exceeded.
vSnap DDT size limit in GB
The threshold in gigabytes (GB) of the vSnap DDT. The DDT is disabled when the vSnap auto
disable option is selected and the defined threshold is exceeded.
Backup wait timeout (seconds)
The amount of time that IBM Spectrum Protect Plus waits for a backup job to finish before starting
another backup job. If the backup job does not finish within the wait period, the job is timed out,
and the next job begins.
VMware connection timeout (seconds)
The amount of time that IBM Spectrum Protect Plus waits for commands that are issued to
connected vCenters to finish. If the operations do not finish within the specified amount of time,
they are logged as errors. This setting applies only to VMware hypervisors.
6. To apply a security preference, edit the setting in the Security category. The default value for the
preference is shown in the following image:

You can edit the following security preference:


Set Minimum Password Length (characters)
The minimum length of passwords for IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. By default, the password has a
minimum length of 8 characters, but you can specify a longer password. This value applies to all
user accounts.

Logging on to the administrative console


Log on to the administrative console to review the configuration of the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual
appliance. Available information includes general system settings, network, and proxy settings.

Procedure
To log on to the administrative console, complete the following steps:

134 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


1. From a supported browser, enter the following URL:

https://HOSTNAME:8090/

Where HOSTNAME is the IP address of the virtual machine where the application is deployed.
2. In the login window, select one of the following authentication types in the Authentication Type list:
Authentication Type Logon information
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus To log on as an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user
with SUPERUSER privileges, enter your
administrator user name and password. If you log
in by using the admin user account, you are
prompted to reset the user name and password.
You cannot reset the user name to admin, root,
or test.
System To log on as a system user, enter the
serveradmin password. The default password
is sppDP758-SysXyz. You are prompted to
change this password during the first logon.
Certain rules are enforced when creating a new
password. For more information, see the
password requirement rules in “Start IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus” on page 91.

What to do next
Review the configuration of the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance.
Related concepts
“System requirements ” on page 11
Before you install IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, review the hardware and software requirements for the
product and other components that you plan to install in the storage environment.
“Managing roles” on page 369
Roles define the actions that can be completed for the resources that are defined in a resource group.
While a resource group defines the resources that are available to an account, a role sets the permissions
to interact with the resources.

Setting the time zone


Use the Administrative Console to set the time zone of the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance.

Procedure
To set the time zone, complete the following steps:
1. From a supported browser, enter the following URL:

https://HOSTNAME:8090/

Where HOSTNAME is the IP address of the virtual machine where the application is deployed.
2. In the login window, select one of the following authentication types in the Authentication Type list:
Authentication Type Login information
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus To log in as an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user
with SUPERUSER privileges, enter your
administrator user name and password.
System To login as a system user, enter the
serveradmin password. The default password

Chapter 7. Configuring the system environment 135


Authentication Type Login information
is sppDP758-SysXyz. You are prompted to
change this password during the first logon.
Certain rules are enforced when creating a new
password. For more information, see the
password requirement rules in “Start IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus” on page 91.

3. Click Perform System Actions.


4. In the Change Time Zone section, select your time zone.
A message stating that the operation was successful displays. All IBM Spectrum Protect Plus logs and
schedules will reflect the selected time zone. The selected time zone will also display on the IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus appliance when logged in with the user ID serveradmin.
5. Restart the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance from the Administrative Console.
6. Once the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance has restarted, view the current time zone. Select
Product Information from the main page of the Administrative Console and verify the updated time
zone.

Uploading an SSL certificate from the administrative console


To establish secure connections in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, you can upload an SSL certificate such as
an HTTPS or LDAP certificate by using the administrative console.

About this task


For HTTPS certificates, PEM encoded certificates with .cer or .crt extensions are supported.
For LDAP certificates, DER encoded certificates with .cer or .crt extensions are supported. If you are
uploading an LDAP SSL certificate, ensure that IBM Spectrum Protect Plus has connectivity to the LDAP
server and that the LDAP server is running.
ASCII and binary format certificates are accepted with the standard .pem, .cer, and .crt file
extensions.

Procedure
To upload an SSL certificate, complete the following steps:
1. Contact your network administrator for the name of the certificate to export.
2. From a supported browser, export the certificate to your computer. Make note of the location of the
certificate on your computer. The process of exporting certificates varies based on your browser.
3. From a supported browser, enter the following URL:

https://HOSTNAME:8090/

Where HOSTNAME is the IP address of the virtual machine where the application is deployed.
4. In the logon window, select one of the following authentication types in the Authentication Type list:
Authentication Type Logon information
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus To log on as an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user
with SUPERUSER privileges, enter your
administrator user name and password. If you log
in by using the admin user account, you are
prompted to reset the user name and password.
You cannot reset the user name to admin, root,
or test.

136 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Authentication Type Logon information
System To log on as a system user, enter the
serveradmin password. The default password
is sppDP758-SysXyz. You are prompted to
change this password during the first logon.
Certain rules are enforced when creating a new
password. For more information, see the
password requirement rules in “Start IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus” on page 91.

5. Click Manage your certificates.


6. Click Browse, and select the certificate that you want to upload.
7. Click Upload SSL certificate for HTTPS.
8. Restart the virtual machine where the application is deployed.

Logging on to the virtual appliance


Log on to the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance by using the vSphere Client to access the
command line. You can access the command line in a VMware environment or in a Hyper-V environment.

Accessing the virtual appliance in VMware


In a VMware environment, log on to the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance through vSphere
Client to access the command line.

Procedure
Complete the following steps to access the virtual appliance command line:
1. In vSphere Client, select the virtual machine where IBM Spectrum Protect Plus is deployed.
2. On the Summary tab, select Open Console and click in the console.
3. Select Login, and enter your user name and password. The default user name is serveradmin and
the default password is sppDP758-SysXyz. You are prompted to change this password during the
first logon. Certain rules are enforced when creating a new password. For more information, see the
password requirement rules in “Start IBM Spectrum Protect Plus” on page 91.

What to do next
Enter commands to administer the virtual appliance. To log off, type exit.

Accessing the virtual appliance in Hyper-V


In a Hyper-V environment, log on to the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance through vSphere
Client to access the command line.

Procedure
Complete the following steps to access the virtual appliance command line:
1. In Hyper-V Manager, select the virtual machine where IBM Spectrum Protect Plus is deployed.
2. Right-click the virtual machine and select Connect.
3. Select Login, and enter your user name and password. The default user name is serveradmin and
the default password is sppDP758-SysXyz. You are prompted to change this password during the
first logon. Certain rules are enforced when creating a new password. For more information, see the
password requirement rules in “Start IBM Spectrum Protect Plus” on page 91.

What to do next
Enter commands to administer the virtual appliance. To log off, type exit.

Chapter 7. Configuring the system environment 137


Testing network connectivity
The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Service Tool tests host addresses and ports to determine if a connection
can be established. You can use the Service Tool to verify whether a connection can be established
between IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and a node
You can run the Service Tool from the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus command line or remotely by using
a .jar file. If a connection can be established, the tool returns a green check mark. If a connection cannot
be established, the error condition is displayed, along with possible causes and actions.
The tool provides guidance for the following error conditions:
• Timeout
• Connection refused
• Unknown host
• No route

Running the Service Tool from a command line


You can start the Service Tool from the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance command line
interface and run the tool in a web browser. Then, you can use the Service Tool to verify network
connectivity between IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and a node.

Procedure
1. Log in to the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance by using the serveradmin user ID and
access the command line. Run the following command:

# sudo bash

2. Open port 9000 on the firewall by running the following command:

# firewall-cmd –-add-port=9000/tcp

3. Run the tool by running the following command:

# java -Dserver.port=9000 -jar /opt/ECX/spp/public/assets/tool/ngxdd.jar

4. To connect to the tool, enter the following URL in a browser:

http://hostname:9000

where hostname specifies the IP address of the virtual machine where the application is deployed.
5. To specify the node to test, complete the following fields:
Host
The hostname or IP address of the node that you want to test.
Port
The connection port to test.
6. Click Save.
7. To run the tool, hover the cursor over the tool, and then click Run.
If a connection cannot be established, the error condition is displayed, along with possible causes and
actions.
8. Stop the tool by running the following command on the command line:

ctl-c

9. Protect your storage environment by resetting the firewall. Run the following commands:

# firewall-cmd --zone=public --remove-port=9000/tcp


# firewall-cmd --runtime-to-permanent
# firewall-cmd --reload

138 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Note: If the firewall-cmd command is not available on your system, edit the firewall manually to
add necessary ports and restart the firewall with iptables. For more information on editing firewall
rules, see the Firewall configuration with iptables section here: https://www.ibm.com/support/
knowledgecenter/en/STXKQY_5.0.3/com.ibm.spectrum.scale.v5r03.doc/
bl1adv_firewallportopenexamples.htm.

Running the Service Tool remotely


You can download the Service Tool as a .jar file from the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user interface. Then,
you can use the Service Tool to remotely test connectivity between IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and a
node.

Procedure
1. In the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user interface, click the user menu, and then click Download Test
Tool.
A .jar file is downloaded to your workstation.
2. Launch the tool from a command-line interface. Java is only required on the system where the tool will
be launched. Endpoints or target systems that are tested by the tool do not require Java.
The following command launches the tool in a Linux environment:

# java -jar -Dserver.port=9000 /<tool path >/ngxdd.jar

3. To connect to the tool, enter the following URL in a browser:

http://hostname:9000

where hostname specifies the IP address of the virtual machine where the application is deployed.
4. To specify the node to test, populate the following fields:
Host
The host name or IP address of the node that you want to test.
Port
The connection port to test.
5. Click Save.
6. To run the tool, hover the cursor over the tool, and then click the green Run button.
If a connection cannot be established, the error condition is displayed, along with possible causes and
actions.
7. Stop the tool by issuing the following command on the command line:

ctl-c

Adding virtual disks


You can add new virtual disks (hard disks) to your IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance by using
vCenter.
When you deploy the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance, you can deploy all virtual disks to one
datastore that you specify at the time of deployment. You can add a disk within the virtual appliance and
configure it as a Logical Volume Manager (LVM). You can then mount the new disk as a new volume or
attach the new disk to the existing volumes within the virtual appliance.
Important: Do not add space or extend an existing volume for the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual
appliance.
You can review the disk partitions by using the fdisk -l command. You can review the physical volumes
and the volume groups on the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance by using the pvdisplay and
vgdisplay commands.

Chapter 7. Configuring the system environment 139


Adding a disk to the virtual appliance
Use the vCenter client to edit the settings of the virtual machine.

Before you begin


To run commands, you must connect to the command line for the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual
appliance by using Secure Shell (SSH) and log in with the user ID serveradmin. The default initial
password is sppDP758-SysXyz. You are prompted to change this password during the first logon.
Certain rules are enforced when creating a new password. For more information, see the password
requirement rules in “Start IBM Spectrum Protect Plus” on page 91.

Procedure
To add a disk to an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance, complete the following steps from the
vCenter client:
1. From the vCenter client, complete the following steps:
a) On the Hardware tab, click Add.
b) Select Create a new virtual disk.
c) Select the required disk size. In the Location section, select one of the following options:
• To use the current datastore, select Store with the virtual machine.
• To specify one or more datastores for the virtual disk, select Specify a datastore or datastore
cluster. Click Browse to select the new datastores.
d) In the Advanced Options tab, leave the default values.
e) Review and save your changes.
f) Click the Edit Settings option for the virtual machine to view the new hard disk.
2. Add the new SCSI device without rebooting the virtual appliance. From the console of the IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus appliance, issue the following commands:

sudo bash

Press Enter.

# for host in `ls /sys/class/scsi_host/`; do


echo "- - -" > /sys/class/scsi_host/${host}/scan;
done

Adding storage capacity from a new disk to the appliance volume


After you add a disk to the virtual appliance, you can attach the new disk to the existing volumes within
the virtual appliance.

Before you begin


To run commands, you must connect to the console of the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance by
using SSH and log in with the user ID serveradmin. The default initial password is sppDP758-SysXyz.
You are prompted to change this password during the first logon. Certain rules are enforced when
creating a new password. For more information, see the password requirement rules in “Start IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus” on page 91.

About this task


You need to complete this task only if you want to add the storage capacity from a new disk to an existing
appliance volume. If you added the disk as a new volume, you do not need to complete this task.

140 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Procedure
To add storage capacity from a new disk to the appliance volume, complete the following steps from the
console of the virtual appliance:
1. Complete the following steps to set up a partition for the new disk and set the partition to be of type
Linux LVM:
a) Open the new disk by using the fdisk command. For the command below, the disk /dev/sdd is
used as an example. Use the fdisk command with the appropriate disk that is to be added.

[serveradmin@localhost ~]# fdisk /dev/sdd

The fdisk utility starts in interactive mode. Output similar to the following output is displayed:

Device contains neither a valid DOS partition table, nor Sun, SGI or
OSF disklabel
Building a new DOS disklabel with disk identifier 0xb1b293df.
Changes will remain in memory only, until you decide to write them.
After that, of course, the previous content won't be recoverable.
Warning: invalid flag 0x0000 of partition table 4 will be corrected by
w(rite)
WARNING: DOS-compatible mode is deprecated. It's strongly recommended
to
switch off the mode (command 'c') and change display units to
sectors (command 'u').
Command (m for help):

a) At the fdisk command line, enter the n subcommand to add a partition.

Command (m for help): n

The following command action choices are displayed:

Command (m for help): n


Command action
e extended
p primary partition (1-4)

b) Enter the p command action to select the primary partition.


You are prompted for a partition number:

Command (m for help): n


Command action
e extended
p primary partition (1-4)
Partition number (1-4):

c) At the partition number prompt, enter the partition number 1.

Partition number (1-4): 1

The following prompt is displayed:

First cylinder (1-2610, default 1):

d) Do not type anything at the First cylinder prompt. Press the Enter key.
The following output and prompt is displayed:

First cylinder (1-2610, default 1):


Using default value 1
Last cylinder, +cylinders or +size{K,M,G} (1-2610, default 2610):

e) Do not type anything in the Last cylinder prompt. Press the Enter key.
The following output is displayed:

Chapter 7. Configuring the system environment 141


Last cylinder, +cylinders or +size{K,M,G} (1-2610, default 2610):
Using default value 2610
Command (m for help):

f) At the fdisk command line, enter the t subcommand to change a partition's system ID.

Command (m for help): t

You are prompted for a hex code that identifies the partition type:

Selected partition 1
Hex code (type L to list codes):

g) At the Hex code prompt, enter the hex code 8e to specify the Linux LVM partition type.
The following output is displayed:

Hex code (type L to list codes): 8e


Changed system type of partition 1 to 8e (Linux LVM)
Command (m for help):

h) At the fdisk command line, enter the w subcommand to write the partition table and to exit the
fdisk utility.

Command (m for help): w

The following output is displayed:

Command (m for help): w (write table to disk and exit)


The partition table has been altered!
Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table.
Syncing disks.

2. To review the changes to the disk, issue the fdisk -l command.


3. To review the current list of Physical Volumes (PV), issue the pvdisplay command.
4. To create a new Physical Volume (PV), issue the pvcreate /dev/sdd1 command.
5. To view the new PV from /dev/sdd1, issue the pvdisplay command.
6. To review the Volume Group (VG), issue the vgdisplay command.
7. To add the Physical Volume (PV) to the Volume Group (VG) and increase the space of the VG, issue
the following command:

vgextend data_vg /dev/sdd1

8. To verify that data_vg is extended, and that free space is available for logical volumes (or /data
volume) to use, issue the vgdisplay command.
9. To review the Logical Volume (LV) /data volume, issue the lvdisplay command. The usage of
the /data volume displays.
10. To add the space of the LV /data volume to the total volume capacity, issue the lvextend
command.
In this example, 20 GB of space is being added to a 100 GB volume.

[serveradmin@localhost ~]# lvextend -L120gb -r /dev/data_vg/data


Size of logical volume data_vg/data changed from 100.00 GiB to 120.00 GiB .
Logical volume data successfully resized
resize2fs 1.41.12 (date)
Filesystem at /dev/mapper/data_vg-data is mounted on /data; on-line
resizing required
old desc_blocks = 7, new_desc_blocks = 8
Performing an on-line resize of /dev/mapper/data_vg-data to 31195136
(4k) blocks.
The filesystem on /dev/mapper/data_vg-data is now 31195136 blocks
long.

142 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


After you run the preceding command, the size of the /data volume is displayed in lvdisplay
command output as 120 GB:

[serveradmin@localhost ~]# lvdisplay


--- Logical volume ---
LV Path: /dev/data_vg/data
LV Name: data
VG Name: data_vg
LV UUID: [uuid]
LV Write Access: read/write
LV Creation host, time localhost.localdomain, [date, time]
LV Status: available
# open: 1
LV Size: 120.00 GiB
Current LE: 30208
Segments : 2
Allocation inherit
Read ahead sectors: auto
- currently set to: 256
Block device: 253:1
[serveradmin@localhost ~]# df -h
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/sda3 14G 2.6G 11G 20% /
tmpfs 16G 0 16G 0% /dev/shm
/dev/sda1 240M 40M 188M 18% /boot
/dev/mapper/data_vg-data
118G 6.4G 104G 6% /data
/dev/mapper/data2_vg-data2
246G 428M 234G 1% /data2

Chapter 7. Configuring the system environment 143


144 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide
Chapter 8. Managing SLA policies for backup
operations
Service level agreement (SLA) policies, also known as backup policies, define parameters for backup jobs.
These parameters include the frequency and retention period of backups and the option to replicate or
copy backup data. You can use predefined SLA policies, or customize them to meet your needs.
The following default SLA policies are available. Each policy specifies a frequency and retention period for
the backup. You can use these policies as they are or modify them. You can also create custom SLA
policies.
Gold
This policy runs every 4 hours with a retention period of 1 week.
Silver
This policy runs daily with a retention period of 1 month.
Bronze
This policy runs daily with a retention period of 1 week.
To view and manage backup policies and to monitor the virtual machines and databases that are
protected by policies, click Manage Protection > Policy Overview in the navigation pane.
If you edit an existing SLA policy by changing the standard object storage copy source, destination type,
or target server options, the associated jobs will start a full base backup, not an incremental backup,
during the next job run.
For installations of IBM Spectrum Protect Plus V10.1.5, a demo SLA configuration is available for testing.
This demonstration feature includes the following elements:
• A demonstration site named Demo
• An SLA policy named Demo
• A local vSnap configuration for the demo SLA.
You can choose to use the demo site for testing backup and restore operations. The data is backed up to
the local vSnap configuration when you run the demo SLA policy.
Note: The built-in vSnap is set so that it can be used only by the Demo Site. Do not use the built-in IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus vSnap with any other site.

Creating an SLA policy


You can create custom SLA policies to define backup frequency, retention, replication, and copy policies
that are specific for your environment.

About this task


If a virtual machine is associated with multiple SLA policies, ensure that the policies that you create are
not scheduled to run concurrently. Either schedule the SLA policies to run with a significant amount of
time between them, or combine them into a single SLA policy.
If a snapshot replication task is started before an initial backup to a vSnap server is completed, errors in
the job log indicate that no recovery points exist for the database. After the initial backup to the vSnap
server is completed, run the replication task again to replicate the snapshots as configured in the SLA
policy.
When copying data from a vSnap server to cloud storage, the most recent successfully completed
snapshot will be copied.

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2017, 2020 145


Procedure
To create an SLA policy, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Policy Overview.
2. Click Add SLA Policy.
The New SLA Policy pane is displayed.
3. In the Name field, enter a name that provides a meaningful description of the SLA policy.
4. In the Operational Protection section under Main Policy, set the following options for backup
operations. These operations occur on the vSnap servers that are defined in the System Configuration
> Backup Storage > Disk window.
Retention
Specify the retention period for the backup snapshots.
Disable Schedule
Select this check box to create the main policy without defining a frequency or start time. Policies
created without a schedule can be run on-demand.
Frequency
Enter a frequency for backup operations.
Start Time
Enter the date and time that you want the backup operation to start.
Target Site
Select the target backup site for backing up data.
A site can contain one or more vSnap servers. If more than one vSnap server is in a site, IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus server manages data placement in the vSnap servers.
Only sites that are associated with a vSnap server are shown in this list. Sites that are added to
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, but are not associated with a vSnap server, are not shown.
Only use encrypted disk storage
Select this check box to back up data to encrypted vSnap servers if your environment includes a
mixture of encrypted and unencrypted servers.
Restriction: If this option is selected and there are no encrypted vSnap servers available, the
associated job will fail.
5. Under Replication Policy, set the following options to enable asynchronous replication from one
vSnap server to another. For example, you can replicate data from the primary to the secondary
backup site.
Replication partnerships requirement: These options apply to established replication partnerships.
To add a replication partnership, see the instructions in “Establishing a replication partnership for a
vSnap server” on page 82.
Backup Storage Replication
Select this option to enable replication.
Disable Schedule
Select this check box to create the replication relationship without defining a frequency or start
time.
Frequency
Enter a frequency for replication operations.
Start Time
Enter the date and time that you want the replication operation to start.
Target Site
Select the target backup site for replicating data.
A site can contain one or more vSnap servers. If more than one vSnap server is in a site, IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus server manages data placement in the vSnap servers.

146 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Only sites that are associated with a vSnap server are shown in this list. Sites that are added to
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, but are not associated with a vSnap server, are not shown.
Only use encrypted disk storage
Select this option to replicate data to encrypted vSnap servers if your environment includes a
mixture of encrypted and unencrypted servers.
Restriction: If this option is selected and there are no encrypted vSnap servers available, the
associated job will fail.
Same retention as source selection
Select this option to use the same retention policy as the source vSnap server. To set a different
retention policy, clear this option and set a different policy.
6. In the Additional copies section, set the following options to copy data to standard object storage or
archive object storage.
Standard object storage (incremental copy)
Select this option to copy data to cloud storage or to a repository server.
Data is backed up to the vSnap server for short term protection, and then copied to the selected
cloud storage or repository server for longer-term protection. During the first copy of a backup
volume, the snapshot is backed up in full. After the first copy of the base snapshot is completed,
subsequent copies are incremental and capture cumulative changes since the last copy. Cloud or
repository server restore operations can be performed from any available vSnap server.
Disable Schedule
Select this check box to create the copy relationship without defining a frequency or start time.
Frequency
Enter a frequency for copy operations.
Start Time
Enter the date and time that you want the copy operation to start.
Same retention as source selection
Select this option to use the same retention policy as the source vSnap server. To set a
different retention policy, clear this option and set a different policy.
Restriction: Copy retention options are disabled if a server that uses write once read many
(WORM) retention is selected in the Target field.
Source
Click the source for the copy operation:
Main Policy Destination
The source for the copy operation is the target site that is defined in the Main Policy
section.
Replication Policy Destination
The source for the copy operation is the target site that is defined in the Replication Policy
section.
This option is available only when Backup Storage Replication is selected.
Destination
Click Cloud services or Repository servers.
Target
Click the cloud storage system or repository server to which you want to copy data.
This list contains the secondary storage systems that you have added to IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus. If you have not added secondary storage or want to add it, see “Managing secondary
backup storage” on page 111 for information about the cloud storage systems and repository
servers that are supported and how to add them to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
Archive object storage (full copy)
Select this option to archive data to cloud storage or to a repository server for long-term
protection.

Chapter 8. Managing SLA policies for backup operations 147


This operation provides a full image copy to the selected archival storage.
Disable Schedule
Select this check box to create the archive relationship without defining a frequency or start
time.
Frequency
Enter a frequency for archive operations.
Start Time
Enter the date and time that you want the archive operation to start.
Retention
Specify the retention period for the archive snapshots as a unit of time in days, months, or
years.
Source
Click the source for the archive destination:
Main Policy Destination
The source for the archive operation is the target site that is defined in the Main Policy
section.
Replication Policy Destination
The source for the archive operation is the target site that is defined in the Replication
Policy section.
This option is available only when Backup Storage Replication is selected.
Destination
Click Cloud services or Repository servers.
Target
Click the cloud storage system or repository server to which you want to archive data.
Only cloud targets that have a defined archive bucket are shown in this list. To add an archive
bucket for a cloud storage system, follow the instructions in “Managing cloud storage” on page
111.
7. Click Save. The SLA policy can now be applied to backup job definitions.

What to do next
After you create an SLA policy, complete the following actions:

Action How to
Assign user permissions to the SLA policy. See “Creating a role” on page 370
Create a backup job definition that uses the SLA See the backup topics in Chapter 9, “Protecting
policy. hypervisors,” on page 151 and Chapter 10,
“Protecting applications,” on page 189.

Related concepts
“Replicate backup-storage data ” on page 5
When you enable replication of backup data, data from one vSnap server is asynchronously replicated to
another vSnap server. For example, you can replicate backup data from a vSnap server on a primary site
to a vSnap server on a secondary site.
“Copy snapshots to secondary backup storage” on page 6

148 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


The vSnap server is the primary backup location for snapshots. All IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
environments have at least one vSnap server. Optionally, you can copy snapshots from a vSnap server to
secondary backup storage.

Editing an SLA policy


Edit the options for an SLA policy to reflect changes in your IBM Spectrum Protect Plus environment.

Procedure
To edit an SLA policy, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Policy Overview.
2. Click the edit icon that is associated with a policy.
The Edit SLA Policy pane is displayed.
3. Edit the policy options, and then click Save.

Deleting an SLA policy


Delete an SLA policy when it becomes obsolete.

Before you begin


Ensure that there are no jobs that are associated with the SLA policy.

Procedure
To delete an SLA policy, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Policy Overview.
2. Click the delete icon that is associated with an SLA policy.
3. Click Yes to delete the policy.
4. If you are deleting the demo SLA policy, go to System Configuration > Site, and delete the site named
Demo.
Note:
When you delete the demo site you must register the local host vSnap with user credentials to another
valid site.

Chapter 8. Managing SLA policies for backup operations 149


150 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide
Chapter 9. Protecting hypervisors
You must register the hypervisors that you want to protect in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and then create
jobs to back up and restore the virtual machines and resources that are associated with the hypervisors.

Backing up and restoring VMware data


To protect VMware data, first add vCenter Server instances in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, and then create
jobs for backup and restore operations for the content of the instances.

System requirements
Ensure that your VMware environment meets the system requirements in “Hypervisor requirements ” on
page 26.

Support for VMware tags


IBM Spectrum Protect Plus supports VMware virtual machine tags. Tags are applied in vSphere and allow
users to assign metadata to virtual machines. When applied in vSphere and added to the IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus inventory, virtual machine tags can be viewed through the View > Tags & Categories filter
when you create a job definition. For more information about VMware tagging, see Tagging Objects.

Support for encryption


Backing up and restoring encrypted virtual machines is supported in vSphere 6.5 environments and later.
Encrypted virtual machines can be backed up and restored at the virtual-machine level to their original
location. If you are restoring a virtual machine to an alternative location, the encrypted virtual machine is
restored without encryption, and must be encrypted manually by using the vCenter Server after the
restore operation is completed.
The following vCenter Server privileges are required to enable operations for encrypted virtual machines:
• Cryptographer.Access
• Cryptographer.AddDisk
• Cryptographer.Clone
Note: An NFS volume may be mounted to any number of datacenters that belong to the same vCenter. If
an NFS volume is mounted on more than one datacenter, vCenter treats the same volume as two different
datastores. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus treats this as a single datastore and combines all of the VMs and
VMDKs residing on the datastore from all of the datacenters on which the datastore is mounted. Any SLA
selection against this datastore will cause all of the VMs from the different datacenters to be backed up or
restored in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.

Adding a vCenter Server instance


When a vCenter Server instance is added to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, an inventory of the instance is
captured, enabling you to complete backup and restore jobs, as well as run reports.

Procedure
To add a vCenter Server instance, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Hypervisors > VMware.
2. Click Manage vCenter.
3. Click Add vCenter.
4. Populate the fields in the vCenter Properties section:

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2017, 2020 151


Hostname/IP
Enter the resolvable IP address or a resolvable path and machine name.
Use existing user
Enable to select a previously entered user name and password for the vCenter Server instance.
Username
Enter your user name for the vCenter Server instance.
Password
Enter your password for the vCenter Server instance.
Port
Enter the communications port of the vCenter Server instance. Select the Use SSL check box to
enable an encrypted Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) connection. The typical default port is 80 for non
SSL connections or 443 for SSL connections.
5. In the Options section, configure the following option:
Maximum number of VMs to process concurrently per ESX server and per SLA
Set the maximum number of concurrent VM snapshots to process on the ESX server. The default
setting is 3.
6. Click Save. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus confirms a network connection, adds the vCenter Server
instance to the database, and then catalogs the instance.
If a message appears indicating that the connection is unsuccessful, review your entries. If your
entries are correct and the connection is unsuccessful, contact a network administrator to review the
connections.

What to do next
After you add a vCenter Server instance, complete the following action:

Action How to
Assign user permissions to the hypervisor. See “Creating a role” on page 370.

Related concepts
“Managing identities” on page 375
Some features in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus require credentials to access your resources. For example,
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus connects to Oracle servers as the local operating system user that is specified
during registration to complete tasks like cataloging, data protection, and data restore.
Related tasks
“Backing up VMware data” on page 155
Use a backup job to back up VMware resources such as virtual machines, datastores, folders, vApps, and
datacenters with snapshots.
“Restoring VMware data” on page 164
VMware restore jobs support Instant VM Restore and Instant Disk Restore scenarios, which are created
automatically based on the selected source.

Virtual machine privileges


vCenter Server privileges are required for the virtual machines that are associated with a VMware
provider. These privileges are included in the vCenter Administrator role.
If the user that is associated with the provider is not assigned to the Administrator role for an inventory
object, the user must be assigned to a role that has the following required privileges. Ensure that the
privileges are propagated to child objects. For instructions, refer to the VMware documentation about
adding a permission to an inventory object.

152 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


vCenter Server Object Required Privileges
Alarm • Acknowledge alarm
• Set alarm status

Cryptographic Operations (6.5 and 6.7) • Add disk


• Direct access
• Encrypt
• Encrypt new
• Manage encryption policies

Datastore • Allocate space


• Browse datastore
• Low level file operations
• Remove datastore
• Remove file
• Update virtual machine files

Distributed switch • Port configuration operation


• Port setting operation

Folder • Create folder

Global • Cancel task


• Manage custom attributes
• Set custom attribute

Host > Configuration • Storage partition configuration

Inventory Service > Tagging (6.0) • Assign or Unassign vSphere Tag


vSphere Tagging (6.5 and 6.7) • Create vSphere Tag
• Create vSphere Tag Category
• Modify UsedBy Field for Category
• Modify UsedBy Field for Tag

Network • Assign network

Resource • Apply recommendation


• Assign a vApp to resource pool
• Assign virtual machine to resource pool
• Migrate powered off virtual machine
• Migrate powered on virtual machine
• Query vMotion

Chapter 9. Protecting hypervisors 153


vCenter Server Object Required Privileges
Virtual Machine > Configuration • Add existing disk
• Add new disk
• Add or remove device
• Advanced (6.0 and 6.5)
• Advanced configuration (6.7)
• Change CPU count
• Change memory (6.7)
• Change settings (6.7)
• Configure raw device (6.7)
• Disk change tracking (6.0 and 6.5)
• Memory (6.0 and 6.5)
• Modify device settings
• Raw device (6.0 and 6.5)
• Reload from path
• Remove disk
• Rename
• Settings (6.0 and 6.5)
• Toggle disk change tracking (6.7)

Virtual Machine > Guest Operations • Guest Operation Modifications


• Guest Operation Program Execution
• Guest Operation Queries

Virtual Machine > Interaction • Backup operation on virtual machine


• Power Off
• Power On

Virtual Machine > Inventory • Register


• Remove
• Unregister

Virtual Machine > Provisioning • Allow disk access


• Allow read-only disk access
• Allow virtual machine download
• Allow virtual machine files upload
• Mark as template
• Mark as virtual machine

Virtual Machine > Snapshot management • Create snapshot


• Remove snapshot
• Revert snapshot

154 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


vCenter Server Object Required Privileges
vApp • Add virtual machine
• Assign resource pool
• Assign vApp
• Create
• Delete
• Power Off
• Power On
• Rename
• Unregister
• vApp resource configuration

Detecting VMware resources


VMware resources are automatically detected after the vCenter Server instance is added to IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus. However, you can run an inventory job to detect any changes that occurred since
the instance was added.

Procedure
To run an inventory job, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Hypervisors > VMware.
2. In the list of vCenters Server instances, select an instance or click the link for the instance to navigate
to the resource that you want. For example, if you want to run an inventory job for an individual virtual
machine in the instance, click the instance link and then select a virtual machine.
3. Click Run Inventory.

Testing the connection to a vCenter Server virtual machine


You can test the connection to a vCenter Server virtual machine. The test function verifies communication
with the virtual machine and tests domain name server (DNS) settings between the IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus virtual appliance and the virtual machine.

Procedure
To test the connection, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Hypervisors > VMware.
2. In the list of vCenters Server instances, click the link for a vCenter Server to navigate to the individual
virtual machines.
3. Select a virtual machine, and then click Select Options.
4. Select Use existing user.
5. Select a user in the Select user list.
6. Click Test.

Backing up VMware data


Use a backup job to back up VMware resources such as virtual machines, datastores, folders, vApps, and
datacenters with snapshots.

Before you begin


Review the following procedures and considerations before you define a backup job:
• Register the providers that you want to back up. For more instructions, see “Adding a vCenter Server
instance” on page 151.

Chapter 9. Protecting hypervisors 155


• Configure SLA policies. For more instructions, see “Create backup policies” on page 93.
• Before an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user can implement backup and restore operations, roles and
resource groups must be assigned to the user. Grant users access to resources and backup and restore
operations through the Accounts pane. For more information, see Chapter 15, “Managing user access,”
on page 365.
• If a virtual machine is associated with multiple SLA policies, ensure that the policies are not scheduled
to run concurrently. Either schedule the SLA policies to run with a significant amount of time between
them, or combine them into a single SLA policy.
• If your vCenter is a virtual machine, to help maximize data protection, have the vCenter on a dedicated
datastore and backed up in a separate backup job.
• Ensure the latest version of VMware Tools is installed on VMware virtual machines.

About this task


• When backing up VMware virtual machines, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus downloads .vmx, .vmxf,
and .nvram files if necessary, and then it transfers those files to the vSnap server as needed. For this to
work successfully, the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance must be able to resolve and access all
protected ESXi hosts. When the appliance communicates with an ESXi host, the correct IP address
must be returned.
• If a VM is protected by an SLA policy, the backups of the VM will be retained based on the retention
parameters of the SLA policy, even if the VM is removed from vCenter.
• If an existing VM is migrated by a vMotion operation, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus will perform a rebase
operation if necessary.
Restriction: File cataloging, backup, point-in-time restores, and other operations that invoke the
Windows agent will fail if a non-default local administrator is entered as the Guest OS Username when
defining a backup job. A non-default local administrator is any user that has been created in the guest OS
and has been granted the administrator role.
This occurs if the registry key LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy in [HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft
\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System] is set to 0 or not set. If the parameter is set to 0 or
not set, a local non-default administrator cannot interact with WinRM, which is the protocol IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus uses to install the Windows agent for file cataloging, send commands to this agent,
and get results from it.
Set the LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy registry key to 1 on the Windows guest that is being
backed up with Catalog File Metadata enabled. If the key does not exist, navigate to
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
and add a DWord Registry key named LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy with a value of 1.

Procedure
To define a VMware backup job, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Hypervisors > VMware.
2. Select resources to back up.
Use the search function to search for available resources and toggle the displayed resources by using
the View filter. Available options are VMs and Templates, VMs, Datastore, Tags and Categories, and
Hosts and Clusters. Tags are applied in vSphere, and allow a user to assign metadata to virtual
machines.
3. Click Select SLA Policy to add one or more SLA policies that meet your backup criteria to the job
definition.
4. To create the job definition by using default options, click Save.
The job will run as defined by the SLA policies that you selected. To run the job immediately, click Jobs
and Operations > Schedule. Select the job and click Actions > Start.

156 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Tip: When the job for the selected SLA policy runs, all resources that are associated with that SLA
policy are included in the backup operation. To back up only selected resources, you can run an on-
demand job. An on-demand job runs the backup operation immediately.
• To run an on-demand backup job for a single resource, select the resource and click Run. If the
resource is not associated with an SLA policy, the Run button is not available.
• To run an on-demand backup job for one or more resources, click Create job, select Ad hoc backup,
and follow the instructions in “Running an ad hoc backup job” on page 351.
When the job definition is saved, available virtual machine disks (VMDKs) in a virtual machine are
discovered and are shown when VMs and Templates is selected in the View filter. By default, these
VMDKs are assigned to the same SLA policy as the virtual machine. If you want a more granular
backup operation, you can exclude individual VMDKs from the SLA policy. For instructions, see
“Excluding VMDKs from the SLA policy for a job” on page 159.
5. To edit options before you create the job definition, click Select Options.
In the Backup Options section, set the following job definition options:
Skip Read-only datastores
Skip datastores that are mounted as read-only.
Skip temporary datastores mounted for Instant Access
Exclude temporary Instant Access datastores from the backup job definition.
VADP Proxy
Select a VADP proxy to balance the load.
Priority
Set the backup priority of the selected resource. Resources with a higher priority setting are
backed up first in the job. Click the resource that you want to prioritize in the VMware Backup
section, and then set the backup priority in the Priority field. Set 1 for the highest priority resource
or 10 for the lowest. If a priority value is not set, a priority of 5 is set by default.
In the Snapshot Options section, set the following job definition options:
Make VM snapshot application/file system consistent
Enable this option to turn on application or file system consistency for the virtual machine
snapshot. All VSS-compliant applications such as Microsoft Active Directory, Microsoft Exchange,
Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft SQL, and the system state are quiesced. VMDKs and virtual
machines can be instantly mounted to restore data that is related to quiesced applications.
VM Snapshot retry attempts
Set the number of times that IBM Spectrum Protect Plus attempts to capture an application or file-
consistent snapshot of a virtual machine before the job is canceled. If the Fall back to unquiesced
snapshot if quiesced snapshot fails option is enabled, an unquiesced snapshot will be taken after
the retry attempts.
Fall back to unquiesced snapshot if quiesced snapshot fails
Enable to fall back to a non-application or non-file-system consistent snapshot if the application
consistent snapshot fails. Selecting this option ensures that an unquiesced snapshot is taken if
environmental issues prohibit the capture of an application or file-system consistent snapshot.
In the Agent Options section, set the following job definition options:
Truncate SQL logs
To truncate application logs for SQL Server during the backup job, enable the Truncate SQL logs
option. The credentials must be established for the associated virtual machine by using the Guest
OS user name and Guest OS Password option within the backup job definition. When the virtual
machine is attached to a domain, the user identity follows the default domain\name format. If the
user is a local administrator, the format local_administrator is used.
The user identity must have local administrator privileges. On the SQL Server server, the system
login credential must have the following permissions:
• SQL Server sysadmin permissions must be enabled.

Chapter 9. Protecting hypervisors 157


• The Log on as a service right must be set. For more information about this right, see Add the Log
on as a service Right to an Account.
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus generates log files for the log truncation function and copies them to
the following location on the IBM Spectrum Protect appliance:

/data/log/guestdeployer/latest_date/latest_entry/vm_name

where latest_date is the date that the backup job and log truncation occurred, latest_entry is the
universally unique identifier (UUID) for the job, and vm_name is the host name or IP address of the
VM where the log truncation occurred.
Restriction: File indexing and file restore are not supported from restore points that were copied
to cloud resources or repository servers.
Catalog file metadata
Turn on file indexing for the associated snapshot. When file indexing is completed, individual files
can be restored by using the File Restore pane in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. Credentials must be
established for the associated virtual machine by using an SSH key, or the Guest OS Username
and Guest OS Password options within the backup job definition. Ensure that the virtual machine
can be accessed from the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance either by using DNS or a host
name.
Restriction: SSH Keys are not a valid authorization mechanism for Windows platforms.
Exclude Files
Enter directories to skip during file indexing. Files within these directories are not added to the IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus catalog and are not available for file recovery. Directories can be excluded
through an exact match or with wildcard asterisks specified before the pattern (*test) or after the
pattern (test*). Multiple asterisk wildcards are also supported in a single pattern. Patterns support
standard alphanumeric characters as well as the following special characters: - _ and *. Separate
multiple filters with a semicolon.
Use existing user
Select a previously entered user name and password for the provider.
Guest OS Username/Password
For some tasks (such as cataloging file metadata, file restore, and IP reconfiguration), credentials
must be established for the associated virtual machine. Enter the user name and password, and
ensure that the virtual machine can be accessed from the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance
either by using DNS or a host name.
6. To troubleshoot a connection to a hypervisor virtual machine, use the Test function.
The Test function verifies communication with the virtual machine and tests DNS settings between the
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance and the virtual machine. To test a connection, select a single
virtual machine, and then click Select Options. Select Use existing user and select a previously
entered user name and password for the resource, and then click Test.
7. Click Save.
8. To configure additional options, click the Policy Options field that is associated with the job in the SLA
Policy Status section. Set the additional policy options:
Pre-scripts and Post-scripts
Run a pre-script or a post-script. Pre-scripts and post-scripts are scripts that can be run before or
after a job runs. Windows-based machines support Batch and PowerShell scripts while Linux-
based machines support shell scripts.
In the Pre-script or Post-script section, select an uploaded script and a script server where the
script will run. Scripts and script servers are configured by using the System Configuration >
Script page.
To continue running the job if the script associated with the job fails, select Continue job/task on
script error.

158 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


When this option is enabled, if a pre-script or post-script completes processing with a non-zero
return code, the backup or restore operation is attempted and the pre-script task status is
reported as COMPLETED. If a post-script completes with a non-zero return code, the post-script
task status is reported as COMPLETED.
When this option is disabled, the backup or restore is not attempted, and the pre-script or post-
script task status is reported as FAILED.
Run inventory before backup
Run an inventory job and capture the latest data of the selected resources before starting the
backup job.
Exclude Resources
Exclude specific resources from the backup job by using single or multiple exclusion patterns.
Resources can be excluded by using an exact match or with wildcard asterisks specified before the
pattern (*test) or after the pattern (test*).
Multiple asterisk wildcards are also supported in a single pattern. Patterns support standard
alphanumeric characters as well as the following special characters: - _ and *.
Separate multiple filters with a semicolon.
Force Full Backup of Resources
Force base backup operations for specific virtual machines or databases in the backup job
definition. Separate multiple resources with a semicolon.
9. To save any additional options that you configured, click Save.

What to do next
After you define a backup job, you can complete the following actions:

Action How to
If you are using a Linux environment, consider See “Creating VADP proxies” on page 161.
creating VADP proxies to enable load sharing.
Create a VMware restore job definition. See “Restoring VMware data” on page 164.

In some cases, VMware backup jobs fail with “failed to mount” errors. To resolve this issue, increase the
maximum number of NFS mounts to at least 64 by using the NFS.MaxVolumes (vSphere 5.5 and later) and
NFS41.MaxVolumes (vSphere 6.0 and later) values. Follow the instructions in Increasing the default value
that defines the maximum number of NFS mounts on an ESXi/ESX host.
Related concepts
“Configuring scripts for backup and restore operations” on page 352
Prescripts and postscripts are scripts that can be run before or after backup and restore jobs run at the
job level. Supported scripts include shell scripts for Linux-based machines and batch and PowerShell
scripts for Windows-based machines. Scripts are created locally, uploaded to your environment through
the Script page, and then applied to job definitions.
Related tasks
“Starting jobs on demand” on page 347
You can run any job on demand, even if the job is set to run on a schedule.

Excluding VMDKs from the SLA policy for a job


After you save a backup job definition, you can exclude individual VMDKs in a virtual machine from the
SLA policy that is assigned to job.

Before you begin


Excluding one or more VMDKs from a backup operation can impact the success of recovery. Consider the
following scenarios before excluding a disk from a VM backup operation.

Chapter 9. Protecting hypervisors 159


• For Instant Disk Restore, if a VMDK is selected for a restore operations, an existing VM is chosen as the
destination. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus mounts the restored disk to the chosen destination VM.
• For Instant VM Restore, if the VMDK that was excluded during a backup contains data that is necessary
to boot the virtual machine, then the restored VM may fail to boot.
• For VMs with Windows-based guests, the restored VM may fail to boot if the disk on which the main
operating system is installed, typically the C: drive, was excluded during the backup operation.
• For VMs with Linux-based guests, the restored VM may fail:
– If a disk containing the boot or root partition was excluded during backup.
– If a disk containing a data (non-root) partition was excluded during backup, and the data volume did
not have the 'nofail’ option specified in /etc/fstab, then the restored VM may fail.

Procedure
To exclude VMDKs from the SLA policy:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Hypervisors > VMware.
2. Select VMs and Templates in the View filter.
3. Click the link for the vCenter, and then click the link for the virtual machine that contains the VMDKs
that you want to exclude.
4. Select one or more VMDKs, and then click Select SLA Policy.
5. Clear the check box for the selected SLA policy, and then click Save.

Backing up a Linux-based vCenter Server Appliance


To back up a Linux-based vCenter Server Appliance, you must modify the VMware pre-freeze and post-
thaw scripts on the vCenter virtual machine to avoid corrupted vCenter backups.

Before you begin


When you back up a Linux-based vCenter server, pre-freeze and post-thaw scripts should be run on the
vCenter virtual machine to avoid corruption. The scripts provided in this topic apply to version levels prior
to vSphere 6.0.
Note: As of the release of IBM Spectrum Protect Plus version 10.1.5, versions prior to VMware vSphere
6.0 are not supported. Instead, use the included VMware scripts for pre-freeze and post-thaw operations.

Procedure
To modify the scripts, complete the following steps:
1. On the virtual machine, navigate to the /usr/sbin directory and replace the content of the pre-
freeze-script script with the following content:
#!/bin/bash
#set log directory
log="/var/log/vpostgres_backup.log"
#set and log start date
today=`date +%Y\/%m\/%d\ %H:%M:%S`
echo "${today}: Start of creation consistent state" >> ${log}
#execute freeze command
cmd="echo \"SELECT pg_start_backup('${today}', true);\" | sudo /opt/vmware/vpostgres/9.4/bin/psql -U postgres >> ${log}
2>&1"
eval ${cmd}
#set and log end date
today=`date +%Y\/%m\/%d\ %H:%M:%S`
echo "${today}: Finished freeze script" >> ${log}

2. Replace the content of the post-thaw-script script with the following content:
#!/bin/bash
#set log directory
log="/var/log/vpostgres_backup.log"
#set and log start date
today=`date +%Y\/%m\/%d\ %H:%M:%S`
echo "${today}: Release of backup" >> ${log}
#execute release command
cmd="echo \"SELECT pg_stop_backup();\" | sudo /opt/vmware/vpostgres/9.4/bin/psql -U postgres >> ${log} 2>&1"
eval ${cmd}
#set and log end date
today=`date +%Y\/%m\/%d\ %H:%M:%S`
echo "${today}: Finished thaw script" >> ${log}

160 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Managing VADP backup proxies
In IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, you can create proxies to run VMware backup jobs by using vStorage API
for Data Protection (VADP) in Linux environments. The proxies reduce demand on system resources by
enabling load sharing and load balancing.
The backup of a VMware virtual machine includes the following files:
• VMDKs corresponding to all disks. The base backup captures all allocated data, or all data if disks are
on NFS datastores. Incremental backups will capture only changed blocks since the last successful
backup.
• Virtual machine templates.
• VMware files with the following extensions:
– .vmx
– .vmfx (if available)
– .nvram (stores the state of the virtual machine BIOS)
If proxies exist, the entire processing load is shifted off the host system and onto the proxies. If proxies
do not exist, the entire load stays on the host. Throttling ensures that multiple VADP proxies are optimally
utilized to maximize data throughput. For each virtual machine being backed up, IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus determines which VADP proxy is the least busy and has the most available memory and free tasks.
Free tasks are determined by the number of available CPU cores or by using the Softcap task limit
option.
If a proxy server goes down or is otherwise unavailable before the start of the job, the other proxies take
over and the job is complete. If no other proxies exist, the host takes over the job. If a proxy server
becomes unavailable when a job is running, the job might fail.
Transport modes describe the method by which a VADP proxy moves data. The transport mode is set as a
property of the proxy. Most backup and recovery jobs are later configured to use one or more proxies.
VADP proxies in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus support the following VMware transport modes: SAN,
HotAdd, NBDSSL, and NBD.
Although every enterprise differs, and priorities in terms of size, speed, reliability, and complexity vary
from environment to environment, the following general guidelines apply to the Transport Mode
selection:
• SAN transport mode is preferred in a direct storage environment because this mode is typically fast and
reliable.
• HotAdd transport mode is preferred if the VADP proxy is virtualized. This mode supports all vSphere
storage types.
• NBD or NBDSSL transport mode (LAN) is the fallback mode because it works in physical, virtual, and
mixed environments. However, with this mode, the data transfer speed might be compromised if
network connections are slow. NBDSSL mode is similar to NBD mode except that data transferred
between the VADP proxy and the ESXi server is encrypted when using NBDSSL.

Creating VADP proxies


You can create VADP proxies to run VMware backup jobs with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus in Linux
environments.

Before you begin


Review the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus system requirements in “VADP proxy requirements” on page 20.
Ensure that you have the required user permissions to work with VADP proxies. For instructions about
managing VADP proxy permissions, see “Permission types ” on page 371.
Tip: The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus version of the VADP proxy installer includes Virtual Disk
Development Kit (VDDK) version 6.5. This version of the VADP proxy installer provides the external VADP
proxy support with vSphere 6.5.

Chapter 9. Protecting hypervisors 161


Procedure
To create VMware VADP proxies, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click System Configuration > VADP Proxy.
2. Click Register Proxy.
3. Complete the following fields in the Install VADP Proxy pane:
Hostname/IP
Enter the resolvable IP address or a resolvable path and machine name.
Select a site
Select a site to associate with the proxy.
Use existing user
Enable to select a previously entered user name and password for the provider.
Username
Enter the user name for the VADP proxy server.
Password
Enter the password name for the VADP proxy server.
4. Click Install.
The proxy is added to the VADP Proxy table.
5. Click Register to register the proxy server.
You can unregister or suspend the server by using the Actions menu. Suspending a proxy prevents
upcoming backup jobs from using the proxy, and jobs that use a suspended or unregistered proxy will
run locally, which may impact performance. You can complete maintenance tasks on the proxy while it
is suspended. To resume usage of the proxy, select Actions > Resume .
After successful registration, the service vadp is started on the proxy machine. A log file, vadp.log, is
generated in /opt/IBM/SPP/logs directory.
6. Repeat the previous steps for each proxy you want to create.
The connection between the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance and a registered VADP proxy is
a bidirectional connection that requires the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance to have
connectivity to the VADP proxy, and the VADP proxy to have connectivity to the IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus virtual appliance. To ensure a proper connection from the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual
appliance to the VADP proxy, verify that the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance can ping the
VADP proxy by completing the following steps:
1. Connect to the command line for the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance by using the Secure
Shell (SSH) network protocol.
2. Issue the following command: ping vadp_ip, where vadp_ip is the resolvable IP address of the
VADP proxy.
If the ping fails, ensure that the IP address of the VADP proxy is resolvable and is addressable by the IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus appliance and that a route exists from the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance to
the VADP proxy. If the ping succeeds, ensure that there is a proper connection from the VADP proxy to the
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance by performing the following procedure:
1. Connect to the command line for the VADP proxy by using Secure Shell (SSH) network protocol.
2. Issue the following command: ping spectrum_protect_plus_ip, where
spectrum_protect_plus_ip is the resolvable IP address of the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual
appliance.
If the ping fails, ensure that the IP address of the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance is
resolvable and is addressable by the VADP proxy. Ensure that a route exists from the VADP proxy to the
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance.

162 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


What to do next
After you create the VADP proxies, you can complete the following action:

Action How to
Run the VMware backup job. See “Backing up VMware data” on page 155.
The proxies are indicated in the job log by a log
message similar to the following text:
Run remote vmdkbackup of MicroService:
http://<proxy>
nodename, IP:proxy_IP_address

Related tasks
“Setting options for VADP proxies” on page 163
When you create VADP proxies in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, you can configure various options for each
VADP proxy.

Setting options for VADP proxies


When you create VADP proxies in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, you can configure various options for each
VADP proxy.

Before you begin


Ensure that you have the required user permissions to work with VADP proxies. For instructions about
managing VADP proxy permissions, see “Permission types ” on page 371.

Procedure
To set options for VMware VADP proxies, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click System Configuration > VADP Proxy.
2. Click the VADP proxy that you want to configure, which then displays the information in the adjacent
details pane.
3. In the VADP proxy details pane, click the ellipses icon and then choose Set Options.
4. Complete the following fields in the Set VADP Proxy Options pane:
Site
Assign a site to the proxy.
User
Select a previously entered user name for the provider.
Transport Modes
Set the transport modes to be used by the proxy. For more information about VMware transport
modes, see Virtual Disk Transport Methods.
Enable NBDSSL Compression
If you selected the NBDSSL transport mode, enable compression to increase the performance of data
transfers.
To turn off compression, select disabled.
Log retention in days
Set the number of days to retain logs before they are deleted.
Read and write buffer size

Chapter 9. Protecting hypervisors 163


Set the buffer size of the data transfer, measured in bytes.
Block size of NFS volume
Set the block size to be used by the mounted NFS volume, measured in bytes.
Softcap task limit
Set the number of concurrent VMs that a proxy can process. If Use All Resources is selected, the
number of CPUs on the proxy determines the task limit based on the following formula:
1 CPU = 1 VMDK
A CPU is the smallest hardware unit capable of executing a thread. The number of CPUs on a proxy is
determined by using the lscpu command.

What to do next
After setting the VADP proxy options, you can complete the following actions:

Action How to
Run the VMware backup job. See “Backing up VMware data” on page 155.

Uninstall the proxies when you cease running the See “Uninstalling VADP proxies” on page 164.
VMware backup jobs.

Related tasks
“Creating VADP proxies” on page 161
You can create VADP proxies to run VMware backup jobs with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus in Linux
environments.

Uninstalling VADP proxies


You can remove a VADP proxies from your IBM Spectrum Protect Plus environment.

Procedure
To uninstall VADP proxies from your IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, complete the following steps:
1. From a command prompt, navigate to the directory /opt/IBM/SPP/uninstall on the proxy host
system.
2. Run the following command:
./uninstall_vmdkbackup

Restoring VMware data


VMware restore jobs support Instant VM Restore and Instant Disk Restore scenarios, which are created
automatically based on the selected source.

Before you begin


Complete the following tasks:
• Ensure that a VMware backup job was run at least once. For instructions, see “Backing up VMware data”
on page 155.
• Ensure that appropriate roles are assigned to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus users so that they can
complete backup and restore operations. Grant users access to hypervisors and backup and restore
operations through the Accounts pane. For more information, see Chapter 15, “Managing user access,”
on page 365 and “Managing user accounts” on page 373.
• Ensure that the destination that you plan to use for the restore job is registered in IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus. This requirement applies to restore jobs that restore data to original hosts or clusters.

164 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


• When restoring a virtual machine by using clone mode and by using the original IP configuration, ensure
that credentials are established through the Guest OS Username and Guest OS Password options
within the backup job definition.

About this task


If a VMDK is selected for restore operation, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus automatically presents options for
an Instant Disk restore job, which provides instant writable access to data and application restore points.
An IBM Spectrum Protect Plus snapshot is mapped to a target server where it can be accessed or copied
as required.
All other sources are restored through Instant VM restore jobs, which can be run in the following modes:
Test mode
Test mode creates temporary virtual machines for development or testing, snapshot verification, and
disaster recovery verification on a scheduled, repeatable basis without affecting production
environments. Test machines are kept running as long as needed to complete testing and verification
and are then cleaned up. Through fenced networking, you can establish a safe environment to test
your jobs without interfering with virtual machines used for production. Virtual machines that are
created in test mode are also given unique names and identifiers to avoid conflicts within your
production environment. For instructions for creating a fenced network, see “Creating a fenced
network through a VMware restore job” on page 171.
Clone mode
Clone mode creates copies of virtual machines for use cases that require permanent or long-running
copies for data mining or duplication of a test environment in a fenced network. Virtual machines
created in clone mode are also given unique names and identifiers to avoid conflicts within your
production environment. With clone mode, you must be sensitive to resource consumption because
clone mode creates permanent or long-term virtual machines.
Production mode
Production mode enables disaster recovery at the local site from primary storage or a remote disaster
recovery site, replacing original machine images with recovery images. All configurations are carried
over as part of the recovery, including names and identifiers, and all copy data jobs associated with
the virtual machine continue to run.
The size of a virtual machine that is restored from a vSnap copy to an IBM Spectrum Protect restore point
will be equal to the thick provisioned size of the virtual machine, regardless of source provisioning due to
the use of NFS datastores during the copy operation. The full size of the data must be transferred even if it
is unallocated in the source virtual machine.
When you restore VMware data from an IBM Spectrum Protect archive, files initially will be migrated from
tape to a staging pool. Depending on the size of the restore operation, this process could take several
hours.
Restriction: Windows file indexing and file restore on volumes residing on dynamic disks is not
supported.

Procedure
To define a VMware restore job, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Hypervisors > VMware > Create job, and then
select Snapshot restore to open the "Snapshot restore" wizard.
Tips:
• You can also open the "Snapshot restore" wizard by clicking Jobs and Operations > Create job >
Snapshot restore > VMware.
• For a running summary of your selections in the wizard, click Preview Restore in the navigation
pane in the wizard.
• The wizard is opened in the default setup mode. To run the wizard in advanced setup mode, select
Advanced Setup. With advanced setup mode, you can set more options for your restore job.

Chapter 9. Protecting hypervisors 165


2. On the Select source page, take the following actions:
a) Review the available sources, including virtual machines (VMs) and virtual disks (VDisks). Use the
View filter to toggle the displayed sources to show hosts and clusters, VMs, or tags and
categories. You can expand a source by clicking its name.
You can also enter all or part of a name in the Search for box to locate VMs that match the search
criteria. You can use the wildcard character (*) to represent all or part of a name. For example,
vm2* represents all resources that begin with "vm2".

b) Click the plus icon next to the item that you want to add to the restore list next to the list of
sources. You can add more than one item of the same type (VM or virtual disk).

To remove an item from the restore list, click the minus icon next to the item.
c) Click Next.
3. On the Source snapshot page, select the type of restore job that you want to create:
On-demand
Runs a one-time restore operation. The restore job starts immediately upon the completion of the
wizard.
Recurring
Creates a repeating point-in-time restore job that runs on a schedule.
4. Complete the fields on the Source snapshot page and click Next to continue.
The fields that are shown depend on the number of items that were selected on the Select source
page and on the restore type. Some fields are also not shown until you select a related field.
Fields that are shown for an on-demand, single resource restore

Option Description
Date range Specify a range of dates to show the available snapshots within that range.
Backup storage All backups in the selected date range are listed in rows that show the time that
type the backup operation occurred and the service level agreement (SLA) policy for
the backup. Select the row that contains the backup time and SLA policy that
you want, and then take one of the following actions:
• Click the backup storage type that you want to restore from. The storage
types that are shown depend on the types that are available in your
environment and are shown in the following order:
Backup
Restores data that is backed up to a vSnap server.
Replication
Restores data that is replicated to a vSnap server.
Object Storage
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service or to a repository server.
Archive
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service archive or to a repository
server archive (tape).
• Click anywhere on the row. The first backup type that is shown sequentially
from the left of the row is selected by default. For example, if the storage
types Backup, Replication, and Archive are shown, Backup is selected by
default.

Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.

166 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Option Description

When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud resource
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, multiple resource restore or recurring restore
Option Description
Restore Location Select a type of location from which to restore data:
Type Site
The site to which snapshots were backed up. The site is defined in the
System Configuration > Site pane.
Cloud service
The cloud service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud service is
defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object Storage
pane.
Repository server
The repository server to which snapshots were copied. The repository
server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage >
Repository Server pane.
Cloud service archive
The cloud archive service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud
service is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object
Storage pane.
Repository server archive
The repository server to which snapshots were copied to tape. The
repository server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage
> Repository Server pane.

Select a location If you are restoring data from a site, select one of the following restore
locations:
Demo
The demonstration site from which to restore snapshots.
Primary
The primary site from which to restore snapshots.
Secondary
The secondary site from which to restore snapshots.
If you are restoring data from a cloud or repository server, select a server from
the Select a location menu.

Date selector For on-demand restore operations, specify a range of dates to show the
available snapshots within that range.
Restore Point For on-demand restore operations, select a snapshot from the list of available
snapshots in the selected date range.
Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.

Chapter 9. Protecting hypervisors 167


Option Description

When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud service
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

5. On the Set destination page, specify the instance that you would like to restore for each chosen
source and click Next:
Original Host or Cluster
Select this option to restore data to the original host or cluster.
Alternate Host or Cluster
Select this option to restore data to a local destination that is different from the original host or
cluster, and then select the alternate location from the available resources. Test and production
networks can be configured on the alternate location to create a fenced network, which keeps
virtual machines used for testing from interfering with virtual machines used for production. From
the vCenters section, select an alternative location. You can filter the alternative locations by
either hosts or clusters.
In the VM Folder Destination field, enter the virtual machine folder path on the destination
datastore. Note that the directory will be created if it does not exist. Use "/" as the root virtual
machine folder of the targeted datastore.
ESX host if vCenter is down
Select this option to bypass vCenter Server and to restore data directly to an ESXi host. In other
restore scenarios, actions are completed through vCenter Server. If vCenter Server is unavailable,
this option restores the virtual machine or virtual machines that contain the components that
vCenter Server is dependent on.
When you select an ESXi host, you must specify the host user. You can select an existing user for
the host or create a new one.
To create a user, enter a user name, the user ID, and the user password.
If the ESXi host is attached to a domain, the user ID follows the default domain\name format. If
the user is a local administrator, use the local_administrator format.
To restore data to an ESXi host, the host must have a standard switch or a distributed switch with
ephemeral binding. Review the information in “Restoring data when vCenter Server or other
management VMs are not accessible” on page 172 to ensure that you have the correct
environment configured to use this option.
6. On the Set datastore page, take the following actions:
• If you are restoring data to an alternate ESXi host or cluster, select the destination datastore and
click Next.
• If you are restoring data to the original ESXi host or cluster, this page is not displayed.
7. On the Set network page, specify the network settings to use for each chosen source and click Next.
• If you are restoring data to the original ESXi host or cluster, specify the following network settings:
Allow system to define IP configuration
Select this option to allow your operating system to define the destination IP address. During
a test mode restore operation, the destination virtual machine receives a new MAC address
along with an associated NIC. Depending on your operating system, a new IP address can be
assigned based on the original NIC of the virtual machine, or assigned through DHCP. During a
production mode restore, the MAC address does not change; therefore, the IP address should
be retained.

168 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Use original IP configuration
Select this option to restore data to the original host or cluster using your predefined IP
address configuration. During the restore operation, the destination virtual machine receives a
new MAC address, but the IP address is retained.
• If you are restoring data to an alternate ESXi host or cluster, complete the following steps:
a. In the Production and Test fields, set virtual networks for production and test restore job runs.
Destination network settings for production and test environments should point to different
locations to create a fenced network, which keeps virtual machines used for testing from
interfering with virtual machines used for production. The networks that are associated with
test and production modes will be used when the restore job is run in the associated mode.
b. Set an IP address or subnet mask for virtual machines to be repurposed for development,
testing, or disaster recovery use cases. Supported mapping types include IP to IP, IP to DHCP,
and subnet to subnet. Virtual machines that contain multiple NICs are supported.
Take one of the following actions:
– To allow your operating system to define the destination subnets and IP addresses, click
Use system defined subnets and IP addresses for VM guest OS on destination.
– To use your predefined subnets and IP addresses, click Use original subnets and IP
addresses for VM guest OS on destination.
– To create a new mapping configuration, select Add mappings for subnets and IP
addresses for VM guest OS on destination, click Add Mapping, and enter a subnet or IP
address in the Add Source Subnet or IP Address field.
Choose one of the following network protocols:
- Select DHCP to automatically select an IP and related configuration information if DHCP is
available on the selected source.
- Select Static to enter a specific subnet or IP address, subnet mask, gateway, and DNS.
The Subnet / IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Gateway are required fields. If a subnet is
entered as a source, a subnet must also be entered as a destination.
Note: When a mapping is added, the source IP address must be entered into the field by
the + button. The destination IP address information should be entered into the Subnet /
IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Gateway fields. Re-addressing can only be performed on
machines with VMware Tools installed prior to executing the backup job that is to be
restored.
IP reconfiguration is skipped for virtual machines if a static IP is used but no suitable subnet
mapping is found, or if the source virtual machine is powered off and there is more than one
associated NIC. In a Windows environment, if a virtual machine uses DHCP only, then IP
reconfiguration is skipped for that virtual machine. In a Linux environment, all addresses are
assumed to be static, and only IP mapping will be available.
8. On the Restore methods page, select the restore method to be used for source selection. Set the
VMware restore job to run in test, production, or clone mode. After the job is created, it can be run in
production or clone mode through the Job Sessions pane. You can also change the name of the
restored VM by entering the new VM name in the Rename VM (optional) field. Click Next to continue.
9. If you are running the restore job in advanced mode, you can set additional options as follows:

Power on after recovery


Toggle the power state of a virtual machine after a recovery is run. Virtual machines are powered
on in the order in which they are recovered, as set in the Source step. If Use original IP
configuration is selected, the Power on after recovery option is not honored.
Restriction: Restored virtual machine templates cannot be powered on after recovery.
Overwrite virtual machine
Enable this option to allow the restore job to overwrite the selected virtual machine. By default,
this option is disabled.

Chapter 9. Protecting hypervisors 169


Continue with restore even if it fails
Toggle the recovery of a resource in a series if the previous resource recovery fails. If disabled,
the restore job stops if the recovery of a resource fails.
Run cleanup immediately on job failure
Enable this option to automatically clean up allocated resources as part of a restore job if the
virtual machine recovery fails.
Allow to overwrite and force cleanup of pending old sessions
Enable this option to allow a scheduled session of a recovery job to force an existing pending
session to clean up associated resources so the new session can run. Disable this option to keep
an existing test environment running without being cleaned up.
Restore VM tags
Enable this option to restore tags that are applied to virtual machines through vSphere.
Enable Streaming (VADP) restore
Parallel streaming for virtual machine restore operations is set by default. You can deselect this
option for virtual machine restore operations.
Tip: When you are restoring virtual machines managed by a VMware Cloud (VMC) on AWS
Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC), this option should always be enabled to allow streaming of
the data.
Append suffix to virtual machine name
Enter a suffix to add to the names of restored virtual machines.
Prepend prefix to virtual machine name
Enter a prefix to add to the names of restored virtual machines.
10. Optional: On the Apply scripts page, choose the following script options and click Next.
• Select Pre-script to select an uploaded script, and an application or script server where the
prescript runs. To select an application server where the script will run, clear the Use Script
Server check box. Go to the System Configuration > Script page to configure scripts and script
servers.
• Select Post-script to select an uploaded script and an application or script server where the
postscript runs. To select an application server where the script runs, clear the Use Script Server
check box. Navigate to the System Configuration > Script page to configure scripts and script
servers.
• Select Continue job/task on script error to continue running the job when the script that is
associated with the job fails. When this option is enabled and the prescript completes with a
nonzero return code, the backup or restore job continues to run and the prescript task status
returns COMPLETED. If a postscript completes with a nonzero return code, the postscript task
status returns COMPLETED. When this option is not selected, the backup or restore job does not
run, and the prescript or postscript task status returns with a FAILED status.
11. Take one of the following actions on the Schedule page:
• To run an on-demand job, click Next.
• To set up a recurring job, enter a name for the job schedule, and specify how often and when to
start the restore job. Click Next.
12. On the Review page, review your restore job settings and click Submit to create the job.
On-demand jobs will begin immediately; recurring jobs will begin at the scheduled start time.

What to do next
After the job is completed, select one of the following options from the Actions menu on the Jobs
Sessions or Active Clones sections in the Restore pane:
Cleanup
Destroys the virtual machine and cleans up all associated resources. Because this is a temporary
virtual machine to be used for testing, all data is lost when the virtual machine is destroyed.

170 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Move to Production (vMotion)
Migrates the virtual machine through vMotion to the datastore and the virtual Network defined as the
production network.
Clone (vMotion)
Migrates the virtual machine through vMotion to the datastore and virtual Network defined as the test
network.
Related tasks
“Adding a vCenter Server instance” on page 151
When a vCenter Server instance is added to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, an inventory of the instance is
captured, enabling you to complete backup and restore jobs, as well as run reports.

Creating a fenced network through a VMware restore job


Through fenced networking, you can establish a safe environment to test your jobs without interfering
with virtual machines that are used for production. Fenced networking can be used with jobs that are
running in test mode and production mode.

Before you begin


Create and run a VMware Restore job. For instructions, see “Restoring VMware data” on page 164.

Procedure
To create a fenced network, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Hypervisors > VMware.
2. In the Restore pane, review the available restore points of your VMware sources, including virtual
machines, VM templates, datastores, folders, and vApps. Use the search function and filters to fine-
tune your selection across specific recovery site types. Expand an entry in the Restore pane to view
individual restore points by date.
3. Select restore points and click the add to restore list icon to add the restore point to the Restore
List. Click the remove icon to remove items from the Restore List.
4. Click Options to set the job definition options.
5. Select Alternate ESX Host or Cluster, then select an alternate host or cluster from the vCenter list.
6. Expand the Network Settings section. From the Production and Test fields, set virtual networks for
production and test Restore job runs. Destination network settings for production and test
environments should be different locations to create a fenced network, which keeps virtual machines
used for testing from interfering with virtual machines used for production. The networks associated
with Test and Production will be utilized when the restore job is run in the associated mode. The IP
addresses of the target machine can be configured by using the following options:
Use system defined subnets and IP addresses for VM guest OS on destination
Select to allow your operating system to define the destination IP address. During a Test Mode
restore, the destination virtual machine receives a new MAC address along with an associated NIC.
Depending on your operating system, a new IP address can be assigned based on the original NIC
of the virtual machine, or assigned through DHCP. During a Production Mode restore operation the
MAC address does not change; therefore, the IP address should be retained.
Use original subnets and IP addresses for VM guest OS on destination
Select to restore to the original host or cluster using your predefined IP address configuration.
During a restore, the destination virtual machine receives a new MAC address, but the IP address
is retained.
Set the network settings for a restore to an alternate or long distance ESX host or cluster:
From the Production and Test fields, set virtual networks for production and test restore job runs.
Destination network settings for production and test environments should be different locations to
create a fenced network, which keeps virtual machines used for testing from interfering with virtual

Chapter 9. Protecting hypervisors 171


machines used for production. The networks associated with Test and Production will be utilized when
the restore job is run in the associated mode.
Set an IP address or subnet mask for virtual machines to be re-purposed for development/testing or
disaster recovery use cases. Supported mapping types include IP to IP, IP to DHCP, and subnet to
subnet. Virtual machines containing multiple NICs are supported.
By default, the Use system defined subnets and IP addresses for VM guest OS on destination
option is enabled. To use your predefined subnets and IP addresses, select Use original subnets and
IP addresses for VM guest OS on destination.
To create a new mapping configuration, select Add mappings for subnets and IP addresses for VM
guest OS on destination, then click Add Mapping. Enter a subnet or IP address in the Source field. In
the destination field, select DHCP to automatically select an IP and related configuration information if
DHCP is available on the selected client. Select Static to enter a specific subnet or IP address, subnet
mask, gateway, and DNS. Note that Subnet / IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Gateway are required
fields. If a subnet is entered as a source, a subnet must also be entered as a destination.
IP reconfiguration is skipped for virtual machines if a static IP is used but no suitable subnet mapping
is found, or if the source machine is powered off and there is more than one associated NIC. In a
Windows environment, if a virtual machine is DHCP only, then IP reconfiguration is skipped for that
virtual machine. In a Linux environment all addresses are assumed to be static, and only IP mapping
will be available.
Destination Datastore
Set the destination datastore for a restore to an alternate ESX host or cluster.
VM Folder Destination
Enter the VM folder path on the destination datastore. Note that the directory will be created if it
does not exist. Use "/" as the root VM folder of the targeted datastore.
7. Click Save to save the policy options.
8. After the job is complete, select one of the following options from the Actions menu on the Jobs
Sessions or Active Clones sections on the Restore pane:
Cleanup
Destroys the virtual machine and cleans up all associated resources. Since this is a temporary/testing
virtual machine, all data is lost when the virtual machine is destroyed.
Move to Production (vMotion)
Migrates the virtual machine through vMotion to the Datastore and the Virtual Network defined as the
"Production" Network.
Clone (vMotion)
Migrates the virtual machine through vMotion to the Datastore and Virtual Network defined as the
"Test" network.
Related tasks
“Adding a vCenter Server instance” on page 151
When a vCenter Server instance is added to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, an inventory of the instance is
captured, enabling you to complete backup and restore jobs, as well as run reports.

Restoring data when vCenter Server or other management VMs are not accessible
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus provides an option to automatically restore data by using an ESXi host if
vCenter Server or one of the components that it uses are not accessible. This option restores the virtual
machines that contain the components that vCenter Server uses.

Before you begin


To complete this procedure, you must be familiar with the ESXi and vCenter Server user interfaces.

172 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


About this task
vCenter Server uses the following components:
• Platform Services Controller (PSC)
• Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC)
• Active Directory (AD)
• Domain Name System (DNS) servers
To use the ESX host if vCenter is down option, the ESXi host must have a standard switch or a
distributed switch. The distributed switch must have ephemeral binding. If one or both of these switches
are available, you can run a restore operation in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus with the option enabled as
described in “Restoring VMware data” on page 164 and no further manual configuration is required.
If neither of these switches is available, you must complete the following steps before you can use the
ESX host if vCenter is down option.

Procedure
1. Connect to the destination ESXi host user interface and create a standard virtual switch.
The new switch has no port groups or uplinks.
2. Use the Secure Shell (SSH) protocol to connect to the ESXi host.
3. List the distributed switches that are configured on the ESXi host by issuing the following command:

#esxcli network vswitch dvs vmware list

4. Identify the physical network interface card (NIC) and the port group of the distributed switch that
you want to use for the restore operation.
5. Remove the physical NIC and port group from the distributed switch by issuing the following
command:

#esxcfg-vswitch -Q physical_vnic -V port_group switch_name

6. Add the physical NIC and port group to the new standard switch by issuing the following command:

#esxcli network vswitch standard uplink add –-uplink-name=physical_vnic --vswitch-


name=new_standard_vswitch

7. In the ESXi host user interface, add a temporary port group and select the standard switch that you
created in step “1” on page 173.
The standard switch has one port group and one uplink.
8. Run a restore operation in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus with the ESX host if vCenter is down option
enabled.
For instructions about running a restore operation, see “Restoring VMware data” on page 164.
9. In the ESXi host user interface for the ESXi host, power on the VMs that are restored.
10. Log in to the vCenter Server user interface and start the migration of the management VMs from the
temporary port group that you created in step “7” on page 173 to an available distributed port group.
11. After all of the VMs are migrated to the original port group, reincorporate the physical NIC and the
port group into the original distributed switch by taking the following actions. For example purposes,
the following commands reference a virtualized Network Interface Card (VNIC) named vmnic0 that is
part of port group 64.
a. Remove the network cards (known as vmnics) from a standard switch by issuing the following
command:

#esxcli network vswitch standard uplink remove --uplink-name=vmnic --vswitch-name=vSwitch

For example:

Chapter 9. Protecting hypervisors 173


#esxcli network vswitch standard uplink remove --uplink-name=vmnic0 --vswitch-
name=vered_recovery

b. Add network cards to the distributed switch by issuing the following command:

#esxcfg-vswitch -P vmnic -V unused_distributed_switch_port_ID distributed_switch

For example:

#esxcfg-vswitch -P vmnic0 -V 64 SDDC-Dswitch-Private

12. Delete the temporary port group and the standard switch from the ESXi host user interface.
13. After the VMs are migrated and accessible, use the ESXi host user interface to unregister, but not
delete, the old VMs if the original host is reachable.
By using this method, you avoid creating duplicated information such as names, Media Access
Control (MAC) addresses, operating system level IDs, and VM Universal Unique Identifiers (UUIDs).
You must complete this step even if you are using a new datastore.
In some vSphere or ESXi versions, the unregister operation can be completed by using the Remove
from inventory option. This option unregisters a VM from the vCenter Server catalog, but leaves
VMDK files on the datastore where the files consume storage space. After you have fully recovered
the VM and the environment is successfully running, you can regain the space by manually removing
these files from the datastore.

Backing up and restoring Hyper-V data


To protect Hyper-V data, first add Hyper-V servers in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, and then create jobs for
backup and restore operations for the content of the servers.
Ensure that your Hyper-V environment meets the system requirements in “Hypervisor requirements ” on
page 26.

Adding a Hyper-V server


When a Hyper-V server is added to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, an inventory of the server is captured,
enabling you to complete backup and restore jobs, as well as run reports.

Before you begin


Note the following considerations and procedures before adding a Hyper-V server to IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus:
• Hyper-V servers can be registered using a DNS name or IP address. DNS names must be resolvable by
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. If the Hyper-V server is part of a cluster, all nodes in the cluster must be
resolvable through DNS. If DNS is not available, the server must be added to the /etc/hosts file on
the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance. If more than one Hyper-V server is set up in a cluster
environment, all of the servers must be added to/etc/hosts. When registering the cluster in IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus, register the Failover Cluster Manager.
• All Hyper-V servers, including cluster nodes, must have the Microsoft iSCSI initiator Service running in
their Services list. Set the service to Automatic so that it is available when the machine boots.
• Add the user to the local administrator group on the Hyper-V server.

Procedure
To add a Hyper-V server, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Hypervisors > Hyper-V.
2. Click Manage Hyper-V Server.
3. Click Add Hyper-V Server.
4. Populate the fields in the Server Properties pane:

174 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Hostname/IP
Enter the resolvable IP address or a resolvable path and machine name.
Use existing user
Enable to select a previously entered user name and password for the server.
Username
Enter your user name for the server.
Password
Enter your password for the server.
Port
Enter the communications port of the server you are adding. The typical default port is 5985.
Select the Use SSL check box to enable an encrypted Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) connection.
If you do not select Use SSL, you must complete additional steps on the Hyper-V server. See
“Enabling WinRM for connection to Hyper-V servers” on page 175.
5. In the Options section, configure the following option:
Maximum number of VMs to process concurrently per Hyper-V server
Set the maximum number of concurrent virtual machine snapshots to process on the Hyper-V
server.
6. Click Save. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus confirms a network connection, adds the server to the
database, and then catalogs the server.
If a message appears indicating that the connection is unsuccessful, review your entries. If your
entries are correct and the connection is unsuccessful, contact a system administrator to review the
connections.

What to do next
After you add the Hyper-V server, complete the following action:

Action How to
Assign user permissions to the hypervisor. See “Creating a role” on page 370.

Related tasks
“Backing up Hyper-V data” on page 176
Use a backup job to back up Hyper-V data with snapshots.
“Restoring Hyper-V data” on page 180
Hyper-V restore jobs support Instant VM Restore and Instant Disk Restore scenarios, which are created
automatically based on the selected source.

Enabling WinRM for connection to Hyper-V servers


If you cannot use SSL to enable encrypted network traffic between IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Hyper-V
servers, you must configure WinRM on the host to allow unencrypted network traffic. Ensure that you
understand the security risks that are associated with allowing unencrypted network traffic.

Procedure
To configure WinRM for connection to Hyper-V hosts:
1. On the Hyper-V host system, log in with an administrator account.
2. Open a Windows command prompt. If User Account Control (UAC) is enabled, you must open the
command prompt with elevated privileges by running with the Run as administrator option enabled.
3. Enter the following command to configure WinRM to allow unencrypted network traffic:

winrm s winrm/config/service @{AllowUnencrypted="true"}

4. Verify that the AllowUnencrypted option is set to true through the following command:

Chapter 9. Protecting hypervisors 175


winrm g winrm/config/service

Detecting Hyper-V resources


Hyper-V resources are automatically detected after the Hyper-V server is added to IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus. However, you can run an inventory job to detect any changes that occurred since the server was
added.

Procedure
To run an inventory job, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Hypervisors > Hyper-V.
2. In the list of Hyper-V servers, select a server or click the link for the server to navigate to the resource
that you want. For example, if you want to run an inventory job for an individual virtual machine in a
server, click the server link and then select a virtual machine.
3. Click Run Inventory.

Testing the connection to a Hyper-V Server virtual machine


You can test the connection to Hyper-V Server virtual machine. The test function verifies communication
with the virtual machine and tests DNS settings between the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance
and the virtual machine.

Procedure
To test the connection, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Hypervisors > Hyper-V.
2. In the list of Hyper-V Servers, click the link for a Hyper-V Server virtual machine to navigate to the
individual virtual machines.
3. Select a virtual machine, and then click Select Options.
4. Select Use existing user.
5. Select a user in the Select user list.
6. Click Test.

Backing up Hyper-V data


Use a backup job to back up Hyper-V data with snapshots.

Before you begin


Review the following procedures and considerations before you define a backup job:
• Register the providers that you want to back up. For more information see “Adding a Hyper-V server” on
page 174
• Configure SLA policies. For instructions, see “Create backup policies” on page 93.
• Hyper-V Backup and Restore jobs require the installation of the latest Hyper-V integration services.
For Microsoft Windows environments, see Supported Windows guest operating systems for Hyper-V on
Windows Server.
For Linux environments, see Supported Linux and FreeBSD virtual machines for Hyper-V on Windows.
• All Hyper-V servers, including cluster nodes, must have the Microsoft iSCSI initiator Service running in
their Services list. Set the service to Automatic so that it is available when the machine boots.
• Before an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user can implement backup and restore operations, roles and
resource groups must be assigned to the user. Grant users access to resources and backup and restore
operations through the Accounts pane. For more information, see Chapter 15, “Managing user access,”
on page 365.

176 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


• If a virtual machine is associated with multiple SLA Policies, ensure that the policies are not scheduled
to run concurrently. Either schedule the SLA Policies to run with a significant amount of time between
them, or combine them into a single SLA policy.
• If the IP address of the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance is changed after an initial Hyper-V base
backup is created, the target IQN of the Hyper-V resource may be left in a bad state. To correct this
issue, from the Microsoft iSCSI Initiator tool, click the Discovery tab. Select the old IP address, then
click Remove. Click the Target tab and disconnect the reconnecting session.
• If a VM is protected by an SLA policy, the backups of the VM will be retained based on the retention
parameters of the SLA policy, even if the VM is removed.

About this task


Restriction: File cataloging, backup, point-in-time restores, and other operations that invoke the
Windows agent will fail if a non-default local administrator is entered as the Guest OS Username when
defining a backup job. A non-default local administrator is any user that has been created in the guest OS
and has been granted the administrator role.
This occurs if the registry key LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy in [HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft
\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System] is set to 0 or not set. If the parameter is set to 0 or
not set, a local non-default administrator cannot interact with WinRM, which is the protocol IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus uses to install the Windows agent for file cataloging, send commands to this agent,
and get results from it.
Set the LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy registry key to 1 on the Windows guest that is being
backed up with Catalog File Metadata enabled. If the key does not exist, navigate to
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
and add a DWord Registry key named LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy with a value of 1.

Procedure
To define a Hyper-V backup job, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Hypervisors > Hyper-V.
2. Select resources to back up.
Use the search function to search for available resources and toggle the displayed resources through
the View filter. Available options are VMs and Datastore.
3. Click Select SLA Policy to add one or more SLA policies that meet your backup criteria to the job
definition.
4. To create the job definition by using default options, click Save.
The job runs as defined by the SLA policies that you selected. To run the job manually, click Jobs and
Operations > Schedule. Select the job and click Actions > Start.
Tip: When the job for the selected SLA policy runs, all resources that are associated with that SLA
policy are included in the backup operation. To back up only selected resources, you can run an on-
demand job. An on-demand job runs the backup operation immediately.
• To run an on-demand backup job for a single resource, select the resource and click Run. If the
resource is not associated with an SLA policy, the Run button is not available.
• To run an on-demand backup job for one or more resources, click Create job, select Ad hoc backup,
and follow the instructions in “Running an ad hoc backup job” on page 351.
5. To edit options before you start the job, click the edit icon in the table Select Options.
In the Backup Options section, set the following job definition options:
Skip Read-only datastores
Enable to skip datastores mounted as read-only.
Skip temporary datastores mounted for Instant Access
Enable to exclude temporary Instant Access datastores from the backup job definition.

Chapter 9. Protecting hypervisors 177


Priority
Set the backup priority of the selected resource. Resources with a higher priority setting are backed up
first in the job. Click the resource that you want to prioritize in the Hyper-V Backup section, and then
set the backup priority in the Priority field. Set 1 for the highest priority resource or 10 for the lowest.
If a priority value is not set, a priority of 5 is set by default.
In the Snapshot Options section, set the following job definition options:
Make VM snapshot application/file system consistent
Enable this option to turn on application or filesystem consistency for the virtual machine snapshot.
VM Snapshot retry attempts
Set the number of times IBM Spectrum Protect Plus should attempt to snapshot a virtual machine
before canceling the job.
In the Agent Options section, set the following job definition options:
Truncate SQL logs
To truncate application logs for SQL during the Backup job, enable the Truncate SQL logs option. Note
that credentials must be established for the associated virtual machine through the Guest OS
Username and Guest OS Password option within the backup job definition. The user identity follows
the default domain\name format if the virtual machine is attached to a domain. The format
local_administrator is used if the user is a local administrator.
The user identity must have local administrator privileges. Additionally, on the SQL server, the system
login credential must have SQL sysadmin permissions enabled, as well as the Log on as a service
right. For more information about this right, see Add the Log on as a service Right to an Account.
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus generates logs pertaining to the log truncation function and copies them to
the following location on the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance:

/data/log/guestdeployer/latest_date/latest_entry/vm_name

Where latest_date is the date that the backup job and log truncation occurred, latest_entry is the
universally unique identifier (UUID) for the job, and vm_name is the hostname or IP address of the VM
where the log truncation occurred.
Restriction: File indexing and file restore are not supported from restore points that were copied to an
IBM Spectrum Protect server.
Catalog file metadata
To turn on file indexing for the associated snapshot, enable the Catalog file metadata option. After file
indexing is complete, individual files can be restored by using the File Restore pane in IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus. Note that credentials must be established for the associated virtual machine by using an
SSH key, or a Guest OS Username and Guest OS Password option in the backup job definition. Ensure
that the virtual machine can be accessed from the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance either by
using DNS or hostname. Note that SSH keys are not a valid authorization mechanism for Windows
platforms.
Exclude Files
Enter directories to skip when file indexing is performed. Files within these directories are not added
to the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus catalog and are not available for file recovery. Directories can be
excluded through an exact match or with wildcard asterisks specified before the pattern (*test) or after
the pattern (test*). Multiple asterisk wildcards are also supported in a single pattern. Patterns support
standard alphanumeric characters as well as the following special characters: - _ and *. Separate
multiple filters with a semicolon.
Use existing user
Enable to select a previously entered username and password for the provider.
Guest OS Username/Password

178 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


For some tasks (such as cataloging file metadata, file restore, and IP reconfiguration), credentials
must be established for the associated virtual machine. Enter the username and password, and ensure
that the virtual machine can be accessed from the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance either through
DNS or hostname.
The default security policy uses the Windows NTLM protocol, and the user identity follows the default
domain\name format if the Hyper-V virtual machine is attached to a domain. The format
local_administrator is used if the user is a local administrator.
6. To troubleshoot a connection to a hypervisor virtual machine, use the Test function.
The Test function verifies communication with the virtual machine and tests DNS settings between the
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance and the virtual machine. To test a connection, select a single
virtual machine, then click Select Options. Select Use existing user and select a previously entered
user name and password for the resource, and then click Test.
7. Click Save.
8. To configure additional options, click the Policy Options field that is associated with the job in the SLA
Policy Status section. Set the additional policy options:
Pre-scripts and Post-scripts
Run a pre-script or a post-script. Pre-scripts and post-scripts are scripts that can be run before or after
a job runs at the job level. Windows-based machines support Batch and PowerShell scripts while
Linux-based machines support shell scripts.
In the Pre-script or Post-script section, select an uploaded script and a script server where the script
will run. Scripts and script servers are configured on the System Configuration > Script page.
To continue running the job if the script associated with the job fails, select Continue job/task on
script error.
When this option is enabled, if a pre-script or post-script completes processing with a non-zero return
code, the backup or restore operation is attempted and the pre-script task status is reported as
COMPLETED. If a post-script completes with a non-zero return code, the post-script task status is
reported as COMPLETED.
When this option is disabled, the backup or restore is not attempted, and the pre-script or post-script
task status is reported as FAILED.
Run inventory before backup
Run an inventory job and capture the latest data of the selected resources before starting the backup
job.
Exclude Resources
Exclude specific resources from the backup job through single or multiple exclusion patterns.
Resources can be excluded through an exact match or with wildcard asterisks specified before the
pattern (*test) or after the pattern (test*).
Multiple asterisk wildcards are also supported in a single pattern. Patterns support standard
alphanumeric characters as well as the following special characters: - _ and *.
Separate multiple filters with a semicolon.
Force Full Backup of Resources
Force base backup operations for specific virtual machines or databases in the backup job definition.
Separate multiple resources with a semicolon.
9. To save any additional options that you configured, click Save.

What to do next
After you define a backup job, complete the following action:

Chapter 9. Protecting hypervisors 179


Action How to
Create a Hyper-V restore job definition. See “Restoring Hyper-V data” on page 180.

Related concepts
“Configuring scripts for backup and restore operations” on page 352
Prescripts and postscripts are scripts that can be run before or after backup and restore jobs run at the
job level. Supported scripts include shell scripts for Linux-based machines and batch and PowerShell
scripts for Windows-based machines. Scripts are created locally, uploaded to your environment through
the Script page, and then applied to job definitions.
Related tasks
“Starting jobs on demand” on page 347
You can run any job on demand, even if the job is set to run on a schedule.

Restoring Hyper-V data


Hyper-V restore jobs support Instant VM Restore and Instant Disk Restore scenarios, which are created
automatically based on the selected source.

Before you begin


Complete the following tasks:
• Ensure that a Hyper-V backup job was run at least once. For instructions, see “Backing up Hyper-V
data” on page 176.
• Ensure that the destination that you plan to use for the restore job is registered in IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus. This requirement applies to restore jobs that restore data to original hosts or clusters.
• Ensure that the latest Hyper-V integration services are installed.
For Microsoft Windows environments, see Supported Windows guest operating systems for Hyper-V on
Windows Server.
For Linux environments, see Supported Linux and FreeBSD virtual machines for Hyper-V on Windows.
• Ensure that the appropriate roles for restore operations are assigned to the affected users. Grant users
access to hypervisors and backup and restore operations in the Accounts pane. Roles and associated
permissions are assigned during user account creation. For instructions, see Chapter 15, “Managing
user access,” on page 365 and “Managing user accounts” on page 373.
• Windows file indexing and file restore on volumes residing on dynamic disks is not supported.
• When restoring from a IBM Spectrum Protect archive, files will be migrated to a staging pool from the
tape prior to the job beginning. Depending on the size of the restore, this process could take several
hours.
• When restoring a virtual machine by using clone mode and by using the original IP configuration, ensure
that credentials are established through the Guest OS Username and Guest OS Password options
within the backup job definition.

About this task


If a Virtual Hard Disk (VHDX) is selected for a restore job, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus automatically
presents options for an Instant Disk Restore job, which provides instant writable access to data and
application restore points.
An IBM Spectrum Protect Plus snapshot is mapped to a target server where the snapshot can be
accessed or copied as required. All other sources are restored by using Instant VM restore jobs, which
can be run in the following modes:
Test mode
Test mode creates temporary virtual machines for development, testing, snapshot verification, and
disaster recovery verification on a scheduled, repeatable basis without affecting production
environments. Test machines are kept running while they are needed to complete testing and

180 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


verification and are then cleaned up. Through fenced networking, you can establish a safe
environment to test your jobs without interfering with virtual machines that are used for production.
Virtual machines that are created in test mode are also given unique names and identifiers to avoid
conflicts within your production environment.
Clone mode
Clone mode creates copies of virtual machines for use cases that require permanent or long-running
copies for data mining or duplication of a test environment in a fenced network. Virtual machines that
are created in clone mode are also given unique names and identifiers to avoid conflicts within your
production environment. With clone mode, you must be sensitive to resource consumption because
clone mode creates permanent or long-term virtual machines.
Production mode
Production mode enables disaster recovery at the local site from primary storage or a remote disaster
recovery site, replacing original machine images with recovery images. All configurations are carried
over as part of the recovery, including names and identifiers, and all copy data jobs that are
associated with the virtual machine continue to run.
Restriction: Moving from test mode to production mode is not supported for Hyper-V.

Procedure
To define a Hyper-V restore job, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Hypervisors > Hyper-V > Create job, and then
select Snapshot restore to open the "Snapshot restore" wizard.
Tips:
• You can also open the wizard by clicking Jobs and Operations > Create job > Snapshot restore >
Hyper-V.
• For a running summary of your selections in the wizard, click Preview Restore in the navigation
pane in the wizard.
• The wizard is opened in the default setup mode. To run the wizard in advanced setup mode, select
Advanced Setup. With advanced setup mode, you can set more options for your restore job.
2. On the Select source page, take the following actions:
a) Review the available sources, including virtual machines (VMs) and virtual disks (VDisks). You can
expand a source by clicking its name.
You can also enter all or part of a name in the Search for box to locate VMs that match the search
criteria. You can use the wildcard character (*) to represent all or part of a name. For example,
vm2* represents all resources that begin with "vm2".

b) Click the plus icon next to the item that you want to add to the restore list next to the list of
sources. You can add more than one item of the same type (VM or virtual disk).

To remove an item from the restore list, click the minus icon next to the item.
c) Click Next.
3. On the Source snapshot page, select the type of restore job that you want to create:
On-demand
Runs a one-time restore operation. The restore job starts immediately upon the completion of the
wizard.
Recurring
Creates a repeating point-in-time restore job that runs on a schedule.
4. Complete the fields on the Source snapshot page and click Next to continue.
The fields that are shown depend on the number of items that were selected on the Select source
page and on the restore type. Some fields are also not shown until you select a related field.
Fields that are shown for an on-demand, single resource restore

Chapter 9. Protecting hypervisors 181


Option Description
Date range Specify a range of dates to show the available snapshots within that range.
Backup storage All backups in the selected date range are listed in rows that show the time that
type the backup operation occurred and the service level agreement (SLA) policy for
the backup. Select the row that contains the backup time and SLA policy that
you want, and then take one of the following actions:
• Click the backup storage type that you want to restore from. The storage
types that are shown depend on the types that are available in your
environment and are shown in the following order:
Backup
Restores data that is backed up to a vSnap server.
Replication
Restores data that is replicated to a vSnap server.
Object Storage
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service or to a repository server.
Archive
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service archive or to a repository
server archive (tape).
• Click anywhere on the row. The first backup type that is shown sequentially
from the left of the row is selected by default. For example, if the storage
types Backup, Replication, and Archive are shown, Backup is selected by
default.

Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud resource
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, multiple resource restore or recurring restore
Option Description
Restore Location Select a type of location from which to restore data:
Type Site
The site to which snapshots were backed up. The site is defined in the
System Configuration > Site pane.
Cloud service
The cloud service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud service is
defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object Storage
pane.
Repository server
The repository server to which snapshots were copied. The repository
server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage >
Repository Server pane.

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Option Description

Cloud service archive


The cloud archive service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud
service is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object
Storage pane.
Repository server archive
The repository server to which snapshots were copied to tape. The
repository server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage
> Repository Server pane.

Select a location If you are restoring data from a site, select one of the following restore
locations:
Demo
The demonstration site from which to restore snapshots.
Primary
The primary site from which to restore snapshots.
Secondary
The secondary site from which to restore snapshots.
If you are restoring data from a cloud or repository server, select a server from
the Select a location menu.

Date selector For on-demand restore operations, specify a range of dates to show the
available snapshots within that range.
Restore Point For on-demand restore operations, select a snapshot from the list of available
snapshots in the selected date range.
Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud service
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

5. On the Set destination page, choose the instance to be restored for the selected source and click
Next:
Original Host or Cluster
Select this option to restore data to the original host or cluster.
Alternate Host or Cluster
Select this option to restore data to a local destination that is different from the original host or
cluster, then select the alternative location from the available resources.
In the VM Folder Destination field, enter the virtual machine folder path on the destination
datastore. Note that the directory will be created if it does not exist. Use "/" as the root virtual
machine folder of the targeted datastore.
6. On the Set datastore page, take the following actions:
• If you are restoring data to an alternate Hyper-V host or cluster, select the destination datastore
and click Next.
• If you are restoring data to the original Hyper-V host or cluster, this page is not displayed.
7. On the Set network page, specify the network settings to use for each chosen source and click Next.

Chapter 9. Protecting hypervisors 183


• If you are restoring data to the original Hyper-V host or cluster, specify the following network
settings:
Allow system to define IP configuration
Select this option to allow your operating system to define the destination IP address. During
a test mode restore operation, the destination virtual machine receives a new MAC address
along with an associated NIC. Depending on your operating system, a new IP address can be
assigned based on the original NIC of the virtual machine, or assigned through DHCP. During a
production mode restore the MAC address does not change; therefore the IP address should
be retained.
Use original IP configuration
Select this option to restore to the original host or cluster using your predefined IP address
configuration. During the restore operation, the destination virtual machine receives a new
MAC address, but the IP address is retained.
• If you are restoring data to an alternate Hyper-V host or cluster, complete the following steps:
a. In the Production and Test fields, set virtual networks for production and test restore job runs.
Destination network settings for production and test environments should point to different
locations to create a fenced network, which keeps virtual machines used for testing from
interfering with virtual machines used for production. The networks that are associated with
test and production modes will be used when the restore job is run in the associated mode.
b. Set an IP address or subnet mask for virtual machines to be repurposed for development,
testing, or disaster recovery use cases. Supported mapping types include IP to IP, IP to DHCP,
and subnet to subnet. Virtual machines that contain multiple NICs are supported.
Take one of the following actions:
– To allow your operating system to define the destination subnets and IP addresses, click
Use system defined subnets and IP addresses for VM guest OS on destination.
– To use your predefined subnets and IP addresses, click Use original subnets and IP
addresses for VM guest OS on destination.
– To create a new mapping configuration, select Add mappings for subnets and IP
addresses for VM guest OS on destination, click Add Mapping, and enter a subnet or IP
address in the Add Source Subnet or IP Address field.
Choose one of the following network protocols:
- Select DHCP to automatically select an IP and related configuration information if DHCP is
available on the selected source.
- Select Static to enter a specific subnet or IP address, subnet mask, gateway, and DNS.
The Subnet / IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Gateway are required fields. If a subnet is
entered as a source, a subnet must also be entered as a destination.
Note: When a mapping is added, the source IP address must be entered into the field by
the + button. The destination IP address information should be entered into the Subnet /
IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Gateway fields. Re-addressing can only be performed on
machines with VMware Tools installed prior to executing the backup job that is to be
restored.
IP reconfiguration is skipped for virtual machines if a static IP is used but no suitable subnet
mapping is found, or if the source virtual machine is powered off and there is more than one
associated NIC. In a Windows environment, if a virtual machine uses DHCP only, then IP
reconfiguration is skipped for that virtual machine. In a Linux environment, all addresses are
assumed to be static, and only IP mapping will be available.
8. On the Restore methods, select the restore method to be used for source selections. Set the Hyper-
V restore job to run in test, production, or clone mode by default. After the job is created, you can run
the job in production or clone mode by using the Job Sessions pane. You can also change the name
of the restored VM by entering the new VM name in the Rename VM (optional) field. Click Next to
continue.

184 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


9. Optional: On the Job Options (optional) page, configure advanced options and click Next.
Make IA clone resource permanent
Enable this option to move the virtual disk to permanent storage and clean up temporary
resources. This action is accomplished by starting a Live Migration operation for the resources in
the background. The destination of the Live Migration operation is the VM Configuration
Datastore. The Instant Access disk is still available for read/write operations during this
operation.
Power on after recovery
Toggle the power state of a virtual machine after a recovery is run. Virtual machines are powered
on in the order in which they are recovered, as set in the Source step. If Use original IP
configuration is selected, the Power on after recovery option is not honored.
Restriction: Restored virtual machine templates cannot be powered on after recovery.
Overwrite virtual machine
Enable this option to allow the restore job to overwrite the selected virtual machine. By default,
this option is disabled.
Continue with restore even if it fails
Toggle the recovery of a resource in a series if the previous resource recovery fails. If disabled,
the restore job stops if the recovery of a resource fails.
Run cleanup immediately on job failure
Enable this option to automatically clean up allocated resources as part of a restore job if the
virtual machine recovery fails.
Allow to overwrite and force cleanup of pending old sessions
Enable this option to allow a scheduled session of a recovery job to force an existing pending
session to clean up associated resources so the new session can run. Disable this option to keep
an existing test environment running without being cleaned up.
Append suffix to virtual machine name
Enter a suffix to add to the names of restored virtual machines.
Prepend prefix to virtual machine name
Enter a prefix to add to the names of restored virtual machines. Click Save to save the policy
options.
10. Optional: On the Apply scripts page, choose the following script options and click Next.
• Select Pre-script to select an uploaded script, and an application or script server where the
prescript runs. To select an application server where the script will run, clear the Use Script
Server check box. Go to the System Configuration > Script page to configure scripts and script
servers.
• Select Post-script to select an uploaded script and an application or script server where the
postscript runs. To select an application server where the script runs, clear the Use Script Server
check box. Navigate to the System Configuration > Script page to configure scripts and script
servers.
• Select Continue job/task on script error to continue running the job when the script that is
associated with the job fails. When this option is enabled and the prescript completes with a
nonzero return code, the backup or restore job continues to run and the prescript task status
returns COMPLETED. If a postscript completes with a nonzero return code, the postscript task
status returns COMPLETED. When this option is not selected, the backup or restore job does not
run, and the prescript or postscript task status returns with a FAILED status.
11. Take one of the following actions on the Schedule page:
• To run an on-demand job, click Next.
• To set up a recurring job, enter a name for the job schedule, and specify how often and when to
start the restore job. Click Next.
12. On the Review page, review your restore job settings and click Submit to create the job.
On-demand jobs will begin immediately; recurring jobs will begin at the scheduled start time.

Chapter 9. Protecting hypervisors 185


What to do next
After the job is complete, select one of the following options from the Actions menu on the Jobs
Sessions or Active Clones sections on the Restore pane:
Cleanup
Destroys the virtual machine and cleans up all associated resources. Because this is a temporary
virtual machine to be used for testing, all data is lost when the virtual machine is destroyed.
Clone (migrate)
Migrates the virtual machine to the datastore and virtual network that are defined as the test network.
Related tasks
“Backing up Hyper-V data” on page 176
Use a backup job to back up Hyper-V data with snapshots.
“Adding a Hyper-V server” on page 174
When a Hyper-V server is added to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, an inventory of the server is captured,
enabling you to complete backup and restore jobs, as well as run reports.

Restoring files
Recover files from snapshots that are created by IBM Spectrum Protect Plus backup jobs. Files can be
restored to their original or an alternate location.

Before you begin


Note the following procedures and considerations before restoring a file:
• Review the file indexing and restore requirements in “File indexing and restore requirements” on page
27.
• Run a backup job with catalog file metadata enabled. Follow these guidelines:
– Ensure that credentials are established for the associated virtual machine as well as the alternate
virtual machine destination through the Guest OS Username and Guest OS Password option within
the backup job definition.
– Ensure that the virtual machine can be accessed from the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance
either through DNS or hostname. In a Windows environment, the default security policy uses the
Windows NTLM protocol, and the user identity follows the default domain\name format if the Hyper-
V virtual machine is attached to a domain. The format local_administrator is used if the user is a
local administrator.
– For a file restore to complete successfully, ensure that the user ID that is on the target machine has
the necessary ownership permissions for the file that is being restored. If a file was created by a user
that differs from the user ID that is restoring the file based on Windows security credentials, the file
restore job fails.

About this task


Restrictions:
• Encrypted Windows file systems are not supported for file cataloging or file restore.
• File indexing and file restore are not supported from restore points that were copied to cloud resources
or repository servers.
• When restoring files in a Resilient File System (ReFS) environment, restores from newer versions of
Windows Server to earlier versions are not supported. For example, restoring a file from Windows
Server 2016 to Windows Server 2012.
• File cataloging, backup, point-in-time restores, and other operations that invoke the Windows agent will
fail if a non-default local administrator is entered as the Guest OS Username when defining a backup
job. A non-default local administrator is any user that has been created in the guest OS and has been
granted the administrator role.

186 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


This occurs if the registry key LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy in [HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft
\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System] is set to 0 or not set. If the parameter is set to 0
or not set, a local non-default administrator cannot interact with WinRM, which is the protocol IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus uses to install the Windows agent for file cataloging, send commands to this
agent, and get results from it.
Set the LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy registry key to 1 on the Windows guest that is being
backed up with Catalog File Metadata enabled. If the key does not exist, navigate to
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies
\System] and add a DWord Registry key named LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy with a value of
1.
To help avoid issues that can result from time zone differences, use an NTP server to synchronize time
zones across resources. For example, you can synchronize time zones for storage arrays, hypervisors, and
application servers that are in your environment.
If the time zones are out of sync, you might experience errors during application registration, metadata
cataloging, inventory, backup, or restore, or file restore jobs. For more information about identifying and
resolving timer drift, see Time in virtual machine drifts due to hardware timer drift
Hyper-V considerations
Only volumes on SCSI disks are eligible for file cataloging and file restore.
Linux considerations
If data is located on LVM volumes, the lvm2-lvmetad service must be disabled because it can interfere
with the ability of IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to mount and resign volume group snapshots or clones.
To disable the service, complete the following steps:
1. Run the following commands:

systemctl stop lvm2-lvmetad

systemctl disable lvm2-lvmetad

2. Edit the/etc/lvm/lvm.conf and specify the following setting:

use_lvmetad = 0

If data resides on XFS file systems and the version of the xfsprogs package is between 3.2.0 and
4.1.9, the file restore can fail due to a known issue in xfsprogs that causes corruption of a clone or
snapshot file system when its UUID is modified. To resolve this issue, update xfsprogs to version 4.2.0
or later. For more information, see Debian Bug report logs.

Procedure
To restore a file, complete the following steps.
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > File Restore.
2. Enter a search string to search for a file by name, and then click the search icon .
For more information about using the search function, see Appendix A, “Search guidelines,” on page
391.
3. Optional: You can use filters to fine-tune your search across specific virtual machines, date range in
which the file was protected, and virtual machine operating system types.
Searches can also be limited to a specific folder through the Folder path field. The Folder path field
supports wildcards. Position wildcards at the beginning, middle, or end of a string. For example, enter
*Downloads to search within the Downloads folder without entering the preceding path.
Note: Only file objects for which a snapshot was taken during the date range that is specified will be
visible. For those objects, when the arrow is clicked beside the file object, all previous snapshots for
that file object are displayed.
4. To restore the file by using default options, click Restore. The file is restored to its original location.

Chapter 9. Protecting hypervisors 187


5. To edit options before restoring the file, click Options. Set the file restore options.
Overwrite existing files/folder
Replace the existing file or folder with the restored file or folder.
Destination
Select to replace the existing file or folder with the restored file or folder.
To restore the file to its original location, select Restore files to original location.
To restore to a local destination different from the original location, select Restore files to alternative
location. Then select the alternate location from available resources by using the navigation menu or
the search function.
Restriction: A file can be restored to an alternate location only if credentials were established for the
alternate virtual machine through the Guest OS Username/Password option in the backup job
definition.
Enter the virtual machine folder path on the alternate destination in the Destination Folder field. If the
directory does not exist, it will be created.
Click Save to save the options.
6. To restore the file by using defined options, click Restore.
Related tasks
“Backing up VMware data” on page 155
Use a backup job to back up VMware resources such as virtual machines, datastores, folders, vApps, and
datacenters with snapshots.
“Restoring VMware data” on page 164
VMware restore jobs support Instant VM Restore and Instant Disk Restore scenarios, which are created
automatically based on the selected source.

188 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Chapter 10. Protecting applications
You must register the database applications that you want to protect in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and
then create jobs to back up and restore the databases and resources that are associated with the
applications.
Restriction: IBM Spectrum Protect Plus might create folders on application servers when applications are
registered with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. Folders created by IBM Spectrum Protect Plus must remain
for the product to function properly. However, if you must remove a folder that was created by IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus, unregister the application and IBM Spectrum Protect Plus will clean up the folders
that are associated with the registration.
Do not assign more than one application per machine as an application server to a resource group. For
example, if Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Exchange Server occupy the same machine and both are
registered with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, only one of the applications can be added as an application
server to a given resource group.

Db2
After you successfully add your IBM Db2 instances to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, you can start to protect
your Db2 data. Create service level agreements (SLA) policies to back up and maintain Db2 data.
Ensure that your Db2 environment meets the system requirements. For more information, see “Db2
requirements” on page 36.
Tip: If your Db2 data is stored in a multi-partitioned environment with multiple hosts, you can protect
your Db2 data across each host. Each host in the multi-partitioned environment must be added to IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus so that all instances and databases are detected for protection. For more
information, see “Adding a Db2 application server” on page 192.
The IP address must be reachable from the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus server and from the vSnap server.
Both must have a Windows Remote Management service that is listening on port 5985.
The fully qualified domain name must be resolvable and routable from the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
appliance server and from the vSnap server.

Prerequisites for Db2


All prerequisites for the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Db2 application server must be met before you start
protecting Db2 resources with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.

Requirements for the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Db2 application server are available here, Db2
requirements.

Space prerequisites
Ensure that you have enough space on the Db2 database management system, in the volume groups for
the backup operation, and on the target volumes for copying files during the restore operation. For more
information about space requirements, see Space requirements for Db2 protection. When you are
restoring data to an alternative location, allocate extra dedicated volumes for the copy and restore
processes. The data paths for table spaces and logs on the target host are the same as the paths on the
original host. This setup is needed to allow copying of data from the mounted vSnap to the target host.
Ensure that dedicated local database directories are allowed for each database in your volume setup.

Multi-partitioned Db2 environments


In order to protect Db2 multi-partitioned databases, the ACS backup mode must be set to parallel mode.
To run parallel backup processing of partitions in your Db2 environment, ensure that one of the following
prerequisites is met:

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2017, 2020 189


• The Db2 registry variable DB2_PARALLEL_ACS is set to YES, for example: db2set
DB2_PARALLEL_ACS=YES.
• The Db2 registry variable DB2_WORKLOAD is set to SAP.
Restriction: The DB2_PARALLEL_ACS registry variable is available only in certain fix pack levels of Db2.
If DB2_PARALLEL_ACS is not available in your version, you can choose to change DB2_WORKLOAD to SAP.

More configuration requirements


Ensure that your Db2 environment is configured to meet the following criteria:
• Db2 archive logging is activated, and Db2 is in recoverable mode.
• Ensure that the effective file size ulimit -f for the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user and the Db2
instance user, is set to unlimited. Alternatively, set the value to a sufficiently high value to allow
copying of the largest database files in your backup and restore jobs. If you change the ulimit setting,
restart the Db2 instance to finalize the configuration.
• If you are running IBM Spectrum Protect Plus in an AIX or Linux environment, ensure that the installed
sudo version is at the recommended level. For more information, see technote 2013790. Then, set sudo
privileges as described in “Setting sudo privileges for Db2” on page 192.
• In a Linux environment, ensure that the Linux utility package util-linux-ng or util-linux package
is current.
• Unicode characters in file path names cannot be handled by IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. All names
must be in ASCII.
• The database table spaces, online logs, and the local database directory can be on one or separate
dedicated logical volumes that are managed by either LVM2 or JFS2. For layout two examples, see the
following pictures. In the first picture, two types of volume groups shown. In the second picture, all
volumes for data and logs are on one volume group.

Figure 17. Logical volume layout examples

190 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Figure 18. Single logical volume layout example
• Ensure that your Db2 logical volume setup does not include nested mount points.

Space requirements for Db2 protection


Before you start backing up Db2 databases, ensure you have enough free disk space on the target and
source hosts, and in the vSnap repository. Extra free disk space is required on the volume groups on the
source host for creating temporary Logical Volume Manager (LVM) snapshots of the logical volumes that
the Db2 database and log files are stored on. To create LVM snapshots of a protected Db2 database,
ensure that the volume groups with Db2 data have sufficient free space.

LVM snapshots
LVM snapshots are point-in-time copies of LVM logical volumes. They are space-efficient snapshots with
the changed data updates from the source logical volume. LVM snapshots are created in the same volume
group as the source logical volume. The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Db2 agent uses LVM snapshots to
create a temporary, consistent point-in-time copy of the Db2 database.
The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Db2 agent creates an LVM snapshot which is then mounted, and is copied
to the vSnap repository. The duration of the file copy operation depends on the size of the Db2 database.
During file copying, the Db2 application remains fully online. After the file copy operation finishes, the
LVM snapshots are removed by the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Db2 agent in a cleanup operation.
For AIX, no more than 15 snapshots can exist for each JFS2 file system. Internal and external JFS2
snapshots cannot exist at the same time for the same file system. Ensure that no internal snapshots exist
on the JFS2 volumes as these snapshots can cause issues when the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Db2
agent is creating external snapshots.
For every LVM or JFS2 snapshot logical volume containing data, allow at least 10 percent of its size as
free disk space in the volume group. If the volume group has enough free disk space, the IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus Db2 agent reserves up to 25 percent of the source logical volume size for the snapshot
logical volume.

LVM2 and JFS2


When you run a Db2 backup operation, Db2 requests a snapshot. This snapshot is created on a Logical
Volume Management (LVM) system or a Journaled File System (JFS) for each logical volume with data or

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 191


logs for the selected database. In Linux systems, the logical volumes are managed by LVM2 with lvm2
commands. On AIX, the logical volumes are managed by JFS2 and created with the JFS2 snapshot
command as external snapshots.
A software-based LVM2 or JFS2 snapshot is taken as a new logical volume on the same volume group.
The snapshot volumes are temporarily mounted on the same machine that runs the Db2 instance so that
they can be transferred to the vSnap repository.
On the Linux operating system, the LVM2 volume manager stores the snapshot of a logical volume within
the same volume group. On the AIX operating system, the JFS2 volume manager stores the snapshot of a
logical volume within the same volume group. For both, there must be enough space on the machine to
store the logical volume. The logical volume grows in size as data changes on the source volume while the
snapshot exists. In multi-partitioned environments, when multiple partitions share the same volume, an
extra snapshot of the volume is created for each partition. Ensure that the volume group has sufficient
free space for the required snapshots.

Setting sudo privileges for Db2


To use IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to protect your data, you must install the required version of the sudo
program. For the Db2 application server, you must set up sudo in a specific way that might be different
from other application servers.

Before you begin


To determine the correct version of sudo to be installed, see technote 2013790.

About this task


Set up a dedicated IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user with the required superuser privileges for sudo.
This configuration enables the agent user to run commands without a password.

Procedure
1. Create an application server user by issuing the following command:
useradd -m <agent>
where agent specifies the name of the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user.
2. Set a password for the new user by issuing the following command:
passwd <agent>
3. To enable superuser privileges for the agent user, set the !requiretty setting. At the end of the
sudo configuration file, add the following lines:

Defaults:<agent> !requiretty

<agent> ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL

If your sudoers file is configured to import configurations from another directory, for example /etc/
sudoers.d, you can add the lines in the appropriate file in that directory.

Adding a Db2 application server


To start protecting your Db2 data, you must add the host address where your Db2 instances are located.
You can repeat the procedure to add every host that you want to protect with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
If your Db2 environment is multi-partitioned with multiple hosts, you must add each host to IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus.

About this task


To add a Db2 application server to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, you must have the host address of the
machine.

192 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Procedure
1. In the navigation, expand Manage Protection > Applications > Db2.
2. In the Db2 window, click Manage application servers, and click Add application server to add the
host machine.

Figure 19. Adding a Db2 agent


3. In the Application Properties section, enter the host address.
4. Choose to specify a user or use an SSH key.
• If you selected to specify a user, either select an existing user or enter a user ID and password.
• If you are using an SSH key, choose the key from the menu.
Note: The user must have sudo privileges set up.

Figure 20. Managing agent users

Tip:
Db2 instances found are listed for each host. If your Db2 instance is partitioned, this information is
listed with the host machine and the numbers of the partitions. For multi-host Database Partitioning
Feature (DPF), the Db2 instance is displayed as a single unit.
5. Save the form, and repeat the steps to add other Db2 application servers to IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus.
If your Db2 data is in a multi-partitioned environment with multiple hosts, you must add each host.
Repeat the procedure for each Db2 host.

What to do next
After you add your Db2 application servers to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, an inventory is automatically
run on each application server to detect the relevant databases in those instances.
To verify that the databases are added, review the job log. Go to Jobs and Operations. Click the Running
Jobs tab, and look for the latest Application Server Inventory log entry.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 193


Completed jobs are shown on the Job History tab. You can use the Sort By list to sort jobs based on start
time, type, status, job name, or duration. Use the Search by name field to search for jobs by name. You
can use asterisks as wildcard characters in the name.
Databases must be detected to ensure that they can be protected. For instructions about running an
inventory, see Detecting Db2 resources.

Detecting Db2 resources


After you add IBM Db2 application servers to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, an inventory to detect all Db2
instances and databases is run automatically. The inventory detects, lists, and stores all the Db2
databases for the selected host, and makes the databases available for protection with IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus.

Before you begin


Ensure that you added your Db2 application servers to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. For instructions, see
Adding a Db2 application server.

About this task


Any Db2 partitions that are found in the inventory are listed for the Db2 instance. Partitions are listed by
their partition number for each host appended to the host name in the Instances table.

Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, expand Manage Protection > Applications > Db2.
Tip: To add more Db2 instances to the Instances pane, follow the instructions in Adding a Db2
application server.
2. Click Run Inventory.

Figure 21. Detecting Db2 resources

When the inventory is running, the button changes to show Inventory In Progress. You can run an
inventory on any available application servers, but you can run only one inventory process at a time.
To view the job log, go to Jobs and Operations. Click the Running Jobs tab, and look for the latest
Application Server Inventory log entry.

194 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Completed jobs are shown on the Job History tab. You can use the Sort By list to sort jobs based on
start time, type, status, job name, or duration. Use the Search by name field to search for jobs by
name. You can use asterisks as wildcard characters in the name.
3. Click on an instance to open a view that shows the databases that are detected for that instance. If any
databases are missing from the Instances list, check your Db2 application server and rerun the
inventory. In some cases, certain databases are marked as ineligible for backup; hover over the
database to reveal the reason why.
Tip: To return to the list of instances, click the Instances hypertext in the Backup Db2 pane.

What to do next
To start protecting Db2 databases that are cataloged in the selected instance, apply a service level
agreement (SLA) policy to the instance. For instructions about setting an SLA policy, see Defining an SLA
policy.

Testing the Db2 connection


After you add a Db2 application server, you can test the connection. The test verifies communication with
the server and the DNS settings between IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and the Db2 server. It also checks
for the correct sudo permissions for the user.

Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Applications > Db2.
2. In the Db2 window, click Manage Application Servers, and select the Host Address you want to test.
A list of the Db2 application servers that are available are shown.
3. Click Actions and choose Test to start the verification tests for physical, remote and operating system
connections and settings.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 195


Figure 22. Testing the connection

The test report shows a list of the tests. It consists of a test for the physical host network
configuration, and tests for the remote server installation on the host, which checks SSH and SFTP on
the host. The third test checks for operating system prerequisites and correct sudo privileges.
4. Click OK to close the test, and choose to rerun the test after you fix any failed tests.

Backing up Db2 data


Define regular Db2 backup jobs with options to run and create backup copies to protect your data. You
can enable continuous backing up of archive logs so that you can restore a point-in-time copy with
rollforward options if required.

Before you begin


During the initial backup, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus creates a new vSnap volume and NFS share. During
incremental backups, the previously created volume is reused. The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Db2 agent
mounts the share on the Db2 server where the backup is to be completed.
Review the following procedures and considerations before you create a backup job definition:
• Add the application servers that you want to back up. For the procedure, see Adding a Db2 application
server.
• Configure a Service Level Agreement (SLA) Policy. For the procedure, see Defining a Service Level
Agreement backup job.

196 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


• Before an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user can implement backup and restore operations, roles and
resource groups must be assigned to the user. Grant users access to resources and backup and restore
operations through the Accounts pane. For more information, see Managing user access.
• Inventory jobs should not be scheduled to run at the same time as backup jobs.
• Avoid configuring log backups for a single Db2 database with many backup jobs. If a single Db2
database is added to multiple job definitions with log backup enabled, a log backup from one job can
truncate a log before it is backed up by the next job. This might cause point-in-time restore jobs to fail.

Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, expand Manage Protection > Applications > Db2.
2. Select a resource to back up.
• Select an entire instance in the Instances pane by clicking the instance name check-box. Any
databases added to this instance are automatically assigned to the SLA policy that you choose.
• Select a specific database in an instance by clicking the instance name, and choosing a database
from the list of databases in that instance.
3. Click Select Options to enable or disable log backup, and to specify parallel streams to minimize time
taken for large data movement in the backup operation. Click Save to commit the options.
Select Enable Log Backup to back up archive logs, which allows point-in-time restore options and
recovery options. For Db2 log backup settings information, see Log backups.

Figure 23. Backup pane with the Enable Log Backup option

If an on-demand job runs with the Enable Log Backup option enabled, log backup occurs. However,
when the job runs again on a schedule, the option is disabled for that job run to prevent possible
missing segments in the chain of backups.
When you save the options, those options are used for all backup jobs for this database or instance as
selected.
4. Select the database or instance again, and click Select SLA Policy to choose an SLA policy for that
database or instance.
5. Save the SLA options.
To define a new SLA or to edit an existing policy with custom retention and frequency rates, select
Manage Protection > Policy Overview. In the SLA Policies pane, click Add SLA Policy, and define
your policy preferences.

What to do next
When the SLA policy is saved, you choose to run an on-demand backup any time by clicking Actions for
that policy, and selecting Start. The status in the log changes to show that the backup is Running.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 197


Defining a service level agreement backup job
After your Db2 databases are listed for each of your Db2 instances, select and apply a service level
agreement (SLA) policy to start protecting your data.

Procedure
1. From the navigation menu, expand Manage Protection > Applications > Db2.
2. Select a Db2 instance to back up all the data in that instance, or click the instance name to view the
databases available for backing up. You can then select individual databases in the Db2 instance that
you want to back up.
You can back up an entire instance with all of its associated data, or back up one or more databases.

Figure 24. Db2 Backup pane showing instances

Figure 25. Db2 Backup pane showing databases in an instance


3. Click Select SLA Policy and select an SLA policy: Gold, Silver, or Bronze. Save your choice.
The predefined Gold, Silver, and Bronze policies have different frequencies and retention rates. You
can create a custom SLA policy or edit an existing policy by navigating to Policy Overview > SLA
Policies.

198 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


4. Click Select Options to define options for your backup, such as enabling log backups for future
recovery options, and specifying the parallel streams to reduce the time that is required to back up
large databases. Save your changes.

Figure 26. Backup options and SLA policies


5. Configure the SLA policy by clicking the icon in the Policy Options column of the SLA Policy Status
table.
To read about more SLA configuration options, see “Setting SLA configuration options for a backup
job” on page 200.
6. To run the policy outside of the scheduled job, select the instance or database. Click Actions and
select Start.
The status changes to Running for your chosen SLA and you can follow the progress of the job in the
job log shown.

Figure 27. SLA policies

Tip: When the job for the selected SLA policy runs, all resources that are associated with that SLA
policy are included in the backup operation. To back up only selected resources, you can run an on-
demand job. An on-demand job runs the backup operation immediately.
• To run an on-demand backup job for a single resource, select the resource and click Run. If the
resource is not associated with an SLA policy, the Run button is not available.
• To run an on-demand backup job for one or more resources, click Create job, select Ad hoc backup,
and follow the instructions in “Running an ad hoc backup job” on page 351.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 199


To pause the schedule of an SLA, click Actions and choose Pause Schedule.
To cancel a job after it has started, click Actions > Cancel.

Setting SLA configuration options for a backup job


After you set up a service level agreement (SLA) for your backup job, you can choose to configure more
options for that job. You can run scripts, exclude resources from the backup operation, and force a full
base backup copy of a database if required.

Procedure
1. In the Policy Options column of the SLA Policy Status table for the job you are configuring, click the

clipboard icon to specify extra configuration options.


If the job is already configured, click on the icon to edit the configuration.

Figure 28. Specifying SLA configuration options


2. Click Pre-Script and define your pre-script configuration by choosing one of the following options:
• Click Use Script Server and select an uploaded script from the menu.
• Do not click Use Script Server. Select an application server from the list to run the script at that
location.
3. Click Post-Script and define your post-script configuration by choosing one of the following options:
• Click Use Script Server and select an uploaded script from the menu.
• Do not click Use Script Server. Select an application server from the list to run the script at that
location.
Scripts and script servers are configured on the System Configuration > Script page. For more
information about working with scripts, see Configuring scripts.

200 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


4. To continue running the job when the script that is associated with the job fails, select Continue job/
task on script error.
If this option is selected, the backup or restore operation is reattempted and the script task status is
reported as COMPLETED when the script completes processing with a nonzero return code. If this
option is not selected, the backup or restore is not reattempted and the script task status is reported
as FAILED.
5. To exclude resources from a backup job, specify the resources to exclude from the job. Enter an exact
resource name in the Exclude Resources field. If you are unsure of a name, use wildcard asterisks
that are specified before the pattern (*text) or after the pattern (text*). Multiple wildcards can be
entered with standard alphanumeric characters and the following special characters: - _ and *.
Separate entries with a semicolon.
6. To create a full new backup of a resource, enter the name of that resource in the Force full backup of
resources field. Separate multiple resources with a semicolon.
The full backup creates a full new backup of that resource and replaces the existing backup of that
resource for one occurrence only. After the full backup completes, the resource is backed up
incrementally as before.

Log backups
Archived logs for databases contain committed transaction data. This transaction data can be used to run
a rollforward data recovery when you are running a restore operation. Using archive log backups
enhances the recovery point objective for your data.
Ensure that you select the Enable Log Backups option to allow rollforward recovery when you set up a
backup job or service level agreement (SLA) policy. When selected for the first time, you must run a
backup job for the SLA policy to activate log archiving to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus on the database. This
backup creates a separate volume on the vSnap repository, which is mounted persistently on the Db2
application server. The backup process updates either LOGARCHMETH1 or LOGARCHMETH2 parameters to
point to that volume for log archiving purposes. The volume is kept mounted on the Db2 application
server unless the Enable Log Backup option is cleared and a new backup job is run.
Restriction: In Db2 multi-partitioned environments, the LOGARCHMETH parameters across partitions
must match.
When either LOGARCHMETH1 or LOGARCHMETH2 parameters are set with a value other than OFF, you can
use archived logs for rollforward recovery. You can cancel log backup jobs at any time by clearing the
Enable Log Backups option: go to Manage Protection > Applications > Db2, select the instance and
click Select Options. This change takes effect after the next successful backup job completes, and the
LOGARCHMETH parameter value is changed back to its original setting.
Important: IBM Spectrum Protect Plus can enable log backup jobs only when the LOGARCHMETH1
parameter is set to LOGRETAIN or if one of the LOGARCHMETH parameters is set to OFF.
If the LOGARCHMETH1 parameter is set to LOGRETAIN.
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus changes the LOGARCHMETH1 parameter value to enable log backups.
If either LOGARCHMETH1 or LOGARCHMETH2 parameters are set to OFF and the other is set to DISK,
TSM, or VENDOR.
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus uses the LOGARCHMETH parameter that is set to off to enable log backups.
If both LOGARCHMETH parameters are set to DISK, TSM, or VENDOR.
This setting combination causes an error when IBM Spectrum Protect Plus attempts to enable log
backups. To resolve the error, set one of the parameters to OFF, and run the backup job with the
Enable Log Backups option selected.

Truncating archive log backups


IBM Spectrum Protect Plus automatically deletes older transactional logs after a successful database
backup. This action ensures that the capacity of the log archive volume is not compromised by retention
of older log files. These truncated log files are stored in the vSnap repository until the corresponding

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 201


backup expires and is deleted. The retention of database backups is defined in the SLA policy that you
select. For more information about SLA policies, see “Defining a service level agreement backup job” on
page 198.
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus does not manage the retention of other archived log locations.

For more information about Db2 settings, see IBM Db2 Welcome page.

Restoring Db2 data


To restore Db2 data from the vSnap repository, define a job that restores data from either the newest
backup or an earlier backup copy. You can choose to restore data to the original instance or to an
alternative instance on a different machine, and specify recovery options, and save the job.

Before you begin


Important: For all restore operations, Db2 must be at the same version level on the source and target
hosts. In addition to that requirement, you must ensure that an instance with the same name as the
instance that is being restored exists on each host. This requirement applies when the target instance has
the same name, and when the names are different. In order for the restore operation to succeed, both
instances must be provisioned, one with original name and the other with the new name.
If your Db2 environment includes partitioned databases, the data of all partitions is backed up during
regular backup jobs. All instances are listed in the backup pane. Multi-partitioned instances are shown
with partition numbers and host names.
Before you create a restore job for Db2, ensure that the following requirements are met:
• At least one Db2 backup job is set up and running successfully. For instructions about setting up a
backup job, see “Backing up Db2 data” on page 196.
• IBM Spectrum Protect Plus roles and resource groups are assigned to the user who is setting up the
restore job. For more information about assigning roles, see Chapter 15, “Managing user access,” on
page 365.
• When restoring from a IBM Spectrum Protect archive, files will be migrated to a staging pool from the
tape prior to the job beginning. Depending on the size of the restore, this process could take several
hours.
Note: When you are restoring multi-partitioned databases to an alternative location, ensure that the
target instance is configured with the same partition numbers as the original instance. All of those
partitions must be on a single host. When you are restoring data to a new instance that is renamed, both
instances instances required for the restore operation must be configured with the same number of
partitions.
Before you start a restore operation to an alternative instance, ensure that the file system structure on
the source machine is matched on the target machine. This file system structure includes table spaces,
online logs, and the local database directory. Ensure that dedicated volumes with sufficient space are
allocated to the file system structure. Db2 must be at the same version level on the source and target
hosts for all restore operations, and an instance of the same name must exist on each host. For more
information about space requirements, see Space requirements for Db2 protection. For more information
about prerequisites and setup, see Prerequisites for Db2.

Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, expand Manage Protection > Applications > Db2 and click Create job >
Snapshot restore.
The "Snapshot restore" wizard opens.
2. Optional: If you started the restore wizard from the Jobs and Operations page, click Db2 as the
source type and click Next.
Tips:

202 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


• For a running summary of your selections in the wizard, click Preview Restore in the navigation
pane in the wizard.
• The wizard is opened in the default setup mode. To run the wizard in advanced setup mode, select
Advanced Setup. With advanced setup mode, you can set more options for your restore job.
3. On the Select source page, click a Db2 instance to show the databases in that instance. Choose a
database by clicking the plus icon for that database name. Click Next to continue.
4. In the Source snapshot page, choose the type of restore operation required.
• On-Demand: Snapshot: creates a once-off restore operation from a database snapshot. The job
is not set to recur.
• On-Demand: Point-in-Time: creates a once-off restore operation from a point-in-time backup of
the database. The job is not set to recur.
• Recurring: creates a recurring job that runs on a schedule and repeats.
Tip:
For an On-Demand: Snapshot you can select no recovery or to recover until the end of the backup.
For an On-Demand: Point in Time restore job you can select to recover until the end of the available
logs, or recover until a specific point-in-time.
5. Complete the fields on the Source snapshot page and click Next to continue.
The fields that are shown depend on the number of items that were selected on the Select source
page and on the restore type. Some fields are also not shown until you select a related field.
Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, single resource restore

Option Description
Date range Specify a range of dates to show the available snapshots within that range.
Backup storage All backups in the selected date range are listed in rows that show the time that
type the backup operation occurred and the service level agreement (SLA) policy for
the backup. Select the row that contains the backup time and SLA policy that
you want, and then take one of the following actions:
• Click the backup storage type that you want to restore from. The storage
types that are shown depend on the types that are available in your
environment and are shown in the following order:
Backup
Restores data that is backed up to a vSnap server.
Replication
Restores data that is replicated to a vSnap server.
Object Storage
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service or to a repository server.
Archive
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service archive or to a repository
server archive (tape).
• Click anywhere on the row. The first backup type that is shown sequentially
from the left of the row is selected by default. For example, if the storage
types Backup, Replication, and Archive are shown, Backup is selected by
default.

Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud resource
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 203


Option Description

operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, multiple resources restore; point-in-time
restore; or recurring restore

Option Description
Restore Location Select a type of location from which to restore data:
Type Site
The site to which snapshots were backed up. The site is defined in the
System Configuration > Site pane.
Cloud service
The cloud service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud service is
defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object Storage
pane.
Repository server
The repository server to which snapshots were copied. The repository
server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage >
Repository Server pane.
Cloud service archive
The cloud archive service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud
service is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object
Storage pane.
Repository server archive
The repository server to which snapshots were copied to tape. The
repository server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage
> Repository Server pane.

Select a location If you are restoring data from a site, select one of the following restore
locations:
Demo
The demonstration site from which to restore snapshots.
Primary
The primary site from which to restore snapshots.
Secondary
The secondary site from which to restore snapshots.
If you are restoring data from a cloud or repository server, select a server from
the Select a location menu.

Date selector For on-demand restore operations, specify a range of dates to show the
available snapshots within that range.
Restore Point For on-demand restore operations, select a snapshot from the list of available
snapshots in the selected date range.
Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.

204 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Option Description

When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud service
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

6. Choose a restore method appropriate for the destination chosen for the restore operation. Click Next
to continue.
• Instant Access: In this mode, no further action is taken after IBM Spectrum Protect Plus mounts
the volume from the vSnap repository. Use the data for custom recovery from the files in the
mounted volume.
• Production: In this mode, the Db2 application server first copies the files from the vSnap
repository volume to the target host, which is either an alternative location or the original
instance. That copied data is then used to start the database.
• Test: In this mode, the agent creates a new database by using the data files directly from the
vSnap repository.
• Add a database name when you are restoring the database to a different location and you want to
rename the database.
Tip:
Production is the only restore method that is available for restore operations to the original location.
Any options not appropriate for the restore operation that you selected are not selectable.
To restore data to the original instance, follow the instructions in Restoring to the original instance.
To restore data to an alternative instance, follow the instructions in Restoring to an alternate
instance.
7. Set the destination for the restore operation by choosing one of the following options. Click Next to
continue.
• Restore to original instance: this option restores data to the original server and original instance.
• Restore to alternate instance: this option restores data to a different specified location, creating
a copy of the data at that location.
If you are restoring data to an alternative location, choose an instance in the Instance table before
you click Next. The alternative instance must be on a different machine; unsuitable instances are not
available for selection. For multi-partition databases, the target instance must have the same set of
partitions on a single machine.
8. In the Job Options page, select the recovery, application, and advanced options for the restore
operation you are defining.
Tip:
Recovery options are not available for instant access restore jobs.
• No Recovery. This option skips any rollforward recovery after the restore operation. The database
remains in a Rollforward pending state until you decide whether you want to run the
rollforward operation manually.
• Recover until end of backup. This option recovers the selected database to its state at the time
the backup was created. The recovery process uses the log files that are included in the Db2
database backup.
• Recover until end of available logs. This option is available only if the logs are backed up in the
Db2 backup job definition. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus uses the latest restore point. A temporary
restore point for log backups is created automatically so that the Db2 database can be rolled
forward to the end of the logs. This recovery option is not available if you selected a specific

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 205


restore point from the list. This option is available only when you are running an on-demand point-
in-time restore job which uses the latest backup.
• Recover until specific point-in-time. This option includes all the backup data up to a specific
point-in-time. This option is available only if you enabled log backups in your Db2 backup job
definition. Configure a point-in-time recovery by a specific date and time, for example, Jan 1,
2019 12:18:00 AM. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus finds the restore points directly before and after
the selected point-in-time. During the recovery process, the older data backup volume and the
newer log backup volume are mounted. If the point-in-time is after the last backup, a temporary
restore point is created. This recovery option is not available if you selected a specific restore
point from the list. This option is available only when you are running an on-demand point-in-time
restore job that uses the newest backup.
Tip: To skip optional steps in the restore wizard, select Skip optional steps and click Next.
9. Optional: In the Job Options page, select the application options for the restore operation you are
defining.
Tip:
Application options are not available for instant access restore jobs.
• Overwrite existing databases. Choose this option to replace existing databases that have the
same names during the restore recovery process. If this option is not selected, the restore job
fails when databases with the same name are found during the restore operation. If you select
this option, ensure that the Db2 log directory and the Db2 mirror log directory have no data.

Attention: Ensure that no other databases share the local database directory as the
original database or that data is overwritten when this choice is selected.
• Maximum Parallel Streams per Database. You can choose to run the restore operation of data in
parallel streams. This option is useful if you are restoring a large database.
• Specify the size of the Db2 database memory set in KB. Specify the memory, in KB, to be
allocated for the database restore on the target machine. This value is used to modify the shared
memory size of the Db2 database on the target server. To use the same shared memory size at
both the source server and the target server, set the value to zero.
10. Optional: In the Job Options page, select the advanced options for the restore operation you are
defining.
• Run cleanup immediately on job failure. This option is selected by default to automatically clean
up allocated resources as part of a restore operation when the recovery fails.
• Continue with restores of other selected databases even if one fails. This option continues the
restore operation if one database in the instance fails to be restored successfully. The process
continues for all other databases that are being restored. When this option is not selected, the
restore job stops when the recovery of a resource fails.
• Mount point prefix. For instant access restore operations, specify the prefix for the path where
the mount point is to be directed.
11. Choose script options in the Apply Scripts page, and click Next to continue.
• Select Pre-Script to select an uploaded script, and an application or script server where the pre-
script runs. To select an application server where the script runs, clear the Use Script Server
check box. Go to the System Configuration > Script page to configure scripts and script servers.
• Select Post-Script to select an uploaded script and an application or script server where the post-
script runs. To select an application server where the script runs, clear the Use Script Server
check box. Go to the System Configuration > Script page to configure scripts and script servers.
• Select Continue job/task on script error to continue running the job when the script that is
associated with the job fails. When this option is enabled and the prescript completes with a
nonzero return code, the backup or restore job continues to run and the prescript task status
returns COMPLETED. If a postscript completes with a nonzero return code, the postscript task
status returns COMPLETED. When this option is not selected, the backup or restore job does not
run, and the prescript or postscript task status returns with a FAILED status.

206 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


12. In the Schedule page, name the restore job and choose the frequency for the job to run. Schedule
the start time, and click Next to continue.
If the restore job you are specifying is an on-demand job, there is no option to enter a schedule.
Specify a schedule only for recurrent restore jobs.
13. In the Review page, review your selections for the restore job. If all the details are correct for your
restore job, click Submit, or click Back to make amendments.

Results
A few moments after you click Submit, the onDemandRestore record is added to the Job Sessions pane.
To view progress of the restore operation, expand the job. You can also download the log file by clicking

the download icon . All running jobs are viewable in the Jobs and Operations Running Jobs page.
To restore data to the original instance, follow the instructions in Restoring to the original instance. To
restore data to an alternative instance, follow the instructions in Restoring to an alternate instance.

Restoring Db2 data to the original instance


You can restore a database backup to its original instance on the original host. You can restore to the
latest backup or an earlier Db2 database backup version. When you restore a database to its original
instance, you cannot rename it. This restore option runs a full production restoration of data, and existing
data is overwritten at the target site if the Overwrite existing databases option is selected.

Before you begin


If your Db2 environment includes partitioned databases, the data of all partitions is backed up during
regular backup jobs. All instances are listed in the backup pane. Multi-partitioned instances are shown
with partition numbers and host names.
Before you create a restore job for Db2, ensure that the following requirements are met:
• At least one Db2 backup job is set up and running successfully. For instructions about setting up a
backup job, see “Backing up Db2 data” on page 196.
• IBM Spectrum Protect Plus roles and resource groups are assigned to the user who is setting up the
restore job. For more information about assigning roles, see Chapter 15, “Managing user access,” on
page 365.
• When restoring from a IBM Spectrum Protect archive, files will be migrated to a staging pool from the
tape prior to the job beginning. Depending on the size of the restore, this process could take several
hours.

Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, expand Manage Protection > Applications > Db2 and click Create job >
Snapshot restore.
The "Snapshot restore" wizard opens.
2. Optional: If you started the restore wizard from the Jobs and Operations page, click Db2 as the
source type and click Next.
Tips:
• For a running summary of your selections in the wizard, click Preview Restore in the navigation
pane in the wizard.
• The wizard is opened in the default setup mode. To run the wizard in advanced setup mode, select
Advanced Setup. With advanced setup mode, you can set more options for your restore job.
3. On the Select source page, click a Db2 instance to show the databases in that instance. Choose a
database by clicking the plus icon for that database name. Click Next to continue.
4. In the Source snapshot page, choose the type of restore operation required.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 207


• On-Demand: Snapshot: creates a once-off restore operation from a database snapshot. The job
is not set to recur.
• On-Demand: Point-in-Time: creates a once-off restore operation from a point-in-time backup of
the database. The job is not set to recur.
• Recurring: creates a recurring job that runs on a schedule and repeats.
Tip:
For an On-Demand: Snapshot you can select no recovery or to recover until the end of the backup.
For an On-Demand: Point in Time restore job you can select to recover until the end of the available
logs, or recover until a specific point-in-time.
5. Complete the fields on the Source snapshot page and click Next to continue.
The fields that are shown depend on the number of items that were selected on the Select source
page and on the restore type. Some fields are also not shown until you select a related field.
Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, single resource restore

Option Description
Date range Specify a range of dates to show the available snapshots within that range.
Backup storage All backups in the selected date range are listed in rows that show the time that
type the backup operation occurred and the service level agreement (SLA) policy for
the backup. Select the row that contains the backup time and SLA policy that
you want, and then take one of the following actions:
• Click the backup storage type that you want to restore from. The storage
types that are shown depend on the types that are available in your
environment and are shown in the following order:
Backup
Restores data that is backed up to a vSnap server.
Replication
Restores data that is replicated to a vSnap server.
Object Storage
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service or to a repository server.
Archive
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service archive or to a repository
server archive (tape).
• Click anywhere on the row. The first backup type that is shown sequentially
from the left of the row is selected by default. For example, if the storage
types Backup, Replication, and Archive are shown, Backup is selected by
default.

Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud resource
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, multiple resources restore; point-in-time
restore; or recurring restore

208 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Option Description
Restore Location Select a type of location from which to restore data:
Type Site
The site to which snapshots were backed up. The site is defined in the
System Configuration > Site pane.
Cloud service
The cloud service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud service is
defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object Storage
pane.
Repository server
The repository server to which snapshots were copied. The repository
server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage >
Repository Server pane.
Cloud service archive
The cloud archive service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud
service is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object
Storage pane.
Repository server archive
The repository server to which snapshots were copied to tape. The
repository server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage
> Repository Server pane.

Select a location If you are restoring data from a site, select one of the following restore
locations:
Demo
The demonstration site from which to restore snapshots.
Primary
The primary site from which to restore snapshots.
Secondary
The secondary site from which to restore snapshots.
If you are restoring data from a cloud or repository server, select a server from
the Select a location menu.

Date selector For on-demand restore operations, specify a range of dates to show the
available snapshots within that range.
Restore Point For on-demand restore operations, select a snapshot from the list of available
snapshots in the selected date range.
Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud service
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

6. In the Restore Method page, choose Production for the restore operation.
In Production mode, the Db2 application server first copies the files from the vSnap repository
volume to the target host. That copied data is then used to start the database.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 209


Tip: Avoid entering a new database name when you are restoring a production operation to the
original instance as it will not be implemented.
7. Set the destination for the restore operation to Restore to original instance to restore data to the
original server. Click Next to continue.
8. Choose options as described in “Restoring Db2 data ” on page 202.
9. In the Schedule page, name the restore job and choose the frequency for the job to run. Schedule
the start time, and click Next to continue.
If the restore job you are specifying is an on-demand job, there is no option to enter a schedule.
Specify a schedule only for recurrent restore jobs.
10. In the Review page, review your selections for the restore job. If all the details are correct for your
restore job, click Submit, or click Back to make amendments.

Results
A few moments after you click Submit, the onDemandRestore record is added to the Job Sessions pane.
To view progress of the restore operation, expand the job. You can also download the log file by clicking

the download icon . All running jobs are viewable in the Jobs and Operations Running Jobs page.

Restoring Db2 databases to an alternative instance


You can restore a Db2 database to another Db2 instance on an alternative host. You can also choose to
restore a database to an instance with a different name and rename the database. This process creates
an exact copy of the database on a different host in a different instance. If you are restoring a resource to
an alternative location, you can restore the same resource multiple times without specifying different
target hosts.

Before you begin


Important: For all restore operations, Db2 must be at the same version level on the source and target
hosts. In addition to that requirement, you must ensure that an instance with the same name as the
instance that is being restored exists on each host. This requirement applies when the target instance has
the same name, and when the names are different. In order for the restore operation to succeed, both
instances must be provisioned, one with original name and the other with the new name.
Before you create a restore job for Db2, ensure that the following requirements are met:
• At least one Db2 backup job is set up and running successfully. For instructions about setting up a
backup job, see “Backing up Db2 data” on page 196.
• IBM Spectrum Protect Plus roles and resource groups are assigned to the user who is setting up the
restore job. For more information about assigning roles, see Chapter 15, “Managing user access,” on
page 365.
• When restoring from a IBM Spectrum Protect archive, files will be migrated to a staging pool from the
tape prior to the job beginning. Depending on the size of the restore, this process could take several
hours.
Before you start a restore operation to an alternative instance, ensure that the file system structure on
the source machine is matched on the target machine. This file system structure includes table spaces,
online logs, and the local database directory. Ensure that dedicated volumes with sufficient space are
allocated to the file system structure. Db2 must be at the same version level on the source and target
hosts for all restore operations, and an instance of the same name must exist on each host. For more
information about space requirements, see Space requirements for Db2 protection. For more information
about prerequisites and setup, see Prerequisites for Db2.
Restriction: If data exists on the local database directory to which you are restoring the database backup
to, and the Overwrite existing databases option is not selected, the restore operation fails. No other
data can share the local database directory where the backup is restored. When the Overwrite existing
databases option is selected, any existing data is removed and the local database directory on the
alternative host.

210 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Note: When you are restoring multi-partitioned databases to an alternative location, ensure that the
target instance is configured with the same partition numbers as the original instance. All of those
partitions must be on a single host. When you are restoring data to a new instance that is renamed, both
instances instances required for the restore operation must be configured with the same number of
partitions.

About this task


Ensure that the disk paths for the redirected restore operation include the instance name and the
database name. The information is needed for all types of paths: database paths, container paths, storage
paths, and log and mirror log paths.

Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, expand Manage Protection > Applications > Db2 and click Create job >
Snapshot restore.
The "Snapshot restore" wizard opens.
2. Optional: If you started the restore wizard from the Jobs and Operations page, click Db2 as the
source type and click Next.
Tips:
• For a running summary of your selections in the wizard, click Preview Restore in the navigation
pane in the wizard.
• The wizard is opened in the default setup mode. To run the wizard in advanced setup mode, select
Advanced Setup. With advanced setup mode, you can set more options for your restore job.
3. On the Select source page, click a Db2 instance to show the databases in that instance. Choose a
database by clicking the plus icon for that database name. Click Next to continue.
4. In the Source snapshot page, choose the type of restore operation required.
• On-Demand: Snapshot: creates a once-off restore operation from a database snapshot. The job
is not set to recur.
• On-Demand: Point-in-Time: creates a once-off restore operation from a point-in-time backup of
the database. The job is not set to recur.
• Recurring: creates a recurring job that runs on a schedule and repeats.
Tip:
For an On-Demand: Snapshot you can select no recovery or to recover until the end of the backup.
For an On-Demand: Point in Time restore job you can select to recover until the end of the available
logs, or recover until a specific point-in-time.
5. Complete the fields on the Source snapshot page and click Next to continue.
The fields that are shown depend on the number of items that were selected on the Select source
page and on the restore type. Some fields are also not shown until you select a related field.
Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, single resource restore

Option Description
Date range Specify a range of dates to show the available snapshots within that range.
Backup storage All backups in the selected date range are listed in rows that show the time that
type the backup operation occurred and the service level agreement (SLA) policy for
the backup. Select the row that contains the backup time and SLA policy that
you want, and then take one of the following actions:
• Click the backup storage type that you want to restore from. The storage
types that are shown depend on the types that are available in your
environment and are shown in the following order:

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 211


Option Description

Backup
Restores data that is backed up to a vSnap server.
Replication
Restores data that is replicated to a vSnap server.
Object Storage
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service or to a repository server.
Archive
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service archive or to a repository
server archive (tape).
• Click anywhere on the row. The first backup type that is shown sequentially
from the left of the row is selected by default. For example, if the storage
types Backup, Replication, and Archive are shown, Backup is selected by
default.

Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud resource
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, multiple resources restore; point-in-time
restore; or recurring restore

Option Description
Restore Location Select a type of location from which to restore data:
Type Site
The site to which snapshots were backed up. The site is defined in the
System Configuration > Site pane.
Cloud service
The cloud service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud service is
defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object Storage
pane.
Repository server
The repository server to which snapshots were copied. The repository
server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage >
Repository Server pane.
Cloud service archive
The cloud archive service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud
service is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object
Storage pane.
Repository server archive
The repository server to which snapshots were copied to tape. The
repository server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage
> Repository Server pane.

Select a location If you are restoring data from a site, select one of the following restore
locations:

212 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Option Description

Demo
The demonstration site from which to restore snapshots.
Primary
The primary site from which to restore snapshots.
Secondary
The secondary site from which to restore snapshots.
If you are restoring data from a cloud or repository server, select a server from
the Select a location menu.

Date selector For on-demand restore operations, specify a range of dates to show the
available snapshots within that range.
Restore Point For on-demand restore operations, select a snapshot from the list of available
snapshots in the selected date range.
Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud service
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

6. Choose a restore method appropriate for the destination chosen for the restore operation. Click Next
to continue.
• Production: In this mode, the Db2 application server first copies the files from the vSnap
repository volume to the target host, which is either an alternative location or the original
instance. That copied data is then used to start the database.
• Test: In this mode, the agent creates a new database by using the data files directly from the
vSnap repository.
• Instant Access: In this mode, no further action is taken after IBM Spectrum Protect Plus mounts
the volume from the vSnap repository. Use the data for custom recovery from the files in the
mounted volume.
• Add a database name when you are restoring the database to a different location and you want to
rename the database.
7. Set the destination for the restore operation to Restore to alternate instance to restore data to a
different location, which you can select from the list of eligible locations. Click Next to continue.
When you are restoring to an alternative location, choose an instance in the Instance table before
you click Next. Unsuitable target instances cannot be selected.
8. Choose options as described in “Restoring Db2 data ” on page 202.
9. In the Schedule page, name the restore job and choose the frequency for the job to run. Schedule
the start time, and click Next to continue.
If the restore job you are specifying is an on-demand job, there is no option to enter a schedule.
Specify a schedule only for recurrent restore jobs.
10. In the Review page, review your selections for the restore job. If all the details are correct for your
restore job, click Submit, or click Back to make amendments.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 213


Results
A few moments after you click Submit, the onDemandRestore record is added to the Job Sessions pane.
To view progress of the restore operation, expand the job. You can also download the log file by clicking

the download icon . All running jobs are viewable in the Jobs and Operations Running Jobs page.

Exchange Server
After you successfully register an Exchange application server, you can start to protect Microsoft
Exchange data with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. Define a service level agreement (SLA) policy to create
backup jobs with specific schedules, retention policies, and scripts.

Prerequisites for Exchange Server


Ensure that all prerequisites for your Microsoft Exchange application are met before you start protecting
Exchange databases with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
For more information, see “Microsoft Exchange Server requirements” on page 32.

Virtualization support
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus supports Exchange Server running on a physical (bare metal) server, as well
as in a virtualization environment. The following virtualization environments are supported:
• VMware ESX guest operating system
• Microsoft Windows Hyper-V guest operating system

Privileges
To help ensure that an Exchange agent can work in your IBM Spectrum Protect Plus environment, you
must set up the appropriate privileges for the Exchange user account.

Role-based access control


You are required to register the Exchange Server with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus with an Exchange user
who has local administrator privileges and the correct role-based access control (RBAC) permissions.
Also, for granular restore operations you are required to use an Exchange user who has local
administrator privileges and the correct RBAC permissions.
To meet the minimum requirements for an Exchange user, complete the following steps:
1. Verify that the Exchange user is a member of a local Administrator group and has an active Exchange
mailbox in the domain.
By default, Windows adds the Exchange Organization Administrators group to other security groups,
including the local Administrators group. For Exchange users who are not members of the Exchange
Organization Management group, you must manually add the user account to the local Administrators
group by taking one of the following actions:
• On the computer of the domain member, click Administrative tools > Computer Management >
Local Users and Groups tool.
• On a domain controller computer that does not have a local Administrators group or Local Users and
Groups tool, manually add the user account to the Administrators group in the domain: Click
Administrative tools > Active Directory Users and Computers tool.
2. Set the role and scope.
• Verify that the Exchange user has the correct RBAC permissions.
You must assign the following management roles to each Exchange user who will complete mailbox
restore operations:
– Active Directory Permissions

214 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


– ApplicationImpersonation
– Databases
– Disaster Recovery
– Mailbox Import Export
– Public Folders
– View-Only Configuration
– View-Only Recipients
Place users who complete mailbox restore tasks into an Exchange Server role group that contains
these roles.
Exchange Server includes several built-in role groups. The Organization Management role group by
default contains most, if not all, of the roles that are listed.
Place users who must complete multiple mailbox restore tasks into the Organization Management
role group (ensuring that the group contains all of the listed roles).
Alternatively, you can place the user into another role group that you created or any other built-in
role group that contains the roles that are listed. A user whose name is not in the Organization
Management role group or subgroups might experience slower performance during restore
operations.
Important: You can manage Exchange role groups by using the Exchange Admin Center (EAC) or
Exchange Powershell Cmdlets only if your user name is authorized by the security policy in your
organization.
• Management role scope
Ensure that the following Exchange objects are in the management role scope for the Exchange user:
– The Exchange Server that contains the required data
– The recovery database that is created by IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
– The database that contains the active mailbox
– The database that contains the active mailbox of the user who completes the restore operation

Encrypting File System


IBM Spectrum Protect Plus for Exchange requires that Encrypting File System (EFS) is enabled in the local
or group domain policy, and a valid Domain Data Recovery Agent (DRA) certificate is available. If a custom
group policy is defined and linked to the organizational unit, ensure that the Exchange server is part of the
organizational unit.

Exchange certificates
Exchange digital certificates must be installed and configured for the mailbox browser to function during a
granular restore operation. Ensure that the current Exchange certificates are installed and configured
correctly in your environment.
Note: With Exchange 2016 and Exchange 2019, the Exchange Server is configured to use Transport Layer
Security (TLS) by default. This TLS security encrypts communication between internal Exchange servers,
and between Exchange services on the local server.

Adding an Exchange application server


When you register Exchange Server, an inventory of Exchange databases is added to IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus. When the inventory is available, you can start to back up and restore your Exchange
databases and run reports.

About this task


To register an Exchange application server, you need the IP address or host name.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 215


Procedure
To add an Exchange application server, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, expand Manage Protection > Applications > Exchange.
2. On the Exchange page, click Manage Application Servers, and then click Add Application Server to
add the host system.
3. In the Application Properties form, enter the IP or host address.
4. Enter a user ID in the format of active directory domain and user account (domain\user), and the
associated password.
This user must have the correct Exchange roles and privileges. For more information about Exchange
privileges, see “Privileges ” on page 214.
5. In the Maximum concurrent databases field, set the maximum number of databases per service level
agreement (SLA) policy that can be backed up concurrently. The default is 10. Valid values are 1 - 99.
Restriction: To use this feature, you must install IBM Spectrum Protect Plus V10.1.5 patch1. To obtain
the patch, see technote 1072392.
6. Click Save, and repeat the steps to add other Microsoft Exchange instances to IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus.
Important: In a database availability group (DAG) environment, register all Exchange application
servers in the DAG.

What to do next
When you add your Exchange application server to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, an inventory is
automatically run on each instance. Databases must be detected to ensure that they can be backed up,
and you can run a manual inventory at any time to detect updates. For instructions about running a
manual inventory, see “Detecting Exchange databases by running an inventory” on page 216. For
instructions about setting up Exchange database backup jobs, see “Defining a Service Level Agreement
backup job” on page 217.

Detecting Exchange databases by running an inventory


When you add your Exchange Server instances to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, an inventory is run
automatically. However, you can run an inventory on an Exchange application server manually at any time
to detect updates and list all of the Exchange databases for each instance.

Before you begin


Ensure that you added your Exchange instances to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. For instructions about
adding an Exchange instance, see “Adding an Exchange application server” on page 215.

Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, expand Manage Protection > Applications > Exchange.
2. Click Run Inventory.
When the inventory is running, the button label changes to Inventory In Progress. You can run an
inventory on any available application server, but you can run only one inventory process at a time.
3. To monitor the inventory job, go to Jobs and Operations. Click the Running Jobs tab, and look for the
latest Application Server Inventory log entry.
Completed jobs are shown on the Job History tab. You can use the Sort By list to sort jobs based on
start time, type, status, job name, or duration. Use the Search by name field to search for jobs by
name. You can use asterisks as wildcard characters in the name.
4. When the inventory job is complete, on the Exchange Backup pane, click an Exchange instance to
open a view that shows the databases that are detected for that instance. If any databases are missing
from the Instances list, check your Exchange application server and rerun the inventory.
Tip: To return to the list of instances, click the Instances hypertext in the Exchange Backup pane.

216 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Testing the Exchange connection
After you register a Microsoft Exchange application server and add it to the application server list, test the
connection. The test verifies communication between IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and the host
application server.

Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, expand Manage Protection > Applications > Exchange.
2. On the Exchange page, click Manage Application Servers.
The Microsoft Exchange application servers that are available are shown.
3. Click Actions for the Microsoft Exchange application server that you want to test, and then click Test.
The test report shows you a list of the tests that ran and their status. Each test procedure includes a
test of the physical host network configuration, a remote session test, and a test of Windows
prerequisites such as user administrator privileges.
4. Click OK to close the test. Run the test again after you fix any issues.

Backing up Exchange databases


To protect Exchange databases, you can define a backup job that runs continuously to create incremental
backups. You can also run on-demand backup jobs outside of the schedule.

Before you begin


Ensure that the application servers that contain the Exchange databases that you want to back up are
registered with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. For more information, see “Adding an Exchange application
server” on page 215.

Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, expand Manage Protection > Applications > Exchange.
2. On the Exchange Backup pane, click the Microsoft Exchange instance, and then select the database to
back up.
Each database is listed by instance or database name, the applied SLA policy, and the eligibility for log
backup.
3. Click Run.
The backup job begins, and you can view the details in Jobs and Operation > Running Jobs.
Tip: The Run button is only enabled for a single database backup, and the database must have an SLA
policy applied.
To run an on-demand backup job for multiple databases that are associated with an SLA policy, click
Create job, select Ad hoc backup, and follow the instructions in “Running an ad hoc backup job” on
page 351.
4. To run backup jobs for multiple databases, select the databases in the Exchange backup pane, and
click Select an SLA Policy.
For more information about defining SLA policy backup jobs, and backup job options, see “Defining a
Service Level Agreement backup job” on page 217.

Defining a Service Level Agreement backup job


When your Exchange databases are listed for each of your Exchange Server instances, select and apply a
service level agreement (SLA) policy to start protecting your data.

About this task


IBM Spectrum Protect Plus supports single or multiple Exchange databases per Exchange backup job.
Multiple database backup jobs run sequentially.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 217


Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, expand Manage Protection > Applications > Exchange.
2. Select an Exchange instance to back up all the data in that instance, or click an instance name, and
then select individual databases that you want to back up.
3. Click Select an SLA Policy and choose an SLA Policy.
Predefined choices are Gold, Silver, and Bronze, each with different frequencies and retention rates.
Gold is the most frequent with the shortest retention rate. You can also create a custom SLA policy or
edit an existing policy. For more information see “Creating an SLA policy” on page 145.
4. Click Select Options to define options for your backup, such as enabling log backups for future
recovery options, and specifying the parallel streams to reduce the time that is taken to back up large
databases. Save your changes.
5. Configure the SLA policy by clicking the icon in the Policy Options column of the SLA Policy Status
table.
For more information about SLA configuration options, see “Setting SLA configuration options for a
backup job” on page 218.
6. To run the policy outside of the scheduled job, select the instance or database and then click Actions
> Start.
The status changes to Running for your chosen SLA. To pause the schedule, click Actions > Pause
Schedule, and to cancel a job after it has started, click Actions > Cancel.

Setting SLA configuration options for a backup job


After you set up a service level agreement (SLA) for your backup job, you can choose to configure more
options for that job. Extra SLA options include running scripts, excluding resources from the backup
operation, and forcing a full base backup copy if required.

Procedure
1. In the Policy Options column of the SLA Policy Status table for the job that you are configuring, click
the clipboard icon to specify additional configuration options.
2. To define a pre-script configuration, select Pre-Script and take one of the following actions:
• To use a script server, select Use Script Server and choose an uploaded script from the Script or
Script Server list.
• To run a script on an application server, clear the Use Script Server check box, and choose an
application server from the Application Server list.
3. To define a post-script configuration, select Post-Script and take one of the following actions:
• To use a script server, select Use Script Server and choose an uploaded script from the Script or
Script Server list.
• To run a script on an application server, clear the Use Script Server check box, and choose an
application server from the Application Server list.
Scripts and script servers are configured on the System Configuration > Script page. For more
information about working with scripts, see Configuring scripts.
4. Select Continue job/task on script error to continue running the job when the script that is associated
with the job fails.
If this option is selected, the backup or restore operation is attempted and the script task status is
reported as COMPLETED when the script completes processing with a nonzero return code. If this
option is not selected, the backup or restore is not attempted and the script task status is reported as
FAILED.
5. Specify resources to exclude them from the backup job. Enter an exact resource name in the Exclude
Resources field. If you are unsure of a name, use wildcard asterisks that are specified before the
pattern (*text) or after the pattern (text*). Multiple wildcards can be entered with standard
alphanumeric characters and the following special characters: - _ and *. Separate entries with a
semicolon.

218 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


6. If you want to create a full backup of a particular resource, enter the name of that resource in the
Force full backup of resources field. Separate multiple resources with a semicolon.
A full backup replaces the existing backup of that resource for one occurrence only. After that, the
resource is backed up incrementally as before.
7. Click Save.

Backing up Exchange database logs


You can back up the database transaction logs for Exchange databases. Exchange log backups are
scheduled by using Windows Task Scheduler. When log backups are available, you can run a rollforward
data recovery during a restore operation to ensure that the data is recovered to the latest possible point in
time.

About this task


When log backups are enabled, a Task Scheduler task is created on the Exchange server. The task runs a
backup operation of your Exchange log files according to the SLA policy.

Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, expand Manage Protection > Applications > Exchange.
2. Click the Exchange Server instance that you want to protect, and then select the databases whose logs
you want to back up.
Tip: The Eligible for Log Backup column shows the databases for which you can run log backups. If a
database is registered as not eligible for log backup, a hover help explanation is provided.
3. Click Select Options and then select Enable Log Backup.
If an on-demand job runs with the Enable Log Backup option enabled, log backup occurs. However,
when the job runs again on a schedule, the option is disabled for that job run to prevent possible
missing segments in the chain of backups.
4. Enter the frequency of the log backups in days, hours, or minutes.
5. Choose the start date and select the time for the log backups to begin, and then click Save.

Results
The database transaction logs are backed up to the vSnap server according to the selected frequency.
Restriction: The database logs are backed up on the preferred node only. Only one Exchange Server
instance at a time can write log backups to the vSnap server.
Any log backup issues that occur are displayed in the Alert notifications in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.

Backing up Exchange databases in a Database Availability Group


You can back up the mailbox databases in an Exchange Database Availability Group (DAG) and specify
whether to use the active copy or a passive copy of the database for the backup. The Exchange servers in
a DAG environment synchronize the data between active and passive copies for high availability.

About this task


By using the information from an inventory job, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus provides a DAG view that
displays all of the databases in an Exchange DAG environment. Each database has an active copy on one
server in the DAG, and one or more passive copies on the other servers. By default, scheduled backups
are taken from the server that the database is active on, but you can select a different server to back up a
passive copy of the database.

Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, expand Manage Protection > Applications > Exchange.
2. In the Exchange Backup pane, click the View menu and select Database Availability Groups.
3. Click the Exchange DAG that you want to view, and then select the databases to back up.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 219


4. Click Select Options. In the Backup preferred node list, select the instance to run the backups on.
With the Backup preferred node option, you can select a passive copy of the database for the backup.
5. Click Select an SLA Policy and then select an SLA policy from the list.
6. To create the job definition by using default options, click Save.
The DAG databases are scheduled for backup jobs in accordance with the selected SLA policies and
the preferred node choices.
7. To run the selected policy outside of the schedule, in the SLA Policy Status pane, click Actions >
Start.

Incremental forever backup strategy


IBM Spectrum Protect Plus provides a backup strategy called incremental forever. Rather than scheduling
periodic full backup jobs, this backup solution requires only one initial full backup. Afterward, an ongoing
sequence of incremental backup jobs occurs.
The incremental forever backup solution provides the following advantages:
• Reduces the amount of data that goes across the network
• Reduces data growth because all incremental backups contain only the blocks that changed since the
previous backup
• Reduces the duration of backup jobs
The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus incremental forever process includes the following steps:
1. The first backup job creates a VSS snapshot of the Exchange application. As a result, the database files
are in an application consistent state. The complete database files are copied to the vSnap location.
2. All subsequent backups create a VSS snapshot of the Exchange application. The database files are in
an application consistent state. However, only the change blocks of the database files are copied to
the vSnap location.
3. The backups are reconstructed at each point in time that a backup is performed, making it possible to
recover the database from any single backup point.

Restoring Exchange databases


If data in an Exchange database is lost or corrupted, you can restore the data from a backup copy. Use the
"Snapshot restore" wizard to set up a restore job schedule or an on-demand restore operation. You can
define a job that restores data to the original instance or to an alternative instance, with different types of
recovery options and configurations available.

Before you begin


Ensure that the following requirements are met:
• At least one Exchange backup job is defined and ran successfully. For instructions about defining a
backup job, see “Defining a Service Level Agreement backup job” on page 217.
• IBM Spectrum Protect Plus roles and resource groups are assigned to the user who is defining the
restore job. For more information about assigning roles, see Chapter 15, “Managing user access,” on
page 365.
• When restoring from a IBM Spectrum Protect archive, files will be migrated to a staging pool from the
tape prior to the job beginning. Depending on the size of the restore, this process could take several
hours.
Important: For granular restore operations, you must log on to the Exchange application server and use
the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) GUI to complete mailbox batch restore and mailbox restore
browser tasks.

Procedure
To restore data in an Exchange database, take one of the following actions:

220 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


• Restore a database to the original instance and location.
• Restore a database to the original instance with a different file location.
• Restore a database to an alternative instance.
• Restore mailbox data by using the granular restore function.
• Restore a database in a database availability group (DAG).

Restoring an Exchange database to the original instance


Restore an Exchange database to its original instance by using production mode or test mode. Choose
between restoring the latest backup or an earlier Exchange database backup version.

Before you begin


Ensure that the following requirements are met:
• At least one Exchange backup job is defined and ran successfully.
• IBM Spectrum Protect Plus roles and resource groups are assigned to the user who is defining the
restore job. For more information about assigning roles, see Chapter 15, “Managing user access,” on
page 365.

About this task


When you restore a database to its original location in production mode, you cannot rename it. This
restore option runs a full production restore operation, and existing data is overwritten at the target site.

Procedure
To define an Exchange restore job, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Applications > Exchange > Create job, and then
select Snapshot restore to open the "Snapshot restore" wizard.
Tips:
• You can also open the wizard by clicking Jobs and Operations > Create job > Snapshot restore >
Exchange.
• For a running summary of your selections in the wizard, click Preview Restore in the navigation
pane in the wizard.
• The wizard is opened in the default setup mode. To run the wizard in advanced setup mode, select
Advanced Setup. With advanced setup mode, you can set more options for your restore job.
2. On the Select source page, take the following actions:
a) Click a source in the list to show the databases that are available for restore operations. You can
also use the search function to search for available instances and toggle the displayed instances
through the View filter.

b) Click the plus icon next to the database that you want to use as the source of the restore
operation. You can select more than one database from the list.
The selected sources are added to the restore list next to the database list. To remove an item
from the list, click the minus icon next to the item.
c) Click Next to continue.
3. On the Source snapshot page, select the type of restore job that you want to create:
On-demand: Snapshot
Runs a one-time restore operation. The restore job starts immediately upon the completion of the
wizard.
On-demand: Point in Time
Runs a one-time restore job from a point-in-time backup of a database. The restore job starts
immediately upon the completion of the wizard.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 221


Recurring
Creates a repeating point-in-time restore job that runs on a schedule.
4. Complete the fields on the Source snapshot page and click Next to continue.
The fields that are shown depend on the number of items that were selected on the Select source
page and on the restore type. Some fields are also not shown until you select a related field.
Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, single resource restore

Option Description
Date range Specify a range of dates to show the available snapshots within that range.
Backup storage All backups in the selected date range are listed in rows that show the time that
type the backup operation occurred and the service level agreement (SLA) policy for
the backup. Select the row that contains the backup time and SLA policy that
you want, and then take one of the following actions:
• Click the backup storage type that you want to restore from. The storage
types that are shown depend on the types that are available in your
environment and are shown in the following order:
Backup
Restores data that is backed up to a vSnap server.
Replication
Restores data that is replicated to a vSnap server.
Object Storage
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service or to a repository server.
Archive
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service archive or to a repository
server archive (tape).
• Click anywhere on the row. The first backup type that is shown sequentially
from the left of the row is selected by default. For example, if the storage
types Backup, Replication, and Archive are shown, Backup is selected by
default.

Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud resource
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, multiple resources restore; point-in-time
restore; or recurring restore

Option Description
Restore Location Select a type of location from which to restore data:
Type Site
The site to which snapshots were backed up. The site is defined in the
System Configuration > Site pane.

222 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Option Description

Cloud service
The cloud service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud service is
defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object Storage
pane.
Repository server
The repository server to which snapshots were copied. The repository
server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage >
Repository Server pane.
Cloud service archive
The cloud archive service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud
service is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object
Storage pane.
Repository server archive
The repository server to which snapshots were copied to tape. The
repository server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage
> Repository Server pane.

Select a location If you are restoring data from a site, select one of the following restore
locations:
Demo
The demonstration site from which to restore snapshots.
Primary
The primary site from which to restore snapshots.
Secondary
The secondary site from which to restore snapshots.
If you are restoring data from a cloud or repository server, select a server from
the Select a location menu.

Date selector For on-demand restore operations, specify a range of dates to show the
available snapshots within that range.
Restore Point For on-demand restore operations, select a snapshot from the list of available
snapshots in the selected date range.
Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud service
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

5. On the Restore method page, choose from the following options:


• Test. In test mode, the agent creates a new recovery database by using the data files directly from
the vSnap repository. This restore type might be used for testing purposes.
• Production. In production mode, the agent first restores the files from the vSnap volume back to
primary storage and then creates the new database by using the restored files.
For Test restore only, in the New Database Name field, enter the new name for the restored
database. The New Database Name field is also displayed when you choose Production restore, but
this is for restoring to a new database location on the original instance. For detailed instructions on

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 223


this task, see “Restoring an Exchange database to a new location on the original instance” on page
225.
6. On the Set destination page, select Restore to original instance and click Next.
7. Optional: On the Job options page, configure additional options for the restore job and click Next to
continue.
Recovery Options
Choose from the following recovery options:
No Recovery
This option skips any rollforward recovery after the restore operation. The database remains
in a Rollforward pending state until you decide whether you want to run the rollforward
recovery manually.
Recover until end of backup
Restore the selected database to the state at the time the backup was created.
Recover until end of available logs
This option restores the database and applies all available logs (including logs newer than the
backup that might exist on the application server) to recover the database up to the latest
possible time. This option is available only if you selected Enable Log Backup in the backup
job.
Recover until specific point in time
When log backups are enabled, this option restores the database and applies logs from the
log backup volume to recover the database up to an intermediate, user-specified point in
time. Choose the date and time by selecting from the By Time options.
Application Options
Set the application options:
Maximum Parallel Streams per Database
Set the maximum data stream from the backup storage per database. This setting applies to
each database in the job definition. Multiple databases can still be restored in parallel if the
value of the option is set to 1. Multiple parallel streams might improve restore speed, but
high-bandwidth consumption might affect overall system performance.
This option is applicable only when you are restoring an Exchange database to its original
location by using its original database name.
Advanced Options
Set the advanced job definition options:
Run cleanup immediately on job failure
Enable this option to automatically clean up allocated resources as part of a restore if the
recovery fails.
8. Optional: On the Apply scripts page, select the Pre-Script or Post-Script to apply, or choose
Continue job/task on script error. For more information about working with scripts, see Configuring
scripts. Click Next to continue.
9. Take one of the following actions on the Schedule page:
• If you are running an on-demand job, click Next.
• If you are setting up a recurring job, enter a name for the job schedule, and specify how often and
when to start the restore job. Click Next.
10. On the Review page, review your restore job settings and click Submit to create the job.
The restore job is created, and you can check on its status in Jobs and Operations > Running Jobs.

224 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Restoring an Exchange database to a new location on the original instance
You can restore an Exchange database to its original instance, but to a new location on the application
server. Choose between restoring the latest backup or an earlier Exchange database backup version.

About this task


When you restore a database to its original instance by using a production restore operation, you can
restore the database to a new file location on the application server with a new name for the restored
database. In production mode, the agent first restores the files from the vSnap volume back to primary
storage and then creates a new database by using the restored files.

Procedure
To define an Exchange restore job, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Applications > Exchange > Create job, and then
select Snapshot restore to open the "Snapshot restore" wizard.
Tips:
• You can also open the wizard by clicking Jobs and Operations > Create job > Snapshot restore >
Exchange.
• For a running summary of your selections in the wizard, click Preview Restore in the navigation
pane in the wizard.
• The wizard is opened in the default setup mode. To run the wizard in advanced setup mode, select
Advanced Setup. With advanced setup mode, you can set more options for your restore job.
2. On the Select source page, take the following actions:
a) Click a source in the list to show the databases that are available for restore operations. You can
also use the search function to search for available instances and toggle the displayed instances
through the View filter.

b) Click the plus icon next to the database that you want to use as the source of the restore
operation. You can select more than one database from the list.
The selected sources are added to the restore list next to the database list. To remove an item
from the list, click the minus icon next to the item.
c) Click Next to continue.
3. On the Source snapshot page, select the type of restore job that you want to create:
On-demand: Snapshot
Runs a one-time restore operation. The restore job starts immediately upon the completion of the
wizard.
On-demand: Point in Time
Runs a one-time restore job from a point-in-time backup of a database. The restore job starts
immediately upon the completion of the wizard.
Recurring
Creates a repeating point-in-time restore job that runs on a schedule.
4. Complete the fields on the Source snapshot page and click Next to continue.
The fields that are shown depend on the number of items that were selected on the Select source
page and on the restore type. Some fields are also not shown until you select a related field.
Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, single resource restore

Option Description
Date range Specify a range of dates to show the available snapshots within that range.
Backup storage All backups in the selected date range are listed in rows that show the time that
type the backup operation occurred and the service level agreement (SLA) policy for

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 225


Option Description
the backup. Select the row that contains the backup time and SLA policy that
you want, and then take one of the following actions:
• Click the backup storage type that you want to restore from. The storage
types that are shown depend on the types that are available in your
environment and are shown in the following order:
Backup
Restores data that is backed up to a vSnap server.
Replication
Restores data that is replicated to a vSnap server.
Object Storage
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service or to a repository server.
Archive
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service archive or to a repository
server archive (tape).
• Click anywhere on the row. The first backup type that is shown sequentially
from the left of the row is selected by default. For example, if the storage
types Backup, Replication, and Archive are shown, Backup is selected by
default.

Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud resource
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, multiple resources restore; point-in-time
restore; or recurring restore

Option Description
Restore Location Select a type of location from which to restore data:
Type Site
The site to which snapshots were backed up. The site is defined in the
System Configuration > Site pane.
Cloud service
The cloud service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud service is
defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object Storage
pane.
Repository server
The repository server to which snapshots were copied. The repository
server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage >
Repository Server pane.
Cloud service archive
The cloud archive service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud
service is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object
Storage pane.

226 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Option Description

Repository server archive


The repository server to which snapshots were copied to tape. The
repository server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage
> Repository Server pane.

Select a location If you are restoring data from a site, select one of the following restore
locations:
Demo
The demonstration site from which to restore snapshots.
Primary
The primary site from which to restore snapshots.
Secondary
The secondary site from which to restore snapshots.
If you are restoring data from a cloud or repository server, select a server from
the Select a location menu.

Date selector For on-demand restore operations, specify a range of dates to show the
available snapshots within that range.
Restore Point For on-demand restore operations, select a snapshot from the list of available
snapshots in the selected date range.
Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud service
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

5. In the Restore Method page, click the Production restore option.


Tip: It is mandatory to select Production mode for this restore operation.
a) In the Name field, expand the database name to see the path information for the existing
database on the application server.
b) In the New Database Name field, enter the new name for the restored database.
c) In the Destination Path field, enter the new directory location for the database file on the server,
including the .edb name, and the logs location.

Warning: The destination directories that you enter in the Destination Path field must
already exist on the application host. If not, then create the necessary directories on the
server before you complete the restore operation.
For example, for a database that is named Database_A, enter C:\<new_destination_path>
\Database_A.edb, and for the location of the logs, enter C:\<new_logs_path>.
6. On the Set destination page, select Restore to original instance and click Next.
7. Optional: On the Job options page, configure additional options for the restore job and click Next to
continue.
Recovery Options
Choose from the following recovery options:

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 227


No Recovery
This option skips any rollforward recovery after the restore operation. The database remains
in a Rollforward pending state until you decide whether you want to run the rollforward
recovery manually.
Recover until end of backup
Restore the selected database to the state at the time the backup was created.
Recover until end of available logs
This option restores the database and applies all available logs (including logs newer than the
backup that might exist on the application server) to recover the database up to the latest
possible time. This option is available only if you selected Enable Log Backup in the backup
job.
Recover until specific point in time
When log backups are enabled, this option restores the database and applies logs from the
log backup volume to recover the database up to an intermediate, user-specified point in
time. Choose the date and time by selecting from the By Time options.
Application Options
Set the application options:
Maximum Parallel Streams per Database
Set the maximum data stream from the backup storage per database. This setting applies to
each database in the job definition. Multiple databases can still be restored in parallel if the
value of the option is set to 1. Multiple parallel streams might improve restore speed, but
high-bandwidth consumption might affect overall system performance.
This option is applicable only when you are restoring an Exchange database to its original
location by using its original database name.
Advanced Options
Set the advanced job definition options:
Run cleanup immediately on job failure
Enable this option to automatically clean up allocated resources as part of a restore if the
recovery fails.
8. Optional: On the Apply scripts page, select the Pre-Script or Post-Script to apply, or choose
Continue job/task on script error. For more information about working with scripts, see Configuring
scripts. Click Next to continue.
9. Take one of the following actions on the Schedule page:
• If you are running an on-demand job, click Next.
• If you are setting up a recurring job, enter a name for the job schedule, and specify how often and
when to start the restore job. Click Next.
10. On the Review page, review your restore job settings and click Submit to create the job.
The restore job is created, and you can check on its status in Jobs and Operations > Running Jobs.

Restoring an Exchange database to an alternative instance


You can select a Microsoft Exchange database backup and restore it to an Exchange Server instance on an
alternative host. You can restore the database in production mode or test mode to the alternative
instance.

Before you begin


Ensure that the following requirements are met:
• Enough disk space and allocated dedicated volumes are available for the copying of files.
• The file system structure on the source server is the same as the file system structure on the target
server. This file system structure includes table spaces, online logs, and the local database directory.

228 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Applications > Exchange > Create job, and then
select Snapshot restore to open the "Snapshot restore" wizard.
Tips:
• You can also open the wizard by clicking Jobs and Operations > Create job > Snapshot restore >
Exchange.
• For a running summary of your selections in the wizard, click Preview Restore in the navigation
pane in the wizard.
• The wizard is opened in the default setup mode. To run the wizard in advanced setup mode, select
Advanced Setup. With advanced setup mode, you can set more options for your restore job.
2. On the Select source page, take the following actions:
a) Click a source in the list to show the databases that are available for restore operations. You can
also use the search function to search for available instances and toggle the displayed instances
through the View filter.

b) Click the plus icon next to the database that you want to use as the source of the restore
operation. You can select more than one database from the list.
The selected sources are added to the restore list next to the database list. To remove an item
from the list, click the minus icon next to the item.
c) Click Next to continue.
3. On the Source snapshot page, select the type of restore job that you want to create:
On-demand: Snapshot
Runs a one-time restore operation. The restore job starts immediately upon the completion of the
wizard.
On-demand: Point in Time
Runs a one-time restore job from a point-in-time backup of a database. The restore job starts
immediately upon the completion of the wizard.
Recurring
Creates a repeating point-in-time restore job that runs on a schedule.
4. Complete the fields on the Source snapshot page and click Next to continue.
The fields that are shown depend on the number of items that were selected on the Select source
page and on the restore type. Some fields are also not shown until you select a related field.
Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, single resource restore

Option Description
Date range Specify a range of dates to show the available snapshots within that range.
Backup storage All backups in the selected date range are listed in rows that show the time that
type the backup operation occurred and the service level agreement (SLA) policy for
the backup. Select the row that contains the backup time and SLA policy that
you want, and then take one of the following actions:
• Click the backup storage type that you want to restore from. The storage
types that are shown depend on the types that are available in your
environment and are shown in the following order:
Backup
Restores data that is backed up to a vSnap server.
Replication
Restores data that is replicated to a vSnap server.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 229


Option Description

Object Storage
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service or to a repository server.
Archive
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service archive or to a repository
server archive (tape).
• Click anywhere on the row. The first backup type that is shown sequentially
from the left of the row is selected by default. For example, if the storage
types Backup, Replication, and Archive are shown, Backup is selected by
default.

Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud resource
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, multiple resources restore; point-in-time
restore; or recurring restore

Option Description
Restore Location Select a type of location from which to restore data:
Type Site
The site to which snapshots were backed up. The site is defined in the
System Configuration > Site pane.
Cloud service
The cloud service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud service is
defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object Storage
pane.
Repository server
The repository server to which snapshots were copied. The repository
server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage >
Repository Server pane.
Cloud service archive
The cloud archive service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud
service is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object
Storage pane.
Repository server archive
The repository server to which snapshots were copied to tape. The
repository server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage
> Repository Server pane.

Select a location If you are restoring data from a site, select one of the following restore
locations:
Demo
The demonstration site from which to restore snapshots.

230 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Option Description

Primary
The primary site from which to restore snapshots.
Secondary
The secondary site from which to restore snapshots.
If you are restoring data from a cloud or repository server, select a server from
the Select a location menu.

Date selector For on-demand restore operations, specify a range of dates to show the
available snapshots within that range.
Restore Point For on-demand restore operations, select a snapshot from the list of available
snapshots in the selected date range.
Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud service
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

5. On the Restore method page, choose from the following options:


• Test. In test mode, the agent creates a new recovery database by using the data files directly from
the vSnap repository. This restore type might be used for testing purposes.
• Production. In production mode, the agent first restores the files from the vSnap volume back to
primary storage and then creates the new database by using the restored files.
a) In the New Database Name field, enter a new database name.
b) (Production restore only) Expand the database name to see the source and destination path
information. In the Destination Path field, enter the directory location of the Exchange database
file on the alternative host, including the .edb name, and the logs location.

Warning: The destination directories that you enter in the Destination Path field must
already exist on the alternative host. If not, then create the necessary directories on the
alternative host before you complete the restore operation.
For example, for a database that is named Database_A, enter C:\<new_destination_path>
\Database_A.edb, and for the location of the logs , enter c:\<new_logs_path>.
6. On the Set destination page, choose Restore to alternate instance, select the target instance that
you want to restore the database to and then click Next.
7. Optional: On the Job options page, configure additional options for the restore job and click Next to
continue.
Recovery Options
Choose from the following recovery options:
No Recovery
This option skips any rollforward recovery after the restore operation. The database remains
in a Rollforward pending state until you decide whether you want to run the rollforward
recovery manually.
Recover until end of backup
Restore the selected database to the state at the time the backup was created.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 231


Recover until end of available logs
This option restores the database and applies all available logs (including logs newer than the
backup that might exist on the application server) to recover the database up to the latest
possible time. This option is available only if you selected Enable Log Backup in the backup
job.
Recover until specific point in time
When log backups are enabled, this option restores the database and applies logs from the
log backup volume to recover the database up to an intermediate, user-specified point in
time. Choose the date and time by selecting from the By Time options.
Application Options
Set the application options:
Maximum Parallel Streams per Database
Set the maximum data stream from the backup storage per database. This setting applies to
each database in the job definition. Multiple databases can still be restored in parallel if the
value of the option is set to 1. Multiple parallel streams might improve restore speed, but
high-bandwidth consumption might affect overall system performance.
This option is applicable only when you are restoring an Exchange database to its original
location by using its original database name.
Advanced Options
Set the advanced job definition options:
Run cleanup immediately on job failure
Enable this option to automatically clean up allocated resources as part of a restore if the
recovery fails.
8. Optional: On the Apply scripts page, select the Pre-Script or Post-Script to apply, or choose
Continue job/task on script error. For more information about working with scripts, see Configuring
scripts. Click Next to continue.
9. Take one of the following actions on the Schedule page:
• If you are running an on-demand job, click Next.

If you are setting up a recurring job, enter a name for the job schedule, and specify how often and
when to start the restore job. Click Next.
10. On the Review page, review your restore job settings and click Submit to create the job.
The restore job is created, and you can check on its status in Jobs and Operations > Running Jobs.

Restoring individual mailbox items by using a granular restore operation


You can restore Exchange individual mailbox items by using a granular restore operation and the IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus Microsoft Management Console (MMC) GUI.

Before you begin


You must have role-based access control (RBAC) permissions to complete individual mailbox restore
operations. If RBAC permissions were not assigned, you might encounter configuration errors in the IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus MMC GUI for each missing role.
Tip:
If you encounter role-based configuration errors in the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus MMC GUI, you can set
the required permissions manually to resolve the errors (see “Privileges ” on page 214), or you can run
the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus configuration wizard to automatically configure permissions (see step
“15” on page 236).

About this task


To start a granular restore operation, complete preparatory steps in the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus GUI,
and then log in to the Exchange application server. Then, use the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus MMC GUI to
restore user mailbox data from the recovery database that is created by the granular restore operation. A
granular restore operation can be used to complete the following tasks:

232 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


• You can restore selected mailbox items to the original mailbox, another online mailbox on the same
server, or to a Unicode .pst file.
• You can restore a public folder mailbox database, a public folder mailbox, or only a part of the mailbox,
for example, a specific public folder.
• You can restore an archive mailbox or a part of the mailbox, for example, a specific folder.
• You can restore archive mailbox messages to a mailbox that is on the Exchange Server, to an archive
mailbox, or to an Exchange Server .pst file.

Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Applications > Exchange > Create job, and then
select Snapshot restore to open the "Snapshot restore" wizard.
Tips:
• You can also open the wizard by clicking Jobs and Operations > Create job > Snapshot restore >
Exchange.
• For a running summary of your selections in the wizard, click Preview Restore in the navigation
pane in the wizard.
• The wizard is opened in the default setup mode. To run the wizard in advanced setup mode, select
Advanced Setup. With advanced setup mode, you can set more options for your restore job.
2. On the Source select page, complete the following steps:
a) Click a source in the list to show the databases that are available for restore operations. You can
also use the search function to search for available instances and toggle the displayed instances
through the View filter.

b) Click the plus icon next to the database that you want to use as the source of the restore
operation.
Tip: You must select only one database for a granular restore operation. If you select multiple
databases, the granular restore option will not be available on the Restore method page.
The selected source is added to the restore list next to the database list. To remove an item from
the list, click the minus icon next to the item.
c) Click Next to continue.
3. On the Source snapshot page, select the type of restore job that you want to create:
On-demand: Snapshot
Runs a one-time restore operation. The restore job starts immediately upon the completion of the
wizard.
On-demand: Point in Time
Runs a one-time restore job from a point-in-time backup of a database. The restore job starts
immediately upon the completion of the wizard.
Recurring
Creates a repeating point-in-time restore job that runs on a schedule.
4. Complete the fields on the Source snapshot page and click Next to continue.
The fields that are shown depend on the number of items that were selected on the Select source
page and on the restore type. Some fields are also not shown until you select a related field.
Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, single resource restore

Option Description
Date range Specify a range of dates to show the available snapshots within that range.
Backup storage All backups in the selected date range are listed in rows that show the time that
type the backup operation occurred and the service level agreement (SLA) policy for

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 233


Option Description
the backup. Select the row that contains the backup time and SLA policy that
you want, and then take one of the following actions:
• Click the backup storage type that you want to restore from. The storage
types that are shown depend on the types that are available in your
environment and are shown in the following order:
Backup
Restores data that is backed up to a vSnap server.
Replication
Restores data that is replicated to a vSnap server.
Object Storage
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service or to a repository server.
Archive
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service archive or to a repository
server archive (tape).
• Click anywhere on the row. The first backup type that is shown sequentially
from the left of the row is selected by default. For example, if the storage
types Backup, Replication, and Archive are shown, Backup is selected by
default.

Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud resource
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, multiple resources restore; point-in-time
restore; or recurring restore

Option Description
Restore Location Select a type of location from which to restore data:
Type Site
The site to which snapshots were backed up. The site is defined in the
System Configuration > Site pane.
Cloud service
The cloud service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud service is
defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object Storage
pane.
Repository server
The repository server to which snapshots were copied. The repository
server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage >
Repository Server pane.
Cloud service archive
The cloud archive service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud
service is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object
Storage pane.

234 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Option Description

Repository server archive


The repository server to which snapshots were copied to tape. The
repository server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage
> Repository Server pane.

Select a location If you are restoring data from a site, select one of the following restore
locations:
Demo
The demonstration site from which to restore snapshots.
Primary
The primary site from which to restore snapshots.
Secondary
The secondary site from which to restore snapshots.
If you are restoring data from a cloud or repository server, select a server from
the Select a location menu.

Date selector For on-demand restore operations, specify a range of dates to show the
available snapshots within that range.
Restore Point For on-demand restore operations, select a snapshot from the list of available
snapshots in the selected date range.
Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud service
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

5. On the Restore method page, click Granular Restore.


The recovery database name is displayed in the New Database Name field. The name consists of the
existing database name with the suffix _RDB.
6. On the Set destination page, select Restore to original instance and click Next.
7. Optional: In the Job Options page, Recover until end of backup and Run cleanup immediately on
job failure are selected by default. Click Next to continue.
8. Optional: On the Apply scripts page, select the Pre-Script or Post-Script to apply, or choose
Continue job/task on script error. For more information about working with scripts, see Configuring
scripts. Click Next to continue.
9. Take one of the following actions on the Schedule page:
• If you are running an on-demand job, click Next.
• If you are setting up a recurring job, enter a name for the job schedule, and specify how often and
when to start the restore job. Click Next.
10. On the Review page, review your restore job settings and click Submit to create the job.
The restore job is created, and you can check on its status in Jobs and Operations > Running Jobs.
11. In the navigation pane, click Jobs and Operations > Active Resources to view the recovery database
and mount point details.

Tip: Click the icon to display an information message that describes the next steps for completing
the granular restore task.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 235


12. Connect to the Exchange application server instance by using Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) or
Virtual Network Computing (VNC) if connecting remotely, or by logging on to the Exchange Server
machine locally.
The granular restore operation automatically installs and starts the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus MMC
GUI on the application server. If the MMC GUI fails to start, start it manually by using the path that is
provided in the Active Resources information message.
13. In the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus MMC GUI, click the Protect and Recover Data node, and select
Exchange Server.
14. On the Recover tab for the Exchange Server instance, click View > Mailbox Restore Browser to view
the mailbox from the recovery database.
15. Optional: Run the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus configuration wizard:
a) In the navigation pane, click Dashboard > Manage > Configuration > Wizards > IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus Configuration.
b) In the Actions pane, click Start.
The configuration wizard runs the requirements check.
c) When the requirements checks have run, click the Warnings link next to User Roles Check.
d) On the message dialog box, to add any missing roles, click Yes.
e) On the configuration wizard, click Next, and then click Finish.
16. In the Mailbox Restore Browser > Source tree, click the mailbox that contains the items you want to
restore, which enables you to browse the individual folders and messages.
Choose from the following actions to select the folder or message to restore.

Table 27. Previewing and filtering mailbox items


Task Action
Preview mailbox items a. Select a mailbox item, such as Inbox, to
display its contents in the preview pane.
b. Click an individual item in the preview pane,
such as an email message, to view the
message text and details.
c. If an item contains an attachment, click the
attachment icon to preview its contents.

236 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Table 27. Previewing and filtering mailbox items (continued)
Task Action
Filter mailbox items Use the filter options to narrow the list of folders
and messages to restore:
a. Click Show Filter Options and Add Row.
b. Click the down arrow in the Column Name
field and select an item to filter. You can filter
by folder name, subject text, and other
options.
Restriction: You can filter public mailbox
folders only by the Folder Name column.
When you select All Content, the mailbox
items are filtered by attachment name,
sender, subject, and message body.
c. In the Operator field, select an operator:
Contains.
d. In the Value field, specify a filter value.
e. To specify additional filtering criteria, click
Add Row.
f. Click Apply Filter to filter the messages and
folders.

17. When you have selected the mailbox item to restore, in the Actions pane, click the restore task that
you want to run. Choose from the following options:
• Restore Folder to Original Mailbox
• Restore Messages to Original Mailbox
• Save Mail Message Content
Tip: If you click Save Mail Message Content, a Windows Save File window is displayed. Specify the
location and message name and click Save.
When you choose the restore option, the Restore Progress window opens and shows the progress of
the restore operation, and the mailbox item is restored.
18. To restore a mailbox item to another mailbox or .pst file, complete the following steps.
Note: You can also restore a complete mailbox to another mailbox or .pst file.
Choose from the actions in the following table:

Table 28. Restoring a mailbox item to another mailbox or .pst file


Task Action
Restore a mailbox item (or a mailbox) to a a. On the Actions pane, click Open Exchange
different mailbox Mailbox.
b. Enter the alias of the mailbox to identify it as
the restore destination.
c. Drag the source mailbox item (or mailbox) to
the destination mailbox on the results pane.
Restriction: You cannot drag mail items or
subfolders in the Recoverable Items folder to
a destination mailbox.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 237


Table 28. Restoring a mailbox item to another mailbox or .pst file (continued)
Task Action
Restore a mailbox item (or mailbox) to an a. On the Actions pane, click Open non-
Outlook personal folders (.pst) file Unicode PST File.
b. When the Open File window opens, select an
existing .pst file or create a .pst file.
c. Drag the source mailbox item (or mailbox) to
the destination .pst file on the results pane.
Restriction: You can use the Mailbox Restore
Browser view only with non-Unicode .pst files.

Restore a Public Folder Select this action to restore a public folder to an


existing online public folder mailbox.
Attention:
You can filter the mailbox and restore a specific
If a public folder mailbox is created public folder to an existing online public folder.
without specifying a mailbox alias, In the Folder to be restored field, enter the
Exchange Server uses the value of the name of the public folder that you want to
'DisplayName' parameter for the 'Alias' restore.
property value. If 'DisplayName' contains
characters outside of unicode range from • To restore a subfolder in a parent folder,
U+00A1 to U+00FF, then Alias will specify the full folder path in this format:
contain unsupported characters. parent_folder_name/sub_folder_name.
• To restore all subfolders in a parent folder, use
Exchange removes unsupported
parent_folder_name/*.
characters from 'Alias' by converting
them to question marks. As a result, the • If the full folder path includes spaces, enclose
MMC GUI mailbox restore browser the folder path in double quotation marks, and
shows mailboxes with some characters do not append a backslash character (\).
displayed as '?' question marks. You can also restore all or part of a public folder
Refer to Microsoft documentation: to a different public folder mailbox than the
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/ original mailbox. In the Target public folder
powershell/module/exchange/ mailbox field, specify the destination public
mailboxes/new-mailbox? folder mailbox that you want to restore to.
view=exchange-ps for further details.

19. In the Actions pane, click Close Exchange Mailbox or Close PST File to close the destination
mailbox or .pst file.
Tip: You can enable the Microsoft Management Console to gather diagnostic information to assist in
problem determination related to restore operations. The process gathers configuration files, trace
files, and overall diagnostics of the MMC GUI. For more information, see the following technote:
Enabling diagnostic information in the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus MMC GUI(http://www.ibm.com/
support/docview.wss?uid=ibm10882270).
20. When the restore operation for the individual items is finished, return to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
In the Jobs and Operation > Active Resources pane, click Actions > Cancel Granular Restore to
end the granular restore process.

Restoring mailboxes by using a granular restore operation


You can restore Exchange mailboxes by using a granular restore operation and the IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus Microsoft Management Console (MMC) GUI.

Before you begin


You must have role-based access control (RBAC) permissions to complete individual mailbox restore
operations. If RBAC permissions were not assigned, you might encounter configuration errors in the IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus MMC GUI for each missing role.

238 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Tip:
If you encounter role-based configuration errors in the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus MMC GUI, you can set
the required permissions manually to resolve the errors (see “Privileges ” on page 214), or you can run
the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus configuration wizard to automatically configure permissions (see step
“15” on page 242).

About this task


To start a granular restore operation, complete preparatory steps in the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus GUI,
and then log in to the Exchange application server. Then use the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus MMC GUI to
restore user mailbox data from the recovery database that is created by the granular restore operation. A
granular restore operation can be used to complete the following tasks:
• You can restore an entire mailbox or selected mailbox items to the original mailbox, another online
mailbox on the same server, or to a Unicode .pst file.
• You can restore a public folder mailbox database, a public folder mailbox, or only a part of the mailbox,
for example, a specific public folder.
• You can restore an archive mailbox or a part of the mailbox, for example, a specific folder.
• You can restore archive mailbox messages to a mailbox that is on the Exchange Server, to an archive
mailbox, or to an Exchange Server .pst file.

Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Applications > Exchange > Create job, and then
select Snapshot restore to open the "Snapshot restore" wizard.
Tips:
• You can also open the wizard by clicking Jobs and Operations > Create job > Snapshot restore >
Exchange.
• For a running summary of your selections in the wizard, click Preview Restore in the navigation
pane in the wizard.
• The wizard is opened in the default setup mode. To run the wizard in advanced setup mode, select
Advanced Setup. With advanced setup mode, you can set more options for your restore job.
2. On the Source select page, complete the following steps:
a) Click a source in the list to show the databases that are available for restore operations. You can
also use the search function to search for available instances and toggle the displayed instances
through the View filter.

b) Click the plus icon next to the database that you want to use as the source of the restore
operation.
Tip: You must select only one database for a granular restore operation. If you select multiple
databases, the granular restore option will not be available on the Restore method page.
The selected source is added to the restore list next to the database list. To remove an item from
the list, click the minus icon next to the item.
c) Click Next to continue.
3. On the Source snapshot page, select the type of restore job that you want to create:
On-demand: Snapshot
Runs a one-time restore operation. The restore job starts immediately upon the completion of the
wizard.
On-demand: Point in Time
Runs a one-time restore job from a point-in-time backup of a database. The restore job starts
immediately upon the completion of the wizard.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 239


Recurring
Creates a repeating point-in-time restore job that runs on a schedule.
4. Complete the fields on the Source snapshot page and click Next to continue.
The fields that are shown depend on the number of items that were selected on the Select source
page and on the restore type. Some fields are also not shown until you select a related field.
Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, single resource restore

Option Description
Date range Specify a range of dates to show the available snapshots within that range.
Backup storage All backups in the selected date range are listed in rows that show the time that
type the backup operation occurred and the service level agreement (SLA) policy for
the backup. Select the row that contains the backup time and SLA policy that
you want, and then take one of the following actions:
• Click the backup storage type that you want to restore from. The storage
types that are shown depend on the types that are available in your
environment and are shown in the following order:
Backup
Restores data that is backed up to a vSnap server.
Replication
Restores data that is replicated to a vSnap server.
Object Storage
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service or to a repository server.
Archive
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service archive or to a repository
server archive (tape).
• Click anywhere on the row. The first backup type that is shown sequentially
from the left of the row is selected by default. For example, if the storage
types Backup, Replication, and Archive are shown, Backup is selected by
default.

Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud resource
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, multiple resources restore; point-in-time
restore; or recurring restore

Option Description
Restore Location Select a type of location from which to restore data:
Type Site
The site to which snapshots were backed up. The site is defined in the
System Configuration > Site pane.

240 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Option Description

Cloud service
The cloud service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud service is
defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object Storage
pane.
Repository server
The repository server to which snapshots were copied. The repository
server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage >
Repository Server pane.
Cloud service archive
The cloud archive service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud
service is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object
Storage pane.
Repository server archive
The repository server to which snapshots were copied to tape. The
repository server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage
> Repository Server pane.

Select a location If you are restoring data from a site, select one of the following restore
locations:
Demo
The demonstration site from which to restore snapshots.
Primary
The primary site from which to restore snapshots.
Secondary
The secondary site from which to restore snapshots.
If you are restoring data from a cloud or repository server, select a server from
the Select a location menu.

Date selector For on-demand restore operations, specify a range of dates to show the
available snapshots within that range.
Restore Point For on-demand restore operations, select a snapshot from the list of available
snapshots in the selected date range.
Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud service
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

5. On the Restore method page, click Granular Restore.


The recovery database name is displayed in the New Database Name field. The name consists of the
existing database name with the suffix _RDB.
6. On the Set destination page, select Restore to original instance and click Next.
7. Optional: In the Job Options page, Recover until end of backup and Run cleanup immediately on
job failure are selected by default. Click Next to continue.
8. Optional: On the Apply scripts page, select the Pre-Script or Post-Script to apply, or choose
Continue job/task on script error. For more information about working with scripts, see Configuring
scripts. Click Next to continue.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 241


9. Take one of the following actions on the Schedule page:
• If you are running an on-demand job, click Next.
• If you are setting up a recurring job, enter a name for the job schedule, and specify how often and
when to start the restore job. Click Next.
10. On the Review page, review your restore job settings and click Submit to create the job.
The restore job is created, and you can check on its status in Jobs and Operations > Running Jobs.
11. In the navigation pane, click Jobs and Operations > Active Resources to view the recovery database
and mount point details.

Tip: Click the icon to display an information message that describes the next steps for completing
the granular restore task.
12. Connect to the Exchange application server instance by using Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) or
Virtual Network Computing (VNC) if connecting remotely, or by logging on to the Exchange Server
machine locally.
The granular restore operation automatically installs and starts the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus MMC
GUI on the application server. If the MMC GUI fails to start, start it manually by using the path that is
provided in the Active Resources information message.
13. In the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus MMC GUI, click the Protect and Recover Data node, and select
Exchange Server.
14. On the Recover tab for the Exchange Server instance, select View > Mailbox Restore.
A list of user mailboxes from all databases that are included in the backup is displayed.
15. Optional: Run the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus configuration wizard:
a) In the navigation pane, click Dashboard > Manage > Configuration > Wizards > IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus Configuration.
b) In the Actions pane, click Start.
The configuration wizard runs the requirements check.
c) When the requirements checks have run, click the Warnings link next to User Roles Check.
d) On the message dialog box, to add any missing roles, click Yes.
e) On the configuration wizard, click Next, and then click Finish.
16. Select one or more mailboxes from the recovery database to restore. Mailboxes are listed by Mailbox
Name, Alias, Server, Database, and Mailbox Type.
You can restore only user mailboxes that are located in the recovery database.
Tip: Mailboxes from other databases are shown in this view for informational purposes only. If the
mailbox that you want to restore is not in the recovery database, use this view to determine which
Exchange database the user mailbox was assigned to. You can then run the granular restore task
again for that database.
17. To complete the restore operation, in the Actions pane, click one of the following restore options.

Table 29. Restore options


Option Action
Restore Mail to Original Location Restore mail items to their location at the time of the
backup operation.

242 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Table 29. Restore options (continued)
Option Action
Restore Mail to Alternate Location Restore the mail items to a different mailbox.
• On the Alternate Mailbox Options window, enter
the Mailbox alias name.
Tip: If deleted mail items or tasks are flagged in the
Recoverable Items folder of a mailbox, the items
are restored with the flag attribute to the Flagged
Items and Tasks view in the target mailbox.

Restore Mail to non-Unicode PST file Restore mail items to a non-Unicode personal folders
(.pst) file.
Restriction:
When you restore mail items to a .pst file with one
• This option is available only for Exchange
selected mailbox, you are prompted for a file name.
Server 2013.
When you restore mail items to a .pst file with more
• Each folder can contain a maximum of than one selected mailbox, you are prompted for a
16,383 mail items. directory location. Each mailbox is restored to a
separate .pst file that reflects the name of the
mailbox at the specified directory.
If the .pst file exists, the file is used. Otherwise, the
file is created.

Restore Mail to Unicode PST file Restore mail items to a Unicode .pst file.
When you restore mail items to a .pst file with one
selected mailbox, you are prompted for a file name.
When you restore mail items to a .pst file with more
than one selected mailbox, you are prompted for a
directory location.
Tip:
You can enter a standard path name (for example,
c:\PST\mailbox.pst) or a UNC path (for example,
\\server\c$\PST\mailbox.pst). When you enter
a standard path, the path is converted to a UNC path.
If the UNC is a non-default UNC path, enter the UNC
path directly.
Each mailbox is restored to a separate .pst file that
reflects the name of the mailbox at the specified
directory. If the .pst file exists, the file is used.
Otherwise, the file is created.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 243


Table 29. Restore options (continued)
Option Action
Restore Public Folder Mailbox Restore a public folder mailbox to an online public
folder mailbox.
In the Folder to be restored field, enter the name of
the public folder that you want to restore:
• To restore a subfolder in a parent folder, specify the
full folder path in this format:
parent_folder_name/sub_folder_name.
• To restore all subfolders in a parent folder, use
parent_folder_name/*.
• If the full folder path includes spaces, enclose the
folder path in double quotation marks, and do not
append a backslash character (\).
You can also restore all or part of a public folder
mailbox to a different public folder mailbox than the
original mailbox. In the Target public folder mailbox
field, specify the destination public folder mailbox.

Restore Mail to Archive Mailbox This action applies to a primary mailbox or an archive
mailbox. Select this action to restore all or part of
either type of mailbox to the original archive mailbox
or to an alternative archive mailbox.
You can filter the archive mailbox and restore a
specific mailbox folder. In the Folder to be restored
field, enter the name of the folder in the archive
mailbox that you want to restore.
• To restore a subfolder in a parent folder, specify the
full folder path in this format:
parent_folder_name/sub_folder_name.
• To restore all subfolders in a parent folder, use
parent_folder_name/*.
• If the full folder path includes spaces, enclose the
folder path in double quotation marks, and do not
append a backslash character (\).
In the Target archive mailbox field, specify the
archive mailbox destination.

Exclude recoverable mail items while Apply this action if you are restoring an online, public
restoring the mailbox folder, or archive mailbox to an original mailbox,
alternative mailbox, or to a Unicode .pst file.
Specify a value of Yes to exclude the mail items in the
Recoverable Items folder in mailbox restore
operations. No is the default value.

Tip: You can enable the Microsoft Management Console to gather diagnostic information to assist in
problem determination related to restore operations. The process gathers configuration files, trace
files, and overall diagnostics of the MMC GUI. For more information, see the following technote:
Enabling diagnostic information in the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus MMC GUI(http://www.ibm.com/
support/docview.wss?uid=ibm10882270).

244 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


18. When the mailbox restore operation is finished, return to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. In the Jobs and
Operation > Active Resources pane, click Actions > Cancel Granular Restore to end the granular
restore process.

Restoring Database Availability Group backups


With IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, you can restore an Exchange Server Database Availability Group (DAG)
backup to the original instance or to an alternative instance.

About this task


In a DAG environment, you must restore a database to an active database copy. If you had selected a
passive database copy as the preferred target of backup operations, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus attempts
to restore the database to this passive copy by default. The restore operation fails. In this situation, you
can choose to restore the database to an alternative instance, and then select the active database copy.

Procedure
To define an Exchange restore job, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Applications > Exchange > Create job, and then
select Snapshot restore to open the "Snapshot restore" wizard.
Tips:
• You can also open the wizard by clicking Jobs and Operations > Create job > Snapshot restore >
Exchange.
• For a running summary of your selections in the wizard, click Preview Restore in the navigation
pane in the wizard.
• The wizard is opened in the default setup mode. To run the wizard in advanced setup mode, select
Advanced Setup. With advanced setup mode, you can set more options for your restore job.
2. In the Source select page, complete the following steps:
a) Click the View menu and select Database Availability Groups.
b) In the Availability Groups list, click an Exchange instance to see the list of restore points for that
instance and select the backup versions that you want to restore. You can also use the search
function to search for available instances and toggle the displayed instances through the View
filter.

c) Click the add to restore list icon next to the database that you want to use as the source of the
restore operation. You can select more than one database from the list.
The selected sources are added to the restore list next to the database list. To remove an item
from the list source, click the icon next to the item.
d) Click Next to continue.
3. On the Source snapshot page, select the type of restore job that you want to create:
On-demand: Snapshot
Runs a one-time restore operation. The restore job starts immediately upon the completion of the
wizard.
On-demand: Point in Time
Runs a one-time restore job from a point-in-time backup of a database. The restore job starts
immediately upon the completion of the wizard.
Recurring
Creates a repeating point-in-time restore job that runs on a schedule.
4. Complete the fields on the Source snapshot page and click Next to continue.
The fields that are shown depend on the number of items that were selected on the Select source
page and on the restore type. Some fields are also not shown until you select a related field.
Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, single resource restore

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 245


Option Description
Date range Specify a range of dates to show the available snapshots within that range.
Backup storage All backups in the selected date range are listed in rows that show the time that
type the backup operation occurred and the service level agreement (SLA) policy for
the backup. Select the row that contains the backup time and SLA policy that
you want, and then take one of the following actions:
• Click the backup storage type that you want to restore from. The storage
types that are shown depend on the types that are available in your
environment and are shown in the following order:
Backup
Restores data that is backed up to a vSnap server.
Replication
Restores data that is replicated to a vSnap server.
Object Storage
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service or to a repository server.
Archive
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service archive or to a repository
server archive (tape).
• Click anywhere on the row. The first backup type that is shown sequentially
from the left of the row is selected by default. For example, if the storage
types Backup, Replication, and Archive are shown, Backup is selected by
default.

Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud resource
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, multiple resources restore; point-in-time
restore; or recurring restore

Option Description
Restore Location Select a type of location from which to restore data:
Type Site
The site to which snapshots were backed up. The site is defined in the
System Configuration > Site pane.
Cloud service
The cloud service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud service is
defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object Storage
pane.
Repository server
The repository server to which snapshots were copied. The repository
server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage >
Repository Server pane.

246 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Option Description

Cloud service archive


The cloud archive service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud
service is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object
Storage pane.
Repository server archive
The repository server to which snapshots were copied to tape. The
repository server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage
> Repository Server pane.

Select a location If you are restoring data from a site, select one of the following restore
locations:
Demo
The demonstration site from which to restore snapshots.
Primary
The primary site from which to restore snapshots.
Secondary
The secondary site from which to restore snapshots.
If you are restoring data from a cloud or repository server, select a server from
the Select a location menu.

Date selector For on-demand restore operations, specify a range of dates to show the
available snapshots within that range.
Restore Point For on-demand restore operations, select a snapshot from the list of available
snapshots in the selected date range.
Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud service
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

5. In the Restore method page, choose from the following options:


• Test. Choose this option to restore the data from the vSnap repository directly. This restore type
might be used for testing purposes.
• Production. Choose this option to restore the full database with a full-copy data restore
operation. This restore operation is for permanent use of the restored database.
Click Next to continue.
6. In the Set destination page, specify where you want to restore the database and click Next.
Restore to original instance
Select this option to restore the database to the original server.
Restore to alternate instance
Select this option to restore the database to a local destination that is different from the original
server, then select the alternative location from the list of available servers.

Attention: When you choose the destination, you must select an active node as the
destination; otherwise, the restore operation fails.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 247


7. Optional: On the Job options page, configure additional options for the restore job and click Next to
continue.
Recovery Options
Choose from the following recovery options:
No Recovery
This option skips any rollforward recovery after the restore operation. The database remains
in a Rollforward pending state until you decide whether you want to run the rollforward
recovery manually.
Recover until end of backup
Restore the selected database to the state at the time the backup was created.
Recover until end of available logs
This option restores the database and applies all available logs (including logs newer than the
backup that might exist on the application server) to recover the database up to the latest
possible time. This option is available only if you selected Enable Log Backup in the backup
job.
Recover until specific point in time
When log backups are enabled, this option restores the database and applies logs from the
log backup volume to recover the database up to an intermediate, user-specified point in
time. Choose the date and time by selecting from the By Time options.
Application Options
Set the application options:
Maximum Parallel Streams per Database
Set the maximum data stream from the backup storage per database. This setting applies to
each database in the job definition. Multiple databases can still be restored in parallel if the
value of the option is set to 1. Multiple parallel streams might improve restore speed, but
high-bandwidth consumption might affect overall system performance.
This option is applicable only when you are restoring an Exchange database to its original
location by using its original database name.
Advanced Options
Set the advanced job definition options:
Run cleanup immediately on job failure
Enable this option to automatically clean up allocated resources as part of a restore if the
recovery fails.
8. Optional: On the Apply scripts page, select the Pre-Script or Post-Script to apply, or choose
Continue job/task on script error. For more information about working with scripts, see Configuring
scripts. Click Next to continue.
9. Take one of the following actions on the Schedule page:
• If you are running an on-demand job, click Next.
• If you are setting up a recurring job, enter a name for the job schedule, and specify how often and
when to start the restore job. Click Next.
10. On the Review page, review your restore job settings and click Submit to create the job.
The restore job is created, and you can check on its status in Jobs and Operations > Running Jobs.

Accessing Exchange database files with instant access mode


You can access the Exchange database files by using the instant access restore type and mount the
database files from the vSnap volume to an application server.

About this task


In instant access mode, no further action is taken after IBM Spectrum Protect Plus mounts the share. Use
the data for custom recovery of data from the files in the vSnap volume.

248 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Applications > Exchange > Create job, and then
select Snapshot restore to open the "Snapshot restore" wizard.
Tips:
• You can also open the wizard by clicking Jobs and Operations > Create job > Snapshot restore >
Exchange.
• For a running summary of your selections in the wizard, click Preview Restore in the navigation
pane in the wizard.
• The wizard is opened in the default setup mode. To run the wizard in advanced setup mode, select
Advanced Setup. With advanced setup mode, you can set more options for your restore job.
2. On the Select source page, take the following actions:
a) Click a source in the list to show the databases that are available for restore operations. You can
also use the search function to search for available instances and toggle the displayed instances
through the View filter.

b) Click the plus icon next to the database that you want to use as the source of the restore
operation. You can select more than one database from the list.
The selected sources are added to the restore list next to the database list. To remove an item
from the list, click the minus icon next to the item.
c) Click Next to continue.
3. On the Source snapshot page, select the type of restore job that you want to create:
On-demand: Snapshot
Runs a one-time restore operation. The restore job starts immediately upon the completion of the
wizard.
On-demand: Point in Time
Runs a one-time restore job from a point-in-time backup of a database. The restore job starts
immediately upon the completion of the wizard.
Recurring
Creates a repeating point-in-time restore job that runs on a schedule.
4. Complete the fields on the Source snapshot page and click Next to continue.
The fields that are shown depend on the number of items that were selected on the Select source
page and on the restore type. Some fields are also not shown until you select a related field.
Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, single resource restore

Option Description
Date range Specify a range of dates to show the available snapshots within that range.
Backup storage All backups in the selected date range are listed in rows that show the time that
type the backup operation occurred and the service level agreement (SLA) policy for
the backup. Select the row that contains the backup time and SLA policy that
you want, and then take one of the following actions:
• Click the backup storage type that you want to restore from. The storage
types that are shown depend on the types that are available in your
environment and are shown in the following order:
Backup
Restores data that is backed up to a vSnap server.
Replication
Restores data that is replicated to a vSnap server.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 249


Option Description

Object Storage
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service or to a repository server.
Archive
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service archive or to a repository
server archive (tape).
• Click anywhere on the row. The first backup type that is shown sequentially
from the left of the row is selected by default. For example, if the storage
types Backup, Replication, and Archive are shown, Backup is selected by
default.

Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud resource
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, multiple resources restore; point-in-time
restore; or recurring restore

Option Description
Restore Location Select a type of location from which to restore data:
Type Site
The site to which snapshots were backed up. The site is defined in the
System Configuration > Site pane.
Cloud service
The cloud service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud service is
defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object Storage
pane.
Repository server
The repository server to which snapshots were copied. The repository
server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage >
Repository Server pane.
Cloud service archive
The cloud archive service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud
service is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object
Storage pane.
Repository server archive
The repository server to which snapshots were copied to tape. The
repository server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage
> Repository Server pane.

Select a location If you are restoring data from a site, select one of the following restore
locations:
Demo
The demonstration site from which to restore snapshots.

250 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Option Description

Primary
The primary site from which to restore snapshots.
Secondary
The secondary site from which to restore snapshots.
If you are restoring data from a cloud or repository server, select a server from
the Select a location menu.

Date selector For on-demand restore operations, specify a range of dates to show the
available snapshots within that range.
Restore Point For on-demand restore operations, select a snapshot from the list of available
snapshots in the selected date range.
Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud service
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

5. On the Set destination page, specify where you want to mount the database files and click Next.
Option Description
Restore to original Select this option to mount the database files to the original server.
location
Restore to alternate Select this option to mount the database files to a local destination that is
location different from the original server, and then select the alternative location
from the list of available servers.
6. On the Restore Method page, choose Instant Access, and then click Next.
7. Optional: On the Job options page, configure additional options if necessary and click Next to
continue.
8. Optional: On the Apply scripts page, select the Pre-Script or Post-Script to apply, or choose
Continue job/task on script error. For more information about working with scripts, see Configuring
scripts. Click Next to continue.
9. Take one of the following actions on the Schedule page:
• If you are running an on-demand job, click Next.
• If you are setting up a recurring job, enter a name for the job schedule, and specify how often and
when to start the restore job. Click Next.
10. On the Review page, review your restore job settings and click Submit to create the job.
The restore job is created, and you can check on its status in Jobs and Operations > Running Jobs.
11. You can now access the Exchange database files on the application server mount point, and carry out
any Exchange related or custom actions you want to do.
Note: The Exchange database files on the mount point are read/write. However, updating them does
not modify the original backup.
12. When you are finished with the instant access restore operation, go to the Active Resources pane,
click Actions > Cancel Restore to remove the mounted database and end the restore process.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 251


MongoDB
After you successfully add MongoDB instances to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, you can start to protect the
data in your MongoDB databases. Create service level agreement (SLA) policies to back up and maintain
MongoDB data.
Ensure that your MongoDB environment meets the system requirements. For more information, see
“MongoDB requirements” on page 39.

Prerequisites for MongoDB


All system requirements and prerequisites for the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus MongoDB application
server must be met before you start protecting MongoDB data with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.

For MongoDB system requirements, see MongoDB system requirements.


To meet the prerequisites for MongoDB, complete the following checks and actions.
1. Ensure you have met the space prerequisites, as described in Space requirements for MongoDB
protection.
2. Set the file size limit for the MongoDB instance user with the command ulimit -f to unlimited.
Alternatively, set the value to sufficiently high to allow the copying of the largest database files in your
backup and restore jobs. If you change the ulimit setting, restart the MongoDB instance to finalize
the configuration.
3. If you are running MongoDB in an AIX or Linux environment, ensure that the installed sudo version is
at a supported level.
For more information about the version level, see “MongoDB requirements” on page 39. For
information about setting sudo privileges, see “Setting sudo privileges” on page 254.
4. If your MongoDB databases are protected by authentication, you must set up role-based access
control. For more information, see “Roles for MongoDB” on page 253.
5. Each MongoDB instance to be protected must be registered on IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. After the
instances are registered, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus runs an inventory to detect MongoDB resources.
Ensure that all instances that you want to protect are detected and listed correctly.
6. Ensure that the SSH service is running on port 22 on the server, and that firewalls are configured to
allow IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to connect to the server with SSH. The SFTP subsystem for SSH must
be enabled.
7. Ensure that you do not configure nested mount points.

Restrictions
The following restrictions apply to the MongoDB application server:
• MongoDB sharded cluster configurations are detected when you run an inventory, but these resources
are not eligible for backup or restore operations.
• Unicode characters in MongoDB file path names cannot be handled by IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. All
names must be in ASCII.

Virtualization
Protect your MongoDB environment with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus when it is running on one of the
following guest operating systems:
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM)

252 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Roles for MongoDB
You must define role-based access control (RBAC) roles for the MongoDB agent users if authentication is
enabled on the MongoDB database. When the roles are set up, users can protect and monitor MongoDB
resources with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus in accordance with the users' defined roles.

Role-based access control for MongoDB


For each MongoDB user, specify access roles by using a command similar to the following example:

use admin
db.grantRolesToUser("<username>",
[ { role: "hostManager", db: "admin" },
{ role: "clusterManager", db: "admin" } ] )

The following roles are available:


hostManager
This role provides access to the fsyncLock command. This access is required for application-
consistent backups of MongoDB databases where journaling is not enabled. This role also provides
access to the shutdown command, which is used during a restore operation to shut down the
MongoDB server instance that the restore is directed to.
clusterMonitor
This role provides access to commands for monitoring and reading the state of the MongoDB
database. The following commands are available to users with this role:
• getCmdLineOpts
• serverVersion
• replSetGetConfig
• replSetGetStatus
• isMaster
• listShards
clusterManager
This role is only required only for running test restore operations of replica sets. Users who run the
replSetReconfig command can create the restored instance of a single node replica set. This role
enables read and write access during test restore operations of replica sets. Without this access, the
node in the replica set would remain in the REMOVED state without read and write access. In addition,
this role provides access to commands for reading the state of the MongoDB database. The following
commands are available for this role:
• replSetReconfig
• getCmdLineOpts
• serverVersion
• replSetGetConfig
• replSetGetStatus
• isMaster
• listShards

Space prerequisites for MongoDB protection


Before you start backing up MongoDB data, ensure that you have enough free space on the target and
source hosts, and in the vSnap repository. Extra space is required to store temporary Logical Volume
Manager (LVM) backups of logical volumes where the MongoDB data is located. These temporary
backups, that are known as LVM snapshots, are created automatically by the MongoDB agent.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 253


LVM snapshots
LVM snapshots are point-in-time copies of LVM logical volumes. After the file copy operation finishes,
earlier LVM snapshots are removed by the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus MongoDB agent in a cleanup
operation.
For each LVM snapshot logical volume, you must allocate at least 10 percent free space in the volume
group. If there is enough free space in the volume group, the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus MongoDB agent
reserves up to 25 percent of the source logical volume size for the snapshot logical volume.

Linux LVM2
When you run a MongoDB backup operation, MongoDB requests a snapshot. This snapshot is created on a
Logical Volume Management (LVM) system for each logical volume with data or logs for the selected
database. On Linux systems, logical volumes are managed by LVM2.
A software-based LVM2 snapshot is taken as a new logical volume on the same volume group. The
snapshot volumes are temporarily mounted on the same machine that runs the MongoDB instance so that
they can be transferred to the vSnap repository.
On Linux, the LVM2 volume manager stores the snapshot of a logical volume within the same volume
group. There must be enough space available to store the logical volume. The logical volume grows in size
as the data changes on the source volume for the lifetime of the snapshot.

Setting sudo privileges


To use IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to protect your data, you must install the required version of the sudo
program.

About this task


Set up a dedicated IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user with the required superuser privileges for sudo.
This configuration enables agent users to run commands without a password.

Procedure
1. Create an agent user by issuing the following command:
useradd -m agent
where agent specifies the name of the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent user.
2. Set a password for the new user by issuing the following command:
passwd mongodb_agent
3. To enable superuser privileges for the agent user, set the !requiretty setting. At the end of the
sudo configuration file, add the following lines:

Defaults:agent !requiretty

agent ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL

Alternatively, if your sudoers file is configured to import configurations from another directory, for
example /etc/sudoers.d, you can add the lines in the appropriate file in that directory.

Adding a MongoDB application server


To start protecting MongoDB resources, you must add the server that hosts your MongoDB instances, and
set credentials for the instances. Repeat the procedure to add all the servers that host MongoDB
resources.

About this task


To add a MongoDB application server to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, you must have the host address of
the machine.

254 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, expand Manage Protection > Applications > MongoDB.
2. In the MongoDB window, click Manage Application Servers, and click Add Application Server to add
the host machine.

3. In the Application Properties form, enter the host address.


4. Choose to register the host with a user or an SSH key.
If you select User, you can choose to enter a new user and password, or an existing user. If you select
SSH Key, select the SSH key from the menu.
Restriction: Any user that is specified must have sudo privileges set up.

Figure 29. Adding a MongoDB agent


5. Click Get Instances to detect and list the MongoDB instances that are available on the host server that
you are adding.
Each MongoDB instance is listed with its connection host address, status, and an indication of whether
it is configured.

Attention: If you register more than one application server for one replica set, the instance
name that is displayed might change after each inventory, backup, or restore operation. The
host name of the most recently added application server that belongs to the replica set is used
as part of the instance name. An inventory operation is run as part of backup and restore
operations.
6. If you are using access control, configure an instance by setting credentials. Click Set Credential, and
set the user ID, and password. Alternatively, you can select to use an existing user profile.
For more information about access control, see Chapter 15, “Managing user access,” on page 365.
When you set credentials, you assign MongoDB user roles for the backup and restore operations with
access to role-protected MongoDB servers by using Salted Challenge Response Authentication
Mechanism (SCRAM), or Challenge and response authentication. The MongoDB user that is assigned
for the role-protected MongoDB server requires one of the following access levels to protect
resources:
• Host Manager: manages the database as the administrator. This role is required for taking and
managing snapshots.
• Cluster Administrator: retrieves configuration information and runs test mode restore operations of
MongoDB replica sets. This role is required to reconfigure test mode restore operations of MongoDB
replica sets for data queries.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 255


• Cluster Monitor: monitors the protection of MongoDB resources, and retrieves configuration
information.
7. Optional: Set the option Maximum concurrent databases by entering a number in the field.
8. Save the form, and repeat the steps to add other MongoDB application servers to IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus.

What to do next
After you add MongoDB application servers to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, an inventory is automatically
run on each application server to detect the relevant databases in those instances.
To verify that the databases are added, review the job log. Go to Jobs and Operations. Click the Running
Jobs tab, and look for the latest Application Server Inventory log entry.
Completed jobs are shown on the Job History tab. You can use the Sort By list to sort jobs based on start
time, type, status, job name, or duration. Use the Search by name field to search for jobs by name. You
can use asterisks as a wildcard in the name.
Databases must be detected to ensure that they can be protected. For instructions about running a
manual inventory, see Detecting MongoDB resources.

Registering a MongoDB Ops Manager Application Database for protection


To protect your MongoDB Ops Manager Application Database, you must first register the Ops Manager
host address with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.

Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, expand Manage Protection > Applications > MongoDB.
2. In the MongoDB window, click Manage Application Servers, and click Add Application Server.

3. In the Application Properties form, enter the host address for the Ops Manager Application Database.
Get instances and set credentials by following the steps outlined in “Adding a MongoDB application
server” on page 254.
The Ops Manager Application Database is listed in the Instances table as shown in the following
example:

metali8.limerick.ie.ibm.com Connection: '333.0.5.1:88888' Ops Manager Application Database

What to do next
The MongoDB Ops Manager Application Database is available for backing up. You can define backup and
restore jobs to protect your data. To regularly back up your data, define a backup job that includes a
service level agreement (SLA) policy. For more information, see “Backing up MongoDB data” on page 259
and “Defining a regular service level agreement job” on page 260.

Detecting MongoDB resources


After you add your MongoDB application servers to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, an inventory is run
automatically to detect all MongoDB instances and databases. You can run a manual inventory on any
application server to detect, list, and store all MongoDB databases for the selected host.

Before you begin


Ensure that you added your MongoDB application servers to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. For instructions,
see Adding a MongoDB application server.

Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, expand Manage Protection > Applications > MongoDB.

256 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Tip: To add more MongoDB instances to the Instances pane, follow the instructions in Adding a
MongoDB application server.
2. Click Run Inventory.

When the inventory is running, the button changes to Inventory In Progress. You can run an inventory
on any available application servers, but you can run only one inventory process at a time.
To monitor the inventory job, go to Jobs and Operations. Click the Running Jobs tab, and look for the
latest Application Server Inventory log entry.
Completed jobs are shown on the Job History tab. You can use the Sort By list to sort jobs based on
start time, type, status, job name, or duration. Use the Search by name field to search for jobs by
name. You can use asterisks as wildcard characters in the name.
3. Click an instance to open a view that shows the databases that are detected for that instance. If any
databases are missing from the Instances list, check your MongoDB application server and rerun the
inventory. In some cases, certain databases are marked as ineligible for backup; hover over the
database to reveal the reason why.
Tip: To return to the list of instances, click the Instances link in the Backup MongoDB pane.

Attention: If you register more than one application server for one replica set, the instance
name that is displayed might change after each inventory, backup, or restore operation. The
host name of the most recently inventoried application server that belongs to the replica set is
used as part of the instance name. An inventory operation is run as part of backup and restore
operations.

What to do next
To start protecting MongoDB databases that are cataloged in the selected instance, apply a service level
agreement (SLA) policy to the instance. For instructions about setting an SLA policy, see Defining an SLA
policy.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 257


Testing the MongoDB connection
After you add a MongoDB application server, you can test the connection. The test verifies communication
between IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and the MongoDB server. It also checks that the correct sudo
permissions area available for the user who is running the test.

Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Applications > MongoDB.
2. In the MongoDB window, click Manage Application Servers, and select the host address that you
want to test.
A list of the MongoDB application servers that are available is shown.
3. Click Actions and choose Test to start the verification tests for physical and remote system
connections and settings.

The test report displays a list that includes tests for the physical host network configuration, and tests
for the remote server installation on the host.
4. Click OK to close the test report. If issues are reported, fix the issues and rerun the test to verify the
fixes.

258 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Backing up MongoDB data
You can define backup jobs to protect your MongoDB data. To regularly back up your data, define a
backup job that includes a service level agreement (SLA) policy.

Before you begin


During the initial backup operation, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus creates a vSnap volume and NFS share.
During incremental backups, the previously created volume is reused. The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
MongoDB agent mounts the share on the MongoDB server where the backup is completed.
Review the following prerequisites before you create a backup job definition:
• Add the application servers that you want to back up. For the procedure, see Adding a MongoDB
application server.
• Configure an SLA Policy. For the procedure, see Defining a Service Level Agreement backup job.
• Before an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user can set up backup and restore operations, roles and
resource groups must be assigned to the user. Grant users access to resources, and backup and restore
operations, in the Accounts pane. For more information, see Chapter 15, “Managing user access,” on
page 365 and “Roles for MongoDB” on page 253.
Restriction: Do not run inventory jobs at the same time that backup jobs are scheduled.

Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, expand Manage Protection > Applications > MongoDB.
2. Select the check box for the instance that you want to back up.
Under each MongoDB instance, data to be backed up is listed as ALL. Each instance in the Instances
pane is listed by instance name, version, and the applied SLA policy.
3. Click Select Options to specify the number of parallel streams for the backup operation, and then click
Save. By selecting an appropriate number of parallel streams, you can minimize the time that is
required for the backup job.
The saved options are used for all backup jobs for this instance as selected.
4. To run the backup job with these options, click the instance name, select the ALL database
representation, and click Run.
The backup job begins, and you can view the details in Jobs and Operation > Running Jobs.
Tip: The Run button is only enabled if an SLA policy is applied to the ALL representation of the
databases.
To run an on-demand backup job for multiple databases that are associated with an SLA policy, click
Create job, select Ad hoc backup, and follow the instructions in “Running an ad hoc backup job” on
page 351.
5. Select the instance again, and click Select an SLA Policy to choose an SLA policy.
6. Save the SLA selection.
To define a new SLA or to edit an existing policy with custom retention and frequency rates, select
Manage Protection > Policy Overview. In the SLA Policies pane, click Add SLA Policy, and define
policy preferences.

What to do next
After the SLA policy is saved, you can run the policy at any time by clicking Actions for that policy name,
and selecting Start. The status in the log changes to show that the backup job is in the Running state.
To cancel a job that is running, click Actions for that policy name and select Cancel. A message asks
whether you want to keep the data that is already backed up. Choose Yes to keep the backed up data, or
No to discard the backup.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 259


Defining a regular service level agreement job
After your MongoDB instances are listed, select and apply an SLA policy to start protecting your data.

Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, expand Manage Protection > Applications > MongoDB.
2. Select the MongoDB instance to back up all the data in that instance.

Figure 30. MongoDB Backup pane showing instances


3. Click Select an SLA policy and choose an SLA policy. Save your choice.
Predefined choices are Gold, Silver, and Bronze, each with different frequencies and retention rates.
You can also create a custom SLA policy by navigating to Policy Overview > Add SLA Policy.
4. Optional: To enable multiple backup streams to reduce the time that is taken to back up large
databases, click Select Options and enter a number of parallel streams. Save your changes.

260 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Figure 31. Backup options and SLA Policy Status
5. Configure the SLA policy by clicking the icon in the Policy Options column of the SLA Policy Status
table.
For more information about SLA configuration options, see “Setting SLA configuration options for your
backup” on page 261.
6. To run the policy outside of the scheduled job, select the instance. Click the Actions button and select
Start. The status changes to Running for your chosen SLA and you can follow the progress of the job in
the log shown.

What to do next
After the SLA policy is saved, you can run the policy at any time by clicking Actions for that policy name,
and selecting Start. The status in the log changes to show that the backup job is in the Running state.
To cancel a job that is running, click Actions for that policy name and select Cancel. A message asks
whether you want to keep the data that is already backed up. Choose Yes to keep the backed up data, or
No to discard the backup.

Setting SLA configuration options for your backup


After you set up a service level agreement (SLA) policy for your backup job, you can choose to configure
extra options for that job. Additional SLA options include running scripts, and forcing a full base backup.

Procedure
1. In the Policy Options column of the SLA Policy Status table for the job that you are configuring, click

the clipboard icon to specify additional configuration options.


If the job is already configured, click on the icon to edit the configuration.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 261


Figure 32. Specifying additional SLA configuration options
2. Click Pre-Script and define the prescript configuration by choosing one of the following options:
• Click Use Script Server and select an uploaded script from the menu.
• Do not click Use Script Server. Select an application server from the list to run the script at that
location.
3. Click Post-Script and define the PostScript configuration by choosing one of the following options:
• Click Use Script Server and select an uploaded script from the menu.
• Do not click Use Script Server. Select an application server from the list to run the script at that
location.
Scripts and script servers are configured on the System Configuration > Script page. For more
information about working with scripts, see Configuring scripts.
4. To continue running the job when the script that is associated with the job fails, select Continue job/
task on script error.
If this option is selected, the backup or restore operation is reattempted after an initial fail, and the
script task status is reported as COMPLETED when the script completes processing with a nonzero
return code. If this option is not selected, the backup or restore is not reattempted and the script task
status is reported as FAILED.
5. Skip Exclude Resources for MongoDB SLA options, as you cannot specify resources to exclude.
Instances are backed up rather than individual databases.
6. To create a full, new backup of a MongoDB instance, select Force full backup of resources.
A full new backup of that resource is created to replace the existing backup of that resource for one
occurrence only. After that the resource is backed up incrementally as before.

262 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Restoring MongoDB data
To restore data, define a job that restores data to the latest backup or select an earlier backup copy.
Choose to restore data to the original instance or to an alternative instance on a different machine,
creating a cloned copy. Define and save the restore job to run as an ad hoc operation, or to run regularly
as a scheduled job.

Before you begin


Before you create a restore job for MongoDB, ensure that the following requirements are met:
• At least one MongoDB backup job is set up and running successfully. For instructions about setting up a
backup job, see “Backing up MongoDB data” on page 259.
• IBM Spectrum Protect Plus roles and resource groups are assigned to the user who is setting up the
restore job. For instructions about assigning roles, see Chapter 15, “Managing user access,” on page
365, and “Roles for MongoDB” on page 253.
• Enough disk space is allocated at the target server for the restore operation.
• Dedicated volumes are allocated for file copying.
• The same directory structure and layout are available on both the target and source servers.
• When restoring from a IBM Spectrum Protect archive, files will be migrated to a staging pool from the
tape prior to the job beginning. Depending on the size of the restore, this process could take several
hours.
For restore operations to alternative instances, MongoDB must be at the same version level on the target
and host machines.
For more information about space requirements, see Space prerequisites for MongoDB protection. For
more information about prerequisites and setup, see Prerequisites for MongoDB.

Procedure
To define a MongoDB restore job, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Applications > MongoDB > Create job, and then
select Snapshot restore to open the "Snapshot restore" wizard.
Tips:
• You can also open the wizard by clicking Jobs and Operations > Create job > Snapshot restore >
MongoDB.
• For a running summary of your selections in the wizard, click Preview Restore in the navigation
pane in the wizard.
• The wizard is opened in the default setup mode. To run the wizard in advanced setup mode, select
Advanced Setup. With advanced setup mode, you can set more options for your restore job.
2. On the Select source page, take the following actions:
a) Click a source in the list to show the databases that are available for restore operations. You can
also use the search function to search for available instances and toggle the displayed instances
through the View filter.

b) Click the add to restore list icon next to the database that you want to use as the source of the
restore operation. You can select more than one database from the list.
The selected sources are added to the restore list next to the database list. To remove an item
from the list source, click the remove from restore list icon next to the item.
c) Click Next to continue.
3. On the Source snapshot page, select the type of restore job that you want to create:

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 263


On-demand: Snapshot
Runs a one-time restore operation. The restore job starts immediately upon the completion of the
wizard.
On-demand: Point in Time
Runs a one-time restore job from a point-in-time backup of a database. The restore job starts
immediately upon the completion of the wizard.
Recurring
Creates a repeating point-in-time restore job that runs on a schedule.
4. Complete the fields on the Source snapshot page and click Next to continue.
The fields that are shown depend on the number of items that were selected on the Select source
page and on the restore type. Some fields are also not shown until you select a related field.
Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, single resource restore

Option Description
Date range Specify a range of dates to show the available snapshots within that range.
Backup storage All backups in the selected date range are listed in rows that show the time that
type the backup operation occurred and the service level agreement (SLA) policy for
the backup. Select the row that contains the backup time and SLA policy that
you want, and then take one of the following actions:
• Click the backup storage type that you want to restore from. The storage
types that are shown depend on the types that are available in your
environment and are shown in the following order:
Backup
Restores data that is backed up to a vSnap server.
Replication
Restores data that is replicated to a vSnap server.
Object Storage
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service or to a repository server.
Archive
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service archive or to a repository
server archive (tape).
• Click anywhere on the row. The first backup type that is shown sequentially
from the left of the row is selected by default. For example, if the storage
types Backup, Replication, and Archive are shown, Backup is selected by
default.

Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud resource
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, multiple resources restore; point-in-time
restore; or recurring restore

264 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Option Description
Restore Location Select a type of location from which to restore data:
Type Site
The site to which snapshots were backed up. The site is defined in the
System Configuration > Site pane.
Cloud service
The cloud service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud service is
defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object Storage
pane.
Repository server
The repository server to which snapshots were copied. The repository
server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage >
Repository Server pane.
Cloud service archive
The cloud archive service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud
service is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object
Storage pane.
Repository server archive
The repository server to which snapshots were copied to tape. The
repository server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage
> Repository Server pane.

Select a location If you are restoring data from a site, select one of the following restore
locations:
Demo
The demonstration site from which to restore snapshots.
Primary
The primary site from which to restore snapshots.
Secondary
The secondary site from which to restore snapshots.
If you are restoring data from a cloud or repository server, select a server from
the Select a location menu.

Date selector For on-demand restore operations, specify a range of dates to show the
available snapshots within that range.
Restore Point For on-demand restore operations, select a snapshot from the list of available
snapshots in the selected date range.
Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud service
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

5. On the Restore method page, choose the type of restore operation, and click Next to continue.
• Test: In this mode, the agent creates a database by using the data files directly from the vSnap
repository. This option is available only when you are restoring data to an alternative instance.
Members of replica sets will not be reconfigured after the MongoDB server is started. The server is
started as a single-node replica set.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 265


• Production: In this mode, the MongoDB application server first copies the files from the vSnap
repository to the target host. The copied data is then used to start the database. MongoDB
instances that are members of a replica set are not started during a production restore operation.
This action prevents data from being overwritten when connecting to the replica set.
• Instant Access: In this mode, no further action is taken after IBM Spectrum Protect Plus mounts
the share. Use the data for custom recovery from the files in the vSnap repository.
For test mode or production mode, you can optionally enter a new name for the restored database.
For production mode, you can also specify a new folder for the restored database by expanding the
database and entering a new folder name.
6. On the Set destination page, select Restore to original instance to restore to the original server, or
Restore to alternate instance to restore to a different location that you can select from the locations
listed.
For more information about restoring data to the original instance, see Restoring to the original
instance. For more information about restoring your data to an alternative instance, see Restoring to
an alternate instance.
7. Optional: On the Job options page, configure additional options for the restore job and click Next to
continue.
In the Recovery Options section, the Recover until end of backup for MongoDB is selected by
default. This option recovers the selected data to the state it was in at the time the backup was
created. The recovery operation makes use of the log files that are included in the MongoDB backup.
Application Options
Set the application options:
Overwrite existing database
Enable this option to allow the restore job to overwrite the selected database. If this option is
not selected, the restore job fails when data with the same name is found during the restore
process.

Attention: Ensure that no other data shares the same local database directory as the
original data or the data will be overwritten.
Maximum Parallel Streams per Database
Set the maximum number of parallel data streams from the backup storage per database.
This setting applies to each database in the job definition. Multiple databases can still be
restored in parallel if the value of the option is set to 1. Multiple parallel streams might speed
up restore operations, but high bandwidth consumption might affect overall system
performance.
This option is applicable only when you are restoring a MongoDB database to its original
location by using its original database name.
Advanced Options
Set the advanced job definition options:
Run cleanup immediately on job failure
This option is selected by default to automatically clean up allocated resources as part of a
restore operation if recovery fails.
Allow session overwrite
Select this option to replace existing databases with the same name during a restore
operation. During an instant disk restore operation, the existing database is shut down and
overwritten, and then the recovered database is restarted. If this option is not selected and a
database with the same name is encountered, the restore operation fails with an error.
Continue with restores of other selected databases even if one fails
If one database in the instance is not successfully restored, the restore operation continues
for all other data that is being restored. When this option is not selected, the restore job stops
when the recovery of a resource fails.

266 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Mount Point Prefix
For Instant Access restore operations, specify a mount point prefix for the path where the
mount is to be directed.
8. Optional: On the Apply scripts page, specify scripts that can be run before or after a job runs. Batch
and PowerShell scripts are supported on Windows operating systems while shell scripts are
supported on Linux operating systems.
Pre-Script
Select this check box to choose an uploaded script and an application or script server where the
pre-script will run. To select an application server, clear the Use Script Server check box. To
configure scripts and script servers, click System Configuration > Script.
Post-Script
Select this option to choose an uploaded script and an application or script server where the
post-script will run. To select an application server, clear the Use Script Server check box. To
configure scripts and script servers, click System Configuration > Script page.
Continue job/task on script error
Select this option to continue running the job when the script that is associated with the job fails.
When this option is enabled, in the event that a script completes processing with a nonzero return
code, the backup or restore job continues to run and the pre-script task status is reported as
COMPLETED. If a post-script completes processing with a nonzero return code, the post-script
task status is reported as COMPLETED. When this option is not selected, the backup or restore job
does not run, and the pre-script or post-script task is reported as FAILED.
Click Next to continue.
9. On the Schedule page, click Next to start on-demand jobs after you complete the Snapshot restore
wizard. For recurring jobs, enter a name for the job schedule, and specify how often and when to start
the restore job.
10. On the Review page, review your restore job settings.

Attention: Review the selected options before you proceed to Submit because data will be
overwritten when the Overwrite existing data application option is selected. You can cancel a
restore job when it is in progress, but if the Overwrite existing data option is selected, data is
overwritten even if you cancel the job.

11. To proceed with the job, click Submit. To cancel the job, navigate to Jobs and Operations and click
the Schedule tab. Find the restore job you want to cancel. Click Actions, and select Cancel.

Results
A few moments after you select Restore, the onDemandRestore job is added to the Jobs and
Operations > Running Jobs pane. Click the record to show the step-by-step details of the operation. You
can also download the zipped log file by clicking Download.zip. For any other jobs, click the Running
Jobs or Job History tabs and click the job to display its details.
The IP address and port for the restored server can be found in the log file for the restore operation.
Navigate to Jobs and Operations > Running Jobs to find the logs for your restore operation.
For information about restoring data to the original instance, see Restoring to the original instance. For
information about restoring your data to an alternative instance, see Restoring to an alternate instance.

Restoring MongoDB data to the original instance


You can restore a MongoDB instance to the original host and choose between restoring to the latest
backup or an earlier MongoDB database backup version. When you restore data to its original instance,
you cannot rename it. This restore option runs a full production restoration of data, and existing data is
overwritten at the target site if the Overwrite existing databases application option is selected.

Before you begin


Before you create a restore job for MongoDB, ensure that the following requirements are met:

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 267


• At least one MongoDB backup job is set up and running successfully. For instructions about setting up a
backup job, see “Backing up MongoDB data” on page 259.
• IBM Spectrum Protect Plus roles and resource groups are assigned to the user who is setting up the
restore job. For instructions about assigning roles, see Chapter 15, “Managing user access,” on page
365, and “Roles for MongoDB” on page 253.
• Enough disk space is allocated at the target server for the restore operation.
• Dedicated volumes are allocated for file copying.
• The same directory structure and layout are available on both the target and source servers.
• When restoring from a IBM Spectrum Protect archive, files will be migrated to a staging pool from the
tape prior to the job beginning. Depending on the size of the restore, this process could take several
hours.
For more information about space requirements, see Space prerequisites for MongoDB protection. For
more information about prerequisites and setup, see Prerequisites for MongoDB.

Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Applications > MongoDB > Create job, and then
select Snapshot restore to open the "Snapshot restore" wizard.
Tips:
• You can also open the wizard by clicking Jobs and Operations > Create job > Snapshot restore >
MongoDB.
• For a running summary of your selections in the wizard, click Preview Restore in the navigation
pane in the wizard.
• The wizard is opened in the default setup mode. To run the wizard in advanced setup mode, select
Advanced Setup. With advanced setup mode, you can set more options for your restore job.
2. On the Select source page, take the following actions:
a) Click a source in the list to show the databases that are available for restore operations. You can
also use the search function to search for available instances and toggle the displayed instances
through the View filter.

b) Click the add to restore list icon next to the database that you want to use as the source of the
restore operation. You can select more than one database from the list.
The selected sources are added to the restore list next to the database list. To remove an item
from the list source, click the remove from restore list icon next to the item.
c) Click Next to continue.
3. On the Source snapshot page, select the type of restore job that you want to create:
On-demand: Snapshot
Runs a one-time restore operation. The restore job starts immediately upon the completion of the
wizard.
On-demand: Point in Time
Runs a one-time restore job from a point-in-time backup of a database. The restore job starts
immediately upon the completion of the wizard.
Recurring
Creates a repeating point-in-time restore job that runs on a schedule.
4. Complete the fields on the Source snapshot page and click Next to continue.
The fields that are shown depend on the number of items that were selected on the Select source
page and on the restore type. Some fields are also not shown until you select a related field.
Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, single resource restore

268 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Option Description
Date range Specify a range of dates to show the available snapshots within that range.
Backup storage All backups in the selected date range are listed in rows that show the time that
type the backup operation occurred and the service level agreement (SLA) policy for
the backup. Select the row that contains the backup time and SLA policy that
you want, and then take one of the following actions:
• Click the backup storage type that you want to restore from. The storage
types that are shown depend on the types that are available in your
environment and are shown in the following order:
Backup
Restores data that is backed up to a vSnap server.
Replication
Restores data that is replicated to a vSnap server.
Object Storage
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service or to a repository server.
Archive
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service archive or to a repository
server archive (tape).
• Click anywhere on the row. The first backup type that is shown sequentially
from the left of the row is selected by default. For example, if the storage
types Backup, Replication, and Archive are shown, Backup is selected by
default.

Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud resource
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, multiple resources restore; point-in-time
restore; or recurring restore

Option Description
Restore Location Select a type of location from which to restore data:
Type Site
The site to which snapshots were backed up. The site is defined in the
System Configuration > Site pane.
Cloud service
The cloud service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud service is
defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object Storage
pane.
Repository server
The repository server to which snapshots were copied. The repository
server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage >
Repository Server pane.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 269


Option Description

Cloud service archive


The cloud archive service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud
service is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object
Storage pane.
Repository server archive
The repository server to which snapshots were copied to tape. The
repository server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage
> Repository Server pane.

Select a location If you are restoring data from a site, select one of the following restore
locations:
Demo
The demonstration site from which to restore snapshots.
Primary
The primary site from which to restore snapshots.
Secondary
The secondary site from which to restore snapshots.
If you are restoring data from a cloud or repository server, select a server from
the Select a location menu.

Date selector For on-demand restore operations, specify a range of dates to show the
available snapshots within that range.
Restore Point For on-demand restore operations, select a snapshot from the list of available
snapshots in the selected date range.
Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud service
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

5. On the Restore method page, choose the type of restore operation, and click Next to continue.
• Production
To recover an entire instance to the original instance, the preferred method is to choose this
option with the overwrite application option. MongoDB instances that are members of a replica set
are not started during a production restore operation. This action prevents data from being
overwritten when connecting to the replica set.
• Test
Choose this option to restore data to the same server but using a different port.
• Instant Access
Choose this option to mount the backup to the application server without restoring the data or
overwriting the data.
Click Next to continue.
For test mode or production mode, you can optionally enter a new name for the restored database.

270 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


For production mode, you can also specify a new folder for the restored database by expanding the
database and entering a new folder name.
6. On the Set destination page, choose Restore to original instance and click Next.
7. Optional: On the Job options page, configure additional options for the restore job and click Next to
continue.
In the Recovery Options section, the Recover until end of backup for MongoDB is selected by
default. This option recovers the selected data to the state it was in at the time the backup was
created. The recovery operation makes use of the log files that are included in the MongoDB backup.
Application Options
Set the application options:
Overwrite existing database
Enable this option to allow the restore job to overwrite the selected database. If this option is
not selected, the restore job fails when data with the same name is found during the restore
process.

Attention: Ensure that no other data shares the same local database directory as the
original data or the data will be overwritten.
Maximum Parallel Streams per Database
Set the maximum number of parallel data streams from the backup storage per database.
This setting applies to each database in the job definition. Multiple databases can still be
restored in parallel if the value of the option is set to 1. Multiple parallel streams might speed
up restore operations, but high bandwidth consumption might affect overall system
performance.
This option is applicable only when you are restoring a MongoDB database to its original
location by using its original database name.
Advanced Options
Set the advanced job definition options:
Run cleanup immediately on job failure
This option is selected by default to automatically clean up allocated resources as part of a
restore operation if recovery fails.
Allow session overwrite
Select this option to replace existing databases with the same name during a restore
operation. During an instant disk restore operation, the existing database is shut down and
overwritten, and then the recovered database is restarted. If this option is not selected and a
database with the same name is encountered, the restore operation fails with an error.
Continue with restores of other selected databases even if one fails
If one database in the instance is not successfully restored, the restore operation continues
for all other data that is being restored. When this option is not selected, the restore job stops
when the recovery of a resource fails.
Mount Point Prefix
For Instant Access restore operations, specify a mount point prefix for the path where the
mount is to be directed.
8. Optional: On the Apply scripts page, specify scripts that can be run before or after a job runs. Batch
and PowerShell scripts are supported on Windows operating systems while shell scripts are
supported on Linux operating systems.
Pre-Script
Select this check box to choose an uploaded script and an application or script server where the
pre-script will run. To select an application server, clear the Use Script Server check box. To
configure scripts and script servers, click System Configuration > Script.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 271


Post-Script
Select this option to choose an uploaded script and an application or script server where the
post-script will run. To select an application server, clear the Use Script Server check box. To
configure scripts and script servers, click System Configuration > Script page.
Continue job/task on script error
Select this option to continue running the job when the script that is associated with the job fails.
When this option is enabled, in the event that a script completes processing with a nonzero return
code, the backup or restore job continues to run and the pre-script task status is reported as
COMPLETED. If a post-script completes processing with a nonzero return code, the post-script
task status is reported as COMPLETED. When this option is not selected, the backup or restore job
does not run, and the pre-script or post-script task is reported as FAILED.
Click Next to continue.
9. On the Schedule page, click Next to start on-demand jobs after you complete the Snapshot restore
wizard. For recurring jobs, enter a name for the job schedule, and specify how often and when to start
the restore job.
10. On the Review page, review your restore job settings.

Attention: Review the selected options before you proceed to Submit because data will be
overwritten when the Overwrite existing data application option is selected. You can cancel a
restore job when it is in progress, but if the Overwrite existing data option is selected, data is
overwritten even if you cancel the job.

11. To proceed with the job, click Submit. To cancel the job, navigate to Jobs and Operations and click
the Schedule tab. Find the restore job you want to cancel. Click Actions, and select Cancel.

Restoring MongoDB data to an alternative instance


You can select a MongoDB database backup and restore it to an alternative host. You can also choose to
restore a database to a different vSnap repository, or you can rename the database. This process creates
an exact copy of the instance on a different host.

Before you begin


Before you create a restore job for MongoDB, ensure that the following requirements are met:
• At least one MongoDB backup job is set up and running successfully. For instructions about setting up a
backup job, see “Backing up MongoDB data” on page 259.
• IBM Spectrum Protect Plus roles and resource groups are assigned to the user who is setting up the
restore job. For instructions about assigning roles, see Chapter 15, “Managing user access,” on page
365, and “Roles for MongoDB” on page 253.
• Enough disk space is allocated at the target server for the restore operation.
• Dedicated volumes are allocated for file copying.
• The same directory structure and layout are available on both the target and source servers.
• When restoring from a IBM Spectrum Protect archive, files will be migrated to a staging pool from the
tape prior to the job beginning. Depending on the size of the restore, this process could take several
hours.
For restore operations to alternative instances, MongoDB must be at the same version level on the target
and host machines.
For more information about space requirements, see Space prerequisites for MongoDB protection. For
more information about prerequisites and setup, see Prerequisites for MongoDB.

Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Applications > MongoDB > Create job, and then
select Snapshot restore to open the "Snapshot restore" wizard.

272 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Tips:
• You can also open the wizard by clicking Jobs and Operations > Create job > Snapshot restore >
MongoDB.
• For a running summary of your selections in the wizard, click Preview Restore in the navigation
pane in the wizard.
• The wizard is opened in the default setup mode. To run the wizard in advanced setup mode, select
Advanced Setup. With advanced setup mode, you can set more options for your restore job.
2. On the Select source page, take the following actions:
a) Click a source in the list to show the databases that are available for restore operations. You can
also use the search function to search for available instances and toggle the displayed instances
through the View filter.

b) Click the add to restore list icon next to the database that you want to use as the source of the
restore operation. You can select more than one database from the list.
The selected sources are added to the restore list next to the database list. To remove an item
from the list source, click the remove from restore list icon next to the item.
c) Click Next to continue.
3. On the Source snapshot page, select the type of restore job that you want to create:
On-demand: Snapshot
Runs a one-time restore operation. The restore job starts immediately upon the completion of the
wizard.
On-demand: Point in Time
Runs a one-time restore job from a point-in-time backup of a database. The restore job starts
immediately upon the completion of the wizard.
Recurring
Creates a repeating point-in-time restore job that runs on a schedule.
4. Complete the fields on the Source snapshot page and click Next to continue.
The fields that are shown depend on the number of items that were selected on the Select source
page and on the restore type. Some fields are also not shown until you select a related field.
Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, single resource restore

Option Description
Date range Specify a range of dates to show the available snapshots within that range.
Backup storage All backups in the selected date range are listed in rows that show the time that
type the backup operation occurred and the service level agreement (SLA) policy for
the backup. Select the row that contains the backup time and SLA policy that
you want, and then take one of the following actions:
• Click the backup storage type that you want to restore from. The storage
types that are shown depend on the types that are available in your
environment and are shown in the following order:
Backup
Restores data that is backed up to a vSnap server.
Replication
Restores data that is replicated to a vSnap server.
Object Storage
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service or to a repository server.
Archive
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service archive or to a repository
server archive (tape).

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 273


Option Description

• Click anywhere on the row. The first backup type that is shown sequentially
from the left of the row is selected by default. For example, if the storage
types Backup, Replication, and Archive are shown, Backup is selected by
default.

Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud resource
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, multiple resources restore; point-in-time
restore; or recurring restore

Option Description
Restore Location Select a type of location from which to restore data:
Type Site
The site to which snapshots were backed up. The site is defined in the
System Configuration > Site pane.
Cloud service
The cloud service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud service is
defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object Storage
pane.
Repository server
The repository server to which snapshots were copied. The repository
server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage >
Repository Server pane.
Cloud service archive
The cloud archive service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud
service is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object
Storage pane.
Repository server archive
The repository server to which snapshots were copied to tape. The
repository server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage
> Repository Server pane.

Select a location If you are restoring data from a site, select one of the following restore
locations:
Demo
The demonstration site from which to restore snapshots.
Primary
The primary site from which to restore snapshots.
Secondary
The secondary site from which to restore snapshots.
If you are restoring data from a cloud or repository server, select a server from
the Select a location menu.

274 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Option Description
Date selector For on-demand restore operations, specify a range of dates to show the
available snapshots within that range.
Restore Point For on-demand restore operations, select a snapshot from the list of available
snapshots in the selected date range.
Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud service
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

5. On the Restore method page, choose the type of restore operation, and click Next to continue.
• Test: In this mode, the agent creates a database by using the data files directly from the vSnap
repository. This option is available only when you are restoring data to an alternative instance.
Members of replica sets will not be reconfigured after the MongoDB server is started. The server is
started as a single-node replica set.
• Production: In this mode, the MongoDB application server first copies the files from the vSnap
repository to the target host. The copied data is then used to start the database. MongoDB
instances that are members of a replica set are not started during a production restore operation.
This action prevents data from being overwritten when connecting to the replica set.
• Instant Access: In this mode, no further action is taken after IBM Spectrum Protect Plus mounts
the share. Use the data for custom recovery from the files in the vSnap repository.
For test mode or production mode, you can optionally enter a new name for the restored database.
For production mode, you can also specify a new folder for the restored database by expanding the
database and entering a new folder name.
6. In the Set destination page, choose Restore to alternate instance and select the target instance
that you want to restore the data to.
The original instance is not selectable because you cannot overwrite the original data when you
select Restore to alternate instance. You also cannot select instances on different versions levels or
instances on the same host as the original instance.
Click Next to continue.
7. Optional: On the Job options page, configure additional options for the restore job and click Next to
continue.
In the Recovery Options section, the Recover until end of backup for MongoDB is selected by
default. This option recovers the selected data to the state it was in at the time the backup was
created. The recovery operation makes use of the log files that are included in the MongoDB backup.
Application Options
Set the application options:
Overwrite existing database
Enable this option to allow the restore job to overwrite the selected database. If this option is
not selected, the restore job fails when data with the same name is found during the restore
process.

Attention: Ensure that no other data shares the same local database directory as the
original data or the data will be overwritten.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 275


Maximum Parallel Streams per Database
Set the maximum number of parallel data streams from the backup storage per database.
This setting applies to each database in the job definition. Multiple databases can still be
restored in parallel if the value of the option is set to 1. Multiple parallel streams might speed
up restore operations, but high bandwidth consumption might affect overall system
performance.
This option is applicable only when you are restoring a MongoDB database to its original
location by using its original database name.
Advanced Options
Set the advanced job definition options:
Run cleanup immediately on job failure
This option is selected by default to automatically clean up allocated resources as part of a
restore operation if recovery fails.
Allow session overwrite
Select this option to replace existing databases with the same name during a restore
operation. During an instant disk restore operation, the existing database is shut down and
overwritten, and then the recovered database is restarted. If this option is not selected and a
database with the same name is encountered, the restore operation fails with an error.
Continue with restores of other selected databases even if one fails
If one database in the instance is not successfully restored, the restore operation continues
for all other data that is being restored. When this option is not selected, the restore job stops
when the recovery of a resource fails.
Mount Point Prefix
For Instant Access restore operations, specify a mount point prefix for the path where the
mount is to be directed.
8. Optional: On the Apply scripts page, specify scripts that can be run before or after a job runs. Batch
and PowerShell scripts are supported on Windows operating systems while shell scripts are
supported on Linux operating systems.
Pre-Script
Select this check box to choose an uploaded script and an application or script server where the
pre-script will run. To select an application server, clear the Use Script Server check box. To
configure scripts and script servers, click System Configuration > Script.
Post-Script
Select this option to choose an uploaded script and an application or script server where the
post-script will run. To select an application server, clear the Use Script Server check box. To
configure scripts and script servers, click System Configuration > Script page.
Continue job/task on script error
Select this option to continue running the job when the script that is associated with the job fails.
When this option is enabled, in the event that a script completes processing with a nonzero return
code, the backup or restore job continues to run and the pre-script task status is reported as
COMPLETED. If a post-script completes processing with a nonzero return code, the post-script
task status is reported as COMPLETED. When this option is not selected, the backup or restore job
does not run, and the pre-script or post-script task is reported as FAILED.
Click Next to continue.
9. On the Schedule page, click Next to start on-demand jobs after you complete the Snapshot restore
wizard. For recurring jobs, enter a name for the job schedule, and specify how often and when to start
the restore job.
10. On the Review page, review your restore job settings.

Attention: Review the selected options before you proceed to Submit because data will be
overwritten when the Overwrite existing data application option is selected. You can cancel a
restore job when it is in progress, but if the Overwrite existing data option is selected, data is
overwritten even if you cancel the job.

276 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


11. To proceed with the job, click Submit. To cancel the job, navigate to Jobs and Operations and click
the Schedule tab. Find the restore job you want to cancel. Click Actions, and select Cancel.

Using a granular restore operation for MongoDB


You can restore specific MongoDB databases or collections by using a granular restore operation. For a
granular restore operation, first run a test restore job and then run the appropriate MongoDB commands.

Before you begin


If authentication is enabled, you must provide credentials for users so that they can correct permissions
on the instance in the test restore operation.

About this task


The granular restore operation for MongoDB is based on a test mode restore job. When you run the test
restore job on IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, and the mongodump and mongorestore commands on the
MongoDB server, you can access individual databases or collections from the recovery source.
Use this procedure to complete either of the following tasks:
• Restore any number of databases by using the mongodump and mongorestore commands for the
databases that you require.
• Restore any number of collections by using the mongodump and mongorestore commands for the
collections that you require.

Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Applications > MongoDB > Create job, and then
select Snapshot restore to open the "Snapshot restore" wizard.
2. On the Select source page, take the following actions:
a) Click a source in the list to show the databases that are available for restore operations. You can
also use the search function to search for available instances and toggle the displayed instances
through the View filter.

b) Click the add to restore list icon next to the database that you want to use as the source of the
restore operation. You can select more than one database from the list.
The selected sources are added to the restore list next to the database list. To remove an item
from the list source, click the remove from restore list icon next to the item.
c) Click Next to continue.
3. On the Restore method page, select Test, and click Next to continue with the test restore process.
4. On the Set destination page, choose Restore to alternate instance, and select the target instance
that you want to restore the data to.
You cannot select the original instance is not selectable as you cannot overwrite the original data
when you select Restore to alternate instance. Instances on different versions levels cannot be
selected. Other instances on the same host as the original instance, cannot be selected either.
Click Next to continue.
5. Proceed through the restore wizard pages and select the required options.
6. On the Review page, review your restore job settings.

Attention: Review the selected options before you proceed to Submit because data will be
overwritten when the Overwrite existing data application option is selected. You can cancel a
restore job when it is in progress, but if the Overwrite existing data option is selected, data is
overwritten even if you cancel the job.

7. Log on to the MongoDB server to which the test restore job is directed.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 277


8. Run the MongoDB system command ps -ef | grep mongod to find the temporary recovery
MongoDB instance location.
9. Run the MongoDB mongodump command to create a dump file of any specific database or collection.
Use the appropriate command. The first command is for a database and the second command is for a
collection:

mongodump --host <hostname> --port <port> --db <dbname> <dumpfolder>

Or,

mongodump --host <hostname> --port <port> --collection <collectionname> <dumpfolder>

10. Run the mongorestore command to restore the dump file into any MongoDB instance. Choose
either the original MongoDB instance that the backup was created for, or any alternative instance.
Use the appropriate command. The first command is for a database and the second command is for a
collection:

mongorestore --host <hostname> --port <port> --db <dbname> <dumpfolder>\<dbname>

Or,

mongorestore --host <hostname> --port <port> --collection <collectionname> <dumpfolder>


\<dbname>

11. When the database or collection restore operation finishes, go to Jobs and Operations > Active
Resources.
12. Click Actions > Cancel Restore to end the granular restore procedure.

Microsoft Office 365


To start protecting Microsoft™ Office 365 email, calendars, contacts, and data on OneDrive cloud storage,
you must first register the Office 365 application with Azure Active Directory. Then, deploy the application
server and register it with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. After that, you must add Office 365 tenants, and
define a service level agreement (SLA) policy to create backup jobs.
If you choose to protect Microsoft Office 365 with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, you need to purchase IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus for Microsoft Office 365 Entity ID Monthly License, Part Number D25ZELL. For
more information about this entitlement, see IBM Spectrum Protect V10.1.5 announcement letter.

Registering with Azure Active Directory


To protect an Office 365 application, you must register the application with Azure Active Directory and
grant appropriate permissions. When you register a new application with Azure Active Directory, the
application credentials such as application ID and application secret are made available on the Azure
Active Directory portal.

Before you begin


Take the following actions:
• Ensure that you have an active Office 365 subscription.
• Ensure that you have an Office 365 administrative user ID and password.

Procedure
1. Go to the Office 365 welcome page and sign in to your Microsoft account by using your Office 365
administrative user ID and password.
2. To open the Azure Active Directory admin center, in the left pane, click the ellipsis to expand the
Show all menu, and then click Admin centers > Azure Active Directory.

278 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


3. To open your tenant dashboard, in the left pane of the Azure Active Directory admin center, click
Azure Active Directory.
4. In the tenant dashboard menu, click App registrations and then click New registration.
5. To specify a user-facing name for the Office 365 application, on the "Register an application" page,
enter a name in the Name field.
6. Use the default options for the remaining fields, and click Register. The app registration is set up with
the user-facing name that you entered.
7. To obtain the application (client) ID, and directory (tenant) ID string, click Azure Active Directory >
tenant - App registrations > App name. Then, copy the application ID string and directory ID. These
strings will be required later, when you register the Office 365 application with IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus.
8. To create a client secret for this application ID, click Certificates & secrets > New client secret.
9. On the "Add a client secret" pane, enter any user name in the Description field, and click Add. A
client secret is generated, and the value is then displayed in the Client secrets pane.
10. Copy the client secret to the clipboard by using the copy facility next to the Client secret value field.
This character string is also used for registration with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
11. To add permissions for this application ID, click API permissions > Add permissions.
12. Specify permissions for each API in the following table by taking the following actions. Select the API
name, for example, Azure Active Directory Graph.
a) For permission name User.Read.All, select the Delegated Permissions type.
b) For the remaining permissions, select the Application Permissions type for each permission
name for the API in the table.

API Permission name


Azure Active Directory Graph User.Read.All
Azure Active Directory Graph Directory.Read.All
Exchange full_access_as_app
Microsoft Graph Calendars.ReadWrite
Microsoft Graph Contacts.ReadWrite
Microsoft Graph Files.ReadWrite.All
Microsoft Graph Mail.ReadWrite
Microsoft Graph Sites.Read.All
Microsoft Graph User.Read
Microsoft Graph User.Read.all
13. To save the selected permissions, click Grant admin consent for <your organization name>.

What to do next
Follow the instructions in “Registering the Office 365 tenant with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus ” on page
280.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 279


Registering the Office 365 tenant with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
To ensure that the IBM Spectrum Protect™ Plus agent can connect to the Office 365 tenant, you must
register the Office 365 tenant credentials, and the proxy host server with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. This
procedure is necessary to ensure that Office 365 data can be backed up to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.

Before you begin


Ensure that you have a Linux system that can act as the cloud proxy machine. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
deploys the backup agent on this machine. For more information about the requirements, see “Office 365
requirements” on page 42. Ensure that the Office 365 application is registered with Azure Active
Directory. For instructions, see “Registering with Azure Active Directory ” on page 278.

Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, expand Manage Protection > Applications > Office 365.

2. On the Office 365 page, click Manage application servers, and then click Add application server.
3. On the Organization Properties page, complete the following fields:
a. In the Organization Name field, enter the name of the organization that you set up in the Azure
Active Directory admin center. If the organization name contains dots or spaces, remove them. For
example, change tenantname.onmicrosoft.com to tenantnameonmicrosoftcom. If the organization
name contains dots or spaces, issues occur during the restore operation.
Note: This is the Organization/Tenant name. This is NOT the user facing name that you set up
(which appears under Display name) when doing Azure app registration.
b. In the Tenant ID field, enter the string from the Directory (tenant) ID field in the Azure Active
Directory application registration.
c. In the Application ID field, enter the string from the Application (client) ID field in the Azure
Active Directory application registration.
d. In the Application Secret field, enter the password string that was generated during the Azure
Active Directory application registration.
4. On the Proxy Properties page, complete the following fields:
a. In the Host Address field, enter the host name or IP address of the Linux server that is being used
as the proxy host.
b. For host server authentication, select one of the following options:
• User: Select an existing user, or enter a user ID and the associated password.
• SSH Key: Select a Secure Shell (SSH) key from the drop-down list.

280 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


5. Optional: On the Options page, set the Maximum concurrent accounts by entering how many
accounts you want to back up at the same time.
6. Click Save.

Results
When a proxy host is registered in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, an inventory is run automatically on the
Office 365 organization, which returns the Office 365 users in that resource.

Detailed process logs


Starting with Version 10.1.5 Patch 1, detailed process logs are available for Microsoft™ Office365
processes. You can use detailed process logs to track all backup and restore processes and to
troubleshoot issues.
A detailed process log tracks the processes for each protected Office 365 item. When you download the
job log .zip file, you can view the detailed process log file along with standard diagnostic files.
Note: To find the log, download the joblog.zip file. When you unzip the diag.tar.gz files, find the
Audit.log file. This file is the log file with the O365 processing information.

Detailed process log content and example


A detailed process log file includes the following information:
• Date and time of the operation.
• Operation type.
• Account that is associated with operation.
• Indication of whether the event relates to OneDrive, a message, an event, or a contact.
• Informational messages:
– For OneDrive, the path and file name of the processed object is listed. If the operation is a redirected
restore operation, that is indicated.
– For messages, the date and time of the message is listed. If the operation is a redirected restore
operation, any associated messages are listed.
– For events, the subject of the event is listed.
– For contacts, the name of the contact is listed.

Detailed process log example


The information in the detailed process log is provided in the following format:

[date time] [operation] [account] [relation] [message1] optional: [message2]

For example,

2020-02-13 19:15:27.805 Backup Completed [email protected] OneDrive


"my_new_document.pdf"
2020-02-13 19:13:46.754 Backup Completed [email protected] Message "1/20/2020 10:52:01
PM +01:00" "Welcome!"
2020-02-13 19:16:14.196 Backup Completed [email protected] Contact "John Smith"
2020-02-13 19:14:48.847 Backup Completed [email protected] Event "Monday meeting"
2020-02-13 19:18:22.544 Backup Failed [email protected] OneDrive "my_folder
\inventory.pdf"
2020-02-13 19:15:27.805 Restore Completed [email protected] OneDrive
"my_new_document.pdf" "my_new_document__2020-02-11_19_15.pdf"
2020-02-13 19:22:28.238 Backup Failed [email protected] OneDrive "my_folder\inv
\inventory.pdf"

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 281


Backing up Office 365 data
After your Office 365 organization is registered with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, you can apply a service
level agreement (SLA) policy to start protecting the Office 365 data.

Procedure
1. In the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus navigation pane, expand Manage Protection > Applications >
Office 365.
2. Select the checkbox for the organization.
3. Click Select an SLA policy and choose an SLA policy.
For more information about SLA policies, see “Create backup policies” on page 93.
4. Save your choice. To define a new SLA or to edit an existing policy with custom retention periods or
backup frequency rates, click Manage Protection > Policy Overview. In the "SLA policies" pane, click
Add SLA Policy, and define policy preferences.
5. To run the policy outside the scheduled job, take the following actions.
a. To back up all organization data, select the checkbox for the organization.
b. To back up data from an account, click Organization and select the checkbox for the user name that
is associated with the account.
c. To back up email, calendars, contacts, or OneDrive data for an account, click Organization, and then
click the user name and select the checkbox for the email, calendar, contacts, or OneDrive to back
up.
6. Click Run. The status changes to running for your chosen SLA and you can follow the progress of the
job in the log.

Incremental forever backup for Office 365


IBM Spectrum Protect Plus provides a backup strategy called incremental forever. Rather than scheduling
periodic full backup jobs, this backup solution requires only one initial full backup. Afterward, an ongoing
sequence of incremental backup jobs occurs.
The incremental forever backup solution provides the following advantages:
• Reduces the amount of data that goes across the network
• Reduces data growth because all incremental backups contain only the objects that are new or changed
since the previous backup
• Reduces the duration of backup jobs
The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus incremental forever process includes the following steps:
1. The first backup job backs up all data from selected Office 365 accounts.
2. All subsequent backup jobs back up only new or changed data from the selected accounts.

Restoring Office 365 data


You can restore Office 365 data from backup copies on vSnap servers or remote storage. When you are
ready to restore a mailbox to Office 365, you can complete the task in IBM Spectrum Protect™ Plus.

Before you begin


At least one Office 365 backup job must have run successfully. For instructions about setting up a backup
job, see “Backing up Office 365 data” on page 282.

About this task


The following restore modes are supported:
• Restore data to the original account
• Restore data to another account

282 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


• Restore data to a specified path

Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, expand Manage Protection > Applications > Office 365.
2. Click Create job.
3. Select Snapshot restore.
4. In the Select source pane, complete the following steps:
a) Click a source in the list to display the data that can be restored for the selected organization. You
can also use the search function to search for available data and toggle the displayed data by using
the View filter.

b) To select data to restore, click the Add to restore list icon next to the data. You can select more
than one item from the list. The selected items are added to the restore list. To remove an item
from the source list, click the Remove from restore list icon next to the data.
c) Click Next to continue.
5. On the "Source snapshot" page, select the restore type and the time when the data to be restored was
backed up. Then, click Next to continue.
6. On the "Select destination" page, complete the following fields, and click Next to continue.
Option Description
Select a destination Select the location to which data must be restored:
Restore to original account
Restores data to the original Office 365 account
Restore to another account
Restores data to another Office 365 account

Restore Path Restores data to selected directory path in the Office 365 account
7. On the Job options page, if you want to run restore operations in parallel streams, specify a value in
the Max Parallel Streams field. Then, click Next to continue.
8. On the Review page, review your restore job settings.
9. To start the restore job, click Submit.

Results
A few moments after you click Submit, the on-demand restore job is added to the Running Jobs tab on
the Jobs and Operations page. You can click the job record to display the details of the operation. You can
also download the zipped log file by clicking Download.zip.
The account name for the restored data can be found in the log file for the restore operation. To locate the
logs for a restore operation, in the navigation pane, click Jobs and Operations and then click the Running
Jobs tab.

Backing up and restoring Oracle data


To protect Oracle content, first register the Oracle instance so that IBM Spectrum Protect Plus recognizes
it. Then create jobs for backup and restore operations.
Ensure that your Oracle environment meets the system requirements in “Oracle Server database backup
and restore requirements” on page 45.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 283


Adding an Oracle application server
When an Oracle application server is added, an inventory of the instances and databases that are
associated with the application server is captured and added to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. This process
enables you to complete backup and restore jobs, as well as run reports.

Procedure
To register an Oracle application server, complete the following steps.
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Applications > Oracle > Backup.
2. Click Manage Application Servers.
3. Click Add Application Server to add the host machine.
4. In the Application Properties pane, enter the host address.
The host address is a resolvable IP address, or a resolvable path and machine name.
5. Select User or SSH key.
Option Description
User Click this option to specify an existing user or enter a user ID and password. The user
must have sudo privileges set up. Populate the fields as follows:
Use existing user
Select this check box to use a previously entered user name and password for the
application server. Select a user name from the Select user list.
UserID
Enter your user name for the application server. If the virtual machine is attached
to a domain, the user identity follows the default domain\name format. If the
user is a local administrator, use the local_administrator format.
For Kerberos-based authentication only, the user identity must be specified in the
username@FQDN format. The user name must be able to authenticate using the
registered password to obtain a ticket-granting ticket (TGT) from the key
distribution center (KDC) on the domain that is specified by the fully qualified
domain name.
Password
Enter your password for the application server.

SSH Key Click this option to use an SSH key. Select a key from the Select a SSH key list.
6. To protect multithreaded databases in Oracle 12c and later versions, provide credentials for the
databases:
a) Click Get databases to detect and list the Oracle databases on the host server that you are adding.
Each Oracle database is listed with its name, status, and an indication of whether credentials were
previously specified for the database.
b) For each multithreaded database that you want to protect, click Set Credential and specify the
user ID and password. Alternatively, you can select an existing user from the Select user list.
You must specify the credentials of an Oracle database user who has SYSDBA privileges.
7. In Maximum concurrent databases, set the maximum number of databases to back up concurrently
on the server.
Server performance is impacted when many databases are backed up concurrently, as each database
utilizes multiple threads and consumes bandwidth when copying data. Use this option to control the
impact on server resources and minimize the impact on production operations.
8. Click Save. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus confirms a network connection, adds the application server to
the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus database, and then catalogs the instance.
If a message appears indicating that the connection is unsuccessful, review your entries. If your
entries are correct and the connection is unsuccessful, contact a system administrator to review the
connections.

284 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


What to do next
After you add the Oracle application server, complete the following action:

Action How to
Assign user permissions to the application server. See “Creating a role” on page 370.

Related concepts
“Managing user access” on page 365
By using role-based access control, you can set the resources and permissions available to IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus user accounts.
Related tasks
“Backing up Oracle data” on page 285
Use a backup job to back up Oracle environments with snapshots.
“Restoring Oracle data” on page 288
Use a restore job to restore an Oracle environment from snapshots. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus creates a
vSnap clone from the version that is selected during the job definition creation and creates a Network
Files System (NFS) share. The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent then mounts the share on the Oracle
server where the restore job is to be run. For Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC), the restore job is run
on all nodes in the cluster.

Detecting Oracle resources


Oracle resources are automatically detected after the application server is added to IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus. However, you can run an inventory job to detect any changes that occurred since the
application server was added.

Procedure
To run an inventory job, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Applications > Oracle > Backup.
2. In the list of Oracle instances, select an instance or click the link for the instance to navigate to the
resource that you want. For example, if you want to run an inventory job for an individual database in
the instance, click the instance link and then select a virtual machine.
3. Click Run Inventory.

Testing connection to an Oracle application server


You can test the connection to an Oracle host. The test function verifies communication with the host and
tests DNS settings between the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance and the host.

Procedure
To test the connection, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Applications > Oracle > Backup.
2. Click Manage Application Servers.
3. In the list of hosts, click Test in the Actions menu for the host.

Backing up Oracle data


Use a backup job to back up Oracle environments with snapshots.

Before you begin


Review the following information:
• To ensure that file system permissions are retained correctly when IBM Spectrum Protect Plus moves
Oracle data between servers, ensure that the user and group IDs of the Oracle users (for example,
oracle, oinstall, dba) are consistent across all the servers. Refer to Oracle documentation for
recommended uid and gid values.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 285


• If an Oracle Inventory job runs at the same time or short period after an Oracle backup job, copy errors
might occur because of temporary mounts that are created during the backup job. As a best practice,
schedule Oracle Inventory jobs so that they do not overlap with Oracle backup jobs.
• Avoid configuring log backup for a single Oracle database by using multiple backup jobs. If a single
Oracle database is added to multiple job definitions with log backup enabled, a log backup from one job
could truncate a log before it is backed up by the next job. This might cause point-in-time restore jobs
to fail.
• Avoid scheduling log backups at the same time as an SLA backup job for the same Oracle database. If a
log backup occurs at the same time as the backup task of an SLA backup, the SLA backup job may fail.
Additionally, ad-hoc backups should not be started if they will run at the same time as scheduled log
backups.
• Point-in-time recovery is not supported when one or more data files are added to the database in the
period between the chosen point-in-time and the time that the preceding backup job ran.
Take the following actions:
• Before an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user can implement backup and restore operations, roles and
resource groups must be assigned to the user. Grant users access to resources and backup and restore
operations through the Accounts pane. For more information, see Chapter 15, “Managing user access,”
on page 365.
• Register the providers that you want to back up. For more information, see “Adding an Oracle
application server” on page 284.
• Configure SLA policies. For more information, see “Create backup policies” on page 93.

About this task


During the initial base backup, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus creates a vSnap volume and an NFS share.
During incremental backups, the previously created volume is reused. The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
agent mounts the share on the Oracle server where the backup is to be completed.
In the case of Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC), the backup is completed from any one node in the
cluster. When the backup job is completed, the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent unmounts the share
from the Oracle server and creates a vSnap snapshot of the backup volume.
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus can protect multithreaded databases in Oracle 12c and later versions. For
instructions about enabling IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to protect multithreaded databases, see “Adding
an Oracle application server” on page 284.

Procedure
To define an Oracle backup job, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Applications > Oracle.
2. Select Oracle homes, databases, and ASM diskgroups to back up. Use the search function to search for
available instances.
3. Click Select an SLA Policy to add one or more SLA policies that meet your backup data criteria to the
job definition.
4. To create the job definition by using default options, click Save.
The job runs as defined by the SLA policies that you selected. To run the job manually, click Jobs and
Operations > Schedule. Select the job and click Actions > Start.
Tip: When the job for the selected SLA policy runs, all resources that are associated with that SLA
policy are included in the backup operation. To back up only selected resources, you can run an on-
demand job. An on-demand job runs the backup operation immediately.
• To run an on-demand backup job for a single resource, select the resource and click Run. If the
resource is not associated with an SLA policy, the Run button is not available.
• To run an on-demand backup job for one or more resources, click Create job, select Ad hoc backup,
and follow the instructions in “Running an ad hoc backup job” on page 351.

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5. To edit options before you create the job definition, click Select Options. Set the job definition options.
Enable Log Backup
Enable Log Backup must be selected to allow for Oracle point-in-time restore.
Select Enable Log Backup to permit IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to automatically create a log backup
volume and mount it to the application server. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus then automatically
discovers the location of the existing primary archived log and uses cron to configure a scheduled job.
The scheduled job completes a transaction log backup from the primary location to that log backup
volume at the frequency specified through the Frequency setting.
If an on-demand job runs with the Enable Log Backup option enabled, log backup occurs. However,
when the job runs again on a schedule, the option is disabled for that job run to prevent possible
missing segments in the chain of backups.
The Frequency can be set to a value independent of the database backup frequency specified in the
SLA Policy settings. For example, the SLA Policy may be configured to back up the database once per
day while the log backup frequency could be set to once per 30 minutes.
For Oracle RAC, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus mounts the volume and configures the cron job on each of
the cluster nodes. When the schedule is triggered, the jobs internally coordinate to ensure that any
one active node completes the log backup and the other nodes take no action.
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus automatically manages the retention of logs in its own log backup volume
based on the retention settings in the SLA policy.
Select Truncate source logs after successful backup to automatically delete older archived logs from
the database’s primary archived log location. If the option is cleared, archived logs on the primary log
destination are not deleted, and Database Administrators must continue to manage those logs using
their existing log retention policies. If the option is selected, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus deletes older
unneeded archived logs from the primary log location at the end of every successful database backup.
When the option Truncate source logs after successful backup is selected, set the retention of
primary logs through the Primary log retention in days setting. This setting controls the quantity of
archived logs that are retained in the primary archived log locations. For example, if Primary log
retention in days is set to 3, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus deletes all archived logs older than three days
from the primary archived log location at the end of every successful database backup.
Maximum Parallel Streams per Database
Set the maximum data stream per database to the backup storage. This setting applies to each
database in the job definition. Multiple databases can be backed up in parallel if the value of the option
is set to 1. Multiple parallel streams might improve backup speed, but high bandwidth consumption
might affect overall system performance.
6. When you are satisfied that the job-specific information is correct, click Save.
7. To configure additional options, click the Policy Options field that is associated with the job in the SLA
Policy Status section. Set the additional policy options:
Pre-scripts and Post-scripts
Run a pre-script or a post-script. Pre-scripts and post-scripts are scripts that can be run before or after
a job runs at the job level. Windows-based machines support Batch and PowerShell scripts while
Linux-based machines support shell scripts.
In the Pre-script or Post-script section, select an uploaded script and an application or script server
where the script will run. To select an application server where the script will run, clear the Use Script
Server check box. Scripts and script servers are configured through the System Configuration >
Script page.
To continue running the job if the script associated with the job fails, select Continue job/task on
script error.
When this option is enabled, if a pre-script or post-script completes processing with a non-zero return
code, the backup or restore operation is attempted and the pre-script task status is reported as

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 287


COMPLETED. If a post-script completes with a non-zero return code, the post-script task status is
reported as COMPLETED.
When this option is disabled, the backup or restore is not attempted, and the pre-script or post-script
task status is reported as FAILED.
Exclude Resources
Exclude specific resources from the backup job through single or multiple exclusion patterns.
Resources can be excluded through an exact match or with wildcard asterisks specified before the
pattern (*test) or after the pattern (test*).
Multiple asterisk wildcards are also supported in a single pattern. Patterns support standard
alphanumeric characters as well as the following special characters: - _ and *.
Separate multiple filters with a semicolon.
Force Full Backup of Resources
Force base backup operations for specific virtual machines or databases in the backup job definition.
Separate multiple resources with a semicolon.

What to do next
After you create the backup job definition, complete the following action:

Action How to
Create an Oracle Restore job definition. See “Restoring Oracle data” on page 288.

Related concepts
“Configuring scripts for backup and restore operations” on page 352
Prescripts and postscripts are scripts that can be run before or after backup and restore jobs run at the
job level. Supported scripts include shell scripts for Linux-based machines and batch and PowerShell
scripts for Windows-based machines. Scripts are created locally, uploaded to your environment through
the Script page, and then applied to job definitions.

Restoring Oracle data


Use a restore job to restore an Oracle environment from snapshots. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus creates a
vSnap clone from the version that is selected during the job definition creation and creates a Network
Files System (NFS) share. The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent then mounts the share on the Oracle
server where the restore job is to be run. For Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC), the restore job is run
on all nodes in the cluster.

Before you begin


Complete the following prerequisites:
• Create and run an Oracle backup job. For instructions, see “Backing up Oracle data” on page 285.
• Before an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user can restore data, the appropriate roles and resource groups
must be assigned to the user. Grant users access to resources and backup and restore operations by
using the Accounts pane. For instructions, see Chapter 15, “Managing user access,” on page 365.
Review the following restrictions:
• Point-in-time recovery is not supported if one or more data files were added to the database in the
period between the chosen point in time and the time that the preceding backup job ran.
• If an Oracle database is mounted but not opened during a backup job, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
cannot determine the database tempfile settings that are related to autoextensibility and
maximum size. When a database is restored from this restore point, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus cannot
re-create the tempfiles with the original settings because they are unknown. Instead, tempfiles
are created with default settings, AUTOEXTEND ON and MAXSIZE 32767M. After the restore job is
completed, you can manually update the settings.

288 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


• When restoring from a IBM Spectrum Protect archive, files will be migrated to a staging pool from the
tape prior to the job beginning. Depending on the size of the restore, this process could take several
hours.

About this task


The following restore modes are supported:
Instant access mode
In instant access mode, no further action is taken after mounting the share. Users can complete any
custom recovery by using the files in the vSnap volume.
Test mode
In test mode, the agent creates a new database by using the data files directly from the vSnap
volume.
Production mode
In production mode, the agent first restores the files from the vSnap volume back to primary storage
and then creates the new database by using the restored files.

Procedure
To define an Oracle restore job, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Applications > Oracle > Create job, and then
select Snapshot restore to open the "Snapshot restore" wizard.
Tips:
• You can also open the wizard by clicking Jobs and Operations > Create job > Snapshot restore >
Oracle.
• For a running summary of your selections in the wizard, click Preview Restore in the navigation
pane in the wizard.
• The wizard is opened in the default setup mode. To run the wizard in advanced setup mode, select
Advanced Setup. With advanced setup mode, you can set more options for your restore job.
2. On the Select source page, take the following actions:
a) Click a source in the list to show the databases that are available for restore operations. You can
also use the search function to search for available instances and toggle the displayed instances
through the View filter.

b) Click the plus icon next to the database that you want to use as the source of the restore
operation. You can select more than one database from the list.
The selected sources are added to the restore list next to the database list. To remove an item
from the list, click the minus icon next to the item.
c) Click Next to continue.
3. On the Source snapshot page, select the type of restore job that you want to create:
On-demand: Snapshot
Runs a one-time restore operation. The restore job starts immediately upon the completion of the
wizard.
On-demand: Point in Time
Runs a one-time restore job from a point-in-time backup of a database. The restore job starts
immediately upon the completion of the wizard.
Recurring
Creates a repeating point-in-time restore job that runs on a schedule.
4. Complete the fields on the Source snapshot page and click Next to continue.
The fields that are shown depend on the number of items that were selected on the Select source
page and on the restore type. Some fields are also not shown until you select a related field.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 289


Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, single resource restore

Option Description
Date range Specify a range of dates to show the available snapshots within that range.
Backup storage All backups in the selected date range are listed in rows that show the time that
type the backup operation occurred and the service level agreement (SLA) policy for
the backup. Select the row that contains the backup time and SLA policy that
you want, and then take one of the following actions:
• Click the backup storage type that you want to restore from. The storage
types that are shown depend on the types that are available in your
environment and are shown in the following order:
Backup
Restores data that is backed up to a vSnap server.
Replication
Restores data that is replicated to a vSnap server.
Object Storage
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service or to a repository server.
Archive
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service archive or to a repository
server archive (tape).
• Click anywhere on the row. The first backup type that is shown sequentially
from the left of the row is selected by default. For example, if the storage
types Backup, Replication, and Archive are shown, Backup is selected by
default.

Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud resource
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, multiple resources restore; point-in-time
restore; or recurring restore

Option Description
Restore Location Select a type of location from which to restore data:
Type Site
The site to which snapshots were backed up. The site is defined in the
System Configuration > Site pane.
Cloud service
The cloud service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud service is
defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object Storage
pane.
Repository server
The repository server to which snapshots were copied. The repository
server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage >
Repository Server pane.

290 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Option Description

Cloud service archive


The cloud archive service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud
service is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object
Storage pane.
Repository server archive
The repository server to which snapshots were copied to tape. The
repository server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage
> Repository Server pane.

Select a location If you are restoring data from a site, select one of the following restore
locations:
Demo
The demonstration site from which to restore snapshots.
Primary
The primary site from which to restore snapshots.
Secondary
The secondary site from which to restore snapshots.
If you are restoring data from a cloud or repository server, select a server from
the Select a location menu.

Date selector For on-demand restore operations, specify a range of dates to show the
available snapshots within that range.
Restore Point For on-demand restore operations, select a snapshot from the list of available
snapshots in the selected date range.
Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud service
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

5. On the Restore method page, set the restore job to run in test, production, or instant access mode by
default.
For test or production mode, you can optionally enter a new name for the restored database.
For production mode, you can also specify a new folder for the restored database by expanding the
database and entering a new folder name.
Click Next to continue.
After the job is created, it can be run in test, production, or instant access mode in the Job Sessions
pane.
6. On the Set destination page, specify where you want to restore the database and click Next.
Restore to original location
Select this option to restore the database to the original server.
Restore to alternate location
Select this option to restore the database to a local destination that is different from the original
server, and then select the alternative location from the list of available servers.
7. On the Job options page, configure additional options for the restore job and click Next to continue.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 291


Recovery Options
Set the following point-in-time recovery options:
Recover until end of backup
Restore the selected database to the state at the time that the backup was created.
Recover until specific point in time
When log backup is enabled by using an Oracle Backup job definition, point-in-time restore
options will be available when you create an Oracle Restore job definition. Select one of the
following options, and then click Save:
• By Time. Select this option to configure a point-in-time recovery from a specific date and
time.
• By SCN. Select this option to configure a point-in-time recovery by System Change Number
(SCN).
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus finds the restore points that directly proceed and follow the selected
point in time. During the recovery, the older data backup volume and the newer log backup
volume are mounted. If the point in time occurred after the last backup, a temporary restore
point is created.
Application Options
Set the application options:
Overwrite existing database
Enable this option to allow the restore job to overwrite the selected database. By default, this
option is not selected.
Maximum Parallel Streams per Database
Set the maximum number of parallel data stream from the backup storage per database. This
setting applies to each database in the job definition. If the value of the option is set to 1,
multiple databases can still be restored in parallel. Multiple parallel streams might improve
restore speed, but high bandwidth consumption might affect overall system performance.
This option is applicable only when you are restoring an Oracle database to its original
location by using its original database name.
Init Params
This option controls the initialization parameters that are used to start the recovered
database in Oracle test and production workflows.
Source. This option is the default. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus uses the same initialization
parameters as the source database, but with the following changes:
• Parameters that contain paths such as control_files, db_recovery_file_dest, or
log_archive_dest_* are updated to reflect the new paths based on the renamed mount
points of the recovered volumes.
• Parameters such as audit_file_dest and diagnostic_dest are updated to point to
the appropriate location under the Oracle base directory on the destination server if the
path differs from the source server.
• If a new name is specified for the database, the db_name and db_unique_name
parameters are updated to reflect the new name.
• Cluster-related parameters such as instance_number, thread, and
cluster_database are set automatically by IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, depending on
the appropriate values for the destination.
Target. Customize the initialization parameters by specifying a template file that contains the
initialization parameters that are used by IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.

292 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


The specified path must point to a plain text file that exists on the destination server and is
readable by the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user. The file must be in Oracle pfile format,
consisting of lines in the following format:

name = value

Comments that begin with the # character are ignored.


IBM Spectrum Protect Plus reads the template pfile and copies the entries to the new
pfile that is used to start the recovered database. However, the following parameters in the
template are ignored. Instead, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus sets their values to reflect
appropriate values from the source database or to reflect new paths based on the renamed
mount points of the recovered volumes.
• control_files
• db_block_size
• db_create_file_dest
• db_recovery_file_dest
• log_archive_dest
• spfile
• undo_tablespace
Additionally, cluster-related parameters like instance_number, thread, and
cluster_database are set automatically by IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, depending on the
appropriate values for the destination.
Advanced Options
Set the advanced job definition options:
Run cleanup immediately on job failure
Enable this option to automatically clean up allocated resources as part of a restore operation
if the recovery fails.
Allow session overwrite
Select this option to replace an existing database with a database of the same name during
recovery. When an Instant Disk Restore is performed for a database and another database
with the same name is already running on the destination host or cluster, IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus shuts down the existing database before starting up the recovered database. If
this option is not selected, the restore job fails when IBM Spectrum Protect Plus detects a
running database with the same name.
Continue with restores of other databases even if one fails
Toggle the recovery of a resource in a series if the previous resource recovery fails. If this
option is not enabled, the restore job stops if the recovery of a resource fails.
Protocol Priority (Instant access only)
If more than one storage protocol is available, select the protocol to take priority in the job.
The available protocols are iSCSI and Fibre Channel.
Mount Point Prefix
For instant access restore operations, specify the prefix for the path where the mount point is
to be directed.
8. Optional: On the Apply scripts page, specify scripts that can be run before or after an operation runs
at the job level. Batch and PowerShell scripts are supported on Windows operating systems, and
shell scripts are supported on Linux operating systems.
Pre-Script
Select this check box to choose an uploaded script and an application or script server where the
pre-script will run. To select an application server where the pre-script will run, clear the Use
Script Server check box. Scripts and script servers are configured on the System Configuration
> Script page.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 293


Post-Script
Select this check box to choose an uploaded script and an application or script server where the
post-script will run. To select an application server where the post-script will run, clear the Use
Script Server check box. Scripts and script servers are configured on the System Configuration
> Script page.
Continue job/task on script error
Select this check box to continue running the job if the script that is associated with the job fails.
When you select this check box, if a pre-script or post-script completes processing with a
nonzero return code, the backup or restore operation is attempted and the pre-script task status
is reported as COMPLETED. If a post-script completes processing with a nonzero return code, the
post-script task status is reported as COMPLETED.
If you clear this check box, the backup or restore is not attempted, and the pre-script or post-
script task status is reported as FAILED.
9. Take one of the following actions on the Schedule page:
• If you are running an on-demand job, click Next.
• If you are setting up a recurring job, enter a name for the job schedule, and specify how often and
when to start the restore job. Click Next.
10. On the Review page, review your restore job settings and click Submit to create the job.

Results
An on-demand job begins after you click Submit, and the onDemandRestore record is added to the Job
Sessions pane shortly. To view the progress of the restore operation, expand the job. You can also

download the log file by clicking the download icon .


A recurring job will begin at the scheduled start time when you start the schedule in the Jobs and
Operations > Schedule page.
All running jobs are viewable in the Jobs and Operations > Running Jobs page.

What to do next
Oracle databases are always restored in non-multithreaded mode. If the databases that you restored
were originally in multithreaded mode, after the restore operation is completed, you must manually
configure credentials and switch the databases to the multithreaded mode.
Related concepts
“Configuring scripts for backup and restore operations” on page 352
Prescripts and postscripts are scripts that can be run before or after backup and restore jobs run at the
job level. Supported scripts include shell scripts for Linux-based machines and batch and PowerShell
scripts for Windows-based machines. Scripts are created locally, uploaded to your environment through
the Script page, and then applied to job definitions.
Related tasks
“Adding an Oracle application server” on page 284

294 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


When an Oracle application server is added, an inventory of the instances and databases that are
associated with the application server is captured and added to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. This process
enables you to complete backup and restore jobs, as well as run reports.

Backing up and restoring SQL Server data


To protect content on a SQL Server server, first register the SQL Server instance so that IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus recognizes it. Then create jobs for backup and restore operations.

System requirements
Ensure that your SQL Server environment meets the system requirements in “Microsoft SQL Server
database backup and restore requirements” on page 49.

Registration and authentication


Register each SQL Server server in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus by name or IP address. When registering a
SQL Server Cluster (AlwaysOn) node, register each node by name or IP address. Note that the IP
addresses must be public-facing and listening on port 5985. The fully qualified domain name and virtual
machine node DNS name must be resolvable and route-able from the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
appliance.
The user identity must have sufficient rights to install and start the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Tools
Service on the node, including the Log on as a service right. For more information about this right, see
Add the Log on as a service Right to an Account.
The default security policy uses the Windows NTLM protocol, and the user identity format follows the
default domain\name format.
When you are using Windows group policy objects (GPO), the group policy object setting, Network
security: LAN Manager authentication level must be set correctly. Set it with one of the following
options:
• Not Defined
• Send NTLMv2 response only
• Send NTLMv2 response only. Refuse LM
• Send NTLMv2 response only. Refuse LM & NTLM

Kerberos requirements
Kerberos-based authentication can be enabled through a configuration file on the IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus appliance. This will override the default Windows NTLM protocol.
For Kerberos-based authentication only, the user identity must be specified in the username@FQDN
format. The username must be able to authenticate using the registered password to obtain a ticket-
granting ticket (TGT) from the key distribution center (KDC) on the domain specified by the fully qualified
domain name.
Kerberos authentication also requires that the clock skew between the Domain Controller and the IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus appliance is less than five minutes.
The default Windows NTLM protocol is not time dependent.

Privileges
On the SQL Server server, the system login credential must have public and sysadmin permissions
enabled, plus permission to access cluster resources in a SQL Server AlwaysOn environment. If one user
account is used for all SQL Server functions, a Windows login must be enabled for the SQL Server server,
with public and sysadmin permissions enabled.
Every Microsoft SQL Server host can use a specific user account to access the resources of that particular
SQL Server instance.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 295


To complete log backup operations, the SQL Server user registered with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus must
have the sysadmin permission enabled to manage SQL Server agent jobs.
The Windows Task Scheduler is used to schedule log backups. Depending on a the environment, users
may receive the following error: A specified logon session does not exist. It may
already have been terminated. This is because of a Network access Group Policy setting that
needs to be disabled. For more information on how to disable this GPO, please see the following Microsoft
Support article: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/968264/error-message-when-you-try-to-
map-to-a-network-drive-of-a-dfs-share-by

Adding an SQL Server application server


When an SQL Server application server is added, an inventory of the instances and databases that are
associated with the application server is captured and added to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. This process
enables you to complete backup and restore jobs, as well as run reports.

Procedure
To add an SQL Server host, complete the following steps.
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Applications > SQL > Backup.
2. Click Manage Application Servers.
3. Click Add Application Server.
4. Populate the fields in the Application Properties pane:
Host Address
Enter the resolvable IP address or a resolvable path and machine name.
Use existing user
Enable to select a previously entered user name and password for the provider.
UserID
Enter your user name for the provider. The user identity follows the default domain\name format if
the virtual machine is attached to a domain. The format local _administrator is used if the user
is a local administrator.
For Kerberos-based authentication only, the user identity must be specified in the username@FQDN
format. The user name must be able to authenticate using the registered password to obtain a ticket-
granting ticket (TGT) from the key distribution center (KDC) on the domain that is specified by the fully
qualified domain name.
Password
Enter your password for the provider.
Maximum concurrent databases
Set the maximum number of databases to back up concurrently on the server. Server performance is
impacted when backing up a large number of databases concurrently, as each database utilizes
multiple threads and consumes bandwidth when copying data. Use this option to control the impact on
server resources and minimize the impact on production operations.
5. Click Save. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus confirms a network connection, adds the application server to
the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus database, and then catalogs the instance.
If a message appears indicating that the connection is unsuccessful, review your entries. If your
entries are correct and the connection is unsuccessful, contact a system administrator to review the
connections.

What to do next
After you add the SQL Server application server, complete the following action:

296 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Action How to
Assign user permissions to the application server. See “Creating a role” on page 370.

Related concepts
“Managing user access” on page 365
By using role-based access control, you can set the resources and permissions available to IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus user accounts.
Related tasks
“Backing up SQL Server data” on page 297
Use a backup job to back up SQL Server environments with snapshots.
“Restoring SQL Server data” on page 301
Use a restore job to restore a Microsoft SQL Server environment from snapshots. After you run IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus Instant Disk Restore jobs, your SQL Server clones can be used immediately. IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus catalogs and tracks all cloned instances.

Detecting SQL Server resources


SQL Server resources are automatically detected after the application server is added to IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus. However, you can run an inventory job to detect any changes that occurred since the
application server was added.

Procedure
To run an inventory job, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Applications > SQL > Backup.
2. In the list of SQL Server instances, select an instance or click the link for the instance to navigate to the
resource that you want. For example, if you want to run an inventory job for an individual database in
the instance, click the instance link and then select a virtual machine.
3. Click Run Inventory.

Testing the connection to a SQL Server application server


You can test the connection to a SQL Server host. The test function verifies communication with the host
and tests DNS settings between the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance and the host.

Procedure
To test the connection, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Applications > SQL > Backup.
2. Click Manage Application Servers.
3. In the list of hosts, click Test in the Actions menu for the host.

Backing up SQL Server data


Use a backup job to back up SQL Server environments with snapshots.

Before you begin


During the initial base backup, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus creates a vSnap LUN volume and creates an
NTFS share on that iSCSI LUN. During incremental backups, the previously created volume is reused. The
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent maps the LUN to the SQL Server server and mounts the NTFS volume to
where the backup is completed. If log backups are enabled, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus creates a
separate vSnap volume and creates a CIFS on that volume. Log backup transaction files are copied to this
share according to the schedule created for log backup.
When the backup job is completed, the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus agent unmounts the share from the
SQL Server server and creates a vSnap snapshot of the backup volume.
Review the following information:

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 297


• Before an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user can implement backup and restore operations, roles and
resource groups must be assigned to the user. Grant users access to resources and backup and restore
operations through the Accounts pane. For more information, see Chapter 15, “Managing user access,”
on page 365.
• Microsoft iSCSI Initiator must be enabled and running on the Windows server. An iSCSI route must be
enabled between the SQL system and vSnap server. For more information, see Microsoft iSCSI Initiator
Step-by-Step Guide.
• IBM Spectrum Protect Plus does not support log backup of Simple recovery models.
• Failover of an SQL cluster instance during backup is not supported.
• If you plan to back up a large number of databases, you might have to increase the number of maximum
worker threads on each associated SQL Server instance to ensure that backup jobs are completed
successfully. The default value for maximum worker threads is 0. The server automatically determines
the maximum worker threads value based on the number of processors available to the server. SQL
Server uses the threads from this pool for network connections, database checkpoints, and queries.
Additionally, a backup of each database requires one additional thread from this pool. If you have a
large number of databases in a backup job, the default max worker threads might not be enough to back
up all of the databases and the job will fail. For more information about increasing the maximum worker
threads option, see Configure the max worker threads Server Configuration Option.
• SQL databases from test restores are not eligible for backup operations. As a result, SQL databases that
are a product of a test restore cannot be selected for backup nor will they selectable in an SLA. Finally,
if an SLA association is at the instance level, any SQL databases from test restores will be skipped
during backup operations.
• IBM Spectrum Protect Plus supports database backups and transaction log backups. The product name
is populated in the msdb.dbo.backupset for records created by backups initiated from IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus.
• For more information about log backups for SQL, see “Log backups” on page 300.
Note: Due to limitations with the Volume Shadow Copy Services (VSS) framework, leading spaces, trailing
spaces, and unprintable characters should not be used in database names. For more information, see
https://support.microsoft.com/en-sg/help/2014054/backing-up-a-sql-server-database-using-a-vss-
backup-application-may-fa
Take the following actions:
• Register the SQL Servers that you want to back up. For more information, see “Adding an SQL Server
application server” on page 296.
• Configure SLA policies. For more information, see “Create backup policies” on page 93.
• Before you set up and run SQL backup jobs, configure the Shadow Copy storage settings for the
volumes where your SQL databases are located. This setting is configured one time for each volume. If
new databases are added to the job, the setting must be configured for any new volumes that contain
SQL databases. In Windows Explorer, right-click the source volume and select the Shadow Copies tab.
Set the Maximum size to No limit or a reasonable size based on the source volume size and I/O
activities, and then click OK. The shadow copy storage area must be on the same volume or another
available volume during backup job.

Procedure
To define an SQL backup job, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Applications > SQL.
2. Select an SQL Server instance to back up.
Use the search function to search for available instances and toggle the displayed instances through
the View filter. The available options are Standalone/Failover Cluster and Always On.
3. Click Select an SLA Policy to add one or more SLA policies that meet your backup data criteria to the
job definition.
4. To create the job definition by using default options, click Save.

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The job runs as defined by the SLA policies that you selected. To run the job manually, click Jobs and
Operations > Schedule. Select the job and click Actions > Start.
Tip: When the job for the selected SLA policy runs, all resources that are associated with that SLA
policy are included in the backup operation. To back up only selected resources, you can run an on-
demand job. An on-demand job runs the backup operation immediately.
• To run an on-demand backup job for a single resource, select the resource and click Run. If the
resource is not associated with an SLA policy, the Run button is not available.
• To run an on-demand backup job for one or more resources, click Create job, select Ad hoc backup,
and follow the instructions in “Running an ad hoc backup job” on page 351.
5. Click Select Options to specify more options before you save the backup job.
Enable Log Backup
Select this option to enable the backing up of transaction logs. These logs are used for recovery
options such as point-in-time restore operations. If log backups are enabled for your backup jobs,
transactions are continuously logged during the backup time. Notification is sent if any discontinuity is
detected in log file backups.
To enable log backup schedule creation for multiple databases on the same SQL Server instance,
ensure that all databases are added to the same SLA policy. A staging area for the process of log
backing up is not required.
If an on-demand job runs with the Enable Log Backup option enabled, log backup occurs. However,
when the job runs again on a schedule, the option is disabled for that job run to prevent possible
missing segments in the chain of backups.
Select one of the following options:
Back up database files one at a time using parallel streams Select this option to use parallel
streams to back up your databases sequentially.
Back up database files in parallel using parallel streams Select this option to use parallel streams to
backup your databases in parallel.
Finally, set the Maximum Parallel Streams per Database by selecting the maximum number of data
streams to be used per database during the backing up process. This setting applies to each database
in the job definition. Multiple databases can be backed up in parallel if the value of the option is set to
1. Specifying Multiple parallel streams can improve backup speed in some cases.
6. Click Save to save the options for your backup jobs.
The job runs as defined by your SLA policy, or can be run manually from the Job and Operations
window.
7. To configure more options, click the Policy Options field that is associated with the job in the SLA
Policy Status section. Set the additional policy options:
Pre-scripts and post-scripts
Run a pre-script or a post-script. Pre-scripts and post-scripts are scripts that can be run before or after
a job runs. Batch and PowerShell scripts are supported.
In the Pre-script or Post-script section, select an uploaded script and an application or script server
where the script is due to run. To select an application server where the script runs, clear the Use
Script Server check box. Scripts and script servers are configured on the System Configuration >
Script page.
To continue running the job if the script associated with the job fails, select Continue job/task on
script error.
When this option is enabled, if a pre-script or post-script finishes processing with a nonzero return
code, the backup or restore operation is attempted and the pre-script task status is reported as
COMPLETED. If a post-script completes with a nonzero return code, the post-script task status is
reported as COMPLETED.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 299


When this option is not enabled, the backup or restore is not attempted, and the pre-script or post-
script task status is reported as FAILED.
Exclude Resources
Exclude specific resources from the backup job through single or multiple exclusion patterns.
Resources can be excluded through an exact match or with wildcard asterisks specified before the
pattern (*test) or after the pattern (test*).
Multiple asterisk wildcards are also supported in a single pattern. Patterns support standard
alphanumeric characters in addition to the following special characters: - _ and *.
Separate multiple filters with a semicolon.
Force Full Backup of Resources
Force base backups operations for specific virtual machines or databases in the backup job definition.
Separate multiple resources with a semicolon.
8. To save any additional options that you configured, click Save.

What to do next
After you create the backup job definition, complete the following action:

Action How to
Create an SQL Restore job definition. See “Restoring SQL Server data” on page 301.

Related concepts
“Configuring scripts for backup and restore operations” on page 352
Prescripts and postscripts are scripts that can be run before or after backup and restore jobs run at the
job level. Supported scripts include shell scripts for Linux-based machines and batch and PowerShell
scripts for Windows-based machines. Scripts are created locally, uploaded to your environment through
the Script page, and then applied to job definitions.
Related tasks
“Starting jobs on demand” on page 347
You can run any job on demand, even if the job is set to run on a schedule.

Log backups
Archived log files for databases contain committed transaction data. This transaction data can be used to
run a rollforward recovery process as part of a restore operation. Using archive log backups enhances the
recovery point objective for your data. Ensure that log backups are enabled in your backup jobs to allow
rollforward recovery when you restore Microsoft SQL Server data.
When you enable log backups for the first time, you must run a backup job for the SLA policy to activate
log archiving to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus on the database. This backup creates a separate volume on
the vSnap repository, and the volume is mounted persistently on the SQL application server. The volume
remains mounted on the SQL application server unless the Enable Log Backup option is cleared and a
new backup job is run. To enable log backups, follow the instructions in “Backing up SQL Server data” on
page 297.
Review the following criteria before you set up log backup operations:
• To run log backups, the SQL Server agent user must be a local Windows administrator. This user must
have sysadmin permission to manage SQL Server agent jobs. The agent uses that administrator account
to enable and access log backup jobs. For each SQL Server instance, the SQL Server agent user also
must be the user of the SQL Server service and the SQL Server agent service account. This rule is true
for every SQL Server instance to be protected.
• IBM Spectrum Protect Plus does not support log backup operations for Simple recovery models.
• Avoid configuring log backups for a single SQL database by using multiple backup jobs. Logs are
truncated during log backup operations. If a single SQL database is added to multiple job definitions

300 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


with log backup enabled, a log backup from one job will truncate a log before the next job backs it up.
This overlap might cause point-in-time restore jobs to fail.
• Before the logs are copied to the vSnap repository, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus uses the backup folder
that is configured for the SQL Server instance as the staging area to collect logs. The volume where this
folder is located must have sufficient space to contain the transaction logs between backup jobs. The
staging area can be modified by changing the backup folder configuration in SQL Server Management
Studio (SSMS).
• SQL databases that result from test restore operations are not eligible for backup operations. As a
result, SQL databases that are a product of a test restore cannot be selected for backup nor will they
selectable in an SLA. Finally, if an SLA association is at the instance level, any SQL databases from test
restores are skipped during backup operations.
• IBM Spectrum Protect Plus supports database backups and transaction log backups. The product name
is populated in the msdb.dbo.backupset for records that are created by backups that are initiated
from IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
• IBM Spectrum Protect Plus automatically truncates post log backups of databases that it backs up. If
database logs are not backed up with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, logs are not truncated and must be
managed separately.
• When an SQL backup job is completed with log backups enabled, all transaction logs up to the
completion of that job are purged from the SQL Server. Log purging occurs only if the SQL backup job is
completed successfully. If log backups are not backed up during a rerun of the job, log purging does not
occur.
• A log backup operation for a secondary SQL Server Always On database can fail with the following error:

Log backup for database 'DatabaseName' on a secondary replica failed because a


synchronization point could not be established on the primary database.

If this error occurs, change the backup preference of the availability group to Primary. Logs are then
backed up from the primary replica. After a successful log backup of the primary replica is successfully
completed, the backup preference can be changed.
• If a source database is overwritten, all previous transaction logs up to that point are placed in a
condense directory after the original database is restored. When the next run of the SQL Server backup
job is completed, the contents of the condense folder are removed.

Restoring SQL Server data


Use a restore job to restore a Microsoft SQL Server environment from snapshots. After you run IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus Instant Disk Restore jobs, your SQL Server clones can be used immediately. IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus catalogs and tracks all cloned instances.

Before you begin


Complete the following prerequisites:
• Create and run an SQL backup job. For instructions, see “Backing up SQL Server data” on page 297.
• Before an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user can restore data, the appropriate roles and resource groups
must be assigned to the user. Grant users access to resources and backup and restore operations by
using the Accounts pane. For instructions, see Chapter 15, “Managing user access,” on page 365.
• If you are planning to run a point-in-time recovery, ensure that both the restore target SQL instance
service and the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus SQL Server service use the same user account.
Review the following restrictions and considerations:
• If you are planning to run a production restore operation to an SQL Server failover cluster, the root
volume of the alternative file path must be eligible to host database and log files. The volume should
belong to the destination SQL Server cluster server resource group, and be a dependency of the SQL
Server cluster server.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 301


• You cannot restore data to an NTFS or FAT compressed volume because of SQL Server database
restrictions. For more information, see Description of support for SQL Server databases on compressed
volumes.
• If you are planning to restore data to an alternative location, the SQL Server destination must be running
the same version of SQL Server or a later version. For more information, see Compatibility Support.
• When you are restoring data to a primary instance in an SQL Always On Availability Group environment,
the database is added to the target Always On database group. After the primary restore operation, the
secondary database is seeded by the SQL server in environments where automatic seeding is supported
(Microsoft SQL Server 2016 and later). The database is then enabled on the destination availability
group. The synchronization time depends on the amount of data that is being transferred and the
connection between the primary and secondary replicas.
If automatic seeding is not supported or is not enabled, a secondary restore from the restore point with
the shortest Log Sequence Number (LSN) gap of the primary instance must be completed. Log backups
with the latest point-in-time restore point that is created by IBM Spectrum Protect Plus must be
restored if the log backup was enabled on the primary instance. The secondary database restore
operation is completed in the RESTORING state and you must issue the T-SQL command to add the
database to the target group. For more information, see https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/t-sql/
language-reference?view=sql-server-2017.
• When restoring from a IBM Spectrum Protect archive, files will be migrated to a staging pool from the
tape prior to the job beginning. Depending on the size of the restore, this process could take several
hours.
• SQL databases restored from test restores are not eligible for backups and log backups.

About this task


Instant Disk Restore uses the iSCSI protocol to immediately mount LUNs without transferring data.
Databases for which snapshots were taken are cataloged and instantly recoverable with no physical
transfer of data.
The following restore modes are supported:
Instant access mode
In instant access mode, no further action is taken after mounting the share. Users can complete any
custom recovery by using the files in the vSnap volume. An instant access restore of an Always On
database is restored to the local destination instance.
Test mode
In test mode, the agent creates a new database by using the data files directly from the vSnap
volume.
Production mode
In production mode, the agent first restores the files from the vSnap volume back to primary storage
and then creates the new database by using the restored files.

Procedure
To define an SQL restore job, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > Applications > SQL > Create job, and then select
Snapshot restore to open the "Snapshot restore" wizard.
Tips:
• You can also open the wizard by clicking Jobs and Operations > Create job > Snapshot restore >
SQL.
• For a running summary of your selections in the wizard, click Preview Restore in the navigation
pane in the wizard.
• The wizard is opened in the default setup mode. To run the wizard in advanced setup mode, select
Advanced Setup. With advanced setup mode, you can set more options for your restore job.

302 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


2. On the Select source page, take the following actions:
a) Click a source in the list to show the databases that are available for restore operations. You can
toggle the displayed sources to show either SQL Server instances in a stand-alone or cluster
environment or Always On availability groups by using the View filter.
You can also use the search function to search for databases in the instances or availability
groups.

b) Click the plus icon next to the database that you want to use as the source of the restore
operation. You can select more than one database from the list.
The selected sources are added to the restore list next to the database list. To remove an item
from the list source, click the minus icon next to the item.
c) Click Next to continue.
3. On the Source snapshot page, select the type of restore job that you want to create:
On-demand: Snapshot
Runs a one-time restore operation. The restore job starts immediately upon the completion of the
wizard.
On-demand: Point in Time
Runs a one-time restore job from a point-in-time backup of a database. The restore job starts
immediately upon the completion of the wizard.
Recurring
Creates a repeating point-in-time restore job that runs on a schedule.
4. Complete the fields on the Source snapshot page and click Next to continue.
The fields that are shown depend on the number of items that were selected on the Select source
page and on the restore type. Some fields are also not shown until you select a related field.
Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, single resource restore

Option Description
Date range Specify a range of dates to show the available snapshots within that range.
Backup storage All backups in the selected date range are listed in rows that show the time that
type the backup operation occurred and the service level agreement (SLA) policy for
the backup. Select the row that contains the backup time and SLA policy that
you want, and then take one of the following actions:
• Click the backup storage type that you want to restore from. The storage
types that are shown depend on the types that are available in your
environment and are shown in the following order:
Backup
Restores data that is backed up to a vSnap server.
Replication
Restores data that is replicated to a vSnap server.
Object Storage
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service or to a repository server.
Archive
Restores data that is copied to a cloud service archive or to a repository
server archive (tape).
• Click anywhere on the row. The first backup type that is shown sequentially
from the left of the row is selected by default. For example, if the storage
types Backup, Replication, and Archive are shown, Backup is selected by
default.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 303


Option Description
Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud resource
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

Fields that are shown for an on-demand snapshot, multiple resources restore; point-in-time
restore; or recurring restore

Option Description
Restore Location Select a type of location from which to restore data:
Type Site
The site to which snapshots were backed up. The site is defined in the
System Configuration > Site pane.
Cloud service
The cloud service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud service is
defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object Storage
pane.
Repository server
The repository server to which snapshots were copied. The repository
server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage >
Repository Server pane.
Cloud service archive
The cloud archive service to which snapshots were copied. The cloud
service is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage > Object
Storage pane.
Repository server archive
The repository server to which snapshots were copied to tape. The
repository server is defined in the System Configuration > Backup Storage
> Repository Server pane.

Select a location If you are restoring data from a site, select one of the following restore
locations:
Demo
The demonstration site from which to restore snapshots.
Primary
The primary site from which to restore snapshots.
Secondary
The secondary site from which to restore snapshots.
If you are restoring data from a cloud or repository server, select a server from
the Select a location menu.

Date selector For on-demand restore operations, specify a range of dates to show the
available snapshots within that range.
Restore Point For on-demand restore operations, select a snapshot from the list of available
snapshots in the selected date range.

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Option Description
Use alternate If you are restoring data from a cloud service or a repository server, select this
vSnap server for box to specify an alternative vSnap server, and then select a server from the
the restore job Select alternate vSnap menu.
When you restore data from a restore point that was copied to a cloud service
or repository server, a vSnap server is used as a gateway to complete the
operation. By default, the vSnap server that is used to complete the restore
operation is the same vSnap server that is used to complete the backup and
copy operations. To reduce the load on the vSnap server, you can select an
alternative vSnap server to serve as the gateway.

5. On the Restore method page, set the restore job to run in test, production, or instant access mode by
default.
For test or production mode, you can optionally enter a new name for the restored database.
For production mode, you can also specify a new folder for the restored database by expanding the
database and entering a new folder name.
Click Next to continue.
After the job is created, you can run it in test, production, or instant access mode in the Job Sessions
pane.
6. On the Set destination page, specify where you want to restore the database and click Next.
Restore to original instance
Select this option to restore the database to the original instance.
Restore to primary instance
For restore operations in an SQL Always On environment, select this option to restore the
database to the primary instance of the Always On Availability Group. The database is added back
to the group.
Restore to alternate instance
Select this option to restore the database to a local destination that is different from the original
instance, and then select the alternative location from the list of available servers.
For restore operations in an SQL Always On environment in test mode, the source availability
database is restored to the selected target instance.
For restore operations in an SQL Always On environment in production mode, the restored
database is added to the target availability group if the destination instance is a primary replica. If
the destination instance is a secondary replica of the target availability group, the database is
restored to the secondary replica and left in restoring state.
If the automatic seeding option is enabled for the destination availability group, the secondary
database file paths are synchronized with the primary database. If the primary database log is not
truncated, the secondary database can be added to the availability group by SQL.
7. On the Job options page, configure additional options for the restore job and click Next to continue.
Recovery Options
Set the following point-in-time recovery options:
No Recovery
Set the selected database to a RESTORING state. If you are managing transaction log
backups without using IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, you can manually restore log files, and
add the database to an availability group, assuming that the LSN of the secondary and
primary database copies meets the criteria.
Restriction: The No Recovery option does not support production mode restore operations
to SQL Always On groups.

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 305


Recover until end of backup
Restore the selected database to the state at the time that the backup was created.
Recover until specific point in time
When log backup is enabled by using an SQL backup job definition, point-in-time restore
options will be available when you create an SQL restore job definition. Select one of the
following options:
• By Time. Select this option to configure a point-in-time recovery from a specific date and
time.
• By Transaction ID. Select this option to configure a point-in-time recovery by transaction
ID.
In a stand-alone restore operation, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus finds the restore points that
directly proceed and follow the selected point in time. During the recovery, the older data backup
volume and the newer log backup volume are mounted. If the point in time is after the last
backup operation, a temporary restore point is created.
When you run restore operations in an SQL Always On environment in test mode, the restored
database will join the instance where the availability group resides.
When you run restore operations in an SQL Always On environment in production mode, the
restored primary database is joined to the availability group. If the automatic seeding option is
enabled for the destination availability group, the secondary database file paths are synchronized
with the primary database. If the primary database log is not truncated, the secondary database
can be added to the availability group by SQL.
Application Options
Set the application options:
Overwrite existing database
Enable the restore job to overwrite the selected database. By default, this option is not
enabled.
Tip: Before you run restore operations in an SQL Always On environment by using the
production mode with the Overwrite existing database option, ensure that the database is
not present on the replicas of the target availability group. To do so, you must manually clean
up the original databases (to be overwritten) from all replicas of the target availability group.
Maximum Parallel Streams per Database
Set the maximum number of parallel data streams from the backup storage per database.
This setting applies to each database in the job definition. If the value of the option is set to 1,
multiple databases can still be restored in parallel. Multiple parallel streams might improve
restore speed, but high bandwidth consumption might affect overall system performance.
This option is applicable only when you restore an SQL Server database to its original location
using its original database name.
Advanced Options
Set the advanced job definition options:
Run cleanup immediately on job failure
Automatically clean up allocated resources as part of a restore operation if the recovery fails.
Allow session overwrite
Select this option to replace an existing database with a database of the same name during
recovery. When an Instant Disk Restore is performed for a database and another database
with the same name is already running on the destination host or cluster, IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus shuts down the existing database before starting up the recovered database. If
this option is not selected, the restore job fails when IBM Spectrum Protect Plus detects a
running database with the same name.
Continue with restores of other databases even if one fails
Toggle the recovery of a resource in a series if the previous resource recovery fails. If this
option is not enabled, the restore job stops if the recovery of a resource fails.

306 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Protocol Priority (Instant Access only)
If more than one storage protocol is available, select the protocol to take priority in the job.
The available protocols are iSCSI and Fibre Channel.
Mount Point Prefix
For instant access restore operations, specify the prefix for the path where the mount point is
to be directed.
8. Optional: On the Apply scripts page, specify scripts that can be run before or after an operation runs
at the job level. Batch and PowerShell scripts are supported.
Pre-Script
Select this check box to choose an uploaded script and an application or script server where the
pre-script will run. To select an application server where the pre-script will run, clear the Use
Script Server check box. Scripts and script servers are configured on the System Configuration
> Script page.
Post-Script
Select this option to choose an uploaded script and an application or script server where the
post-script will run. To select an application server where the post-script will run, clear the Use
Script Server check box. Scripts and script servers are configured on the System Configuration
> Script page.
Continue job/task on script error
Select this check box to continue running the job if the script that is associated with the job fails.
When you select this check box, if a pre-script or post-script completes processing with a
nonzero return code, the backup or restore operation is attempted and the pre-script task status
is reported as COMPLETED. If a post-script completes processing with a nonzero return code, the
post-script task status is reported as COMPLETED.
If you clear this check box, the backup or restore operation is not attempted, and the pre-script
or post-script task status is reported as FAILED.
9. Take one of the following actions on the Schedule page:
• If you are running an on-demand job, click Next.
• If you are setting up a recurring job, enter a name for the job schedule, and specify how often and
when to start the restore job. Click Next.
10. On the Review page, review your restore job settings and click Submit to create the job.

Results
An on-demand job begins after you click Submit, and the onDemandRestore record is added to the Job
Sessions pane shortly. To view progress of the restore operation, expand the job. You can also download

the log file by clicking the download icon .


A recurring job will begin at the scheduled start time when you start the schedule in the Jobs and
Operations > Schedule page.
All running jobs are viewable in the Jobs and Operations > Running Jobs page.
Related concepts
“Configuring scripts for backup and restore operations” on page 352
Prescripts and postscripts are scripts that can be run before or after backup and restore jobs run at the
job level. Supported scripts include shell scripts for Linux-based machines and batch and PowerShell
scripts for Windows-based machines. Scripts are created locally, uploaded to your environment through
the Script page, and then applied to job definitions.
Related tasks
“Adding an SQL Server application server” on page 296

Chapter 10. Protecting applications 307


When an SQL Server application server is added, an inventory of the instances and databases that are
associated with the application server is captured and added to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. This process
enables you to complete backup and restore jobs, as well as run reports.
“Backing up SQL Server data” on page 297
Use a backup job to back up SQL Server environments with snapshots.

308 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Chapter 11. Protecting containers
Kubernetes Backup Support is a feature of IBM Spectrum Protect Plus that extends data protection to
containers in Kubernetes clusters. Kubernetes is a system for orchestrating containers across clusters of
hosts.

Overview of Kubernetes Backup Support


IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Kubernetes Backup Support protects persistent volumes that are attached to
containers in Kubernetes clusters. Snapshot backups of the persistent volumes are created and copied to
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus vSnap servers.
Persistent volumes that contain application data are protected by predefined service level agreement
(SLA) policies that specify how often snapshot and copy backups are created and how long they are
retained. If data on the original volumes is damaged or lost, the volumes can be restored from either the
snapshot or copy backups on the vSnap servers.
Kubernetes Backup Support protects only persistent storage that was allocated by a storage plug-in that
supports the Container Storage Interface (CSI) provided for Kubernetes. Kubernetes Backup Support is
fully tested with Red Hat Ceph block storage, which supports CSI. The CSI plug-in provides snapshot
capabilities that are used for backup operations.
The following figure shows how Kubernetes Backup Support is deployed in the Kubernetes environment
and how it interacts with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus:

Data mover container


The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus data mover is deployed in a container in the Kubernetes environment. The
data mover container communicates with the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus instance outside of the
Kubernetes environment for copy backup support.
Kubernetes Backup Support uses persistent volume claims (PVCs) to identify the persistent volumes to
back up. When a backup schedule is run, snapshot and copy backups of a PVC are created at the time
intervals that are specified by the SLA. The data mover copies the data and records the snapshot backups

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2017, 2020 309


in the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Jobs and Operations window. Snapshots that are created by on-
demand backups are also recorded in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.

Multitenancy is supported
Kubernetes Backup Support manages backup and restore operations by using Kubernetes custom
resources. All backup and restore objects belong to a Kubernetes namespace. The Kubernetes
administrator can restrict access to these objects. With controlled access, multiple users can run backup
and restore requests in the same Kubernetes cluster. The backup and restore objects inherit a
namespace from the PVC that identifies the persistent volume for backup and restore operations. For
more information about multitenancy, see “Security features in Kubernetes Backup Support” on page
313.

Backup and restore types


Kubernetes Backup Support provides multiple types of backup and restore functions. Backup and restore
operations are initiated by Kubernetes requests for services.

Backup types
The following types of backup operations are available:
Snapshot backup
Creates a backup of the persistent volume by using Container Storage Interface (CSI) storage plug-in
snapshot capabilities. The snapshot is stored in a location that is assigned by a Kubernetes snapshot
class as defined by the backup administrator. Typically, this location is the same storage site as the
persistent volume that is being backed up. The snapshot class must be compatible with the storage
class of the persistent volume. In other words, the snapshot class and storage class are defined and
provided by the same CSI storage plug-in.
Snapshot backups are created by scheduled backup requests and on-demand backup requests. On-
demand backup requests are available only on volumes that are already protected by scheduled
backups.
During scheduled backups, snapshot and copy backups are created at intervals that are defined by a
service level agreement (SLA) policy. During an on-demand backup request, a snapshot is taken
immediately but no copy backup is created.
Copy backup
Copies the full persistent volume to an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus vSnap server. Based on predefined
SLA policies, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus offers longer retention of copy backups compared to
snapshot backups.
During scheduled backups, snapshot and copy backups are created at intervals that are defined by
the SLA policy.
Restriction: You cannot create copy backups of raw volumes because unformatted volumes cannot
be mounted to the data mover container for copy backup operations.

Restore types
The following types of restore operations are available:
Snapshot restore
Restores a snapshot to a new persistent volume. This type of operation is suitable for rapidly restoring
recent snapshot backups.
Copy backup restore
Restores a copy backup to the original persistent volume or to a new persistent volume. If you want to
restore a copy backup to the original persistent volume, the container to which the persistent volume
is attached must not be running.

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This type of operation is suitable for restoring persistent volumes from copy backups that are retained
for a longer period on IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. For example, you can use this type of operation to
restore copy backups whose snapshots have expired.

SLA policies
Service level agreement (SLA) policies define how often snapshot backup and copy backup operations are
run, and how long snapshots and copy backups are retained.
The following predefined service level agreement (SLA) policies are available to help you protect your
persistent volumes:

Table 30. SLA policies for Kubernetes Backup Support


SLA policy Snapshot backup frequency Copy backup frequency and
and retention period retention period
test 15-minute intervals and 1 hour Hourly and 1 day
daily 4-hour intervals and 24 hours Daily and 31 days
weekly Daily and 7 days Weekly and 31 days
monthly None 31-day intervals and 365 days

SLA policies are predefined and cannot be modified. You can associate only one SLA with a volume. The
SLA is assigned to a volume in the scheduled backup definition.
When snapshots expire, they are deleted automatically in the Kubernetes environment. When copy
backups expire, they are marked for expiration on IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and are deleted by IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus maintenance jobs.
The SLA policies are available in the ConfigMap object that is named baas-sla in the baas namespace.
To view this baas-sla ConfigMap, issue the following command:

kubectl describe configmap baas-sla -n baas

Restriction: In a production environment, do not schedule backups with the test SLA policy. Backups
with the test SLA in a production environment are not supported. The test SLA is provided as a means
for you to test your setup for Kubernetes Backup Support. Use the test SLA only to schedule backup jobs
of small sample volumes for testing purposes. Entries are added to the log to indicate that the backups
were created for testing. After you validate that the scheduled backup jobs ran correctly and you can
successfully create snapshot and copy backups in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, discontinue using the
test SLA.

User roles
Depending on their role, enterprise developers and backup administrators interact with different user
interfaces to protect persistent data in containers.

Enterprise developer
The enterprise developer uses the Kubernetes command-line tool (kubectl) to complete the following
tasks independent of the backup administrator:
• Initiates self-service backup and restore requests
• Selects a service level agreement (SLA) policy to use in backup requests to protect their volumes
• Views the status of backup and restore requests
• Queries information about snapshot and copy backups
• Pauses and resumes scheduled backups operations
• Removes obsolete scheduled backup requests and on-demand snapshot requests

Chapter 11. Protecting containers 311


Backup administrator
The backup administrator completes the following tasks:
• Deploys and sets up Kubernetes Backup Support software in the Kubernetes environment
• Creates the Kubernetes storage class for persistent volumes and the snapshot class for storing
snapshots
• Installs and configures IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
• Monitors copy backup jobs by using the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user interface
• Generates reports that show the history of container backup jobs by using the IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus user interface
• Completes troubleshooting tasks, such as collecting log files for debugging in the Kubernetes
environment and viewing trace log files for Kubernetes Backup Support

Kubernetes Backup Support requests


To protect your container data, you submit Kubernetes Backup Support requests in the Kubernetes
environment.
A Kubernetes Backup Support request is a Kubernetes custom resource that is of kind BaaSReq. The
requests are specified in YAML Ain't Markup Language (YAML) configuration files. The request is then
submitted by using the kubectl command-line interface.

Types of requests in Kubernetes Backup Support


The following table shows the available types of Kubernetes Backup Support requests. The request types
are specified as values for the requesttype key in the YAML file.

Table 31. Types of Kubernetes Backup Support requests


Request type Description
Backup Schedule a backup operation for a PVC
Restore Restore a PVC from a snapshot backup or a copy
backup
Pause Pause a scheduled backup for a PVC
Resume Resume a paused scheduled backup
Destroy Delete all snapshot and copy backups and mark
the scheduled job as destroyed
OnDemandBackup Request an immediate snapshot backup of the PVC

Running a request
To initiate a request, create a YAML configuration file that specifies the request type and provide the
required parameters. Then, submit the request by running the kubectl create command.
The following sample file (baas-req.yaml) shows the general format of a YAML file:

#------------------------
# Filename: baas-req.yaml
#------------------------

apiVersion: "baas.io/v1alpha1"
kind: BaaSReq

metadata:
name: request_name
namespace: namespace
spec:

312 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


requesttype: request_type
sla: test | daily | weekly | monthly

where:
request_name
The name of the request. For scheduled backup, pause, and resume requests, the name of the
request must match the PVC name.
namespace
The namespace in which the persistent volume exists. If you do not specify a namespace, the default
namespace is used.
request_type
The type of request. For the list of available request types, see “Types of requests in Kubernetes
Backup Support” on page 312.
test | daily | weekly | monthly
A predefined service level agreement (SLA) policy that you can assign to the request. For pause and
resume requests, this key is ignored. For more information, see “SLA policies” on page 311.
To start the request that is specified in the baas-req.yaml sample file, enter the following command on
the command line:

kubectl create -f baas-req.yaml

To check the status of a request, use one of the following methods:


• To list all Kubernetes Backup Support requests in all namespaces that you can access, enter the
following command:

kubectl get baasreq --all-namespaces

• To display the status of all Kubernetes Backup Support requests in the specified namespace, enter the
following command:

kubectl describe baasreq -n namespace

where namespace is the namespace in which the persistent volume exists.


• To display the status of a specific Kubernetes Backup Support request, enter the following command:

kubectl describe baasreq request_name -n namespace

where request_name is the name of the request, and namespace is the namespace in which the
persistent volume exists.

Security features in Kubernetes Backup Support


In addition to basic security features that are integrated into Kubernetes Backup Support, advanced
security features are provided to help protect containers, secure network connections, encrypt data, and
verify installation packages.

Security scanning of containers


Kubernetes Backup Support components are built on containers that are derived from the Red Hat
Universal Based Image (UBI). The Kubernetes Backup Support software on each container was statically
scanned for vulnerable components or libraries. In addition, the containers are dynamically scanned to
help prevent runtime vulnerabilities such as code injection. After the scan, the software is tested by using
an automated test suite to verify that Kubernetes Backup Support can operate as expected and correctly
process erroneous input.
All containers, except for the data mover container, run in a dedicated namespace that provides further
security isolation. The data mover must run in the same namespace as the persistent volume claim (PVC)
for backup or restore operations because the mounting of the volume is limited to containers in a single
namespace.

Chapter 11. Protecting containers 313


Least privileged containers
Each of the components in Kubernetes Backup Support runs under the principle of least privilege. The
actions of the containers are constrained by the role-based authentication control rules that are
associated with their service accounts in their separate namespace. In addition, the software in each
container runs as a non-root user. Only the data mover runs as a privileged container because the data
mover requires access to the mount point on the host system of the volume that is backed up or restored.
All other containers are not privileged.

Authentication of network connections


The network connections between Kubernetes Backup Support components are controlled by network
policies that limit the connections to the ones that are required for correct operation. Connections to IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus rely upon the security protocols that are provided by IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.

Multitenancy
Multitenancy is supported in Kubernetes Backup Support, which relies extensively on the authentication
and authorization that is provided by the Kubernetes cluster for namespaces. Because the authorization
is related to a namespace, any user who is authorized to create a BaaSReq object in that namespace can
request a backup or restore for any PVC that is associated with that namespace. A BaaSReq object is a
custom Kubernetes resource that is used in Kubernetes Backup Support requests.
Snapshots are protected by the Container Storage Interface (CSI) to restrict access to the namespace of
the original PVC. Kubernetes Backup Support associates the namespace with the backup copies that are
stored in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, and the backup copies must be restored to volumes in the same
namespace.

Encryption of data at rest


The cluster and storage administrators are responsible for enabling the mechanisms for protecting data
at rest through encryption. The sensitive data includes the copy backup data and Kubernetes Backup
Support secrets, which consist of user IDs and passwords that were specified during the installation
process. The cluster administrator can specify that secrets are encrypted when stored in the cluster etcd
database. For more information, see Encrypting Secret Data at Rest.
Kubernetes Backup Support does not implement additional encryption beyond what is provided by the
cluster. However, the storage administrator can deploy an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus vSnap server that is
enabled for encryption. When enterprise developers create requests to back up PVCs, the developers can
specify encryption as part of the backup requests.
When encryption is specified, the backup request is sent to the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus server. When
the request is received by the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus server, it directs the data to a vSnap server for
encryption if the vSnap server is enabled for encryption of data at rest. If the backup request specified
encryption but encryption is not enabled on the vSnap server for the data at rest, no error is issued. In this
case, the data is not encrypted.
The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus can also confirm whether the data is in an encrypted vSnap server.

Code signing
The cluster administrator can verify that the Kubernetes Backup Support installation package has not
been modified since it was generated by IBM. This process is accomplished by verifying the signature file
that is included with the installation package against the appropriate signature and certificates. The
verification process is described in the installation documentation.
For more information, see “Installing and deploying Kubernetes Backup Support images” on page 317.

314 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Installing Kubernetes Backup Support
The backup administrator must install and configure Kubernetes Backup Support in the Kubernetes
environment.

Prerequisites for Kubernetes Backup Support


Before you can install Kubernetes Backup Support, ensure that all system requirements and prerequisites
are met.
For Kubernetes Backup Support system requirements, see “Kubernetes Backup Support requirements”
on page 55.
Then, to meet the prerequisites for Kubernetes Backup Support, complete the following actions in the
Kubernetes environment:
• “Enabling the VolumeSnapshotDataSource feature” on page 315
• “Verifying whether the metrics server is running” on page 316
• “Defining the application and persistent volume claim relationship” on page 316

Enabling the VolumeSnapshotDataSource feature


To support copy backup and snapshot restore operations, you must enable the
VolumeSnapshotDataSource alpha feature.
For more information about alpha features, see Feature Gates.
To enable the VolumeSnapshotDataSource alpha feature, you must patch the Kubernetes scheduler,
controller, and API server as follows:
1. Using the sudo command, edit the following YAML files:
/etc/kubernetes/manifests/kube-apiserver.yaml
/etc/kubernetes/manifests/kube-controller-manager.yaml
/etc/kubernetes/manifests/kube-scheduler.yaml
2. In each YAML file, add the following statement within the command section:

- --feature-gates=VolumeSnapshotDataSource=true

Important: Ensure that you edit the YAML files directly and do not create backup copies of these files
in the same directory. The presence of the backup copies in the /etc/kubernetes/manifests
directory might negate the changes that you made to enable the VolumeSnapshotDataSource
feature gate.
You might have to wait a minute or two for the changes to be detected by Kubernetes.
3. Verify whether the feature is enabled by issuing the following commands:

ps aux | grep apiserver | grep feature-gates

ps aux | grep scheduler | grep feature-gates

ps aux | grep controller-manager | grep feature-gates

The output for one of these commands is similar to the following example:

root 13121 7.4 2.5 518276 305424 ? Ssl Sep06 120:37 kube-apiserver --
authorization-mode=Node,RBAC --advertise-address=192.0.2.0
--allow-privileged=true --client-ca-file=/etc/kubernetes/pki/ca.crt --enable-admission-
plugins=NodeRestriction --enable-bootstrap-token-auth=true
--etcd-cafile=/etc/kubernetes/pki/etcd/ca.crt --etcd-certfile=/etc/kubernetes/pki/apiserver-
etcd-client.crt --etcd-keyfile=/etc/kubernetes/pki/apiserver-etcd-client.key
--etcd-servers=https://127.0.0.1:2379 --insecure-port=0 --kubelet-client-certificate=/etc/
kubernetes/pki/apiserver-kubelet-client.crt
--kubelet-client-key=/etc/kubernetes/pki/apiserver-kubelet-client.key --kubelet-preferred-
address-types=InternalIP,ExternalIP,Hostname

Chapter 11. Protecting containers 315


--proxy-client-cert-file=/etc/kubernetes/pki/front-proxy-client.crt --proxy-client-key-
file=/etc/kubernetes/pki/front-proxy-client.key
--requestheader-allowed-names=front-proxy-client --requestheader-client-ca-file=/etc/
kubernetes/pki/front-proxy-ca.crt
--requestheader-extra-headers-prefix=X-Remote-Extra- --requestheader-group-headers=X-Remote-
Group --requestheader-username-headers=X-Remote-User
--secure-port=6443 --service-account-key-file=/etc/kubernetes/pki/sa.pub --service-cluster-
ip-range=198.51.100.0/24 --tls-cert-file=/etc/kubernetes/pki/apiserver.crt
--tls-private-key-file=/etc/kubernetes/pki/apiserver.key --feature-
gates=VolumeSnapshotDataSource=true

Verifying whether the metrics server is running


To help optimize product performance, ensure that Kubernetes Metrics Server 0.3.5 or later is installed
and running properly on your cluster. The metrics server is required for the Kubernetes Backup Support
scheduler to determine the resources that are used by concurrent data mover instances.
If the metrics server does not return data, the number of data movers that are used for backup operations
is limited, which might negatively impact performance.
You can verify that the metrics server is installed and returning metrics data by completing the following
steps:
1. Verify the installation by issuing the following command:

kubectl get deploy,svc -n kube-system | egrep metrics-server

The output is similar to the following example:

deployment.extensions/metrics-server 1/1 1 1 3d4h


service/metrics-server ClusterIP 198.51.100.0 <none> 443/TCP 3d4h

2. Verify that the metrics server is returning data for all nodes by issuing the following command:

kubectl get --raw "/apis/metrics.k8s.io/v1beta1/nodes"

The output is similar to the following example:

{"kind":"NodeMetricsList","apiVersion":"metrics.k8s.io/v1beta1","metadata":{"selfLink":"/
apis/metrics.k8s.io/v1beta1/nodes"},"items":[{"metadata":
{"name":"cirrus12","selfLink":"/apis/metrics.k8s.io/v1beta1/nodes/cirrus12",
"creationTimestamp":"2019-08-08T23:59:49Z"},"timestamp":"2019-08-08T23:59:08Z",
"window":"30s","usage":{"cpu":"1738876098n","memory":"8406880Ki"}}]}

Tip: The command might fail with empty output for the "items" key. This error is likely caused by
installing the metrics server with a self-signed certificate. To resolve this issue, install the metrics
server with a correctly signed certificate that is recognized by the cluster.

Defining the application and persistent volume claim relationship


You can optionally tie your stateful applications to their persistent volume claims (PVCs) by using an
owner-dependent relationship. By defining this relationship, you enable cascading actions for the
applications.
For example, scaling up and scaling down an application can cause the scheduled backups of its PVC to
be paused and resumed. Similarly, deleting the application causes the deletion of the PVC, which in turn
triggers the deletion of the backups.
After an application starts using a PVC to store persistent data, you can reconfigure the PVC definition
with its owner application.
The following example is a sample configuration file for a PVC that shows the owner-dependent
relationship between an application and a PVC object. The PVC object includes the details of the owner
deployment.

apiVersion: v1
kind: PersistentVolumeClaim
metadata:

316 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


name: demo-pvc
ownerReferences:
- apiVersion: apps/v1beta1
blockOwnerDeletion: true
kind: Deployment
name: Dept10-deployment
uid: 3b760e89-7da5-11e9-8c5a-0050568ba59c
spec:
accessModes:
- ReadWriteOnce
resources:
requests:
storage: 1Gi
storageClassName: csi-rbd

Installing and deploying Kubernetes Backup Support images


Before you can back up and restore persistent volumes that are attached to your containers, you must
install and deploy Kubernetes Backup Support images.

Before you begin


Complete the following tasks:
• Ensure that your system environment meets the requirements that are described in “Kubernetes
Backup Support requirements” on page 55 and “Prerequisites for Kubernetes Backup Support” on page
315.
• Download the installation file installer-10.1.5.tar.gz from Passport Advantage® Online. For
information about downloading files, see technote 1072392.
• Validate the downloaded file by using one of the following methods:
– Verify the MD5 checksum of the downloaded installation file. Ensure that the generated checksum
matches the one provided in the MD5 Checksum file, which is part of the software download.
– Verify the signed file that is associated with the installation package by issuing the following
command:

openssl dgst -sha256 -verify IBMSPSignCertificatePublic -signature ./


installer-10.1.5.tar.gz.sig ./installer-10.1.5.tar.gz

About this task


During the installation and deployment procedure, you must first update the baas_config.cfg
configuration file with specifications for your environment, and then run the installation script
baas_install.sh. When you run the installation script, an appropriate Helm Chart is automatically
called to deploy Kubernetes Backup Support in your environment.

Procedure
Complete the following steps on the command line in the Kubernetes environment:
1. Log in to the operating system on the master node of the Kubernetes cluster that is used as the
installation node.
2. Unpack the installation package (installer-10.1.5.tar.gz) by entering the following command:

tar -xvf installer-10.1.5.tar.gz

This command extracts a folder that is named installer.


3. Go to the installer directory by entering the following command:

cd installer

4. Run the following two commands to obtain the Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR) method for the
cluster and the IP address and port for the cluster API server. The values are used in Step “5” on page
318.

Chapter 11. Protecting containers 317


a) Obtain the CIDR for the cluster by issuing the following command:

kubectl cluster-info dump | grep -m 1 cluster-cidr

The CIDR is provided in the output in the following format:

--cluster-cidr=xxx.yyy.0.0/zz

The CIDR is similar to the following example:

198.51.0.0/24

b) Obtain the IP address and server port for the cluster API server by issuing the following command:

kubectl config view|awk '/cluster\:/,/server\:/' | grep server\: | awk '{print $2}'

The result is a URL that is composed of an IP address and port number, as shown in the following
example:

https://192.0.2.0:6443

where 192.0.2.0 is the cluster API server IP address and 6443 is the port address.
5. Edit the baas_config.cfg file with a text editor and modify the configuration parameters by
providing the appropriate values for your environment. Enclose the values in quotation marks, as
shown in the following example.

BAAS_ADMIN="sppadmin"

For parameters that contain a list of values, provide the list of values in a comma-separated format
that is enclosed in quotation marks, as shown in the following example:

SPP_VSNAP_IP_ADDRESSES="192.0.2.0,192.0.2.1"

The following table contains the parameters that you must modify:

Table 32. Specifications for the baas_config.cfg configuration file


Parameter Description
BAAS_ADMIN The user ID of the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
administrator.
BAAS_PASSWORD The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus password.
For increased security, specify an empty string
(""). You are prompted for the password when
you run the deployment script. If you must
specify a password in the configuration file for
automated test deployments, ensure that the file
is stored in a secure location.

DATAMOVER_USER The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus application host


user name.
You can use the default data mover name or
specify a different name. This user account is
automatically configured and used in the data
mover container.

318 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Table 32. Specifications for the baas_config.cfg configuration file (continued)
Parameter Description
DATAMOVER_PASSWORD The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus application host
password.
For increased security, specify an empty string
(""). You are prompted for the password when
you run the deployment script. If you must
specify a password in the configuration file for
automated test deployments, ensure that the file
is stored in a secure location.

CLUSTER_CIDR The CIDR for the cluster. Enter the CDIR that was
obtained in Step “4.a” on page 318.
CLUSTER_API_SERVER_IP_ADDRESS The IP address for the cluster API server. Enter
the IP address that was obtained in Step “4.b” on
page 318.
CLUSTER_API_SERVER_PORT The port address for the cluster API server. Enter
the port address that was obtained in Step “4.b”
on page 318.
SPP_IP_ADDRESSES The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus server IP
address.
SPP_VSNAP_IP_ADDRESSES The IP address for the IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus vSnap server.
You can obtain this address from the IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus user interface by clicking
System Configuration > Backup Storage > Disk
> Disk Storage. This parameter can contain more
than one IP address. Provide the list of values in a
comma-separated format that is enclosed in
quotation marks, as shown in the following
example:

SPP_VSNAP_IP_ADDRESSES="192.0.2.0,192.0.2.1
"

PRODUCT_IMAGE_REGISTRY The Docker registry address and port that hosts


the containers.
Enter the address in the ip_address:port format.

PRODUCT_IMAGE_REGISTRY_NAMESPACE The Docker registry namespace that hosts the


containers.

Chapter 11. Protecting containers 319


Table 32. Specifications for the baas_config.cfg configuration file (continued)
Parameter Description
PRODUCT_IMAGE_REGISTRY_SECRET_NAME The name of the Kubernetes image-pull secret
that contains the credentials for the registry. The
secret must be in the namespace that is specified
by the
PRODUCT_IMAGE_REGISTRY_NAMESPACE
parameter.
If you are using an internal registry, enter an
empty string ("").
For the data mover container to run, the image-
pull secret must be in every namespace of each
persistent volume claim (PVC) to be backed up
and restored.

Restrictions:
• The following parameters and values are reserved for Kubernetes Backup Support. Keep them as is.

PRODUCT_NAMESPACE="baas"
PRODUCT_TARGET_PLATFORM="K8S"

• The SPP_PORT value specifies the port for the Kubernetes Backup Support user interface. Do not
change the default value of 443.
• Kubernetes Backup Support is available only in English in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Version 10.1.5.
For this reason, do not change the PRODUCT_LOCALIZATION="en_US" setting.
Your specifications are automatically inserted into the ConfigMap (baas-configmap) during the
deployment.
6. Start the installation and deployment by issuing the following command.

./baas_install.sh -i

All container images are in the image registry and are running.
When prompted, enter yes to continue.
A project namespace for the Kubernetes Backup Support deployment called "baas" is created. This
project is created before the images are pushed into the image registry, which is identified by the
namespace.
Depending on your environment, it might take several minutes to load and deploy the package.
7. To verify that the Kubernetes Backup Support components are properly installed, issue the following
command:

./baas_install.sh -s

If the installation fails, the missing components are listed in the MISSING section of the output.
Tip: You can also check the status of the installation with the ./helm status baas command.

Results
When all pods are running, the deployment is completed. To verify that all pods are in the Running state
and no components are missing, issue the following command:

kubectl get pods

or

320 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


kubectl describe pod pod_name

For example, you can issue the following command:

kubectl get pods -n baas

The output is similar to the following example:

NAME READY STATUS RESTARTS AGE


baas-controller-59dbcf7f94-c6zjr 1/1 Running 0 3h56m
baas-datamover-b44f755c5-k5g2f 1/1 Running 0 22h
baas-etcd-client-59bd5d647f-k76b 1/1 Running 0 2d21h
baas-scheduler-55944fbbb6-b96lw 1/1 Running 0 3h56m
baas-transaction-manager-856b7fd6c94h558 1/1 Running 0 3h32m
baas-etcd-spp-job-control-store-65d9dfb84d-vlqb5 1/1 Running 2 2d17h

If the data mover container is not listed in the output, the data mover container is deployed at run time.
You can show the Kubernetes Backup Support services that are set up by issuing the following command:

kubectl get services -n baas

The output is similar to the following example:

NAME TYPE CLUSTER-IP EXTERNAL-IP PORT(S) AGE


baas-etcd-client ClusterIP 10.103.44.178 <none> 2379/TCP 2d21h
baas-etcd-spp-job-control-store ClusterIP 10.100.229.67 <none> 2379/TCP 2d21h
baas-scheduler ClusterIP 10.96.33.79 <none> 8000/TCP 2d21h
baas-transaction-manager ClusterIP 10.106.230.11 <none> 5000/TCP 2d21h

The baas-datamover service is deployed at runtime with type NodePort instead of the ClusterIP
range with the TCP protocol.
You can show the Kubernetes Backup Support network policies that are deployed by issuing the following
command:

kubectl get networkpolicies -n baas

The output is similar to the following example:

NAME POD-SELECTOR AGE


baas-ctl-networkpolicy app=baas,component=controller,release=baas 2d21h
baas-etcd-networkpolicy app=baas,component=etcd-client,release=baas 2d21h
baas-etcd-spp-job-control-store app=baas,component=etcd-spp-job-control-store,release=baas 2d21h
baas-scheduler app=baas,component=scheduler,release=baas 2d21h
baas-transaction-manager app=baas,component=transaction-manager,release=baas 2d21h

The network policy for the data mover is deployed at runtime with the pod-selector
app=baas,component=datamover,release=baas.

What to do next
After the deployment is completed, ensure that backup operations run correctly by using the test
service level agreement (SLA) policy to run scheduled backups. For instructions, see “Scheduling backups
of persistent volumes” on page 324.
If you want to update the existing configuration or to upgrade an existing installation of Kubernetes
Backup Support, modify the parameters in the baas_config.cfg file as required for your environment,
and issue the following command:

./baas_install.sh -u

Related concepts
“Troubleshooting Kubernetes Backup Support” on page 377

Chapter 11. Protecting containers 321


To help troubleshoot issues with Kubernetes Backup Support, you can collect debug log files and view
trace logs. You can also follow procedures to diagnose problems.

Uninstalling Kubernetes Backup Support


You can uninstall Kubernetes Backup Support while keeping the customizations that were applied to the
namespace. By keeping the customizations, you make it easier to redeploy Kubernetes Backup Support in
the future if necessary.

Before you begin


Take the following actions before you begin the uninstallation:
• Pause all scheduled backups. For instructions, see “Pausing scheduled backups” on page 335.
• Wait for all running backup and restore jobs to finish.
• If you do not want to keep the snapshots on the persistent volume after the uninstallation, delete all
your snapshot backups before you begin the uninstallation. For instructions, see “Deleting container
backups” on page 336.

About this task


After you uninstall Kubernetes Backup Support, you can remove the Kubernetes Backup Support images
to save space on your file system.

Procedure
To uninstall Kubernetes Backup Support from the Kubernetes cluster that you are logged in to, complete
the following steps on the command line:
1. Go to the installer directory by issuing the following command:

cd installer

2. To uninstall Kubernetes Backup Support, issue the following command:

./baas_install.sh -d

3. When prompted, enter yes to continue.


The Kubernetes Backup Support deployment is removed from the Kubernetes environment.
4. Optional: To verify the progress of the uninstallation, enter the following command:

kubectl get pod -n baas

5. Optional: To remove all Kubernetes Backup Support images from your Kubernetes environment, issue
the following command:

docker images -a | grep "baas" | awk '{print $3}' | xargs docker rmi -f

Results
The baas_install.sh installation script does not automatically delete the Kubernetes Backup Support
product namespace ("baas") that is specified in the baas_config.cfg file. The customizations that
were applied to the namespace are preserved, so that you can reuse the namespace for the reinstallation
of Kubernetes Backup Support. If you want to delete the namespace, you must do it manually.

What to do next
If you want to fully uninstall Kubernetes Backup Support, see “Completely uninstalling Kubernetes
Backup Support” on page 323.

322 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Completely uninstalling Kubernetes Backup Support
You can completely uninstall Kubernetes Backup Support so that all components, including all
configurations and backups, are removed from the Kubernetes environment. After you remove the
components, you can also remove Kubernetes Backup Support images to save space on your file system.

Before you begin


Take the following actions before you begin the uninstallation:
• Pause all scheduled backups. For instructions, see “Pausing scheduled backups” on page 335.
• Wait for all running backup and restore jobs to finish.

Procedure
To completely uninstall Kubernetes Backup Support from the cluster that you are logged in to, complete
the following steps on the command line:
1. Destroy all snapshot and copy backups with a destroy request. For instructions, see “Deleting
container backups” on page 336.
2. Delete any persistent volume claims (PVCs) that were used for copy backups.
Tip: You can look for the names of the PVCs that were backed up.
3. Delete the baas custom resource definition (CRD) by issuing the following command:

kubectl delete crd baasreqs.baas.io

This command also deletes all BaasReq request objects.


4. Uninstall Kubernetes Backup Support by issuing the following command from the installer
directory:

./baas_install.sh -d

When prompted, enter yes to continue.


This command removes all data mover pods, deployments, and network policies.
5. Optional: To verify the progress of the uninstallation, enter the following command:

kubectl get pod -n baas

6. Disable the VolumeSnapshotDataSource feature if you no longer require it.


7. Delete the service level agreement (SLA) policies and any other customizations by deleting the baas
namespace. Issue the following command:

kubectl delete namespace baas

8. Optional: Review the installation and configuration information and revert any prerequisite steps.
9. To remove all Kubernetes Backup Support images from your Kubernetes environment, issue the
following command:

docker images -a | grep "baas" | awk '{print $3}' | xargs docker rmi -f

Chapter 11. Protecting containers 323


Backing up container data
To protect persistent volumes that are attached to a container, you can schedule backup operations to
run as specified by predefined service level agreements (SLAs). You can also create snapshots of your
persistent volumes immediately by running on-demand backup requests.

Scheduling backups of persistent volumes


You can create scheduled backup requests that run based on predefined service level agreement (SLA)
policies that specify how often backup operations are run and how long snapshot and copy backups are
retained.

Before you begin


Backup requests are directed to persistent volume claims (PVCs) for the volumes that you want to
protect. Ensure that the PVC exists within the specified namespace.
The PVC must be formatted for it to be backed up. For the PVC be formatted correctly, it must be mounted
and written to. Backup operations of raw block volumes are not supported.

About this task


When a scheduled backup job runs, a snapshot of the persistent volume is created and a snapshot of the
volume is copied to an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus vSnap server at the frequency that is defined by the
SLA. For example, for the daily SLA policy, a snapshot is taken every 4 hours and a snapshot is copied to
the vSnap server every 24 hours.
All backup jobs are scheduled, except for on-demand backup jobs. To schedule backup jobs for a PVC,
create a YAML configuration file with specifications for the backup job and apply the request on the
Kubernetes command line.

Procedure
1. Optional: Display a list of PVCs in your namespace by issuing the following command:

kubectl get pvc -n namespace

From the list of PVCs, identify the PVC that you want to back up.
2. Create a YAML file that defines the request for a scheduled backup. The YAML file must contain the
following properties:

#------------------------
# Filename: filename.yaml
#------------------------

apiVersion: "baas.io/v1alpha1"
kind: BaaSReq

metadata:
name: request_name
namespace: namespace
spec:
requesttype: Backup
sla: test | daily | weekly | monthly
encryption: no | yes
volumesnapshotclass: snapshot_class_name

where:
filename
The name of the YAML configuration file. The file type is .yaml.
request_name
The name of the backup request, which must match the name of the PVC for the volume that you
want to back up. For example, if you want to set up the backup request for the PVC named
dbvol-01, the name of the request must also be dbvol-01.

324 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


namespace
The namespace in which the PVC exists.
sla: test | daily | weekly | monthly
The SLA policy that determines the schedule for backup operations. Specify one of the following
SLAs:

Table 33. SLA policies for Kubernetes Backup Support


SLA policy Snapshot backup frequency Copy backup frequency and
and retention period retention period
test 15-minute intervals and 1 hour Hourly and 1 day
daily 4-hour intervals and 24 hours Daily and 31 days
weekly Daily and 7 days Weekly and 31 days
monthly None 31-day intervals and 365 days

Restriction: In a production environment, do not schedule backups with the test SLA policy.
Backups with the test SLA in a production environment are not supported. The test SLA is
provided as a means for you to test your setup for Kubernetes Backup Support. Use the test SLA
only to schedule backup jobs of small sample volumes for testing purposes. Entries are added to
the log to indicate that the backups were created for testing. After you validate that the scheduled
backup jobs ran correctly and you can successfully create snapshot and copy backups in IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus, discontinue using the test SLA.
If you want to change the values for the sla or other parameters in the YAML file and apply it to
the same PVC, see Modifying parameters in a YAML file.
encryption: no | yes
Specify whether to encrypt the copy backup data that is stored on IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. For
encryption to occur, the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus vSnap server must be enabled for encryption.
For more information, see “Encryption of data at rest” on page 314.
Specify one of the following values:
no
Do not encrypt the copy backup data on IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. This value is the default.
yes
Encrypt the copy backup data on IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. If you specified yes but the
vSnap server is not set up for encryption, the data is not encrypted and no error is indicated.
snapshot_class_name
The snapshot class for the snapshot backups. If you do not specify the snapshot class, the default
snapshot class is used if the snapshotter in the default snapshot class matches the provisioner of
the volume. Otherwise, the backup request is invalid.
3. Start the backup schedule by applying the backup request. Enter the following command on the
command line:

kubectl create -f filename.yaml

where filename is the name of the YAML configuration file.

Results
After you submit the backup request, the first scheduled backup operation will start within the window
that is defined by the SLA policy. The time of the backup is recorded in the backup status.
Kubernetes Backup Support takes ownership of all snapshots, regardless of how they were created.

Chapter 11. Protecting containers 325


What to do next
To view information about the backup, issue the kubectl describe command by using the request
name or the PVC name. For more information, see “Viewing the status of backup and restore jobs” on
page 331.
Modifying parameters in a YAML file: You cannot change the sla or any other parameter after a
scheduled backup has started on a PVC. Simply updating parameters in a YAML file and then applying the
YAML file will not change the values in a running backup request.
However, if you must update the sla or other parameters after the schedule has started on a PVC,
complete the following steps:
1. Delete your container backups with a destroy request. For instructions about deleting backups, see
“Deleting container backups” on page 336.
2. Check the status of the destroy request and ensure that it is finished. To check the status of the
request, issue the following command:

kubectl describe baasreq request_name -n namespace| grep Backupstatus

where request_name is the name of the backup request, which must match the name of the PVC that
was backed up.
In the command output, ensure that the Backupstatus field is shown as follows:

Backupstatus: Destroyed

3. Delete the original scheduled backup request with the following command:

kubectl delete baasreq request_name -n namespace

where request_name is the name of the backup request, which must match the name of the PVC that
was backed up.
4. Update the parameters in the YAML file.
5. Create a new scheduled backup with the updated YAML file:

kubectl create -f filename.yaml

Related concepts
“Backup and restore types” on page 310
Kubernetes Backup Support provides multiple types of backup and restore functions. Backup and restore
operations are initiated by Kubernetes requests for services.
“SLA policies” on page 311
Service level agreement (SLA) policies define how often snapshot backup and copy backup operations are
run, and how long snapshots and copy backups are retained.
“Kubernetes Backup Support requests” on page 312
To protect your container data, you submit Kubernetes Backup Support requests in the Kubernetes
environment.
“Troubleshooting Kubernetes Backup Support” on page 377

326 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


To help troubleshoot issues with Kubernetes Backup Support, you can collect debug log files and view
trace logs. You can also follow procedures to diagnose problems.

Backing up a persistent volume on demand


If you do not want to wait for a scheduled backup job to run or if you must create a snapshot immediately,
you can run an on-demand backup job. You can run an on-demand backup job only if the volume is
already protected by scheduled backup jobs.

Before you begin


Backup requests are directed to persistent volume claims (PVCs) for the volumes that you want to
protect. Ensure that the PVC exists within the specified namespace.
The PVC must be formatted for it to be backed up. For the PVC be formatted correctly, it must be mounted
and written to. Backup operations of raw block volumes are not supported.
You can run an on-demand backup job for a persistent volume only if the volume is protected by
scheduled backup jobs. For more information, see “Scheduling backups of persistent volumes” on page
324.

About this task


During an on-demand backup operation, only a snapshot backup is created.
Unlike the request for scheduled backups, the name of the on-demand request must be unique. In other
words, the name of the request must not be the same as the name of the PVC.

Procedure
1. Optional: Display a list of PVCs in your namespace by issuing the following command:

kubectl get pvc -n namespace

From the list of PVCs, identify the PVC that you want to back up.
2. Create a YAML file that defines the request for an on-demand backup operation. The YAML file must
contain the following properties:

#------------------------
# Filename: filename.yaml
#------------------------

apiVersion: "baas.io/v1alpha1"
kind: BaaSReq

metadata:
name: name_of_request
namespace: namespace
spec:
requesttype: OnDemandBackup
pvcname: pvc_name

where:
filename
The name of the YAML configuration file. The file type is .yaml.
name_of_request
The name of the on-demand backup request. The name must be unique, and must not match the
name of the PVC.
A new on-demand backup request must be created for each subsequent on-demand backup of the
same PVC. In other words, if you want to create a second on-demand backup of a PVC, create a
new request and specify a different request name (name_of_request) in the YAML file.
namespace
The namespace in which the PVC exists.

Chapter 11. Protecting containers 327


pvc_name
The name of the PVC for the volume that you want to back up.
3. Start the on-demand backup by issuing the following command:

kubectl create -f filename.yaml

where filename is the name of the YAML configuration file.

Results
Kubernetes Backup Support takes ownership of all snapshots, regardless of how they were created.
Snapshots are retained according to the retention period that is specified by the service level agreement
(SLA) policy that is associated with the volume. When a snapshot is expired based on the SLA policy of the
PVC, the snapshot is deleted. The request for the on-demand backup job is updated to show that the
snapshot has expired, as shown by the Backupstatus field.
To view information about the backup, issue the kubectl describe command by using the request
name or the PVC name. For more information, see “Viewing the status of backup and restore jobs” on
page 331.
Related concepts
“Backup and restore types” on page 310
Kubernetes Backup Support provides multiple types of backup and restore functions. Backup and restore
operations are initiated by Kubernetes requests for services.
“Kubernetes Backup Support requests” on page 312
To protect your container data, you submit Kubernetes Backup Support requests in the Kubernetes
environment.
“Troubleshooting Kubernetes Backup Support” on page 377
To help troubleshoot issues with Kubernetes Backup Support, you can collect debug log files and view
trace logs. You can also follow procedures to diagnose problems.

Restoring container data


You can restore a persistent volume from a snapshot backup or a copy backup. A snapshot restore
operation is generally the faster method for restoring a persistent volume.

Before you begin


For any type of restore, you cannot restore a volume to a different namespace.
You can restore a snapshot only to a new persistent volume. If you are restoring a snapshot, the
persistent volume claim (PVC) for the new volume is automatically created when you restore the
snapshot.
You can restore a copy backup to a new or original persistent volume. If you are restoring a copy backup
to a new persistent volume, the PVC for the new volume is automatically created when you restore the
copy backup. Except for the original location, the restore fails if you specify a PVC that already exists.
If you are restoring a copy backup to the original persistent volume, the application container to which the
persistent volume is attached must not be running.
Restriction: To ensure that a restore request works correctly, do not manually delete any snapshots of
volumes that are protected by Kubernetes Backup Support.

About this task


Depending on your recovery point objective and recovery time objective, you can run a fast restore, a
copy restore, or a fast-ondemand restore operation.
The following scenarios can help you select the type of restore operation:

328 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


• To rapidly restore a recent snapshot that was created as part of a schedule, run a fast restore operation.
If another operation is in progress on the same volume, the fast restore operation might take longer to
complete.
• To restore a volume from a particular point in time after the corresponding snapshot has expired, run a
copy restore operation to restore the copy backup from IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
• To restore a snapshot from an on-demand backup, run a fast-ondemand restore.
• To verify a copy backup before it is restored to the original volume, you can run a copy restore operation
to restore the copy backup to a new volume. Then, you can verify the contents of the new volume. If no
issues are found in the new volume, you can restore the copy backup to the original volume.
Restore points are identified by the time stamp of the snapshot or copy backup.

Procedure
1. To show the restore points that are available for a PVC, query all the backups for the PVC by running
the following command:

kubectl describe BaaSReq pvc_name -n namespace

2. In the status output that is displayed, identify the time stamp of the source snapshot or copy backup
that you want to restore. The time stamps are shown in the Status section of the output before the
type of backup.
For example, the following output shows the time stamps for different types of backups:

Status:
Timestamp: 2019-05-30 13:27:21
Type: FAST
Timestamp: 2019-05-30 13:32:21
Type: COPY
Timestamp: 2019-06-11 18:59:46
Type: FAST-ONDEMAND

where:
FAST
Denotes the backup type for a snapshot backup that is taken during a scheduled backup operation.
COPY
Denotes the backup type for a copy backup that is stored on an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus vSnap
server.
FAST-ONDEMAND
Denotes the backup type for an on-demand snapshot backup.
3. Create a YAML file for the restore request that contains the following properties. Insert the time stamp
for the source snapshot in the restorepoint parameter.

#------------------------
# Filename: filename.yaml
#------------------------

apiVersion: "baas.io/v1alpha1"
kind: BaaSReq

metadata:
name: name_of_restore_request
namespace: namespace
spec:
requesttype: restore
pvcname: pvc_name
targetvolume: target_volume_for_restore
storageclass: storage_class_of_target_volume
restorepoint: timestamp_of_backup
restoretype: fast | copy | fast-ondemand

where:

Chapter 11. Protecting containers 329


filename
The name of the YAML configuration file.
name_of_restore_request
The name of the request for the restore job. The name must be unique, and must not be the same
as the name of the PVC.
A new restore request must be created for each subsequent restore of the same PVC. In other
words, if you want to restore a PVC again, create a new request and specify a different request
name (name_of_request) in the YAML file.
namespace
The namespace for the request.
pvc_name
The name of the PVC that you want to restore.
target_volume_for_restore
The name of the PVC that you want to restore the volume to.
For fast restores, the volume is always restored to a new PVC. In this case, provide the name of the
new PVC.
For copy restores, you can restore the volume to the original or new PVC. If you are restoring a
copy backup to a new persistent volume, the PVC for the new volume is automatically created
when you restore the copy backup. Except for the original location, the restore fails if you specify a
PVC that already exists.
storage_class_of_target_volume
The storage class that is defined for the target volume.
For fast restore operations, the storage class is ignored. The storage class of the original PVC is
used.
For copy restore operations, you can specify a storage class that is the same as the original PVC or
specify a different storage class. If you do not specify the storage class, the storage class of the
original PVC is used.
If you specify a storage class but do not specify the restore type with the restoretype
parameter, a copy restore is performed.
timestamp_of_backup
The time stamp of the source snapshot or copy backup that you want to restore from. The time
stamp is in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) format.
If you do not specify a time stamp, the most recent snapshot or copy backup is restored.
restoretype: fast | copy | fast-ondemand
The type of restore operation to use.
fast
Restores a volume from a snapshot backup that was created as part of a scheduled backup.
copy
Restores a volume from a copy backup.
fast-ondemand
Restores a volume from an on-demand snapshot backup.
This parameter is optional. If you do not specify a restore type, the type of restore is determined
automatically. If a snapshot exists at the specified time stamp, a fast restore is run to restore the
snapshot. If only a copy backup is available at the specified time, a copy restore is run to restore
the copy backup.
4. Start the restore request by entering the following command on the command line:

kubectl create -f filename.yaml

where filename is the name of the YAML configuration file.

330 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


What to do next
If you restored data to a new persistent volume, you can reconfigure the application container to mount
the new volume after the snapshot or copy backup is restored.
As a best practice, delete the completed request by issuing the following command:

kubectl delete baasreq name_of_restore_request -n namespace

Deleting completed requests has the following benefits:


• It reduces the size of the etcd database and allows you to reuse the name of a request for another
operation.
• It makes troubleshooting easier.
• It makes it easier for you to track backup and restore requests that are running in your Kubernetes
cluster.
• At any point in time, you have a clear picture of requests that are running in on your cluster when you
issue the following command:

kubectl get baasreq -n namespace

Related concepts
“Backup and restore types” on page 310
Kubernetes Backup Support provides multiple types of backup and restore functions. Backup and restore
operations are initiated by Kubernetes requests for services.
“Kubernetes Backup Support requests” on page 312
To protect your container data, you submit Kubernetes Backup Support requests in the Kubernetes
environment.
“Troubleshooting Kubernetes Backup Support” on page 377
To help troubleshoot issues with Kubernetes Backup Support, you can collect debug log files and view
trace logs. You can also follow procedures to diagnose problems.
Related tasks
“Viewing the status of backup and restore jobs” on page 331
After you submit a backup or restore request, you can use the kubectl get and the kubectl
describe commands to show information about your request.

Managing container backup and restore jobs


You can query information about backup and restore jobs, pause and resume scheduled backup jobs, and
delete snapshot and copy backups that are no longer needed.

Viewing the status of backup and restore jobs


After you submit a backup or restore request, you can use the kubectl get and the kubectl
describe commands to show information about your request.

Procedure
1. To show a listing of all Kubernetes Backup Support requests in a namespace, issue the kubectl get
command as follows:

kubectl get baasreq -n namespace

For example, to show all requests in the production-01 namespace, issue the following command:

kubectl get baasreq -n production-01

The output is similar to the following example:

Chapter 11. Protecting containers 331


NAME AGE
vol08-adhoc 17d
inv-adhoc2 17d
db-vol08 18d
db-vol09 17d

2. Using the results from Step “1” on page 331, issue the kubectl describe command as follows:
• To show the list of all backups for any request, including backups from scheduled and on-demand
backup requests, specify the name of the request and the namespace in the following command:

kubectl describe baasreq request_name -n namespace

where request_name is the name of the request.


For example, to show all backups for PVC db-vol08 in the production-01 namespace, issue the
following command:

kubectl describe baasreq db-vol08 -n production-01

The output is similar to the following example:

Name: db-vol08
Namespace: production-01
Labels: <none>
Annotations: kubectl.kubernetes.io/last-applied-configuration:

{"apiVersion":"baas.io/v1alpha1","kind":"BaaSReq","metadata":{"annotations":{},"name":"db-
vol08","namespace":"production-01"},"spec":{"requesttyp...
API Version: baas.io/v1alpha1
Backupstatus: Ready
Kind: BaaSReq
Metadata:
Creation Timestamp: 2019-05-23T20:17:21Z
Generation: 3286
Resource Version: 5105242
Self Link: /apis/baas.io/v1alpha1/namespaces/baas/baasreqs/db-vol08
UID: c55be870-7d97-11e9-8d52-005056bd89a3
Spec:
Inprogress: None
Instanceid: bmjqe7tec8ma43hm9cv0
Origreqtype: backup
Requesttype: Backup
Spppvcname: production-01:db-vol08
Sla: test
Status:
Timestamp: 2019-05-30 13:27:21
Type: FAST
Timestamp: 2019-05-30 13:32:21
Type: COPY
Timestamp: 2019-06-11 18:59:46
Type: FAST-ONDEMAND
Volumename: db-vol08
Events: <none>

• To show the status of an on-demand backup job, specify the following command:

kubectl describe baasreq request_name -n namespace

where request_name is the unique name of an on-demand backup job.


For example, to show the status of the on-demand snapshot request named vol08-adhoc in the
production-01 namespace, issue the following command:

kubectl describe baasreq vol08-adhoc -n production-01

The output is similar to the following example:

332 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Name: vol08-adhoc
Namespace: production-01
Labels: <none>
Annotations: kubectl.kubernetes.io/last-applied-configuration:

{"apiVersion":"baas.io/v1alpha1","kind":"BaaSReq","metadata":{"annotations":
{},"name":"vol08-
adhoc","namespace":"production-01"},"spec":{"pvcname"...
API Version: baas.io/v1alpha1
Backupstatus: Ready
Kind: BaaSReq
Metadata:
Creation Timestamp: 2019-06-11T18:59:46Z
Generation: 5
Resource Version: 5105243
Self Link: /apis/baas.io/v1alpha1/namespaces/baas/baasreqs/vol08-adhoc
UID: 144a1390-8c7b-11e9-8d52-005056bd89a3
Spec:
Inprogress: None
Instanceid: bmjqe7tec8ma43hm9cv0
Origreqtype: ondemandbackup
Pvcname: db-vol08
Requesttype: OnDemandBackup
Spppvcname: production-01:db-vol08
Status:
Timestamp: 2019-06-11 18:59:46
Type: FAST-ONDEMAND
Volumename: db-vol08
Events: <none>

• To show information about a restore job, issue the following command:

kubectl describe baasreq request_name -n namespace

where request_name is the request name of the restore job and namespace is the namespace.

Results
In the command output, the Backupstatus field shows the status of a backup job. For restore jobs, the
Restorestatus field shows the status of the job. For more information, see “Status of backup and
restore jobs” on page 333.
The instanceid field contains a randomly generated string that uniquely identifies a volume in IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus.
The Spppvcname field shows the name of the PVC that is reported in the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Jobs
and Operations window. The namespace:pvc_name format is used to identify the PVC. The values for the
instanceid and Spppvcname fields uniquely identify a backup in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
In backup requests, the Status section shows the list of backups that were completed. For each backup,
the time stamp of the backup is listed, followed by the type of backup that was run. The types of backups
are defined as follows:
FAST
Denotes the backup type for a snapshot backup that is taken during a scheduled backup operation.
COPY
Denotes the backup type for a copy backup that is stored on an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus vSnap
server.
FAST-ONDEMAND
Denotes the backup type for an on-demand snapshot backup.

Status of backup and restore jobs


When you use the kubectl describe command to show information about backup and restore jobs,
the status of backup and restore jobs is displayed in the command output.
To display the status of a specific Kubernetes Backup Support request, enter the following command:

kubectl describe baasreq request_name -n namespace

Chapter 11. Protecting containers 333


where request_name is the name of the request, and namespace is the namespace in which the
persistent volume exists. For more information, see “Viewing the status of backup and restore jobs” on
page 331.

Reported backup status


The status of a backup job is shown in the Backupstatus field in the command output. The following
table shows the possible statuses of a backup request:

Table 34. Status of backup jobs


Backup status Description
None No backup jobs were started for this schedule.
Requested A backup job was started for this schedule.
Ready At least one backup job was completed for this
schedule.
Paused This schedule is paused and no backup jobs were
completed.
PausedReady This schedule is paused and one or more backup
jobs were completed.
AutoPaused This schedule was paused due to scaling the
owning deployment to 0 and no backup jobs were
completed.
AutoPausedReady This schedule was paused due to scaling the
owning deployment to 0 and one or more backup
jobs were completed.
Destroyed All snapshot and copy backups of a persistent
volume claim were deleted.
Invalid An issue occurred with the request. A possible
explanation is listed in the Errmsg field.

Reported restore status


The status of a restore job is shown in Restorestatus field in the command output. The following table
shows the possible statuses of a restore job:

Table 35. Status of restore jobs


Restore status Description
None No restore jobs were requested.
Requested A snapshot or a copy backup restore job is
requested.
Restored A snapshot or a copy backup was successfully
restored.
Invalid An issue occurred with the request. A possible
explanation is listed in the Errmsg field.

334 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Pausing scheduled backups
You can pause a backup schedule for a container when you do not want scheduled backup jobs to run. For
example, you might want to pause a backup schedule to perform maintenance tasks on a container or to
restart the container.

Before you begin


Do not pause a backup schedule for a longer duration than the longest retention period in the SLA.
Existing backups expire according to the SLA and you will not be able to restore the backups after they
expire.
For example, assume that the SLA that is associated with a volume is weekly, with a retention period of
24 days for snapshots and 31 days for copy backups. You pause the schedule for 35 days and resume the
schedule on day 36. No snapshots or copy backups will be available for restore jobs between days 32 and
35.

Procedure
1. Create a YAML file that contains the following properties:

#------------------------
# Filename: filename.yaml
#------------------------

apiVersion: "baas.io/v1alpha1"
kind: BaaSReq

metadata:
name: request_name
namespace: namespace
spec:
requesttype: Pause

where:
request_name
The name of the backup request, which must match the name of the PVC for the volume that is
being backed up.
namespace
The namespace in which the PVC exists.
2. Submit the pause request by issuing the following command:

kubectl apply -f filename.yaml

After you submit the pause request, no further backup jobs are run for the PVC until you resume the
schedule. Any existing snapshots and copy backups will expire according to the SLA that is associated
with the PVC.
Related tasks
“Pausing scheduled backups” on page 335
You can pause a backup schedule for a container when you do not want scheduled backup jobs to run. For
example, you might want to pause a backup schedule to perform maintenance tasks on a container or to
restart the container.
Related information
“Types of requests in Kubernetes Backup Support” on page 312

Chapter 11. Protecting containers 335


Resuming scheduled backups
When you want a paused backup schedule to run again, you can resume the schedule. For example, you
can resume a backup schedule when a maintenance task on a container is completed and when the
container is restarted.

Procedure
1. Create a YAML file that contains the following properties.

#------------------------
# Filename: filename.yaml
#------------------------

apiVersion: "baas.io/v1alpha1"
kind: BaaSReq

metadata:
name: request_name
namespace: namespace
spec:
requesttype: Resume

where:
request_name
The name of the backup request, which must match the name of the PVC for the volume that is
being backed up.
namespace
The namespace in which the PVC exists.
2. Submit the resume request by issuing the following command:

kubectl apply -f filename.yaml

After you submit the request, the scheduled backup operations will resume within the window that is
defined by the SLA policy.
Related tasks
“Pausing scheduled backups” on page 335
You can pause a backup schedule for a container when you do not want scheduled backup jobs to run. For
example, you might want to pause a backup schedule to perform maintenance tasks on a container or to
restart the container.
Related information
“Types of requests in Kubernetes Backup Support” on page 312

Deleting container backups


You can delete snapshot and copy backups of a persistent volume claim (PVC) by submitting a destroy
request.

Before you begin


Before you submit a destroy request to delete container backups, consider the following consequences:
• All snapshots of the PVC will be deleted in the Kubernetes environment. These snapshots include
snapshots that were created by on-demand and scheduled backups, and snapshots that were manually
created.
• The copy backups on the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus vSnap server will be marked for deletion. The
deletion is managed by IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
• The original backup request will not be deleted by the destroy request. You must run the kubectl
delete command to delete it.

336 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


• The destroy request is not supported for on-demand backups. Use the kubectl delete command
to delete an on-demand backup request. An on-demand snapshot is deleted when the snapshot expires
or when the scheduled backup is destroyed.

Procedure
1. Create a YAML file for the destroy request that contains the following properties:

#------------------------
# Filename: filename.yaml
#------------------------

apiVersion: "baas.io/v1alpha1"
kind: BaaSReq

metadata:
name: request_name
namespace: namespace
spec:
requesttype: Destroy

where:
filename
The name of the YAML configuration file.
request_name
The name of the request, which must match the name of the PVC that was backed up. For
example, if you want to delete all snapshots and copy backups for the PVC named db-vol01, the
name of the request must also be db-vol01.
namespace
The namespace in which the PVC exists.
2. Submit the destroy request by entering the following command on the command line:

kubectl apply -f filename.yaml

where filename is the name of the YAML configuration file.


3. To check that the snapshots and copy backups for a PVC are deleted, issue the following command:

kubectl describe baasreq request_name -n namespace| grep Backupstatus

where request_name is the name of the PVC that was backed up.
In the command output, the following status shows that the backups were deleted:

Backupstatus: Destroyed

What to do next
As a best practice, delete the completed request by issuing the following command:

kubectl delete baasreq request_name -n namespace

where request_name is the name of the PVC that was backed up.
Deleting completed requests has the following benefits:
• It reduces the size of the etcd database and allows you to reuse the name of a request for another
operation.
• It makes troubleshooting easier.
• It makes it easier for you to track backup and restore requests that are running in your Kubernetes
cluster.
• At any point in time, you have a clear picture of requests that are running in on your cluster when you
issue the following command:

Chapter 11. Protecting containers 337


kubectl get baasreq -n namespace

If you delete the backup request without first destroying the backup, the backup request will continue to
run and backups will be made according to specified SLA policy until Kubernetes Backup Support is
restarted or the baas-etcd-client pod is restarted.
If you accidentally deleted the backup request without destroying the backup first, you must complete
the following actions:
1. Manually restart the baas-etcd-client pod.
2. Manually delete the volume snapshots for the volume.
Related information
“Types of requests in Kubernetes Backup Support” on page 312

Monitoring Kubernetes Backup Support jobs and running reports


The backup administrator can use the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user interface to monitor Kubernetes
Backup Support jobs and create reports that show the backup history of containers.

Viewing job logs


You can use the Jobs and Operations window to monitor Kubernetes Backup Support jobs, review job
history, and view scheduled jobs.

About this task


Container-specific jobs can be identified by the kubernetestvol prefix, the name of the persistent
volume claim (PVC), or the CTGGK message identifier.
For example, the name of a job can be in the following format:

kubernetesvol_internalID_namespace:pvcname

where:
internalID
A random string generated by Kubernetes Backup Support that uniquely identifies a volume.
namespace
The namespace in which a PVC exists.
pvcname
The name of PVC that is being protected.

Procedure
1. In the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus navigation pane, click Jobs and Operations.
2. Click the appropriate tab:
• To show the backup and restore jobs that are running, click Running Jobs.
• To show the jobs that ran successfully, completed processing with warnings, or jobs that failed,
click Job History. You can download a job log from the page by selecting the job and clicking
Download.zip.
• To view the status of scheduled jobs, click Schedule.
Related concepts
“Managing jobs and operations” on page 345

338 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


You can manage and monitor jobs in the Jobs and Operations window. You can also configure scripts to
run before or after jobs.

Creating backup history reports


You can run a report to show the backup history of your protected persistent volumes. By viewing the
backup history, you can determine the health of your backups.

About this task


For each persistent volume claim (PVC), the backup history shows information about the Container
Storage Interface (CSI) snapshots that were created in the Kubernetes environment and the backups that
were copied to the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus vSnap server. You can view information such as the date
and time of the backup operation, the size of the backup, and how fast it took to process the copy
backups. Because all snapshots and copy backups are recorded in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, you can
see whether your scheduled backups are running according to the service level agreement (SLA) policy
that you set for the PVC.

Procedure
1. In the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus navigation pane, click Reports and Logs.
2. Expand the Protection list and take one of the following actions:
• To create a new report, click Container Persistent Volume Backup History.
• To run a report that you saved previously, expand the Container Persistent Volume Backup
History list and click the name of a saved report.
3. In the Options section, take one of the following actions:
• To run the report immediately with the default parameters or the parameters of a saved report,
click Run.
• To customize a new report, update the parameters in the Options section and click Run. You can
also provide a name and description and save the definitions for future use.
• To change the definitions of a saved report, update the parameters in the Options section and click
Save. Then, click Run.
The backup history report is displayed in the Container Persistent Volume Backup History section of
the window. To download the report, click Download.
4. Optional: To schedule the report and send it to a recipient, select Define Schedule.
a) In the Frequency field, specify how often to run the report.
b) In the Start Time field, specify the date and time for when to start running the report.
c) In the email recipient field, enter at least one email address and click Add a recipient. The email
address must be a valid address.
d) Click Save.

Results
The backup history report is shown in the Container Persistent Volume Backup History section of the
window. The descriptions of the reported data are shown in the following table:

Chapter 11. Protecting containers 339


Table 36. Details of the backup history report
Column Description
SLA Policy The SLA policy that is used to protect a PVC.
Because only one SLA can be assigned to a
volume, the SLA can contain the following
elements:

instancename_internalID_namespace:pvcname

The instancename value is composed of the


namespace and the PVC name.
The internalID value is a random string generated
by Kubernetes Backup Support that uniquely
identifies a volume.

Protection Time The date and time when each backup job was
completed.
Status The status of each backup. If a backup job failed, a
possible reason is provided.
Snapshot Backup? An indication of whether the backup instance is a
snapshot backup. A check mark is displayed in the
column to indicate that the instance is a snapshot
backup. When a check mark is displayed, no data is
shown in the Backup Size and Bacukp Speed
columns.
Backup Size For copy backups, the amount of data that was
backed up to the vSnap server. For snapshot
backups that were created in the Kubernetes
environment or for backups that failed, no size is
shown.
Backup Speed The rate at which a copy backup was completed.
For snapshot backups or backups that failed, no
data is shown.

Related concepts
“Managing reports and logs” on page 355
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus provides a number of predefined reports that you can customize to meet your
reporting requirements. A log of actions that users complete in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus is also
provided.

340 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Chapter 12. Protecting IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
Protect the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus application by backing up the underlying databases for disaster
recovery scenarios. Configuration settings, registered resources, restore points, backup storage settings,
and job information are backed up to a vSnap server that is defined in the associated SLA policy.

Backing up the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus application


Back up IBM Spectrum Protect Plus configuration settings, SLA policies, registered resources, backup
storage settings, restore points, and imported keys and certificates to a vSnap server that is defined in the
associated SLA policy.

Before you begin


Ensure that an appropriate SLA policy is available. To optimize backup jobs, create SLA policies
specifically for backing up IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. To reduce system load, ensure that other jobs are
not scheduled to run during the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus backup job. To create an SLA policy, follow
the instructions in “Creating an SLA policy” on page 145.
Restriction: You cannot select the onboard vSnap server as the target of the SLA policy for backing up
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. The onboard vSnap server is named localhost and is automatically installed
when the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance is initially deployed. Select a secondary external vSnap
server as the target when you create the SLA policy to back up IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
An IBM Spectrum Protect Plus catalog can be restored to the same location, or an alternate IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus location in disaster recovery scenarios.

Procedure
To back up IBM Spectrum Protect Plus data:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > IBM Spectrum Protect Plus > Backup.
2. Select an SLA policy to associate with the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus catalog backup operation.
3. Click Save to create the job definition.

Results
The job runs as defined by the SLA policies that you selected, or you can manually run the job by clicking
Jobs and Operations > Schedule. Then, select the job in the Schedule tab and click Actions > Start. For
instructions, see “Start a backup job” on page 99.

Restoring the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus application


Restore IBM Spectrum Protect Plus configuration settings, restore points, and job information that were
backed up to the vSnap server. The data can be restored to the same location or another IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus location.

About this task


Attention: An IBM Spectrum Protect Plus restore operation overwrites all data in the IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance or alternate virtual appliance location. All IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus operations stop while the data is being restored. The user interface is not accessible,
and all jobs that are running are canceled. Any snapshots that are created between the backup
and restore operations are not saved.
If restoring a cloud backup, the cloud resource or repository server must be registered on the alternate
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus location.
When a catalog restore job is started, a job session identifier (ID) is assigned. During the initial phase, the
job will be available to be monitored in the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus UI on the job management screen

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2017, 2020 341


until the recovery step initiates the internal database restore. Once the job enters this state, IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus is no longer available. During this phase, log information is written to the
location: /data/log/adminconsole/managedb-catalogrestore-time.log, where time is epoch
time. Data contained in this log is relates to the restore of the mongo configuration and recovery catalog.
After the process is complete, the virgo service will start and the data is written to the virgo log. When
the job is complete, the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user interface is again accessible.

Procedure
To restore IBM Spectrum Protect Plus data:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > IBM Spectrum Protect Plus > Restore.
2. Select a vSnap server, cloud resource, or repository server.
Data can be restored to the same location, or an alternate location in disaster recovery scenarios.
Available snapshots for the server are displayed.
3. Click Restore for the catalog snapshot that you want to restore.
4. Select one of the following restore modes:
Restore the catalog and suspend all scheduled jobs
The catalog is restored and all scheduled jobs are left in a suspended state. No scheduled jobs are
started, which allows for the validation and testing of catalog entries and the creation of new jobs.
Typically, this option is used in DevOps use cases.
Restore the catalog
The catalog is restored and all scheduled jobs continue to run as captured in the catalog backup.
Typically, this option is used in disaster recovery.
5. Click Restore.
6. To run the restore job, in the dialog box, click Yes.

Managing IBM Spectrum Protect Plus restore points


You can use the Restore Point Retention pane to search for restore points in the IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus catalog by backup job name, view their creation and expiration dates, and override the assigned
retention.
Related concepts
“Job types” on page 345
Jobs are used to run backup, restore, maintenance, inventory, and report operations in IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus.

Expiring job sessions


You can expire a job session to override the snapshot retention settings that were assigned during backup
creation.

About this task


Expiring a job session will not remove a snapshot and related recovery point if the snapshot is locked by a
replication or copy relationship. Run the replication or copy-enabled job to change the lock to a later
snapshot. The snapshot and recovery point will be removed during the next run of the maintenance job.

Procedure
To set a job session to expire:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > IBM Spectrum Protect Plus > Restore Point
Retention.
2. On the Backup Sessions tab, search for the job session or restore point. Alternatively, on the Virtual
Machines / Databases tab, select either Applications or Hypervisors to search for the desired catalog

342 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


entry by entering the name. Names can be searched by entering partial text, using the asterisk (*) as a
wildcard character, or using the question mark (?) for pattern matching.
For more information about using the search function, see Appendix A, “Search guidelines,” on page
391.
3. If you are searching from the Backup Sessions tab, use filters to fine-tune your search across job types
and date range when the associated backup job started.

4. Click the search icon .


5. Select the job sessions that you want to expire.
6. From the Actions list, select one of the following options:
• Expire is used to expire a single job session.
• Expire All Job Sessions is used to expire all unexpired job sessions for the selected job.
7. To confirm the expiration, in the dialog box, click Yes.

Deleting resource metadata from the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus catalog
When you run an inventory job, resources are added to the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus catalog. To release
space in the catalog, you can expire the metadata from the restore points that are associated with the
resources.

About this task


Expiring a resource from the catalog does not remove associated snapshots from a vSnap server or
secondary backup storage.

Procedure
To expire a resource from the catalog:
1. In the navigation pane, click Manage Protection > IBM Spectrum Protect Plus > Restore Point
Retention.
2. Click the Virtual Machines/Databases tab.
3. Use the filter to search by resource type, and then enter a search string to search for a resource by
name.
For more information about using the search function, see Appendix A, “Search guidelines,” on page
391.
4. Click the search icon .
5. Click the delete icon that is associated with a resource.
6. To confirm the expiration, in the dialog box, click Yes.

Results
The catalog metadata that is associated with the resource is removed from the catalog.
Related concepts
“Job types” on page 345
Jobs are used to run backup, restore, maintenance, inventory, and report operations in IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus.

Chapter 12. Protecting IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 343


344 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide
Chapter 13. Managing jobs and operations
You can manage and monitor jobs in the Jobs and Operations window. You can also configure scripts to
run before or after jobs.

Job types
Jobs are used to run backup, restore, maintenance, inventory, and report operations in IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus.
Backup and restore jobs are user defined. After you create these jobs, you can modify the jobs at any
time. Maintenance, inventory, and report jobs are predefined and not modifiable. However, you can
modify the schedules of maintenance, inventory, and report jobs.
You can run all jobs on demand, even if they are set to run on a schedule. You can also hold and release
jobs that are set to run on a schedule.
The following job types are available:
Backup
A backup job defines the resources that you want to back up and the service level agreement (SLA)
policy or policies that you want to apply to those resources. Each SLA policy defines when the job
runs. You can run the job by using the schedule that is defined by the SLA policy or you can run the job
on demand.
You can also run backup jobs for a single resource or multiple selected resources that are associated
with an SLA policy rather than backing up all resources that are associated with the policy.
The job name is auto generated and is constructed of the resource type followed by the SLA policy
that is used for the job. For example, a backup job for SQL Server resources that are associated with
the SLA policy Gold is sql_Gold.
Restore
A restore job defines the restore point that you want to restore data from. For example, if you are
restoring hypervisor data, the restore point might be a virtual machine. If you are restoring application
data, the restore point might be a database.
Restore jobs are ran on a schedule or on demand.
For scheduled jobs, the job name is defined by the user who creates the job.
For on-demand jobs, the job name onDemandRestore is auto generated when the job is run.
Maintenance
The maintenance job runs once a day to remove resources and associated objects that are created by
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus when a job that is in a pending state is deleted.
The cleanup procedure reclaims space on storage devices, cleans up the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
catalog, and removes related snapshots. The maintenance job also removes cataloged data that is
associated with deleted jobs.
The job name is Maintenance
Inventory
An inventory job is run automatically when you add a resource to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
However, you can run an inventory job at any time to detect any changes that occurred since the
resource was added.
The inventory job names are Default Application Server Inventory, Default
Hypervisor Inventory, and Default Storage Server Inventory.
Report
A report job runs a scheduled report. The job name is the report name preceded by Report_.
Report names are similar to the following example:

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2017, 2020 345


Report_VM Backup History

Related concepts
“Protecting hypervisors” on page 151
You must register the hypervisors that you want to protect in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and then create
jobs to back up and restore the virtual machines and resources that are associated with the hypervisors.
“Protecting applications” on page 189
You must register the database applications that you want to protect in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and
then create jobs to back up and restore the databases and resources that are associated with the
applications.
Related tasks
“Creating an SLA policy” on page 145
You can create custom SLA policies to define backup frequency, retention, replication, and copy policies
that are specific for your environment.
“Running an ad hoc backup job” on page 351
With an ad hoc backup job, you can select one or more resources that are associated with an SLA policy
and run an on-demand backup operation for those resources.

Concurrent jobs
Jobs that overlap other jobs are referred to as concurrent jobs
To determine whether a job is running or ran concurrently with another job, click Jobs and Operations >
Job History, select a job, and click Concurrent Jobs.
Restriction: Multiple backup jobs cannot back up the same resource at the same time. If multiple jobs
share a resource or resources, the job that processes the resource first will run and any other jobs that
start during the same time period will fail.

Creating jobs and job schedules


The method for creating jobs and job schedules depends on the job type.
You can create jobs and schedules for backup and restore jobs. The following table describes the
available backup and restore jobs and provides links to the steps that are required to create the jobs and
job schedules or run the jobs on demand.
Maintenance jobs are created by default. Inventory and report jobs are created automatically when an
inventory operation runs or when a report is scheduled.

Job type Description How to create the job


Backup You can create a job definition See the topics that contain
and assign one or more service instructions for backing up data
level agreement (SLA) policies to by resource type in Chapter 9,
that definition. The job definition “Protecting hypervisors,” on page
defines the resources to back up 151 and Chapter 10, “Protecting
and the SLA policy defines the applications,” on page 189.
schedule, targets, and other
For example, the backup topic for
options for the backup operation.
VMware is “Backing up VMware
data” on page 155.

346 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Job type Description How to create the job
Ad hoc backup When a job is run for the selected See “Running an ad hoc backup
SLA policy, all resources that are job” on page 351.
associated with that SLA policy
are included in the backup
operation. If you want to back up
only selected resources by using
a selected SLA policy, you can
run an ad hoc job, which runs the
backup operation immediately.
Restore After you have run a backup job See the topics that contain
at least once, you can run a instructions for restoring data by
restore job to restore the data. resource type in Chapter 9,
“Protecting hypervisors,” on page
You can create a restore job that
151 and Chapter 10, “Protecting
runs on a schedule or that runs
applications,” on page 189.
on demand.
For example, the restore topic for
VMware is “Restoring VMware
data” on page 164.

Related concepts
“Job types” on page 345
Jobs are used to run backup, restore, maintenance, inventory, and report operations in IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus.
Related tasks
“Creating an SLA policy” on page 145
You can create custom SLA policies to define backup frequency, retention, replication, and copy policies
that are specific for your environment.

Starting jobs on demand


You can run any job on demand, even if the job is set to run on a schedule.

Procedure
Complete the following steps to start a job:
1. In the navigation pane, click Jobs and Operations, and click the Schedule tab.
2. Choose the job that you want to run and click Actions > Start.
The job is started and added to the Running Jobs tab.

What to do next
To view the job log for the job, select the job on the Running Jobs tab and click Job Log. To download the
log for the job, click Download.zip.
To view all jobs that are running or ran concurrently with the job, click Concurrent Jobs.

Viewing jobs and job logs


You can view information about the status of your running jobs, and the overall status of the jobs that are
completed. Assess the completion of jobs that completed with failures or warnings, view the associated
job logs, and rerun the jobs.

About this task

Chapter 13. Managing jobs and operations 347


Procedure
To view jobs and job logs, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Jobs and Operations.
2. In the Running Jobs page, view the status of the jobs that are currently running, as shown in the
following picture.

3. To view completed jobs, click Job History.


The ribbon across this screen shows the status of historical jobs. Use the filter to define the duration of
the job history to display. Clicking the job displays the job log for that job on the screen, and you can
choose to download the log for more details.

348 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


4. To view the active resources in your environment, click Active Resources.
Shows application and hypervisor active resources. For hypervisors, the fields displayed are resource,
type, destination, and last updated. The vDisk label information is also displayed if the target source is
a vDisk.
Restriction: For Active Resources, the destination column and vDisk label information is available
only if you install IBM Spectrum Protect Plus interim fix 10.1.5.2199 or later.
5. To view the overall schedule for all jobs, click Schedule.
Using the Actions menu, you can choose to start a job or pause a schedule. You can also edit some
recurring and maintenance job schedules by clicking the schedule icon, , and saving your changes.
To edit a restore job, click the edit icon for that job, .

Pausing and resuming jobs


You can pause and resume a scheduled job. When you pause a scheduled job, the job will not run until it
is resumed.

Procedure
To pause and release job schedules, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Jobs and Operations, and click the Schedule tab.
2. Choose the job that you want to pause, and click Actions > Pause Schedule.
3. To resume the job schedule, click Actions > Release Schedule.

Editing jobs and job schedules


You can edit the job options and schedule for some job types.

About this task


For restore jobs, you can edit the job options by using the "Snapshot restore" wizard.
For the following job types, you can edit the job schedule:

Chapter 13. Managing jobs and operations 349


• Restore (recurring jobs)
• Inventory
• Report
• Maintenance

Procedure
To edit a job or a job schedule, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Jobs and Operations and then click the Schedule tab.
2. Click the edit or schedule icon.
Option Description

Click this edit icon to open the "Snapshot restore"


wizard and change the options for the job. Follow
the instructions for using the wizard in the
applicable resource restore topic in Chapter 9,
“Protecting hypervisors,” on page 151 and
Chapter 10, “Protecting applications,” on page
189.

Click this edit icon to change the job schedule.

Canceling jobs
You can cancel a job that is running.

Procedure
To cancel a job, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Jobs and Operations and then click the Running Jobs tab.
2. Click the Actions menu that is associated with the job, and then click Cancel.

Deleting jobs
You can delete a restore or report job that has a status of IDLE.

About this task


This procedure applies only to restore and report jobs. To delete a backup job, you must delete the
service level agreement (SLA) policy that is associated with that job.

Procedure
To delete a restore or report job, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Jobs and Operations and then click the Schedule tab.
2. Click the delete icon that is associated with the job.

350 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Rerunning partially completed backup jobs
If the last instance of a backup job was partially completed, you can rerun the job to back up virtual
machines and databases that were skipped.

About this task


A backup job can be rerun only in the same session ID as the original partially completed backup job. No
successful backup of the same resource can have completed since the partial backup job you choose to
rerun.
Tip: Backup jobs can be rerun only in response to a hypervisor or database backup failure. The following
events do not qualify for backup job rerun operations:
• A VM backup was completed with an FLI failure.
• A snapshot condense failure occurred for a storage system.
• A backup job failed with an unknown issue such as a cataloging error.
• A resource is missing from the vCenter.
For applications for which log backups are supported, log backups are not disabled when using the rerun
feature. Log backups will be disabled for the applicable databases when the job is next started without
using the on-demand backup or rerun feature.

Procedure
Complete the following steps to rerun a partially completed backup operation:
1. In the navigation pane, click Jobs and Operations and then click the Job History tab.
2. Use the search function and filters to find the last instance of the backup job that was partially
completed.
3. Select the job instance and then click Rerun.
If the backup job cannot be rerun, the Rerun option is not available.

Results
All SLA options and any exclusions that are associated with the original job are included in the rerun
operation. Any option or exclusion changes that you applied after the last partial backup operation are
ignored. If the rerun job is completed successfully, the job summary is updated to show success.

Running an ad hoc backup job


With an ad hoc backup job, you can select one or more resources that are associated with an SLA policy
and run an on-demand backup operation for those resources.

About this task


This feature associates the selected SLA policy and resources in an ad hoc job for the purposes of running
an immediate, on-demand backup operation. It does not change SLA policy assignments for resources
that are associated with scheduled jobs.

Procedure
To run an ad hoc backup job, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Jobs and Operations > Create Job.
2. Select Ad hoc backup to open the backup wizard.
Tips:
• You can also open the wizard from the individual hypervisor or application management pages by
clicking Manage Protection > Hypervisors or Manage Protection > Applications.

Chapter 13. Managing jobs and operations 351


• For a running summary of your selections in the wizard, click Preview Backup in the navigation pane
in the wizard.
3. On the Source type page, click the hypervisor or application for the resources that you want to include
in the job.
4. On the Select SLA policy page, select the SLA policy and then click Next.
5. On the Select source page, take the following actions:
a) Review the available resources.
You can enter all or part of a name in the filter box to locate resources that match the search
criteria. You can use the wildcard character (*) to represent all or part of a name. For example,
vm2* represents all resources that begin with "vm2".

b) Click the plus icon next to the resource that you want to add to the job.

To remove a resource from the list, click the minus icon next to the resource.
c) Click Next.
6. On the Review page, review the job settings and then click Submit to create and run the job.

What to do next
To view the status and other information about the job, click Jobs and Operations in the navigation pane
and click the job on the Running Jobs tab.

Configuring scripts for backup and restore operations


Prescripts and postscripts are scripts that can be run before or after backup and restore jobs run at the
job level. Supported scripts include shell scripts for Linux-based machines and batch and PowerShell
scripts for Windows-based machines. Scripts are created locally, uploaded to your environment through
the Script page, and then applied to job definitions.

Before you begin


Review the following considerations for using scripts with hypervisors:
• The user who is running the script must have the Log on as a service right enabled, which is required
for running prescripts and postscripts. For more information about this right, see Add the Log on as a
service Right to an Account.
• Windows Remote Shell (WinRM) must be enabled.

Uploading a script
Supported scripts include shell scripts for Linux-based machines and batch and PowerShell scripts for
Windows-based machines. Scripts must be created using the associated file format for the operating
system.

Procedure
Complete the following steps to upload a script:
1. In the navigation pane, click System Configuration > Script.
2. In the Scripts section, click Upload Script.
The Upload Script pane is displayed.
3. Click Browse to select a local script to upload.
4. Click Save.
The script is displayed in the Scripts table and can be applied to supported jobs.

What to do next
After you upload the script, complete the following action:

352 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Action How to
Add the script to a server from which it will run. See “Adding a script to a server” on page 353.

Adding a script to a server


You can add a script to the server from which the script will run.

Procedure
Complete the following steps to add a script to a server:
1. In the navigation pane, click System Configuration > Script.
2. In the Script Servers section, click Add Script Server.
The Script Server Properties pane displays.
3. Set the server options.
Host Address
Enter the resolvable IP address or a resolvable path and machine name.
Use existing user
Enable to select a previously entered user name and password for the provider.
Username
Enter your username for the provider. If entering a SQL server, the user identity follows the default
domain\name format if the virtual machine is attached to a domain. The format
local_administrator is used if the user is a local administrator.
Password
Enter your password for the provider.
OS Type
Select the operating system of the application server.
4. Click Save.

Chapter 13. Managing jobs and operations 353


354 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide
Chapter 14. Managing reports and logs
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus provides a number of predefined reports that you can customize to meet your
reporting requirements. A log of actions that users complete in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus is also
provided.

Types of reports
You can customize predefined reports to monitor the utilization of backup storage and other aspects of
your system environment.
Reports are based on the data that is collected by the most recent inventory job. You can generate reports
after all cataloging jobs and subsequent database condense jobs are completed. You can run the
following types of reports:
• Backup storage utilization reports
• Protection reports
• System reports
• Virtual machine environment reports
Reports include interactive elements, such as searching for individual values within a report, vertical
scrolling, and column sorting.

Backup storage utilization reports


IBM Spectrum Protect Plus provides backup storage utilization reports that display the storage utilization
and status of your backup storage, such as vSnap servers.
To view backup storage utilization reports, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Reports and Logs > Reports.
2. Expand Backup Storage Utilization in the Reports pane.
The following reports are available:
VM Backup Utilization
Review the utilization of your virtual machine (VM) backups on backup storage, including the following
data:
• The name of each VM, its location, and the associated hypervisor.
• The SLA policy that is used to protect the VM.
• The location of the backup storage. The backup storage can be the host name or IP address of a
disk, the name of a cloud server, or the name of the repository server.
• The size of each VM backup.
• The number of restore points that are available for each VM.
For VMware virtual machines, to narrow your results to show VMs that have VMware tags, select one
or more available tags in the Tags drop-down menu. The default value is All, which shows data for all
VM backups.
vSnap Storage Utilization Report
Review the storage utilization of your vSnap servers, including the availability status, free space, and
used space. The vSnap Storage Utilization report displays both an overview of your vSnap servers and
a detailed view of the individual virtual machines and databases that are protected on each vSnap
server.
Use the report options to filter specific vSnap servers to display. For a detailed view of the individual
virtual machines and databases that are protected on each vSnap server, select Show Resources

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2017, 2020 355


protected per vSnap Storage. This area of the report displays the names of the virtual machines,
associated hypervisor, location, and the compression/deduplication ratio of the vSnap server.
Storage capacity and usage values that are displayed by IBM Spectrum Protect Plus might vary
between those that appear on the dashboard versus those that appear on the vSnap Storage
Utilization report. The dashboard displays live information, while the report reflects data from the last
inventory job run. Variations are also due to differing rounding algorithms.
Related concepts
“Report actions” on page 361
You can run, save, or schedule reports in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
“Types of reports” on page 355
You can customize predefined reports to monitor the utilization of backup storage and other aspects of
your system environment.

Protection reports
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus provides reports that display the protection status of your resources. By
viewing the reports and taking any necessary action, you can help to ensure that your data is protected
through user-defined recovery point objective parameters.
To view protection reports, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Reports and Logs > Reports.
2. Expand Protection in the Reports pane.
The following reports are available:
Protected and Unprotected VMs report
Run the Protected and Unprotected VMs report to view the protection status of your virtual machines.
The report displays the total number of virtual machines added to the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
inventory before backup jobs are started.
Use the report options to filter by hypervisor type and to select specific hypervisors to display.
To exclude unprotected virtual machines in the report, select Hide Unprotected VMs.
To exclude virtual machines that are not backed up to secondary backup storage, select Show only
the VMs with Object Storage Copy Backups.
The Summary View displays an overview of your virtual machine protection status, including the
number of unprotected and protected virtual machines and the managed capacity of the protected
virtual machines. The managed capacity is the used capacity of a virtual machine. The Detail View
provides further information about the protected and unprotected virtual machines, including names
and location.
Protected and Unprotected Databases report
Run the Protected and Unprotected Databases report to view the protection status of your databases.
The report displays the total number of databases added to the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus inventory
before backup jobs are started.
Use the report options to filter by application type, application server, and application server type to
display.
To exclude databases that are protected through hypervisor-based backup jobs, select Hide
Databases Protected as part of Hypervisor Backup.
To exclude unprotected databases in the report, select Hide Unprotected Databases.
The Summary View displays an overview of your application server protection status, including the
number of unprotected and protected databases, as well as the front end capacity of the protected
databases. The front end capacity is the used capacity of a database. The Detail View provides
further information about the protected and unprotected databases, included their names and
location

356 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


VM Backup History report
Run the VM Backup History report to review the protection history of specific virtual machines. To run
the report, at least one virtual machine must be specified in the VMs option. You can select multiple
virtual machine names.
Use the report options to filter by failed or successful jobs and time of the last backup. The report can
be further filtered by specific service level agreement (SLA) policies. In the Detail View, click the plus
icon next to an associated job to view job details, such as the reason why a job failed or the size of
a successful backup.
Database Backup History report
Run the Database Backup History report to review the protection history of specific databases. To run
the report, at least one database must be specified in the Databases option. You can select multiple
databases.
Use the report options to filter by failed or successful jobs and time of the last backup. The report can
be further filtered by specific SLA policies. In Detail View, click the plus icon next to an associated
job to view further job details, such as the reason why a job failed or the size of a successful backup.
VM SLA Policy RPO Compliance report
The VM SLA Policy RPO Compliance report displays virtual machines in relation to recovery point
objectives as defined in SLA policies. The report displays the following information:
• Virtual machines in compliance
• Virtual machines not in compliance
• Virtual machines in which the last backup job session failed
Use the report options to filter by hypervisor type and to select specific hypervisors to display. The
report can be further filtered by virtual machines that are in compliance or not in compliance with the
defined RPO.
Database SLA Policy RPO Compliance report
The Database SLA Policy RPO Compliance report displays databases in relation to recovery point
objectives as defined in SLA policies. The report displays the following information:
• Databases in compliance
• Databases not in compliance
• Databases in which the last backup job session failed
Use the report options to filter by application type and to select specific application servers to display.
The report can be further filtered by databases that are in compliance or not in compliance with the
defined RPO, or by protection type, including data that was backed up to vSnap or by using
replication.
Container Persistent Volume Backup History report
The Container Persistent Volume Backup History report displays the history of persistent container
volume back jobs.
Use the report options to filter by Persistent Volume Claim (PVC) type and to select specific PVCs to
display. The report can be further filtered by failed jobs or successful jobs and by specific service level
agreement (SLA) policies. Set a number in the Backup History for Past Number of Days field to show
the backup history for a specified number of days. The default value is 1.
Tip: Optionally, the custom report can be saved and run at a future time by giving the report a name
and description in the Save Custom Report pane.
Related concepts
“Types of reports” on page 355

Chapter 14. Managing reports and logs 357


You can customize predefined reports to monitor the utilization of backup storage and other aspects of
your system environment.

System reports
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus provides system reports that display an in-depth view of the status of your
configuration, including storage system information, jobs, and job status.
To view system reports, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Reports and Logs > Reports.
2. Expand System in the Reports pane.
The following reports are available:
Configuration report
Review the configuration of the application servers, hypervisors, and backup storage that is available.
Use the report options to filter the configuration types to display. The report displays the name of the
resource, resource type, associated site, and the SSL connection status.
Job report
Review the available jobs in your configuration. Run this report to view jobs by type, their average
duration, and their successful run percentage. Use the report options to filter the job types to display
and to display jobs that ran successfully over a period of time. The Summary View lists jobs by type
along with the number of times a job session is run, completed, or failed. Job sessions listed as Other
are jobs that are aborted, partially run, are currently running, skipped, or stopped. In the Detail View,
click the plus icon next to an associated job to view further job details such as virtual machines
that are protected by a backup job, the average run time, and the next scheduled run time if the job is
scheduled.
License report
Review the configuration of your IBM Spectrum Protect Plus environment in relation to licensed
features. The following sections and fields display in this report:
Virtual Machine Protection
The Total Number of VMs field displays the total number of virtual machines protected through
hypervisor backup jobs, plus the number of virtual machines hosting application databases
protected through application backup jobs (not hypervisor backup jobs). The Front End Capacity
field displays the used size of these virtual machines.
Physical Machine Protection
The Total Number of Physical Servers field displays the total number of physical application
servers hosting databases that are protected through application backup jobs. The Front End
Capacity field displays the used size of these physical application servers.
Office 365 Protection
The Office 365 Protection field displays the users protected through the Office 365 application
backup job. The Front End Capacity field displays the total used size of the protected users.
Container Persistent Volume Protection
The Container Persistent Volume Protection field displays the protected container persistent
volumes. The Front End Capacity field displays the used size of these protected container
persistent volumes.
Backup Storage Utilization (vSnap)
The Total Number of vSnap Servers field displays the number of vSnap servers that are
configured in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus as a backup destination. The Target Capacity field
displays the total used capacity of the vSnap servers, excluding replica destination volumes.
Related concepts
“Types of reports” on page 355

358 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


You can customize predefined reports to monitor the utilization of backup storage and other aspects of
your system environment.

Running a VM environment report


You can run reports for your Virtual Machine (VM) environment in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. Reports can
help you to monitor the amount of free space on each hypervisor, the storage usage of logical unit
numbers (LUNs), and the status of all VMs.

Procedure
1. In the navigation pane, click Reports and Logs > Reports.
2. Expand VM Environment in the Reports pane.
3. Choose the VM report you want to run from the following list.
VM report type Options
VM Datastores Choose this report to review the VM and storage
usage of datastores in your VM environment. This
report shows the datastore count, capacity, and
free space for each hypervisor. To run this report,
take the following actions:
a. In the Hypervisor Type section, select the
type of hypervisors to include in the report.
The default value is All.
b. In the Hypervisor section, select the
hypervisors to include in the report. The
default value is All.
c. In the Detail View Filter section, select the
threshold of percentage usage to include in
the report. The default value is >80% space
used. If you keep the default value, the report
will include only the hypervisors in which at
least 80% of space is used.
d. Click Show only Orphaned Datastoresto view
datastores that do not have any VMs assigned
to them, or to view VMs that are inaccessible.
e. Proceed to Step 4.

VM Storage Choose this report to review the provisioned


space in your datastores and hypervisors in your
VM environment. Take the following actions:
a. In the Hypervisor Typesection, select the
type of hypervisors to include in the report.
The default value is All.
b. In the Hypervisor section, select the
hypervisors to include in the report. The
default value is All.
c. Proceed to the Step 4.

VM LUNs Choose this report to review the storage usage of


your VM logical unit numbers (LUNs). The report
includes details for each LUN in your environment
with associated datastores per volume,
capacities, transport type, and RDM. Take the
following actions:

Chapter 14. Managing reports and logs 359


VM report type Options

a. In the Hypervisor Typesection, select the


type of hypervisors to include in the report.
The default value is All.
b. In the Hypervisor section, select the
hypervisors to include in the report. The
default value is All.
c. Click Show only Orphaned Datastoresto view
datastores that do not have any VMs assigned
to them, or to view VMs that are inaccessible.
d. Proceed to Step 4.

VM Snapshot Sprawl Choose this report to review the details of the


snapshots for your VM environment. Take the
following actions:
a. In the Hypervisor Typesection, select the
type of hypervisors to include in the report.
The default value is All.
b. In the Hypervisor section, select the
hypervisors to include in the report. The
default value is All.
c. Choose a Snapshot Creation Time. The
default value is >1 Year. If you keep the
default value, the report shows snapshots that
were created over 1 year ago.
d. Select tags that are associated with a
particular VM you are looking for from the
Tags menu.
e. Proceed to Step 4.

VM Sprawl Choose this report to review the status of your


VMs. The report lists the VMs in your environment
that are powered off, powered on, or suspended.
It also lists VM templates. Take the following
actions:
a. In the Hypervisor Typesection, select the
type of hypervisors to include in the report.
The default value is All.
b. In the Hypervisor section, select the
hypervisors to include in the report. The
default value is All.
c. Specify dates for the report by entering the
following details:
• Days Since Last Powered Off the default is
Any.
• Days Since Last Suspended the default is
Any.
• Days Since Last Powered On the default is
>180 days.

360 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


VM report type Options

d. Select tags that are associated with a


particular VM you are looking for from the
Tags menu. The default value is All.
e. Proceed to Step 4.

4. Optional: To save the report, enter a Name and a Description, and click Save before you run the
report.
5. Optional: To run the report regularly, click Define Schedule in the Schedule Report section of the
window.
Specify the Frequency of the report, the Start Time, and enter email addresses for recipients of this
report.
6. Click Run to generate the report, which is displayed in the lower part of the window.
Tip: You might have to scroll down to see the report.
7. Optional: Download the report to your computer.
Related concepts
“Types of reports” on page 355
You can customize predefined reports to monitor the utilization of backup storage and other aspects of
your system environment.

Report actions
You can run, save, or schedule reports in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.

Running a report
You can run IBM Spectrum Protect Plus reports with default parameters or run customized reports with
custom parameters.

Before you begin


Custom roles that are assigned to users that run reports require that the appropriate permissions be set
on that role so that the report can be viewed. For more information about roles, permission types, and
permissions, see “Managing roles” on page 369.

Procedure
To run a report, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Reports and Logs > Reports.
2. Expand a report type and select a report to run.
3. Run the report either with custom parameters or default parameters:
• To run the report with custom parameters, set the parameters in the Options section, and click Run.
Parameters are unique to each report.
• To run the report with default parameters, click Run.

What to do next
Review the report in the Reports pane.
Related concepts
“Managing reports and logs” on page 355

Chapter 14. Managing reports and logs 361


IBM Spectrum Protect Plus provides a number of predefined reports that you can customize to meet your
reporting requirements. A log of actions that users complete in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus is also
provided.

Creating a custom report


You can modify predefined reports with custom parameters in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and save the
customized reports.

Procedure
To create a report, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Reports and Logs > Reports.
2. Select a predefined report.
3. Set your customized parameters.
4. Define the report to run in one of the following circumstances:
• Run on demand.
• Create a schedule to run the report as defined by the parameters of the schedule.
5. Save the report with a customized name.

What to do next
Run the report and review the report in the Reports pane.
Related concepts
“Managing reports and logs” on page 355
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus provides a number of predefined reports that you can customize to meet your
reporting requirements. A log of actions that users complete in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus is also
provided.

Scheduling a report
You can schedule reports in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to run at specific times.

Procedure
To schedule a report, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Reports and Logs > Reports.
2. Expand a report type and select a report.
3. In the Schedule Report section, click Define Schedule.
4. Define the frequency and start time for the schedule.
5. Enter an address to receive the scheduled report in the email field, and then click Add a recipient.
6. Click Save.

What to do next
After the report runs, the recipient can review the report, which is delivered by email.
Related concepts
“Managing reports and logs” on page 355

362 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


IBM Spectrum Protect Plus provides a number of predefined reports that you can customize to meet your
reporting requirements. A log of actions that users complete in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus is also
provided.

Collecting audit logs for actions


You can collect audit logs and search for actions that are completed in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.

Procedure
To collect audit logs:
1. In the navigation pane, click Reports and Logs > Audit Logs.
2. Review a log of actions that were completed in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. Information includes the
users who completed the actions and descriptions of the actions.
3. To search for the actions of a specific user in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, enter the user name in the
user search field.
4. Optional: Expand the Filters section to further filter the displayed logs. Enter specific action
descriptions and a date range in which the action was completed.
5. Click the search icon .
6. To download the audit log as a .csv file, click Download, and then select a location to save the file.
Related concepts
“Managing user accounts” on page 373
Before a user can log on to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and use the available functions, a user account
must be created in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.

Chapter 14. Managing reports and logs 363


364 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide
Chapter 15. Managing user access
By using role-based access control, you can set the resources and permissions available to IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus user accounts.
You can tailor IBM Spectrum Protect Plus for individual users, giving them access to the features and
resources that they require.
Once resources are available to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, they can be added to a resource group along
with high-level IBM Spectrum Protect Plus items such as a hypervisor and individual screens.
Roles are then configured to define the actions that can be performed by the user associated with the
resource group. These actions are then associated with one or more user accounts.
Use the following sections of the Accounts pane to configure role-based access:
Resource Groups
A resource group defines the resources that are available to a user. Every resource that is added to
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus can be included in a resource group, along with individual IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus functions and screens. By defining resource groups, you can fine tune the user
experience. For example, a resource group could include an individual hypervisor, with access to only
backup and reporting functionality. When the resource group is associated with a role and a user, the
user will see only the screens that are associated with backup and reporting for the assigned
hypervisor.
Restriction: Do not assign a role-based access control (RBAC) user to more than one VMware resource
group. Users that have been assigned to the Tag and Categories resource group and then are also
assigned to either Hosts and Clusters or VMs and Templates will result in data not being displayed for the
Hosts and Clusters view or the VMs and Templates view. Only information for Tags and Categories will be
displayed when that is selected as a view when performing operations.
Roles
Roles define the actions that can be performed on the resources that are defined in a resource group.
While a resource group defines the resources that will be made available to a user account, a role sets
the permissions to interact with the resources defined in the resource group. For example, if a
resource group is created that includes backup and restore jobs, the role determines how a user can
interact with the jobs.
Permissions can be set to allow a user to create, view, and run the backup and restore jobs that are
defined in a resource group, but not delete them. Similarly, permissions can be set to create
administrator accounts, allowing a user to create and edit other accounts, set up sites and resources,
and interact with all of the available IBM Spectrum Protect Plus features.
User accounts
A user account associates a resource group with a role. To enable a user to log in to IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus and use its functions, you must first add the user as an individual user (referred to as a
native user) or as part of an imported group of LDAP users, and then assign resource groups and roles
to the user account. The account will have access to the resources and features that are defined in the
resource group as well as the permissions to interact with the resources and features that are defined
in the role.

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2017, 2020 365


Managing user resource groups
A resource group defines the resources are made available to a user. Every resource added to IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus can be included in a resource group, along with individual IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus functions and screens.

Creating a resource group


Create a resource group to define the resources that are available to a user.

Before you begin


You may not assign more than one application per machine as an application server to a resource group.
For example, if SQL and Exchange occupy the same machine and both are registered with IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus, only one of those can be added as an application server to a given resource group.

Procedure
To create a resource group, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Accounts > Resource Group.
2. Click Create Resource Group. The Create Resource Group pane displays.
3. Enter a name for the resource group.
4. From the I would like to create a resource group menu, select one of the following options:
Option Actions
New a. Select a resource type from the Choose a resource type
menu.
b. Select resource subtypes, and then click Add Resources.
Resources are added to the Selected Resources view.

From template a. Select a resource group from the Which resource group
would you like to use as a template? list. Resources from
the selected template are added to the Selected
Resources view.
b. You can add resources by using the Choose a resource
type list and its associated lists.
To view available resource types and their usage, see
“Resource types ” on page 367.

If you want to delete resources from the group, click the delete icon that is associated with a
resource or click Delete All to delete all resources.
5. When you are finished adding resources, click Create resource group.

Results
The resource group displays in the resource group table and can be associated with new and existing user
accounts.

What to do next
After you add the resource group, complete the following action:

366 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Action How to
Create roles to define the actions that can be See “Creating a role” on page 370.
performed by the user account that is associated
with the resource group. Roles are used to define
permissions to interact with the resources that are
defined in the resource group.

Resource types
Resource types are selected when resource groups are created and determine the resources that are
available to a user assigned to a group.
The following resource types and subtypes are available:

Resource Type Subtype Description


Accounts • Role Used to grant access to roles and
users through the Accounts
• User pane.
• Identity

Application • Db2 Used to grant access to viewing


individual application databases
• Oracle on an application server in IBM
• SQL Standalone/Failover Spectrum Protect Plus.
Cluster
• SQL Always On

Application Server • Db2 Used to grant access to


application servers in IBM
• SQL Spectrum Protect Plus without
• Oracle access to individual databases.

Hypervisor • VMware Used to grant access to


hypervisor resources.
• Hyper-V

Job None Used to grant access to


Inventory, Backup, and Restore
jobs. The Job resource group is
mandatory for all Backup and
Restore operations, including
assigning SLA Policies to
resources.
Report • Backup Storage Utilization Used to grant access to report
types and individual reports.
• Protection
• System
• VE Environment

Screen None Used to grant or deny access to


screens in the IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus interface. If certain
screens are not included in a
resource group for a user, the
user will not be able to access
the functionality provided on the
screen, regardless of the
permissions granted to the user.

Chapter 15. Managing user access 367


Resource Type Subtype Description
SLA Policy None Used to grant access to SLA
Policies for Backup operations.
System Identity Used to grant access to the
credentials required to access
your resources. Identity
functionality is available through
the System > Identity pane.
System Configuration Disk Used to grant access to vSnap
backup storage servers.
System Configuration LDAP Used to grant access to LDAP
servers for user registration.
System Configuration Logs Used to grant access to viewing
and downloading Audit and
System logs.
System Configuration Script Used to grant access to uploaded
prescripts and postscripts.
System Configuration Script Server Used to grant access to script
servers, where scripts are run
during a Backup or Restore job.
System Configuration Site Used to grant access to sites,
which are assigned to vSnap
backup storage servers.
System Configuration SMTP Used to grant access to SMTP
servers for job notifications.
System Configuration VADP Proxy Used to grant access to VADP
proxy servers.

Editing a resource group


You can edit a resource group to change the resources and features that are assigned to the group.
Updated resource group settings take effect when user accounts that are associated with the resource
group log in to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.

Before you begin


Note the following considerations before editing a resource group:
• If you are signed in when the permissions or access rights for your user account are changed, you must
sign out and sign in again for the updated permissions to take effect.
• You can edit any resource group that is not designated as Cannot be modified.
You may not assign more than one application per machine as an application server to a resource group.
For example, if SQL and Exchange occupy the same machine and both are registered with IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus, only one of those can be added as an application server to a given resource group.

Procedure
To edit a resource group, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Accounts > Resource Group.
2. Select a resource group and click the options icon for the resource group. Click Modify resources.
3. Revise the resource group name, resources, or both.

368 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


4. Click Update Resource Group.

Deleting a resource group


You can delete any resource group that is not designated as Cannot be modified.

Procedure
To delete a resource group, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Accounts > Resource Group.
2. Select a resource group and click the options icon for the resource group. Click Delete resource
group.
3. Click Yes.

Managing roles
Roles define the actions that can be completed for the resources that are defined in a resource group.
While a resource group defines the resources that are available to an account, a role sets the permissions
to interact with the resources.
For example, if a resource group is created that includes backup and restore jobs, the role determines
how a user can interact with the jobs. Permissions can be set to allow a user to create, view, and run the
backup and restore jobs that are defined in a resource group, but not delete them.
Similarly, permissions can be set to create administrator accounts, allowing a user to create and edit
other accounts, set up sites and resources, and interact with all of the available IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus features.
The functionality of a role is dependent on a properly configured resource group. When selecting a
predefined role or configuring a custom role, you must ensure that access to necessary IBM Spectrum
Protect Plus operations, screens, and resources align with the proposed usage of the role.
The following user account roles are available:
Application Admin
The Application Admin role allows users to complete the following actions:
• Register and modify application database resources that are delegated by an administrator.
• Associate application databases to assigned SLA policies.
• Complete backup and restore operations.
• Run and schedule reports to which the user has access.
Access to resources must be granted by an administrator through the Accounts > Resource Groups
pane.
Backup Only
The Backup Only role allows users to complete the following actions:
• Create, view, and run backup operations
• View, create, and edit SLA policies to which the user has access
Access to resources, including specific backup jobs, must be granted by an administrator by clicking
Accounts > Resource Groups.
Restore Only
The Restore Only role allows users to complete the following actions:
• Run, edit, and monitor restore operations.
• View, create, and edit SLA Policies to which the user has access.
Access to resources, including specific restore jobs, must be granted by an administrator through the
Accounts > Resource Groups pane.

Chapter 15. Managing user access 369


Self Service
The Self Service role allows users to monitor existing backup and restore operations that are
delegated by an administrator.
Access to resources, including specific jobs, must be granted by an administrator through the
Accounts > Resource Groups pane.
SYSADMIN
The SYSADMIN role is the administrator role. This role provides access to all resources and privileges.
Users with this role can add users and complete the following actions for all users other than the
admin user that is assigned the SUPERUSER role:
• Modify and delete user accounts
• Change user passwords
• Assign user roles
VM Admin
The VM Admin role allows a users to complete the following actions:
• Register and modify hypervisor resources to which the user has access.
• Associate hypervisors to SLA policies.
• Complete backup and restore operations.
• Run and schedule reports to which the user has access.
Access to resources must be granted by an administrator through the Accounts > Resource Groups
pane.

Creating a role
Create roles to define the actions that can be completed by the user of an account that is associated with
a resource group. Roles are used to define permissions to interact with the resources that are defined in
the resource group.

Procedure
To create a user role, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Accounts > Role.
2. Click Create Role. The Create Role pane displays.
3. From the I would like to create a role list, select one of the following options:
Option Actions
New Select permissions to apply to the role. By default, none of the
permissions are pre-selected.
From template a. Select a role from the Which role would you like to use as
a template? menu. Permissions that are associated with
the template role are selected by default.
b. Select additional permissions to apply to the role, and
delete permissions that are not required.
To view available permissions and their usage, see
“Permission types ” on page 371.

4. Enter a name for the role, and then click Create Role.

Results
The new role is displayed in the roles table and can be applied to new and existing user accounts.

370 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Permission types
Permission types are selected when user accounts are created and determine the permissions that are
available to the user.
The following permissions are available:

Name Permissions Description


Application View Used to view individual
application databases on an
application server in IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus.
Application Server Register, view, edit, deregister Used to interact with application
servers, such as SQL or Oracle
servers, without access to
individual databases.
Certificate Create, view, edit, delete Used to interact with SSL
certificates to access cloud
servers.
Cloud Register, view, edit, deregister Used to interact with cloud
servers that are defined as
backup storage for copy
operations.
Hypervisor Register, view, edit, deregister, Used to interact with hypervisor
options virtual machines, such as
VMware or Hyper-V virtual
machines.
Identity and Keys Create, view, edit, delete Used to interact with the
credentials required to access
your resources. Identity
functionality is available through
the Accounts > Identities pane.
LDAP Register, view, edit, deregister Used to interact with LDAP
servers for user registration.
Log View Used to view Audit and System
logs.
Job Create, view, edit, run, delete Used to interact with Inventory,
Backup, and Restore jobs. Note:
If the user has permission to Run
a job, then they also can Hold,
Release, and Perform custom
restore actions for the job.
VADP Proxy Register, view, edit, deregister Used to interact with VADP.
Report Create, view, edit, delete Used to interact with reports.
Resource Group Create, view, edit, delete Used to interact with resource
groups, which define the IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus resources
that are made available to a user.

Chapter 15. Managing user access 371


Name Permissions Description
Role Create, view, edit, delete Used to interact with roles, which
define the actions that can be
performed on the resources
defined in a resource group.
Script Upload, view, replace, delete Used to interact with prescripts
and postscripts that are added to
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and
run before or after a job.
Site Create, view, edit, delete Used to interact with sites, which
are assigned to vSnap backup
storage servers.
SMTP Register, view, edit, deregister Used to interact with SMTP
servers for job notifications.
Backup Storage Register, view, edit, deregister Used to interact with vSnap
backup storage servers.
SLA Policy Create, view, edit, delete Used to interact with SLA
Policies, which allow users to
create customized templates for
Backup jobs.
User Create, view, edit, delete Used to interact with users,
associate a resource group with a
role, and provide access to the
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user
interface.

Editing a role
You can edit a role to change the resources and permissions that are assigned to the role. Updated role
settings take effect when user accounts that are associated with the role log in to IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus.

Before you begin


Note the following considerations before editing a role:
• If you are signed in when the permissions or access rights for your user account are changed, you must
sign out and sign in again for the updated permissions to take effect.
• You can edit any role that is not designated as Cannot be modified.

Procedure
To edit a user role, complete the following steps
1. In the navigation pane, click Accounts > Role.
2. Select a role and click the options icon for the role. Click Modify Role.
3. Revise the role name, permissions, or both.
4. Click Update role.

372 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Deleting a role
You can delete a role that is not designated as Cannot be modified.

Procedure
To delete a role, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Accounts > Role.
2. Select a role and click the options icon for the role. Click Delete role.
3. Click Yes.

Managing user accounts


Before a user can log on to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and use the available functions, a user account
must be created in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.

Creating a user account for an individual user


Add an account for an individual user in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. If you are upgrading from a version of
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus that is earlier than 10.1.1, permissions assigned to users in the previous
version must be reassigned in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.

Before you begin


If you want to use custom roles and resource groups, create them before you create a user. See “Creating
a resource group” on page 366 and “Creating a role” on page 370.

Procedure
To create an account for an individual user, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Accounts > User.
2. Click Add User. The Add User pane is displayed.
3. Click Select the type of user or group you want to add > Individual new user.
4. Enter a name and password for the user.
5. In the Assign Role section, select one or more roles for the user.
6. In the Permission Groups section, review the permissions and resources that are available to the
user, and then click Continue.
7. In the Add Users - Assign Resources section, assign one or more resource groups to the user, and
then click Add resources.
The resource groups are added to the Selected Resources section.
8. Click Create user.

Results
The user account is displayed in the users table. Select a user from the table to view available roles,
permissions, and resource groups.

Creating a user account for an LDAP group


With IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, you can use a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) server to
manage users. When you create an LDAP user account, you can add the user account to a user group.

Before you begin


Complete the following tasks:
• Ensure that you have registered an LDAP provider with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. To register an LDAP
provider, follow the instructions in “Adding an LDAP server” on page 128.

Chapter 15. Managing user access 373


• If you want to use custom roles and resource groups, ensure that the roles or groups are available. For
instructions about creating roles and groups, see “Creating a role” on page 370 and “Creating a
resource group” on page 366.

Procedure
To create a user account for an LDAP group, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Accounts > User.
2. Click Add User. The Add User pane is displayed.
3. Click Select the type of user or group you want to add > LDAP Group.
4. In the Group Name field of the Select LDAP Group section, specify the LDAP group by taking one of
the following actions:
• Enter the LDAP group name.
• Search for the LDAP group name by entering partial text, an asterisk (*) as a single wildcard
character, or a question mark (?) for pattern matching. To view all LDAP groups, click the View All
button.
• Optionally, a relative distinguished name (RDN) can be provided by filling out the Group RDN field.
5. LDAP Groups are displayed in LDAP Groups table. Select an LDAP Group.
6. In the Assign Role section, select one or more roles for the user.
7. In the Permission Groups section, review the permissions and resources that are available to the
user, and then click Continue.
8. In the Add Users - Assign Resources section, assign one or more resource groups to the user, and
then click Add resources.
The resource groups are added to the Selected Resources section.
9. Click Create user.

Results
The user account is displayed in the users table. Optionally, to view available roles, permissions, and
resource groups, select a user in the users table.

Editing a user account


You can edit the user name, password, associated resource groups, and roles for a user account, with the
exception of users who are assigned to the SUPERUSER role. If a user is a member of the SUPERUSER
role, you can change only the password for the user.

Before you begin


If you are signed in when the permissions or access rights for your user account are changed, you must
sign out and sign in again for the updated permissions to take effect.

Procedure
Complete the following steps to edit the credentials of a user account:
1. In the navigation pane, click Accounts > User.
2. Select one or more users. If you select multiple users with different roles, you can modify only their
resources and not their roles.
3. Click the options icon to view available options. The options that are shown depend on the
selected user or users.
Modify settings
Edit the user name and password, associated roles, and resource groups.
Modify resources
Edit the associated resource groups.

374 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


4. Modify the settings for the user, and then click Update user or Assign resources.

Deleting a user account


You can delete any user account, with the exception of users who are assigned to the SUPERUSER role.

Procedure
To delete a user account, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Accounts > User.
2. Select a user.
3. Click the options icon , and then click Delete user.

Managing identities
Some features in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus require credentials to access your resources. For example,
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus connects to Oracle servers as the local operating system user that is specified
during registration to complete tasks like cataloging, data protection, and data restore.
User names and passwords for your resources can be added and edited through the Identity pane. Then
when utilizing a feature in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus that requires credentials to access a resource,
select Use existing user, and select an identity from the drop-down menu.

Adding an identity
Add an identity to provide user credentials.

Procedure
To add an identity, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Accounts > Identity.
2. Click Add Identity.
3. Complete the fields in the Identity Properties pane:
Name
Enter a meaningful name to help identify the identity.
Username
Enter the user name that is associated with a resource, such as an SQL or Oracle server.
Password
Enter the password that is associated with a resource.
4. Click Save.
The identity displays in the identities table and can be selected when you are using a feature that
requires credentials to access a resource through the Use existing user option.

Editing an identity
You can revise an identity to change the user name and password used to access an associated resource.

Procedure
To edit an identity, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Accounts > Identity.
2. Click the edit icon that is associated with an identity.
The Identify Properties pane displays.
3. Revise the identity name, user name, and password.

Chapter 15. Managing user access 375


4. Click Save.
The revised identity displays in the identities table and can be selected when utilizing a feature that
requires credentials to access a resource through the Use existing user option.

Deleting an identity
You can delete an identity when it becomes obsolete. If an identity is associated with a registered
application server, it must be removed from the application server before it can be deleted. To remove the
association, navigate to the Backup > Manage Application Servers page associated with the application
server type, then edit the settings of the application server.

Procedure
To delete an identity, complete the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, click Accounts > Identity.
2. Click the delete icon that is associated with an identity.
3. Click Yes to delete the identity.

376 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Chapter 16. Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting procedures are available for problem diagnosis and resolution.
For a list of known issues and limitations for each IBM Spectrum Protect Plus release, see technote
2014120.

Collecting log files for troubleshooting


To troubleshoot the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus application, you can download an archive of log files that
are generated by IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.

Procedure
To collect log files for troubleshooting, complete the following steps:
1. Click the user menu, and then click Download System Logs.
The download process may take some time to complete.
2. Open or save the file log zip file, which contains individual log files for different IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus components.
For information about log files, see the protecting applications or protecting hypervisors backup
sections.

What to do next
To troubleshoot issues, complete the following steps:
1. Analyze the log files and take appropriate actions to resolve the issue.
2. If you cannot resolve the issue, submit the log files to IBM Software Support for assistance.

Troubleshooting Kubernetes Backup Support


To help troubleshoot issues with Kubernetes Backup Support, you can collect debug log files and view
trace logs. You can also follow procedures to diagnose problems.

Troubleshooting quick reference


Solutions to basic Kubernetes Backup Support problems are provided.
Use the solutions in the following table to resolve basic problems that might occur with Kubernetes
Backup Support operations. If you still cannot resolve a problem, see “Troubleshooting Kubernetes
Backup Support operations” on page 379 for more detailed troubleshooting procedures.

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2017, 2020 377


Table 37. Solutions to basic problems
Problem Solution
The Kubernetes Backup Support request is invalid. Ensure that the request is structured correctly by
verifying the following elements in the YAML file:
For example, the Backupstatus or
Restorestatus field is listed as Invalid when • Ensure that there are no typographical errors.
you run the following command: • Ensure that the correct case is used in the
kubectl describe baasreq request_name -n
statements. Kubernetes is case sensitive.
namespace
For example, ensure that the API version
where: declaration is listed as apiVersion and not
apiversion.
request_name
• For restore requests:
The name of the backup or restore request. For
backup requests, the value is the name of the – Ensure that the time stamp for a restore point
persistent volume claim (PVC). For restore is specified correctly in the restorepoint
requests, the name must be unique, and must field.
not be the same as the name of the PVC. – Ensure that the restore type is specified
namespace correctly in the restoretype field.
The namespace in which the PVC exists.
For more information, see “Restoring container
data” on page 328.

The snapshots are failing. Take one or more of the following actions:
• Verify the Ceph-CSI configuration to ensure that
your containers are running correctly. The CSI
software is required for snapshot backups.
• Ensure that a volume snapshot class is defined
for the PVCs that are being backed up.
• Ensure that the secret is in the correct
namespace (the namespace for the PVC).
• Ensure that the configurations are correct in the
ConfigMap (baas-configmap).
For more information, see “Troubleshooting issues
with snapshot backup jobs” on page 380.
The data mover fails to start. Take one or more of the following actions:
• Ensure that the Ceph RBD volume is mounted.
You can verify whether the Ceph RBD volume is
failing to mount by issuing the kubectl
describe command on the data mover pod.
• In the output of the kubectl describe
command, check the events to ensure that the
volume has been initialized by running the PVC
as part of another pod in read/write mode.
• In the output of the kubectl describe
command, check for authentication failure
events. To resolve authentication errors, ensure
that you are running a secure Docker registry.
Ensure that the pull secret is in the namespace of
the PVC. For instructions, see Pull an Image from
a Private Registry.

378 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Table 37. Solutions to basic problems (continued)
Problem Solution
Access is denied or the connection fails while Take one or more of the following actions:
mounting NFS volumes from the vSnap server.
• Check the data mover network policy. Ensure
that the vSnap server addresses match the IBM
Spectrum Protect Plus server addresses.
• Ensure that a direct connection from the
Kubernetes cluster to the IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus vSnap server exists. Connection by proxies
is not supported.

The scheduler, transaction manager, and controller Verify that the values for the
pods have started but each pod continues to CLUSTER_API_SERVER_IP_ADDRESS and
restart. In the output of the kubectl describe CLUSTER_API_SERVER_PORT parameters are
command for the transaction manager pod, the correctly specified in the baas_config.cfg
events indicate that the liveness probe failed. configuration file.
If you update the values in the baas_config.cfg
file, issue the following command to update the
configuration:

./baas_install.sh -u

Alternatively, you can uninstall and reinstall


Kubernetes Backup Support to clear the previous
log files. For instructions, see “Uninstalling
Kubernetes Backup Support” on page 322 and
“Installing and deploying Kubernetes Backup
Support images” on page 317.

Related tasks
“Collecting Kubernetes Backup Support log files for troubleshooting” on page 385
You can generate debugging log files in the Kubernetes environment to troubleshoot the deployment of
Kubernetes Backup Support and Kubernetes Backup Support operations on the IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus server.

Troubleshooting Kubernetes Backup Support operations


Troubleshooting procedures are available to help you diagnose and resolve Kubernetes Backup Support
issues.
The following instructions are provided:
• “Viewing log files” on page 379
• “Troubleshooting issues with snapshot backup jobs” on page 380
• “Troubleshooting issues with copy backup jobs” on page 381
• “Troubleshooting restore jobs” on page 383

Viewing log files


To troubleshoot Kubernetes Backup Support issues, start by viewing information in the log files. Log files
are available for the transaction manager, controller, and scheduler components of Kubernetes Backup
Support.
To view the log file for the transaction manager component, issue the following command:

Chapter 16. Troubleshooting 379


kubectl logs -f $(kubectl get pods -n baas | awk '/baas-transaction-manager/ {print $1;exit}') -
n baas -c baas-transaction-manager -f

To view the log file for the transaction manager worker, issue the following command:

kubectl logs -f $(kubectl get pods -n baas | awk '/baas-transaction-manager/ {print $1;exit}') -
n baas -c baas-transaction-manager-worker -f

To view the log file for the controller component, issue the following command:

kubectl logs -f $(kubectl get pods -n baas | awk '/baas-controller/ {print $1;exit}') -n baas -f

To view the log file for the scheduler component, issue the following command:

kubectl logs -f $(kubectl get pods -n baas | awk '/baas-scheduler/ {print $1;exit}') -n baas -f

Tip: To help speed up the display of log files, you can add the --since=duration flag to the kubectl
logs command to return only logs that are newer than a relative duration. You can specify the duration in
seconds (Ns), minutes (Nm), or hours (Nh).
For example, to view the log files for the scheduler component that are newer than 3 hours, issue the
following command:

kubectl logs -f $(kubectl get pods -n baas | awk '/baas-scheduler/ {print $1;exit}') -n baas -f
--since=3h

Troubleshooting issues with snapshot backup jobs


If a snapshot backup operation is unsuccessful, you can take a series of actions to diagnose the problem.
Complete the following steps to troubleshoot snapshot backup problems:
1. Ensure that the Kubernetes Backup Support log files are available. For instructions about viewing the
log files, see “Viewing log files” on page 379.
2. Verify whether the Kubernetes Backup Support scheduler is sending snapshot create requests for the
affected volume. Open the scheduler log file and look for the following text:

Scheduled a snapshot for volume volumename

If the scheduler is not sending snapshot requests, investigate and resolve any scheduler issues.
3. If the scheduler is sending the snapshot request, check the baas-transaction-manager container
log in the baas-transaction-manager pod. In the log file, look for the text createsnapshot and
checksnapshot, and see whether the createsnapshot or checksnapshot URL contains the
volume name as well. Search for text that is similar to the following example:

/checksnapshot?requestname=test:test-pvc-415&volumename=test:test-
pvc-415&snapshotname=test:test-pvc-415-1569883237

4. Look for the outputs from the /checksnapshot API call. If you find an exception, review the
exception log to help resolve the issue.
5. If no exceptions are found in Step 3, check the baas-transaction-manager-worker container
logs in the baas-transaction-manager pod. Look for the createSnapshot job that is processing
with the persistent volume claim (PVC) name of the volume that is being backed up. These logs show
multiple running processes. Identify the name of the worker in the log files and follow the logs for the
worker to determine whether there is an exception.
In the following example of the transaction manager worker createsnapshot log,
ForkPoolWorker-28 is the worker:

[2019-09-17 02:27:26,362: DEBUG/ForkPoolWorker-28] Received Create: 1568687246


[2019-09-17 02:27:26,362: INFO/ForkPoolWorker-28] bp.createsnapshot()
requestname=default:demo-pvc-1

380 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


You might find the following exceptions in the createsnapshot log:

Table 38. Possible snapshot backup exceptions


Exception Action
The snapshot does not exist. Run the following command to see whether the
snapshot was created correctly:
The snapshot might not be created properly.
kubectl describe volumesnapshots
snapshotname -n namespace

The deployment does not exist. For more information about the issue, run the
following command:
The data mover might not be created properly.
kubectl describe deploy baas-datamover -n
baas

The data mover registration might be failing in To determine whether the data mover
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. registration failed, look for the text
Registering DM with port in the logs.
Verify whether an error occurred that is related to
the data mover registration.
If an error exists with the registration, try deleting
the data mover deployment, network policy, and
service to help resolve the issue.
Look for a job the job with the following naming
convention in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus:

kubernetesvol_internalID_namespace:volumena
me

where internalID is the same as the instanceid


value that is generated by Kubernetes Backup
Support.
If you see this type of job, go to the next step to
troubleshoot issues in IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus.

6. Troubleshoot IBM Spectrum Protect Plus issues by taking the following actions:
a. In the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user interface, verify whether any inventory jobs are hung that
are preventing all other jobs from being recorded in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
b. Look for the hung job in the list of running jobs or in the job history. Look for job names with the
following naming convention:

kubernetesvol_internalID_namespace:volumename

where the internalID value is the same as the instanceid value that is generated by Kubernetes
Backup Support. The value of the instanceid is returned in the output of the kubectl describe
command that shows the status of a backup or restore job. For more information, see “Viewing the
status of backup and restore jobs” on page 331.
c. Check the job logs and resolve any reported issues.

Troubleshooting issues with copy backup jobs


If a copy backup job is unsuccessful, you can take a series of actions to diagnose the problem.
Complete the following steps to troubleshoot copy backup problems:

Chapter 16. Troubleshooting 381


1. Ensure that the Kubernetes Backup Support log files are available. For instructions about viewing the
log files, see “Viewing log files” on page 379.
2. Verify whether the Kubernetes Backup Support scheduler is sending copy backup requests for the
volume. Open the scheduler log file and look for the following text:

Scheduled a copy backup for volume volumename

If the scheduler is not sending copy backup requests, investigate and resolve the scheduler issues.
3. If the scheduler is sending the snapshot request, check the baas-transaction-manager container
log in the baas-transaction-manager pod. In the log file, look for the text createcopybackup
and checkcopybackup, and see whether the createcopybackup or checkcopybackup URL
contains the volume name as well. Search for text that is similar to the following example:

/checkcopybackup?requestname=test:test-pvc-415&volumename=test:test-
pvc-415&copybackupname=test:test-pvc-415-1569883237

4. Look for the outputs from the /checkcopybackup API call. If you find an exception, review the
exception log to help resolve the issue.
5. If no exceptions are found in Step 3, check the baas-transaction-manager-worker container
logs in the baas-transaction-manager pod. Look for the createCopyBackup job that is
processing with the PVC name of the volume that is being backed up. These logs show multiple
running processes. Identify the name of the worker in the log files and follow the logs for the worker to
determine whether there is an exception.
In the following example of the transaction manager worker createcopybackup log,
ForkPoolWorker-28 is the worker:

[2019-09-17 02:27:26,362: DEBUG/ForkPoolWorker-28] Received Create: 1568687246

You might find the following exceptions in the createcopybackup log:

Table 39. Possible copy backup exceptions


Exception Action
The snapshot does not exist. Run the following command to see whether the
snapshot was created correctly:
The snapshot might not be created properly.
kubectl describe volumesnapshots
snapshotname -n namespace

The deployment does not exist. For more information about the issue, get the
data mover name from the error message and run
The data mover might not be created properly.
the following command:

kubectl describe deploy baas-datamover-


ipaddress-instanceid -n namespace

The instanceid value is returned in the output of


the kubectl describe command that shows
the status of a backup or restore job. For more
information, see “Viewing the status of backup
and restore jobs” on page 331.

382 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Table 39. Possible copy backup exceptions (continued)
Exception Action
The data mover registration might be failing in To determine whether the data mover
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. registration failed, look for the text
Registering DM with port in the logs.
Verify whether an error occurred that is related to
the data mover registration.
If an error exists with the registration, try deleting
the data mover deployment, network policy, and
service to help resolve the issue.
Look for a job the job with the following naming
convention in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus:

kubernetesvol_internalID_namespace:volumena
me

where internalID is the same as the instanceid


value that is generated by Kubernetes Backup
Support.
If you see this type of job, go to the next step to
troubleshoot issues in IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus.

6. Troubleshoot IBM Spectrum Protect Plus issues by taking the following actions:
a. In the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user interface, verify whether any inventory jobs are hung that
are preventing all other jobs from being recorded in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
b. Look for the hung job in the list of running jobs or in the job history. Look for job names with the
following naming convention:

kubernetesvol_internalID_namespace:volumename

where the internalID value is the same as the instanceid value that is generated by Kubernetes
Backup Support. The value of the instanceid is returned in the output of the kubectl describe
command that shows the status of a backup or restore job. For more information, see “Viewing the
status of backup and restore jobs” on page 331.
c. Check the job logs and resolve any reported issues.

Troubleshooting restore jobs


If a restore job is unsuccessful, you can take the following actions to diagnose the problem.
Complete the following steps to troubleshoot restore job problems:
1. Ensure that the Kubernetes Backup Support log files are available. For instructions about viewing the
log files, see “Viewing log files” on page 379.
2. Check the controller log file to see whether the restore request was invalidated due to a data issue.
Look for the restore request name in the controller log. Any errors are listed by the request name.
If there are no errors, the /checkrestore calls are shown in the transaction manager logs. If errors
exist, create the restore request correctly.
If the restore request is created correctly, the scheduler receives the request.
3. Verify whether the volume to be restored has an ongoing snapshot or copy backup in process. You can
accomplish this task by looking at the /checkcopybackup or /checksnapshot calls that are being
made in the transaction manager log for this volume.

Chapter 16. Troubleshooting 383


If there are no exceptions, the /restorebackup and /checkrestorebackup calls are shown in the
transaction manager logs for this volume. Any exceptions in the /restorebackup calls are displayed
with a return code in the log.
Restriction: If you are troubleshooting a fast restore job, skip the following steps in this procedure.
4. Resolve any exceptions by following the instructions in the following table.

Table 40. Possible restore exceptions (skip for fast restores)


Symptom Action
The deployment does not exist. For more information about the issue, get the
data mover name from the error message and run
The data mover might not be created properly.
the following command:

kubectl describe deploy baas-datamover-


ipaddress-instanceid -n namespace

The instanceid value is returned in the output of


the kubectl describe command that shows
the status of a backup or restore job. For more
information, see “Viewing the status of backup
and restore jobs” on page 331.

The data mover registration might be failing in To determine whether the data mover
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. registration failed, look for the text
Registering DM with port in the logs.
Verify whether an error occurred that is related to
the data mover registration.
If an error exists with the registration, try deleting
the data mover deployment, network policy, and
service to help resolve the issue.
Look for a job the job with the following naming
convention in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus:

kubernetesvol_internalID_namespace:volumena
me

where internalID is the same as the instanceid


value that is generated by Kubernetes Backup
Support.
If you see this type of job, go to the next step to
troubleshoot issues in IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus.

5. Troubleshoot IBM Spectrum Protect Plus issues by taking the following actions. Skip this step for fast
restores.
a. In the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user interface, verify whether any inventory jobs that are hung
are preventing all other jobs from being recorded in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
b. Look for the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus job in the list of running jobs or in the job history. Look for
job names that have the following naming convention:

onDemandRestore_timestamp

To verify that the job applies to this specific volume, view the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus job logs
and verify the internalID and dbname values that are associated with the volume’s data.
c. Resolve any issues that are reported in the relevant job logs.

384 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Related tasks
“Setting the trace level of log files” on page 386
You can set the trace level of local log files to help troubleshoot issues that you might encounter in
Kubernetes Backup Support.
Related reference
“Troubleshooting quick reference” on page 377
Solutions to basic Kubernetes Backup Support problems are provided.

Collecting Kubernetes Backup Support log files for troubleshooting


You can generate debugging log files in the Kubernetes environment to troubleshoot the deployment of
Kubernetes Backup Support and Kubernetes Backup Support operations on the IBM Spectrum Protect
Plus server.

About this task


All logs are collected in the /tmp directory on the local system and packaged into a tar.gz archive file.
The archive file is typically named baas_debug_logs_timestamp.tar.gz.

Procedure
Use one of the following methods to collect logs for troubleshooting:
• To collect only Kubernetes logs for debugging purposes, issue the following command:

./baas_install.sh -l

This command collects debugging logs for the Kubernetes Backup Support deployment that is
specified by the parameters in the baas_config.cfg. The current state information and logs of the
Kubernetes Backup Support components in the Kubernetes cluster are collected. The logs are
structured based on the Kubernetes basic logging architecture. For more information, see Basic
logging in Kubernetes.
• To collect the log package that includes the debugging logs for the Kubernetes Backup Support
deployment and IBM Spectrum Protect Plus server, issue the following command:

./baas_install.sh -l -x

What to do next
To troubleshoot issues, complete the following steps:
1. Analyze the log files and take appropriate actions to resolve the issue.
2. If you cannot resolve the issue, submit the log files to IBM Software Support for assistance.
Related tasks
“Setting the trace level of log files” on page 386
You can set the trace level of local log files to help troubleshoot issues that you might encounter in
Kubernetes Backup Support.
Related reference
“Troubleshooting quick reference” on page 377
Solutions to basic Kubernetes Backup Support problems are provided.
“Troubleshooting Kubernetes Backup Support operations” on page 379

Chapter 16. Troubleshooting 385


Troubleshooting procedures are available to help you diagnose and resolve Kubernetes Backup Support
issues.

Setting the trace level of log files


You can set the trace level of local log files to help troubleshoot issues that you might encounter in
Kubernetes Backup Support.

About this task


You can set the trace levels to troubleshoot issues with the Kubernetes Backup Support transaction
manager, controller, and scheduler components. To set the trace level, you must update the
baas_config.cfg configuration file and then update the Kubernetes Backup Support deployment.
The data mover component is not affected by this setting.

Procedure
To set the trace level for the Kubernetes Backup Support transaction manager, controller, and scheduler
log files, complete the following steps in the Kubernetes environment:
1. Log in to the operating system on the master node of the Kubernetes cluster that is used as the
installation node.
2. Go to the directory where the installer-10.1.5.tar.gz installation package was unpacked.
3. Go to the installer directory by issuing the following command:

cd installer

4. Edit the baas_config.cfg file with a text editor and modify the value for the PRODUCT_LOGLEVEL
parameter.
The following trace options are available:
INFO
Display all user messages in the transaction manager, controller, and scheduler log files, including
information, warning, and error messages. This value is the default.
WARNING
Display warning and error messages in the transaction manager, controller, and scheduler log files.
ERROR
Display only error messages in the transaction manager, controller, and scheduler log files.
DEBUG
Display debugging-level messages in the transaction manager, controller, and scheduler log files.
For example, to set the trace level to debugging mode, set the PRODUCT_LOGLEVEL parameter as
follows:

PRODUCT_LOGLEVEL="DEBUG"

5. Update the Kubernetes Backup Support deployment by issuing the following command:

./baas_install.sh -u

When prompted, enter yes to continue.


6. Optional: To verify the status of the update, issue the following command:

./baas_install.sh -s

Tip: Alternatively, verify the status of the update by using the ./helm status baas command.

386 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


What to do next
You can collect Kubernetes Backup Support log files for troubleshooting or use a visualization tool such
as Kibana to view and query data in the transaction manager, controller, and scheduler log files. For
instructions, see:
• “Collecting Kubernetes Backup Support log files for troubleshooting” on page 385
• “Viewing trace logs for Kubernetes Backup Support” on page 387

Viewing trace logs for Kubernetes Backup Support


You can optionally use the Elasticsearch, Fluentd, and Kibana (EFK) stack to view and analyze trace logs
that are produced by Kubernetes Backup Support.
Elasticsearch is a distributed full-text search engine. Fluentd is a tool that collects logs from cluster
nodes and sends the logs to the Elasticsearch engine. Kibana is a visualization tool for Elasticsearch with
a web user interface and development tool that is used for querying data.

Before you begin


Complete the following steps:
1. Deploy the EFK stack to your Kubernetes cluster:
a. Deploy the Elasticsearch search engine. For instructions, see Installing Elasticsearch.
b. Deploy the Fluentd log collector on each cluster node. For instructions, see the Fluentd
documentation.
c. Deploy the Kibana visualization tool. For instructions, see the Kibana Guide.
2. Complete the EFK stack deployment by adding a logstash index in Kibana:
a. Access the Kibana user interface by opening a web browser and entering the URL of the computer
where Kibana is running and specify the port number. For example, specify one of the following
URLs in your web browser:

https://localhost:5601

or

http://your_domain.com:5601

where your_domain specifies the domain name for the computer.


b. If you are prompted with options to explore data, select Explore on my own.
c. Click the Discover > Create Index Pattern and create the logstash-* index pattern.

About this task


When you use the EFK stack, the logs from all container components are merged and shown in the same
view. Any logs for stopped pods are preserved in Elasticsearch persistent data storage. You can apply
filters to display specific errors or messages. You can also apply a time filter to show events that occurred
in a specific time period.
In addition to error and debugging messages, you can view trace logs for the following Kubernetes
Backup Support components:
• Transaction manager
• Controller
• Scheduler

Procedure
To view transaction logs for Kubernetes Backup Support, complete the following steps:

Chapter 16. Troubleshooting 387


1. Open the Kibana user interface and click the Discover icon.
2. Click the logstash-* index.
3. To view logs for Kubernetes Backup Support, add a filter by taking the following actions:
a) Click Add filter and specify the following filter values:
• Field: kubernetes.container_image
• Operator: is
• Value: baas-
b) Enter a name for the search and click Save.
The trace logs for the baas-transaction-manager, baas-controller, and baas-scheduler
containers are displayed.
4. You can create additional filters to show more granular views of Kubernetes Backup Support trace
logs.

Table 41. Filters for viewing Kubernetes Backup Support trace logs
Type of data to show Filter 1 Filter 2
Transaction manager logs kubernetes.container_image is None
baas-transaction-manager
Controller logs kubernetes.container_image is None
baas-controller
Scheduler logs kubernetes.container_image is None
baas-scheduler
Error messages kubernetes.container_image is log is ERROR
baas-
Debugging messages kubernetes.container_image is log is DEBUG
baas-

388 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Chapter 17. Product messages
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus components send messages with prefixes that help to identify which
component they come from. Use the search option to find a particular message by using its unique
identifier.
Messages consist of the following elements:
• A five-letter prefix.
• A number to identify the message.
• Message text that is displayed on screen and written to message logs.
Tip: Use your browser's search capability by using Ctrl+F to find the message code you are looking for.
The following example contains the Db2 agent prefix. When you click More, extra details that explain the
reason for the message are shown.

Warning
Apr 16, 2019
9:14:37 AM
GTGGH0098
[myserver1.myplace.irl.ibm.com]
Database AC7 will not be backed up as it is ineligible for the backup operation. More

IBM Spectrum Protect Plus message prefixes


Messages have different prefixes to help you to identify the component that issues the message.
The following table identifies the prefix that is associated with each component.

Table 42. Messages prefixes by component


Prefix Component
CTGGA IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
CTGGE IBM Spectrum Protect Plus for Microsoft SQL
Server
CTGGF IBM Spectrum Protect Plus for Oracle
CTGGG IBM Spectrum Protect Plus for Microsoft Exchange
Server
CTGGH IBM Spectrum Protect Plus for IBM Db2
CTGGI IBM Spectrum Protect Plus for MongoDB
CTGGK IBM Spectrum Protect Plus for Containers
CTGGR IBM Spectrum Protect Plus for Microsoft Office
365

For a list of all messages, see IBM Knowledge Center here.

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2017, 2020 389


390 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide
Appendix A. Search guidelines
Use filters to search for an entity such as a file or a restore point.
You can enter a character string to find objects with a name that exactly matches the character string. For
example, searching for the term string.txt returns the exact match, string.txt.
Regular expression search entries are also supported. For more information, see Search Text with Regular
Expressions.
You can also include the following special characters in the search. You must use a backslash (\) escape
character before any of the special characters:

+ - & | ! ( ) { } [ ] ^ " ~ * ? : \

For example, to search for the file string[2].txt, enter the string\[2\].txt.

Searching with wildcards


You can position wildcards at the beginning, middle, or end of a string, and combine them within a string.
Match a character string with an asterisk
The following examples show search text with an asterisk:
• string* searches for terms like string, strings, or stringency
• str*ing searches for terms like string, straying, or straightening
• *string searches for terms like string or shoestring
You can use multiple asterisk wildcards in a single text string, but multiple wildcards might
considerably slow down a large search.
Match a single character with a question mark:
The following examples show search text with a question mark:
• string? searches for terms like strings, stringy, or string1
• st??ring searches for terms like starring or steering
• ???string searches for terms like hamstring or bowstring

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2017, 2020 391


392 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide
Appendix B. Accessibility features for the IBM
Spectrum Protect product family
Accessibility features assist users who have a disability, such as restricted mobility or limited vision, to
use information technology content successfully.

Overview
The IBM Spectrum Protect family of products includes the following major accessibility features:
• Keyboard-only operation
• Operations that use a screen reader
The IBM Spectrum Protect family of products uses the latest W3C Standard, WAI-ARIA 1.0
(www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria/), to ensure compliance with US Section 508 (www.access-board.gov/
guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-section-508-standards/section-508-
standards) and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 (www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/). To take
advantage of accessibility features, use the latest release of your screen reader and the latest web
browser that is supported by the product.
The product documentation in IBM Knowledge Center is enabled for accessibility. The accessibility
features of IBM Knowledge Center are described in the Accessibility section of the IBM Knowledge Center
help (www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/about/releasenotes.html?view=kc#accessibility).

Keyboard navigation
This product uses standard navigation keys.

Interface information
User interfaces do not have content that flashes 2 - 55 times per second.
Web user interfaces rely on cascading style sheets to render content properly and to provide a usable
experience. The application provides an equivalent way for low-vision users to use system display
settings, including high-contrast mode. You can control font size by using the device or web browser
settings.
Web user interfaces include WAI-ARIA navigational landmarks that you can use to quickly navigate to
functional areas in the application.

Vendor software
The IBM Spectrum Protect product family includes certain vendor software that is not covered under the
IBM license agreement. IBM makes no representation about the accessibility features of these products.
Contact the vendor for accessibility information about its products.

Related accessibility information


In addition to standard IBM help desk and support websites, IBM has a TTY telephone service for use by
deaf or hard of hearing customers to access sales and support services:

TTY service
800-IBM-3383 (800-426-3383)
(within North America)

For more information about the commitment that IBM has to accessibility, see IBM Accessibility
(www.ibm.com/able).

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2017, 2020 393


394 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide
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Notices 397
398 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide
Glossary
A glossary is available with terms and definitions for the IBM Spectrum Protect family of products.
See the IBM Spectrum Protect glossary.

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2017, 2020 399


400 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide
Index

A backup types
Kubernetes Backup Support 310
Access control Beta program
MongoDB 253 advantages xiii
accessibility features 393 overview xiii
ad hoc jobs
creating 351
Add Db2 partitions 192
C
adding certificate
Hyper-V servers 174 adding 122
identities 375 deleting 122
LDAP server 128 cloud provider
Oracle application servers 284 deleting 117
sites 125 editing 116
SMTP server 129 cloud server
SQL Server application servers 296 adding a Microsoft azure cloud resource 114
vCenter Server instances 151 adding an Amazon S3 111
virtual disks to a vCenter virtual machine 139 adding an IBM Cloud Object Storage resource 112
vSnap servers 73 adding an s3 compatible cloud resource 115
Adding Db2 192 collecting debugging log filesKubernetes Backup Support
Adding MongoDB 254 385
Administrative Console, logging on to 134 completely uninstalling
Advanced backup options 78 Kubernetes Backup Support 323
application server configuring
Db2 189 Kubernetes Backup Support 317
Configuring backup storage
B storage options, adding disks 76
copy backup
backing up Kubernetes Backup Support 324
container data 324 copy restore
Backing up container data 328
Db2 196 creating
backing up container data reports 362
on demand 327 resource groups 366
scheduling 324 roles 370
backup encryption SLA policies 145
Kubernetes Backup Support 324 users
backup jobs individual 373
creating LDAP group 373
Hyper-V 176 VADP proxies 161
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 341
Oracle 285
SQL Server 297
D
VMware 155 Db2
excluding VMDKs from 159 system requirements 36
rerunning Db2 log backup 201
on demand 351 deleting
starting identities 376
on demand 347 jobs 350
on schedule 145 LDAP server 130
backup policies, See SLA policies resource groups 369
backup storage roles 373
advanced options, managing 78 sites 127
storage options, managing disks 75 SLA demo 149
storage options, managing partners 77 SLA policies 149
backup storage server SMTP server 130
storage options, managing 77 users 375

Index 401
deleting backups I
Kubernetes Backup Support 336
deploying IBM Knowledge Center ix
Kubernetes Backup Support 317 IBM spectrum protect server
deployment log filesKubernetes Backup Support 385 adding a repository server 119
destroying backupsKubernetes Backup Support 336 identities
Detailed process logs adding 375
O365 281 deleting 376
Detecting editing 375
Db2 194 installing
disability 393 download packages, obtaining 58
Kubernetes Backup Support 315, 317
virtual appliance
E on Hyper-V 60
early availability updates, obtaining and applying 109 on VMware 59
editing vSnap servers
identities 375 Hyper-V environment 69
jobs and job schedules 349 physical environment 67
LDAP server 130 VMware environment 68
resource groups 368 iSCSI utilities
roles 372 installing 65
settings 130
sites 126 J
SLA policies 149
SMTP server 130 jobs
users 374 canceling 350
efix 109 concurrent 346
enable tracing creating 346
Kubernetes Backup Support 386 deleting 350
Exchange Server editing 349
system requirements 32 logs, downloading 347
expire job session 342 names of 345
pausing 349
releasing 349
F rerunning 351
fast restore schedules, editing 349
container data 328 starting
fenced network, creating 171 on demand 347
files on schedule 145
restoring 186 types of 345
searching for 391 viewing 347
Finding Db2 194 Jobs and Operations 345
firewalls 64
K
G key
global preferences adding 121, 123
configuring 131 deleting 122, 124
keyboard 393
keys 121
H Knowledge Center ix
Kubernetes Backup Support
Hyper-V
baas requests 312
adding 174
backing up container data 324
backup job, creating 176
backup and restore types 310
installing on virtual appliance 60
backup status 333
restore job, creating 180
cascading actions 315
servers
collecting debugging log files 385
detecting resources for 176
complete uninstall 323
enabling WinRM 175
configuration file 317
testing connection to 176
copy backup 324
virtual appliance
copy restore 328
accessing 137
deleting backups 336

402 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


Kubernetes Backup Support (continued) message (continued)
deployment logs 385 prefixes 389
destroy request 336 messages 389
displaying log files 379 MongoDB
enable tracing 386 system requirements 39
enable VolumeSnapshotDataSource feature 315 MongoDB application server 252
encrypting backups 324 monitoring
encryption 313 container backup jobs 338
fast restore 328 multitenancy
installing 315, 317 Kubernetes Backup Support 309, 313
managing jobs 331
monitoring jobs 338
multitenancy 313
N
overview 309 network
pausing scheduled backups 335 testing 138, 139
prerequisites 315 New in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Version Version 10.1.5 xi
request types 312
restore status 333
restoring data 328 O
resuming scheduled backups 336
O365 log files
running reports 338
Detailed 281
scheduling backups 324
Object Storage
security 313
Amazon S3 111
setting trace levels 386
offline updates 103
SLA policies 311, 324
on-demand backup
snapshot backup 324, 327
containers 327
system requirements 55
online updates 103
troubleshooting 377
Ops Manager
troubleshooting backup jobs 379
MongoDB 256
troubleshooting restore jobs 379
Oracle
uninstalling 322
application servers
user roles 311
adding 284
verifying metrics server 315
detecting resources for 285
viewing backup history 339
testing connection to 285
viewing backup status 331
backup job, creating 285
viewing job logs 338
multithreaded databases 284
viewing restore status 331
restore job, creating 288
viewing trace logs 387
system requirements 45
overview
L Kubernetes Backup Support 309

LDAP
group, creating a user account for 373 P
server
pausing scheduled backups
adding 128
Kubernetes Backup Support 335
deleting 130
preferences
settings, editing 130
global
Linux-based vCenter virtual appliance, backing up 160
configuring 131
Log archiving
prerequisites
Db2 201
Db2 189
logs
Kubernetes Backup Support 315
audit
MongoDB 252
downloading 363
Prerequisites
viewing 363
MongoDB 253
system
publications ix
downloading 377
viewing 377
Q
M quick start 89
managing jobs
container backups and restores 331 R
message
RBAC

Index 403
RBAC (continued) scheduling backups
MongoDB 253 Kubernetes Backup Support 324
repair vSnap 83 scripts for backup and restore operations
Replication partners 77 uploading 352, 353
reports security features
custom, creating 362 Kubernetes Backup Support 313
running service level agreement, See SLA policies
on demand 361 service level agreements
on schedule 362 Kubernetes Backup Support 311
running VM 359 Setting Db2
types of SLA options 200
backup storage utilization 355 setting trace levels
protection 356 Kubernetes Backup Support 386
system 358 sites
repository server provider adding 125
deleting 121 deleting 127
editing 121 editing 126
request types throttling 125, 126
Kubernetes Backup Support 312 SLA 198, 217, 260
rerunning SLA options
jobs Db2 200
on demand 351 SLA policies
resource groups adding 145
creating 366 deleting 149
deleting 369 editing 149
editing 368 Kubernetes Backup Support 311, 324
types of 367 SMTP
restore jobs server
creating adding 129
Hyper-V 180 deleting 130
IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 341 settings, editing 130
Oracle 288 snapshot backup
SQL Server 301 containers 327
VMware 164 Kubernetes Backup Support 324
running snapshot retention 342
Hyper-V 180 sponsor user program
Oracle 288 advantages xiii
SQL Server 301 overview xiii
VMware 164 SQL Server
restore points, deleting 343 application servers
restore points, managing 342 adding 296
restore types detecting resources for 297
Kubernetes Backup Support 310 testing connection to 297
Restoring backup job, creating 297
Db2 202, 207, 210 requirements for data protection 295
restoring container data restore job, creating 301
Kubernetes Backup Support 328 system requirements 49
Restoring Db2 SSL certificate, uploading
Alternate instance 210 from administrative console 136
Original instance 207 starting
resuming scheduled backups IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 91
Kubernetes Backup Support 336 jobs
roles on demand 347
creating 370 on schedule 145
deleting 373 system requirements
editing 372 components 11
permission types 371 Db2 36
running reports Exchange Server 32
container backup jobs 338 file index and restore 27
hypervisors 26
Kubernetes Backup Support 55
S MongoDB 39
Schedule jobs Oracle 45
Backup 198, 217, 260 SQL Server 49

404 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide


T VMware
backup job, creating 155
Testing connection backup job, excluding VMDKs from SLA policy 159
Db2 195 installing on virtual appliance 59
time zone, setting 135 restore job
troubleshooting creating a fenced network 171
displaying Kubernetes Backup Support logs 379 restore job, creating 164
Kubernetes Backup Support 377 vCenter Server instances
Kubernetes Backup Support operations 379 adding 151
vCenter Server, detecting resources 155
vCenter Server, testing connection to 155
U virtual appliance
uninstalling accessing 137
Kubernetes Backup Support 322 virtual machine privileges, required 152
user access 5, 365 VolumeSnapshotDataSource feature
user roles Kubernetes Backup Support 315
Kubernetes Backup Support 311 vSnap
users updating 107
deleting 375 vSnap recovery 83
editing 374 vSnap server
individual, creating 373 administering
LDAP group, creating 373 kernel headers
resource groups kernel tools 88
creating 366 network administration 86
deleting 369 storage administration 84
editing 368 change throughput 82
types of 367 deleting 74
roles editing 74
creating 370 initializing
deleting 373 advanced 81
editing 372 simple 80
permission types 371 replication partnership, establishing 82
storage pools, expanding 81
vSnap servers
V adding 73
installing
VADP proxies
Hyper-V environment 69
creating 161
physical environment 67
options, setting 163
VMware environment 68
uninstalling 164
uninstalling 70
updating 108
verifying metrics server
Kubernetes Backup Support 315 W
viewing backup history
container backups 339 WinRM, enabling for connection to Hyper-V servers 175
viewing backup status
Kubernetes Backup Support 331, 333 Y
viewing job logs
container backups 338 YAML files
viewing restore status Kubernetes Backup Support 312
Kubernetes Backup Support 331, 333
viewing trace logs
Kubernetes Backup Support 387
virtual appliance
accessing
in Hyper-V 137
in VMware 137
adding a disk to 140
adding storage capacity 140
installing
on Hyper-V 60
on VMware 59
Virtual appliance
updating 103

Index 405
406 IBM Spectrum Protect Plus: Installation and User's Guide
IBM®

Product Number: 5737-F11

Printed in USA

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