IBM Support

Known Issues and Limitations: IBM Spectrum Protect Plus V10.1.2.x

Preventive Service Planning


Abstract

This document details the Known Issues & Limitations for IBM® Spectrum Protect™ Plus V10.1.2 and later patches.

Content

This document is divided into linked sections for ease of navigation. Use the following links to jump to the section of the document that you require:


IBM Spectrum Protect Plus common

Automatic VADP proxy update fails when upgrading IBM Spectrum Protect Plus version 10.1.2 to version 10.1.3 or version 10.1.3 to version 10.1.4. (internal reference #SPPSUP-1129)
Problem: When upgrading IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, the VADP proxy will be automatically upgraded. If upgrading from V10.1.2 to V10.1.3 or V10.1.3 to V10.1.4, this upgrade will fail with an error message in the Virgo log stating:
"Cannot automatically update VADP with the name <server name>. Manual update required. [Error => No identity stored for VADP instance with ID <ID number>".
Workaround:  Manually update the VADP proxy to resolve the issue. For more information on manually updating VADP proxies, see Updating VADP proxies.
Limitation: Since 10.1.2
 

The EULA can not be displayed when upgrading vSnap (internal reference #SPPSUP-707)
Problem: When upgrading vSnap, the EULA is reported as being a binary file which results in the agreement not being displayed
Workaround: Install the upgrade to vSnap by executing the following commands:
chmod +x<filename> .run             
where <filename> is the name of the vSnap upgrade file.
sudo bash
In the new terminal that opens, execute the following command:
./ .run
where is the name of the vSnap upgrade file that was made executable in the step above.
Limitation: Since V10.1.2.
 

Recurring VM restore fails at second restore time (internal reference #SPP-10076)
Problem: Configure a re-occurring restore in clone mode can't be combined with specifying a dedicated VM name. The second and all following restore operations will fail due to naming and UUID conflicts in the vCenter.
Workaround: Do not specify a dedicated VM name when configuring a re-occurring restore in clone mode. If a name is specified, delete or rename the previously created VM, and re-run the job.
Limitation: Since V10.1.2. Permanent restriction.
 

Upgrading to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus version 10.1.2 fails when upgrading from version 10.1.1 (internal reference #SPP-4699)
Problem: Upgrading to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus version 10.1.2 fails when upgrading from IBM Spectrum Protect Plus version 10.1.1 if the appliance is not manually rebooted.
Workaround: To upgrade to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus version 10.1.2 from version 10.1.1, you must apply the necessary ISO update files as described in the user documentation, then manually reboot the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance.
Limitation: Since V10.1.2.
 

Upgrading to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus version 10.1.2 fails if an emergency fix (efix) was applied to version 10.1.1 (internal reference #SPP-4750)
Problem: If an emergency fix (efix) was applied to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus version 10.1.1, the following error displays in the Administrative Console when upgrading to version 10.1.2: "Subscription Errors Encountered: Errors encountered while updating IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 500 - Internal Server Error".
This issue only applies if fixes in the .rpm format were installed directly on the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus virtual appliance using the yum or rpm command, and contain "efix" in the file name. Fixes that were applied through the Administrative Console are not impacted by this issue.
Workaround: To verify that an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus efix was installed in your 10.1.1 environment, enter the following command from the command-line interface of the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus version 10.1.1 virtual appliance:  rpm -qa | grep spp
If an efix is installed on the system, it will be displayed in the following format: spp-efix-10.1.1-xx.noarch. To uninstall the efix, enter the following command from the command-line interface of the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus version 10.1.1 virtual appliance:  rpm -e spp-efix
Once complete, perform the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus version 10.1.2 upgrade procedure.
Limitation: Since V10.1.2.
 

Large vSnap replication operations taking longer than 24 hours time out and abort (internal reference #SPPSUP-367)
Problem: By default, a vSnap replication operation aborts if the session does not complete within 24 hours. In cases where a large amount of backup data is being replicated between vSnap servers, a replication operation could be aborted before the operation is completed. Data that is transferred before the timeout threshold is met is saved. Workaround: Increase the replication timeout threshold to a value larger than 24 hours. The parameter is measured in seconds; by default, the value is set to 86,400 seconds, or 24 hours. Increase the value to 48 hours (172,800 seconds) by entering the following command in the command-line interface of the primary vSnap server that is the source of the replication:
vsnap system pref set --name replTransferTimeout --value 172800
The parameter takes effect when the next replication operation starts.
Limitation: Since V10.1.2.
 

If the latest restore point of a resource is manually expired, older versions of the restore point will not display on Restore screens (internal reference #SPP-4220)
Problem: If the latest restore point of a resource is manually expired through the Restore Point Retention screen, older versions of the restore point will not display on associated Restore screens.
Workaround: Run the backup job again to capture the latest restore point. Once complete, older versions of the restore point will display on associated Restore screens.
Limitation: Since V10.1.2.
 

SLA policy and backup option selections for a folder are not retained if the folder is moved (internal reference #SPP-4388)
Problem: If a folder is moved through the vCenter interface after SLA policies or backup options are assigned to the folder and an Inventory job is run, the selections are not retained in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. Any virtual machines within this folder that were previously backed up will no longer be backed up.
Workaround: After a folder is moved and its new location is logged by the Inventory job, re-associate the folder with the SLA policy and reassign the backup options.
Limitation: Since V10.1.2.
 

Backup and restore operations in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus version 10.1.2 fail after performing a catalog restore of a 10.1.1-based snapshot (internal reference #SPP-4560)
Problem: If an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus version 10.1.1 catalog snapshot is used in a catalog restore job in an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 10.1.2 environment, all backup and restore jobs following the restore operation fail.
Workaround: A script that is available on the virtual appliance must be run if an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus version 10.1.1 catalog snapshot was used to restore an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus version 10.1.2 appliance. After the catalog restore job is completed, perform the following procedure on the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 10.1.2 virtual appliance on which the restore was performed.

  1. Log in to the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus version 10.1.2 virtual appliance and open a command line interface.
  2. Enter the following command: sudo bash
  3. Enter the following command: rpm -q --scripts spp-db| grep -A7 -P '# safe to run on every update' | sed 's#\$RPM_INSTALL_PREFIX#/opt/ECX#g' > /tmp/fix.sh; bash -x /tmp/fix.sh

After the script is run, backup and restore operations will be functional in the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus version 10.1.2 environment.
Limitation: Since V10.1.2.
 

After offloading completes, the offloaded snapshot does not display on the System > Catalog > Retention page (internal reference #SPP-2447)
Problem: When an SLA Policy is defined to include offloading to IBM Spectrum Protect, the offloaded snapshot does not display in the IBM Spectrum Protect plus interface under System > Catalog > Retention. Retention for offloaded snapshots is not handled through IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, but by the associated VE server. Offloaded snapshots will not display in the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus retention interface.
Workaround:  None.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1_patch1.
 

When updating IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to 10.1.1, the unzip RPM is not updated (internal reference #SPP-1300)
Problem: When updating IBM Spectrum Protect Plus from version 10.1.0 to 10.1.1, the unzip RPM, which is included in the update ISO, is not updated to the latest version.
Workaround: To resolve, perform the following procedure:

  1. Update the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance through the Administrative Console using spp-10.1.1.iso. See the Installation and User's Guide for more information about updating your appliance.
  2. Once complete, transfer the spp-10.1.1.iso file to the /tmp directory on the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance.
  3. Through the command line interface, create a new directory for the ISO mount through the following command: mkdir /mnt/update
  4. Mount the ISO through the following command: mount -o loop /tmp/spp-10.1.1.iso /mnt/update
  5. Run the following command to update the unzip RPM: yum localupdate /mnt/update/Packages/unzip*
  6. Unmount the ISO through the following command: umount /mnt/update
Workaround:  None.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1_patch1.

 

Report categories display when a user does not have access to the reports within the category (internal reference #SPPL3-821)
Problem: When no reports from a category are available to a user through their assigned resource group, the category still displays in the Report pane. The category can be expanded, though there are no reports available.
Workaround:  None.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1.
 

After a Catalog restore completes on a target appliance, the associated Catalog backup job returns an ABORT state on the destination appliance (internal reference #SPP-994)
Problem: After a Catalog restore completes on a target IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance, the Catalog Backup job that is carried over to the new appliance initially shows that the job last ran in an ABORT state.
Workaround: This is expected due to the snapshot transition. When the Catalog Backup is run on the source, the snapshot is taken while the Catalog Backup is running.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1.
 

IBM Spectrum Protect Plus operations fail when using default Russian Windows administrator accounts (internal reference #SPPL3-330)
Problem: IBM Spectrum Protect Plus operations such as backup up a virtual machine or performing file cataloging fail when using the default Russian Windows administrator account,
Workaround: The account used for IBM Spectrum Protect Plus operations must use English characters.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1.
 

The latest incremental backup data is not purged after running the Maintenance job to expire the data (internal reference #SPP-1121)
Problem: When an SLA Policy is defined with vSnap replication, the latest incremental backup data is not purged after removing backup job instances and running the Maintenance job to expire the backup data.
Workaround: This occurs when SLA Policy settings are such that the primary backup retention is smaller than the replication frequency. The snapshot is locked and cannot be expired because it is needed for the next incremental replication sync. Once the replication sync occurs, the old snapshot will be unlocked and will be expired.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1.
 

Filenames that contain the “|” character are not returned when performing a file search in a Linux environment (internal reference #SPPL3-393)
Problem: In a Linux environment, when searching for a file that contains the “|” character in its filename, the file either does not display in the search results, or the filename is split between the Filename and Path fields.
Workaround: Searching for a file that contains the “|” character in its filename is not supported in a Linux environment.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1.
 

When creating a custom Resource Group, there is no option to add resources through the Tags & Categories view type (internal reference #SPPL3-626)
Problem: When creating a custom Resource Group and adding VMware resources, there is no option to filter selections based on the Tags & Categories view type.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1.
 

After a Catalog restore, jobs that were utilizing local vSnap fail (internal reference #SPP-1000)
Problem: When a Catalog is restored from a backup, jobs that were utilizing local vSnap storage will fail on the recovered IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance with the following error:
“vSnap Storage Volume not found”.
Workaround: A Catalog backup does not include local vSnap pools or volumes. Only the Catalog itself is backed up and will be restored to the same or new IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance. External vSnap servers can be re-registered to the new IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance, so it is recommended to use external vSnap servers for backup operations.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1.
 

During a VMware File Restore of a large file in a Linux environment, the restore may fail with a timeout error (internal reference #SPP-1274)
Problem: In a Linux environment, performing a VMware-based file restore on files larger than 2 GB may fail with the following error:
"Timed out (300 seconds) waiting for command to complete."
In some cases, larger file restores complete successfully, however the chances of failure increase for files larger than 2 GB.
Workaround: A hot fix will be provided to increase the timeout threshold to accommodate larger files.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1.
 

Expired jobs remain on the Catalog Retention pane after removal(internal reference #SPPL3-775)
Problem: A job session can remain on the Catalog Retention pane after the recovery point has been expired and removed through the Maintenance job.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1.
 

Virtual machines deleted from a Hyper-V or VMware server continue to be displayed as backup sources (internal reference #ECC-11836)
Problem: If a virtual machine is deleted from a Hyper-V or VMware server after an Inventory job completes, the VM continues to be displayed as a backup source in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus after the Inventory job runs again. This scenario occurs if the Inventory job of one or multiple servers that are part of the job does not complete successfully, which in turn does not trigger a cleanup job.
Workaround: None.
Limitation: Since V10.1.0.
 

Backups fail when a vSnap certificate is changed (internal reference #ECC-12208, # SPP-9356)
Problem: When a vSnap certificate is changed, such as when a user imports a certificate, backups will fail with the following error:
"Failed to get Live Storage reason : server certificate change is restricted during renegotiation."
Workaround: The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus service must be restarted from the Administrative Console to allow backups to complete again.
Limitation: Since V10.1.0.
 

Backup jobs can save only virtual machines selected within a single page(internal reference #ECC-10924)
Problem: Backup jobs can save only virtual machines selected on a single page. The virtual machines selected on further pages are not saved.
Workaround: None.
Limitation: Since V10.1.0.
 

The Maintenance job cannot be rescheduled (internal reference #ECC-11937)
Problem: The Maintenance job, which removes resources and associated objects created by IBM Spectrum Protect Plus when a job in a pending state is deleted, cannot be rescheduled.
Workaround: Ensure that scheduled jobs do not run at the same time as the Maintenance job.
Limitation: Since V10.1.0.
 

Ability to edit Backup Storage is disabled if IBM Spectrum Protect Plus fails to authenticate with vSnap server (internal reference #ECC-12118)
Problem: If IBM Spectrum Protect Plus fails to authenticate with a vSnap server (that is, if the vSnap user's password is changed, access is revoked, or if the associated user with access to the vSnap server is deleted) the server will appear in the Backup Storage list with its status listed as "Not Connected". However, the ability to edit the Backup Storage registration will be disabled.
Workaround: In the case of a user being deleted or having their access revoked, edit the Backup Storage registration in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and specify the new credentials before deleting the original user or revoking access.
Limitation: Since V10.1.0.
 

Jobs cannot be saved when scheduling a report with a frequency less than 5 minutes when using Microsoft Edge (internal reference #ECC-12221)
Problem: By default, a warning message displays in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus when attempting to schedule a report with a frequency that is less than 5 minutes. However, when defining a report schedule with a frequency that is less than 5 minutes with Microsoft Edge, the warning message does not display, and the job cannot be saved.
Workaround: Select frequencies that are 5 minutes or higher, or use a different supported browser when creating schedules.
Limitation: Since V10.1.0.
 

First entries in lists automatically display in menus when using Microsoft Edge(internal reference #ECC-12203)
Problem: When selecting options from drop-down menus in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, the first entry in a list automatically displays in the menu when using the Microsoft Edge browser; however, the item is not selected. In addition, if there is one entry in a drop-down menu, the item cannot be selected when using the Microsoft Edge browser.
Limitation: Since V10.1.0.
 

Certificates in the .p12 format cannot be imported through the Administrative Console (internal reference #ECC-12119)
Problem: The Administrative Console supports importing external public key certificates, which allows the appliance to make outbound connections to resources, such as secured LDAP and secured HTTPS servers. The certificate import feature supports .cer and .crt certificate types. Note that .p12 certificates can only be imported into the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus keystore.
Workaround: To import the .p12 certificates into the keystore, perform the following procedure:
Login as root user on the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance and at the command line execute the following command:
“/usr/java/latest/bin/keytool -importkeystore -deststorepass ecx-beta -destkeystore /opt/virgo/configuration/keystore -srckeystore cs.p12 -srcstoretype PKCS12"
Then reboot the appliance.
Limitation: Since V10.1.0.
 

Backup and offload of a virtual machine template fails(internal reference #ECC-12337)
Problem: A backup of a virtual machine template fails with the following error:
“Full VM backup of VMware Virtual Machine ‘<template_name>’ failed with RC=4379”
Workaround: To enable backup and offloading of virtual machine templates, you must specify VMENABLETEMPLATEBACKUPS in the data mover option file. Note that a backup of a template can only be performed as a Full backup. For more information about configuring your environment for backing up virtual machine templates, see https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SSEQVQ_8.1.2/client/r_opt_vmenabletemplatebkup.html.
Limitation: Since V10.1.0.
 

A file restore in a Linux environment might use the wrong source if guest network settings were not configured correctly (internal reference #SPPL3-285)
Problem: When backing up a Linux virtual machine with the file indexing option enabled, if the guest operating system has a fully qualified domain name, it must be resolvable from the guest. If the resolution fails, the file index might be associated with the wrong source virtual machine. Subsequent file restores may lead to files being restored (or attempted to be restored) from the wrong backup.
Workaround: If the Linux virtual machine being backed up has a fully qualified domain name, run the commands "hostname" and "hostname --fqdn" inside the guest OS and verify that both commands return valid output. If there are resolution errors, update the Linux network settings either by specifying the correct DNS information or by adding appropriate entries in the /etc/hosts file. Note that each virtual machine must have a unique host name.
Limitation: Since V10.1.0.
 

Offloading to IBM Spectrum Protect fails if FlashCopy Manager is installed on the data mover machine (internal reference #SPPL3-297)
Problem: When performing an offload job from IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to IBM Spectrum Protect, the job fails if Flash Copy Manager is installed on the associated data mover machine.
Workaround: Uninstall the Flash Copy Manager component from the data mover machine.
Limitation: Since V10.1.0.
 

IBM Spectrum Protect Plus system log sizes grows in some situations. (internal reference #SPPSUP-374)
Problem:  ** IBM Spectrum Protect Plus does not offer a mechanism to limit log sizes to a specific size. If the system log file is too large the file system could be filled and the download of this log file is difficult. Logs that contribute to large deviations are however regularly reviewed for its usefulness to troubleshooting.
Workaround: Make sure that logs are reviewed and removed regularly.
Limitation: Since V10.1.0. Permanent restriction.
 

In IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, permission groups specify the ability to edit a certificate, but no edit button is displayed on the Keys and Certificates screen. (internal reference #SPP-8611)
Problem:  Certain pre-defined roles have assigned permission groups that allow for creating, viewing, editing, or removing certain features of IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.  In particular, the Application Admin, Backup Only, Restore Only and SYSADMIN groups have the Edit ability for Certificates.  However, if a user that is assigned to one of these groups views certifications on the Keys and Certificates screen, there is no Edit button.  Currently, there is no way to edit a certificate from the Keys and Certificates screen.
Workaround:  None
Limitation: Since V10.1.0. Permanent restriction.
 

In IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, when a datacenter is associated with an SLA, the number of backed up VMs may be more than the number of VMs in the datacenter. (internal reference #SPP-8509)
Problem: An NFS volume can be mounted to any number of datacenters in the same vCenter. When a NFS volume is mounted on more than one datacenter on a vCenter, even though vCenter treats the same volume as two different datastores, SPP treats this a single datastore and combines all the VMs and VMDKs residing on this datastore from all the datacenters this datastore is mounted on. Therefore, any SLA selection/resolution against this datastore will cause all the VMs from the different datacenters to be backed up.
Workaround: None.
Limitation: Since V10.1.0.


 


Hypervisor VMware related

Full base backups occur after storage vMotion operation (internal reference #SPPSUP-237)
Problem: Incremental backups are not performed after a storage vMotion operation occurs to a new datastore. Backups that occur after the storage vMotion operation will run as full base backups.
Workaround: None.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1.


 


Hypervisor Hyper-V related

Backup and restore operations for Hyper-V shared virtual hard disks fails (internal reference #SPP-1108)
Problem: When attempting to run a backup of a Hyper-V shared virtual hard disk (shared VHDX), the backup fails with the following error:
“Failed to create Snapshot .ava.lang.NullPointerException.”
Shared virtual hard disks in a Hyper-V environment are not supported in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
Workaround: None.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1.
 

A Hyper-V Linux VM fails file indexing (internal reference #ECC-11708)
Problem: A Hyper-V Linux VM fails file indexing with the following error:
"Could not establish an SSH session with server on host(null) at port(22). Error (host must not be null)"
Workaround: A guest should use a specific kernel for Ubuntu Linux. For more information, see https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/virtualization/hyper-v/Supported-Ubuntu-virtual-machines-on-Hyper-V?f=255&MSPPError=-2147217396.
Workaround: None.
Limitation: Since V10.1.0.
 

Backup target LUNs on vSnap storage do not automatically expand for Hyper-V backups (internal reference #ECC-11356)
Problem: For Hyper-V backups, if the source datastore is expanded, the backup target LUN on vSnap storage does not automatically expand.
Workaround: None.
Limitation: Since V10.1.0.


 


SQL application server related

vSnap password fails when attempting to access CIFS share with the associated account credentials (internal reference #SPPSUP-561)
Problem: The vSnap credentials registered with IBM Spectrum Protect Plus do not work when trying to access the CIFS share when using the same account credentials. The credentials will need to be re-synchronized to ensure continued access.
Workaround: The vSnap password should be changed to the same value to manually force synchronization. In this example, the username is “vsnapuser” Credentials can be manually synchronized by entering the following commands on the vSnap Server:

  • Update the operating system credentials which are used for management communication through the vSnap API:
    sudo passwd vsnapuser
  • Update the CIFS credentials which are used for communication between the application server and vSnap:
    sudo smbpasswd vsnapuser

Finally, update the vSnap registration in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to ensure that the updated password is entered into the system. At this time, you may re-run the job that failed as a result of the problem.
Limitation: Since V10.1.2.
 

IBM Spectrum Protect Plus limits the log backup of a database from only one SLA (internal reference #SPPSUP-703)
Problem: The log backup of a database is limited to only one SLA. If there are two SLAs, one to protect a SQL Server Always-On availability groups (AG) and another to protect databases on a standalone instance, if a database is moved from AG to standalone, or standalone to AG, log backup for that database could fail from the SLA that protect the target of the move.
Workaround: After moving the database from the standalone to AG or AG or standalone, run the SLA that was protecting the database prior to the move once more. Doing this will remove the log backup for that database. Once that is completed, run the second SLA that will protect the database at the new location. That will create the log backup for that database.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1. Permanent restriction.
 

SQL Restore jobs cannot be canceled (internal reference #SPP-2471)
Problem: When a SQL Restore job is in progress and the user clicks Cancel, data and log files will continue to be restored. Canceling a SQL Restore job through the IBM Spectrum Protect plus interface is not supported.
Workaround: None.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1_patch1.
 

If an Exchange server is running on a SQL server, Inventory jobs associated with the SQL server fail (internal reference #SPPL3-804)
Problem: Running an Inventory job on a SQL resource in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus fails if an Exchange server is running on the same machine.
Workaround: None.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1.
 

A SQL database backup with log backup enabled fails when performed against a restored SQL database with an underscore in its name (internal reference #SPPL3-806)
Problem: When an SLA policy with log backup enabled is created for a database that was restored through IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, and the database has an underscore in its name, the backup fails.
Workaround: If the restored database must have log backup enabled in future backup jobs, ensure the name of the database does not include an underscore.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1.


 


ORACLE application server related

Oracle 12c multi-threaded configurations
Problem: Oracle 12c multi-threaded configurations are not supported in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1.
 

An entry in ‘srvctl’ is not created after a successful Oracle database restore to a RAC destination (internal reference #SPP-843)
Problem: After successfully restoring an Oracle database to a RAC destination, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus does not automatically create an entry in 'srvctl' for the restored database.
Workaround: An entry in ‘srvctl’ must be manually created if desired.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1.


 


Db2 application server related

Database is subtly excluded from scheduled backup when volume group is running out of free space (internal reference #SPP-db2-179999 & #SPP-9108)
Problem: During inventory, volume groups holding data of databases are checked for free space to ensure that temporary snapshots can be successfully created during the backup operation. In case of there is not sufficient free space available, the database is declared to be ineligible for backup with the according reason message. However, the free space can be sufficient initially and the database has been added to a SLA policy. When the free space declines successively it might fall below the minimum limit. A warning message will indicate the situation, however, it is not rated as a failed backup - the database will just be silently skipped. The summary of the scheduled backup run will just show a decreased number of protected databases.
Workaround: Create backup reports frequently and verify that all important databases have recent backups. Monitor the free space of volume groups and ensure to expand it timely when necessary.
Limitation: Since V10.1.2.
 

Restores to an alternate instance are restricted to a single copy per source machine and database instance combination (internal reference #SPP-db2-168387)
Problem: When a database is restored to an alternate instance, a database instance with the same name as the original database instance must exist on the target machine. Even if you are changing the database or instance name where the target database is located, the data is first restored with its original name and its original instance name before it is relocated to the final destination with its new name. The actual data is not moved so when the restore operation completes successfully, the alternative instance is always linked to the original instance. When you run another restore operation of the same database or instance to the same target machine, the process overwrites the previously restored data.
Workaround: To avoid issues when you are restoring to an alternate instance, use multiple target machines for each copy you want to create from the original database.
Limitation: Since V10.1.2.
 

Archive log backups are limited to a single SLA policy per database (internal reference #SPP-db2-175439)
Problem: When archive log backups are enabled on the Db2 Backup options panel, it applies to all SLA policies the database is associated with.
For each SLA policy, an extra archive log backup target is created on the vSnap repository. However, Db2 can only handle a maximum of two log archive paths in parallel, provided there are no other archive log destinations in use (e.g. TSM). While there could be two SLA policies associated where applicable, it is highly recommended to stay limited to a single SLA policy per database when log backup is enabled.Otherwise, disabling log backup or disassociating SLA policies can lead to situations requiring manual intervention. See below for details.   
Workaround: When the log backup option is enabled for a distinct database, ensure that this database is only associated with a single SLA policy.
If two SLA policies have been associated nonetheless, you will encounter issues when either the log backup is disabled or when one of the SLA policies is disassociated. The result is the Db2 configuration parameters logarchmeth1/2 cannot be reset to its original values leading to the following error message:
"Log backup for database <DB name> is not disabled because otherwise the database will no more be configured for rollforward recovery.
 As a consequence, a restart of the Db2 database would be required."
If you encounter this situation, reset the logarchmeth1/2 parameters manually to its original settings or to LOGRETAIN.
Example: db2 UPDATE DB CFG USING logarchmeth1 LOGRETAIN logarchmeth2 OFF
Limitation: Since V10.1.2.


 


Limitations solved with V10.1.2

VMware backups through a VADP Proxy utilizing NBDSSL and LIBZ compression fails (internal reference #SPP-2634)
Problem: When performing a VMware Backup through a VADP Proxy, selecting the NBDSSL transport mode with LIBZ compression enabled might cause the backup to fail.
Workaround: This issue only affects LIBZ compression under certain conditions. Select a different compression type, or disable compression for the NBDSSL transport mode.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1_patch1.

The Provide Feedback pop-up window displays in environments without an internet connection (internal reference #SPP-1156)
Problem: The Provide Feedback pop-up window displays after a period of time when using IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. The feedback form requires an internet connection to capture feedback, but the pop-up window will display if no internet connection is available.
Workaround: To provide feedback, use the feedback form on a machine with internet access.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1. Solved with V10.1.2.
 

File restores might fail if another operation is occurring on the same virtual machine during the time of the attempted file restore (internal reference #SPPL3-113)
Problem: File restores might fail if another operation, such as a scheduled backup, is occurring on the same virtual machine during the time of the attempted file restore. A similar issue might occur if you are attempting to run multiple file restore jobs simultaneously.
Workaround: Ensure that no other operations are occurring on a virtual machine while restoring a file from the same virtual machine.
Limitation: Since V10.1.0. Solved with V10.1.2.
 

Transaction logs are not purged from SQL Server in SQL Always On environments (internal reference #SPP-3190)
Problem: When SQL backup jobs successfully complete with log backups enabled, all transaction logs up to the point of the job completing are automatically purged from the SQL server. In SQL Always On environments, the logs are not automatically purged.
Workaround: Transaction logs older than 1 day should be manually deleted from the log target volume in SQL Always On environments.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1_patch1. Solved with V10.1.2.
 

SQL Always On Availability Group backup jobs display error messages about disabling log backups of associated Availability Groups (internal reference #SPP-3191)
Problem: If a standalone SQL database and a database that is part of a SQL Always On Availability Group are protected through the same SLA policy, and  the databases are located on the same server, the following error message displays during incremental backup jobs:
"Disabling log backup failed on instance:<SQL INSTANCE> e=...xsb.commons.XSBException".
Workaround: Create separate SLA policies for standalone SQL databases and databases that are part of SQL Always On Availability Groups.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1_patch1. Solved with V10.1.2.
 

SQL servers display on the Oracle Manage Application pane (internal reference #SPP-1088)
Problem: If a pair of nodes that are part of a failover cluster are registered in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, the inactive node will display on all application screens, including differing application database types.
Workaround: None.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1. Solved with V10.1.2.
 

When an SLA Policy is deleted, some artifacts are not removed from the SQL server internal reference #SPPL3-721)
Problem: In some conditions, when an SLA Policy is deleted and the Maintenance job is run, some artifacts such as log backups associated with the deleted SLA Policy are not removed from the SQL server. If a new SLA Policy is created and assigned to the same database, future log backups fail because they are still associated with the deleted SLA Policy.
Workaround: If artifacts are not removed through a Maintenance job after an SLA Policy is deleted, manually delete the artifacts, then re-assign the database to a new SLA Policy.
Workaround: None.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1. Solved with V10.1.2.
 

An entry in /etc/oratab is not created after a successful Oracle database restore (internal reference # SPP-836)
Problem: After successfully restoring an Oracle database, IBM Spectrum Protect Plus does not automatically create an entry in /etc/oratab for the restored database.
Workaround: An entry in /etc/oratab must be manually created if desired.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1. Solved with V10.1.2.
 

Backup of Hyper-V virtual machines that are on NTFS and CSVFS file systems fail with a target volume error (internal reference #SPP-1165)
Problem: If a job definition is created that includes Hyper-V virtual machines that utilize both NTFS and CSVFS formatted drives, the job will fail with an error indicating that the mountpoint is inaccessible.
Workaround: Ensure Hyper-V backup jobs do not include drives that utilize both NTFS and CSVFS formats.
Workaround: None.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1. Solved with V10.1.2.
 


 


Limitations solved with V10.1.1 and V10.1.1_patch1

Virtual machine backup jobs fail after performing a Catalog Restore (internal reference #SPPL3-724)
Problem: After restoring the catalog through a Catalog Restore job, certain virtual machine backup jobs fail.
Workaround: For releases prior to the patch1, the workaround is to create new SLA policies for each backup job that fails following a Catalog Restore. This procedure is only required for failed jobs; backup jobs that complete successfully following a Catalog Restore do not need to be associated with new SLA policies.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1. Solved with V10.1.1_patch1.
 

When updating IBM Spectrum Protect Plus using Firefox, the Clean Process appears to fail (internal reference #SPPL3-833)
Problem: When updating IBM Spectrum Protect Plus through the Administrative Console using Firefox, a Clean Process Failure message displays during the update process. The message indicates that the update has been applied successfully, but the update cleanup process failed.
Workaround: This message appears consistently when performing an update to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus with Firefox, regardless of whether the Clean Process failed or was successful. This behavior is specific to Firefox only.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1. Solved with V10.1.1_patch1.
 

The predefined Self Service role can create and run jobs (internal reference #SPP-1160)
Problem: The Self Service role allows a user to monitor existing backup and restore operations delegated by an Administrator. Though only the View permission is assigned to the appropriate resources, a Self Service user can also create and run jobs.
Workaround: For releases prior to the patch1, the workaround is to create a custom role that assigns the View permission to SLA Policy, Backup Storage, Job, Report, and necessary hypervisor or application resources.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1. Solved with V10.1.1_patch1.
 

Backup and restore operations for SQL Server system databases are not supported (internal reference #SPP-1332)
Problem: Backup and restore operations for SQL Server system databases such as the primary database are not supported in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 10.1.1. 
Workaround: For releases prior to the patch1, SQL Server system databases can be backed up to vSnap and restored by using the Instant Access restore type.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1. Solved with V10.1.1_patch1
 

SQL incremental backup jobs perform a base backup despite the first incremental backup job reporting that write range tracking is enabled (internal reference #SPP-1246)
Problem: On systems where the source volume is less than 1 GB, the Update Sequence Number (USN) size may cause the backup to continually run as a base backup. The USN change journal provides write range tracking for a volume when the file size is increased to a specific threshold.
Workaround: For releases prior to the patch1, resize the source volume to be larger than 1 GB to enable incremental backups.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1. Solved with V10.1.1_patch1.
 

A SQL restore of data/log files that are in the same path to an alternate location restores to the data file location (internal reference #SPP-970)
Problem: If the source database’s data and log files are located in the same directory, a SQL restore of data and log files to an alternate location restores the files to the data file location.
Workaround: For releases prior to the patch1, if the source data and logs are stored in a single location, then the source data and logs must be restored to the same single location.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1. Solved with V10.1.1_patch1.

A database or point-in-time restore of a SQL Failover Cluster Instance fails with a writer error (internal reference #SPP-1270)
Problem: A database or point-in-time restore of a SQL Failover Cluster fails with the following error:
"Writer [SQLServerWriter] report error status ([VSS_WSS_FAILED_AT_PRE_RESTORE])"
Workaround: For releases prior to the patch1, when the automount option is disabled on a SQL Failover Cluster Instance restore target destination, the "Available Storage" group must be on the same owner node as the target SQL cluster instance during restore.
Limitation: Since V10.1.1. Solved with V10.1.1_patch1

Backups fail when selecting sources at the datastore cluster level (internal reference #ECC-12266)
Problem: When creating a backup job definition, the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus interface supports selecting sources to back up at the datastore cluster level; however, the backups will fail when selected at this level. The following error displays:
"Failed to find virtual machine under path: <path>. There are no virtual machines to backup."
Workaround: The workaround is to select datastores under the cluster level.
Limitation:  Since V10.1.0. Solved with V10.1.1.
 

vSnap servers remain on the Backup Storage page after deletion (internal reference #ECC-12307)
Problem: After deleting a primary or secondary vSnap server through the Backup Storage page, the server remains in the list of available servers.
Workaround: Navigate to a different page in the user interface, then return to the Backup Storage page. The deleted vSnap server is removed from the list.
Limitation:  Since V10.1.0. Solved with V10.1.1.
 

The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance time zone must be set through a command line interface (internal reference #ECC-12434),
Problem: The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance time zone cannot be set through the user interface or Administrative Console. An incorrect time zone might impact job scheduling. Set the time zone through the appliance’s command line interface.
Workaround: To set the time zone, log in to the appliance as root and enter the following command: "ls -l /etc/localtime".
Make a backup of the existing localtime file by entering the following command: "sudo mv /etc/localtime /etc/localtime.bak".
Create a link (here, America/Chicago is used as an example) through the following command: "sudo ln -s /usr/share/zoneinfo/America/Chicago /etc/localtime".
Execute "ls -l /etc/localtime" to see the time zone change.
Restart Virgo through the following command: "service virgo restart".
Limitation: Since V10.1.0_patch1. Solved with V10.1.1.
 

For VMware backups, HotAdd Transport mode is not supported (internal reference #ECC-11021)
Problem: The VMware HotAdd Transport feature is not supported in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus operations.
Workaround:  None.
Limitation: Since V10.1.0. Solved with V10.1.1.
 

A Hyper-V restore using the Production restore type does not preserve the path of the original volume (internal reference #SPPL3-190)
Problem: When restoring a Hyper-V virtual machine to the original host using the Production restore type, the directory path is not preserved on the original volume.
Limitation: Since V10.1.0_patch1. Solved with V10.1.1.
 


 


Limitations solved with V10.1.0_patch1

If the automount parameter is not enabled on Hyper-V hosts, backups might fail (internal reference #SPPL3-207)
Problem: If the automount parameter is not enabled on a Hyper-V host, backups might fail with the following errors:
Unprotected vm: XXXXX [Destination volume creation failed for soure volume C]
Unprotected vm: YYYYY [Failed to format volume. Disk: 39, partition: 2]
Workaround: For releases prior to the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 10.1.0_patch1, you must enable the DiskPart automount parameter on Hyper-V hosts. For more information about enabling the automount parameter, see https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753703(v=ws.11).aspx.
Limitation: Since V10.1.0. Solved with V10.1.0_patch1.
 

SQL log truncation might fail for Windows virtual machines running on a Hyper-V server (internal reference #SPPL3-238)
Problem: Log truncation might fail for a backup job which has the SQL log truncation option selected. This impacts Windows Virtual Machines on Hyper-V. The backup task completes successfully, but when SQL log truncation is attempted, the log returns the following message:
"Truncating application logs of vm <vm_name>”.
The job then ends abruptly with a "failed" status. The message "Successfully truncated logs for <vm_name>” does not appear.
Workaround:
For releases prior to the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 10.1.0_patch1, this issue does not affect the recoverability of the VM, only the truncation of SQL logs. As a result, the logs keep growing, and out-of-space issues might ensue. Therefore, if you encounter this issue, the workaround is to perform a SQL log truncation independently. For more information see https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms189085(v=sql.105).aspx.
Limitation: Since V10.1.0. Solved with V10.1.0_patch1.
 

A VM protection job with file-level indexing completes with the following message: “Cataloging task for search in 0 seconds. Files Indexed : 0 , Files Skipped : 0” (internal reference #SPPL3-224)
Problem: A Windows VM protection job with file-level indexing completes with the following message:
“Cataloging task for search in 0 seconds. Files Indexed : 0 , Files Skipped : 0”.
But the job log indicates that files were found via file discovery. Consequently, the files for this virtual machine are not available for search and recovery. This issue does not impact Linux virtual machines.
Limitation: Since V10.1.0. Solved with V10.1.0_patch1.
 

A file restore in a Linux environment fails if the file name or path to the file contains spaces (internal reference #SPPL3-264)
Problem: When performing a file restore in a Linux environment, the file restore fails if the file name or path to the file contain spaces.
Workaround: For releases prior to the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 10.1.0_patch1, a file can be restored from a higher-level directory that does not contain spaces. For example, restoring a file from the “path” directory in the following example would be successful: /path/a path/file name.txt. Note that the file must be restored to an alternate location in this instance, then copied to the desired location. Alternatively, remove spaces from the file name or path to the file, back up the associated virtual machine, then run the file restore again.
Limitation: Since V10.1.0. Solved with V10.1.0_patch1.
 

Attempts to access the Administrative Console on port 8090 fail (internal reference #SPPL3-263/252)
Problem: A user is unable to access the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Administrative Console through port 8090 after installation.
Workaround: For releases prior to the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 10.1.0_patch1, the workaround is to first log in to the IBM Spectrum Protect appliance as a root user and execute the following command: systemctl start adminconsole.
Once complete, reboot the appliance.
Limitation: Since V10.1.0. Solved with V10.1.0_patch1.
 

Virtual machines support only one offload job type at a time (internal reference #ECC-12346)
Problem: A virtual machine can support only one type of offload job (that is, vSnap offload or direct offload). If a virtual machine is a part of two different offload types, the job that runs last will remove the previous recovery points from IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
Workaround: For releases prior to the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 10.1.0_patch1, ensure virtual machines are assigned to one offload job type, either vSnap offload or direct offload.
Limitation: Since V10.1.0. Solved with V10.1.0_patch1.
 

UUIDs remain the same after a Test/Clone mode restore (internal reference #SPPL3-270)
Problem: When restoring a virtual machine through a Test/Clone mode restore, the UUID of the cloned virtual machine remains the same as the UUID of the source virtual machine. The lack of a unique UUID introduces issues when attempting to perform file cataloging.
Workaround:
For releases prior to the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 10.1.0_patch1, there are several workarounds for this issue as described in the following VMware article:https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2006865.

  • Migrate the cloned virtual machine to a different vCenter ESX host.
  • Change the UUID of the cloned virtual machine by logging in to the ESX host where the cloned virtual machine resides and entering the following command: vmkfstools -J setuuid <vmname>.vmdk
  • Create a vSphere clone of the virtual machine clone created through IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. Once complete, the VM Guest OS will boot up with a unique UUID, and the virtual machine clone created through IBM Spectrum Protect Plus can be deleted.

Limitation: Since V10.1.0. Solved with V10.1.0_patch1.

 

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Document Information

Modified date:
01 July 2021

UID

ibm10718757

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