Scheduling client updates

Schedule the automatic installation of software updates for IBM Spectrum® Protect backup-archive clients. This function is sometimes referred to as client deployment.

Before you begin

To schedule client updates by using the Operations Center, you must configure your environment to meet the following requirements:
Server requirements
IBM Spectrum Protect servers must meet the following requirements:
  • IBM Spectrum Protect V8.1.3 or later must be installed on hub and spoke servers.
  • Hub and spoke servers must have a high-level address and low-level address specified. You can configure these settings by using the SET SERVERHLADDRESS and SET SERVERLLADDRESS commands.
  • The hub server must have a server password specified. You can configure this setting by using the SET SERVERPASSWORD command.
  • The hub server must be defined to the spoke servers. This definition is not done automatically when spoke servers are added to the Operations Center. To define the hub server, issue the DEFINE SERVER command and use the second syntax option in the command documentation.
    For example, issue the following command on each spoke server:
    DEFINE SERVER hub_name SERVERPASSWORD=hub_pw HLA=hub_ip 
LLA=hub_port SSL=NO SESSIONSECURITY=TRANSITIONAL
    where the variables represent the following hub server settings: hub_name is the server name, hub_pw is the server password, hub_ip is the high-level address, and hub_port is the low-level address.
  • The port that is specified by the RESTHTTPSPORT server option must be open to allow secure communication between the Operations Center and the hub server. The default port number is 8443.
  • Spoke servers must have a directory-container storage pool or FILE storage pool available to store update packages. The Operations Center automatically selects a storage pool to use.
Client requirements
IBM Spectrum Protect backup-archive clients that you plan to update by using the Operations Center must meet the following requirements:
  • The passwordaccess option must be set to generate.
  • The autodeploy client option must be set to a value other than no. For more information about this option, see Autodeploy.
  • Thirty-two-bit backup-archive clients are not supported. If a 32-bit backup-archive client is detected on a 64-bit operating system, the client is upgraded to the 64-bit version.
  • The client scheduler must be running.
  • The client system must be running and the client must have connected to the IBM Spectrum Protect server at least once.
Microsoft Windows clients must meet the following additional requirements:
  • The client scheduler must be started as a Windows service and not from the command line. To minimize the chance of a restart, the scheduler service is shut down before the new client is installed, and restarted after the installation. If the scheduler is not run as a Windows service, a restart is required when the client is updated.
  • The command-line version of the Windows registry utility (reg.exe) is required. This tool is generally installed as part of the operating system installation on supported Windows operating systems.

About this task

You can use the Operations Center to simultaneously update multiple clients at a scheduled time.

Update packages are automatically downloaded to the hub server, imported, and replicated to spoke servers. When an update schedule runs, files from the installation package are copied to the client system and the client is updated to the specified software version.

Restrictions:
  • You can schedule only backup-archive client updates. Updates for other client types must be manually installed.
  • The backup-archive client software cannot be updated by different IBM Spectrum Protect deployment managers at the same time.
  • The Microsoft Windows cluster services environment is not supported.
  • Do not schedule automatic client deployments to systems that have any of the following applications installed on them:
    • IBM Spectrum Protect for Virtual Environments
    • IBM Spectrum Protect for Databases
    • IBM Spectrum Protect for Mail
    • IBM Spectrum Protect for Enterprise Resource Planning
  • To manage updates, the Operations Center creates policy objects, including device classes, storage pools, and domains, on the hub and spoke servers. The following naming convention is used for these objects: IBM_DEPLOY_CLIENTS. To avoid interfering with update operations, do not modify these objects.
  • If you manually configured client deployment for an earlier server version, you must delete the policy objects that you defined before you schedule client updates by using the Operations Center.
  • You can schedule updates to existing clients only. You cannot use the Operations Center to install a new client.
For information about manually installing backup-archive client software, see Installing the IBM Spectrum Protect backup-archive clients in the IBM Spectrum Protect documentation.

For information about installing other IBM Spectrum Protect clients, see Product suites and related products.

Procedure

  1. On the Operations Center menu bar, click Updates > Clients.
    The Backup-Archive Client Updates page opens.
  2. Use the information on the page to determine which release to install, click Schedule Update, and complete the steps in the wizard.

What to do next

To monitor, cancel, or reschedule updates, click Updates > Scheduled.