Linux operating systems

Determining whether Aspera FASP technology can optimize data transfer in your system environment

If your Tivoli® Storage Manager server replicates nodes or protects storage pools to a remote server, determine whether Aspera® Fast Adaptive Secure Protocol (FASP®) technology can improve data throughput to the remote server. Before you enable Aspera FASP technology, you must obtain the appropriate licenses. Both evaluation and full licenses are available.

Before you begin

Aspera FASP technology is used to transfer data extents from a container storage pool to a remote server. When Aspera FASP technology is enabled, the data extents are always encrypted during transfer regardless of whether the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol is enabled. However, if you want to secure the network connection, enable SSL. For information about SSL and how to enable it, see Secure Sockets Layer and Transport Layer Security communication.

About this task

Use Aspera FASP technology when your wide area network (WAN) shows signs of high packet loss, data transfer delays that are caused by network impairment, or both. If WAN performance meets your business needs, do not enable Aspera FASP technology.

Procedure

  1. Determine whether Aspera FASP technology is appropriate for your system environment. If either of the following conditions occurs, enable Aspera FASP technology:
    • Average delays for data-transfer operations exceed 50 milliseconds.
    • Packet loss is greater than 0.01%.
    Network characteristics can vary widely. You might be able to improve network throughput by enabling Aspera FASP technology even if the data-transfer delay is less than 50 milliseconds and the packet loss is less than 0.01%.
  2. Obtain and install the appropriate licenses. Take one of the following actions:

    Obtain and install evaluation licenses

    To obtain and install evaluation licenses, which expire in 30 days, complete the following steps:

    1. Request the licenses by sending an email to alliances@asperasoft.com:
      • Include your company name, address, phone number, and the email address of the primary contact at your company.
      • State that you require a 30-day evaluation license.
      • Indicate the number of licenses that you require.
      One license is required for each server that is used for data transfer with Aspera FASP technology. For example, if you are replicating a node from a source server to a target server, you require two licenses.

      If the license request is approved, the primary contact can expect to receive an email within 24 hours. The email will have license file attachments that are named according to the following convention:

      xxxxx-ConnectSrv-unlim.eval.aspera-license

      where xxxxx is a unique number.

    2. Copy one of the license files to the server bin directory of the source server. Select either license file. By default, the directory is in the following location:

      /opt/tivoli/tsm/server/bin
    3. Copy the remaining license file to the bin directory of the target server.
    4. On the source and target servers, set the permission level of each license file to 755. For example, if you are using the default installation directory and the unique license number is 47474, issue the following command on one line:
      chmod 755 /opt/tivoli/tsm/server/bin/
      47474-ConnectSrv-unlim.eval.aspera-license
    Obtain and install full licenses

    To obtain and install full, unlimited licenses, which do not expire, complete the following steps:

    1. Purchase the IBM Spectrum Protect™ High Speed Data Transfer product. The product identification number is 5725-Z10. You can obtain the product from Passport Advantage®.

      One instance of IBM Spectrum Protect High Speed Data Transfer is required for each server that is used to transfer data with Aspera FASP technology. For example, if you are replicating a node from a source server to a target server, you require two instances of IBM Spectrum Protect High Speed Data Transfer.

    2. Install IBM Spectrum Protect High Speed Data Transfer on each server by using the installation wizard.
    Restriction: If the required licenses are missing or expired, operations to replicate nodes and protect storage pools by using Aspera FASP technology fail.

What to do next

To enable Aspera FASP technology, follow the steps in Optimizing data transfer by enabling Aspera FASP technology.