Setting the client scheduler process to run as a background task and start automatically at startup

You can complete this task whether you use the client acceptor to manage the scheduler or whether you use the traditional method to start the scheduler client scheduler.

When you are running a client acceptor-managed schedule, set the client acceptor process to start automatically at startup time; not the scheduler process. For the traditional method, set the scheduler process to start automatically at startup time.

You can configure the client acceptor to run as a background system task that starts automatically when your system is started. To configure the client acceptor to manage scheduled backups, you use the managedservices option to specify whether the client acceptor manages only the scheduler, only the web client, or both the scheduler and web client. The method for setting up the client acceptor as a system task varies for each platform.

For the scheduler to start unattended, you must enable the client to store its password by setting the passwordaccess option to generate, and store the password by running a simple client command such as dsmc query session. For testing purposes, you can always start the scheduler in the foreground by running dsmc sched from a command prompt (without a managedservices stanza set).

To start the scheduler automatically at startup time, use either the client acceptor-managed method or the traditional method.

Client acceptor-managed method

1. In your dsm.sys file, set the managedservices option to schedule or schedule webclient.
2. Start the client acceptor.
   1. 

      On AIX®and Solaris clients, add the following entry into the system startup file (/etc/inittab for most platforms):

      tsm::once:/usr/bin/dsmcad > /dev/null 2>&1 # TSM Client 
      Acceptor Daemon

   2. 
      On Linux® clients, the installation program creates a startup script for the client acceptor (dsmcad) in /etc/init.d. The client acceptor (dsmcad) must be started before it can manage scheduler tasks, or manage the web client. As root, use the following command to start, stop, or restart the client acceptor, or check its status:

      
      To enable the client acceptor to start automatically after a system restart, add the service as follows, at a shell prompt:

      # chkconfig --add dsmcad

      If the Linux operating system runs the systemd initialization service, complete the following steps to start the dsmcad and to run it at system start time:

      1. Run the following command to refresh the systemd unit list:

         systemctl daemon-reload

      2. Run the following command to start the client acceptor at system start time:

         systemctl enable dsmcad.service

      3. Run the following command to start the client acceptor:

         systemctl start dsmcad.service

   3. On Mac OS X, the client acceptor must be installed as a Startup Item. A system administrator must use the IBM Spectrum Protect Tools for Administrators to install and start the client acceptor. To start, stop, or restart the client acceptor, use the following command:
      
3. In your dsm.sys file, set the passwordaccess option to generate.
4. Run a command like dsmc query sess to store the node password.

Traditional method:

1. Set the managedservices option.
   • On AIX, Linux, and Solaris clients, either remove the option entirely (it defaults to webclient) or set it to webclient.
   • On Mac OS X clients, set the managedservices option to either webclient or none. Do not set the option to schedule.
2. On AIX, Linux, and Solaris, add the following entry into the system startup file, for example, /etc/inittab, where it is supported:

   tsmsched::once:/usr/bin/dsmc sched > /dev/null 2>&1 # TSM scheduler

3. In your dsm.sys file, set the passwordaccess option to generate.
4. Run a command like dsmc query sess to store the node password.
5. To start the client scheduler on your client node and connect to the server schedule, enter the following command:

      dsmc schedule

   If the current directory is not in your PATH environment variable, enter the following command:

      ./dsmc schedule 

   When you start the client scheduler, it runs continuously until you close the window, end the process, or log off your system.

   To run the schedule command in the background and to keep the client scheduler running, even if you log off your system, enter the following command:

      nohup dsmc schedule 2> /dev/null &

On Windows platforms, the scheduler and the client acceptor run as services. You can create and manage these services by using either the setup wizard or the IBM Spectrum Protect Client Service Configuration Utility, dsmcutil.exe.

• To start the setup wizard, select Utilities > Setup Wizard in the backup-archive GUI and select a Help me configure option for the appropriate service. Follow the prompts to install, configure, and start the service.
• To start the Client Service Configuration Utility, open a command prompt window and issue the following command to change to the directory that contains dsmcutil.exe:

  cd /d "c:\program files\tivoli\tsm\baclient" 

  Use dsmcutil to manage the client acceptor service or the scheduler service. Full documentation on how to use dsmcutil is available by entering dsmcutil help.

The client scheduler can be managed by the client acceptor. When setting up scheduler services to run with client acceptor management, two services must be created: the scheduler service and the client acceptor service. When you install the client acceptor service with dsmcutil.exe, use the /cadschedname: parameter to identify which scheduler service the client acceptor manages. If you use the setup wizard to install the scheduler, you can select the Use the client acceptor to manage the scheduler check box, which automatically creates both services and associates them.

Using the Client Service Configuration Utility, you can use either of the following methods:

Client acceptor-managed method

1. In your client options file (dsm.opt), either set the managedservices option to schedule or schedule webclient.
2. In your client options file (dsm.opt), set the passwordaccess option to generate.
3. Create the scheduler service:

   dsmcutil inst /name:"TSM Client Scheduler" /node:tsmclient1
   /password:secret /autostart:no /startnow:no

4. Create the client acceptor and associate scheduler service with the client acceptor:

   dsmcutil inst CAD /name:"TSM Client Acceptor" /cadschedname:
   "TSM Client Scheduler" /node:tsmclient1 /password:secret /autostart:yes 

5. Manually start the client acceptor service:

   net start "TSM Client Acceptor"

Traditional method

1. In your client options file (dsm.opt), either remove the managedservices entirely (it defaults to webclient) or set it to webclient.
2. In your client options file (dsm.opt), set the passwordaccess option to generate.
3. Create the scheduler service:

   dsmcutil inst /name:"TSM Client Scheduler" /node:tsmclient1
   /password:secret /autostart:yes

To increase the reliability of the client scheduler service on Windows, set the services to automatically recover from a failure as follows:

• Start the Windows services management console (Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services)
• Right-click the TSM Client Scheduler service and select Properties.
• Click the Recovery tab.
• Define the recovery action as Restart the service for first, second, and subsequent failures.

If you are using the client acceptor to manage the scheduler, you must set the recovery properties for the TSM Client Acceptor service, but leave the recovery settings for the TSM Client Scheduler service as Take No Action for the first, second, and subsequent failures. The same recovery settings can also be defined to increase the reliability of the TSM Journal Service.