Connect Spoke Server

Configure a spoke server to be managed by the Operations Center.

Use this wizard to connect a new spoke server. The hub server receives status and alert information from the spoke server and shows this information in the Operations Center.

Communication from the spoke server must be secured by using the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol. To enable secure communication, the certificate of the spoke server must be added to the truststore file of the hub server. To enable other functions of the Operations Center, such as the automatic deployment of client updates, the certificate of the hub server must be added to the truststore file of the spoke server. If the spoke server is running IBM Spectrum Protect Version 8.1.5 or later, the wizard determines whether the necessary certificates were already exchanged between the hub and the spoke servers. If the certificates were not already exchanged, the wizard can transfer the certificates automatically. If the spoke server is running a version of IBM Spectrum Protect that is earlier than V8.1.5, you can manually exchange certificates between the hub and the spoke servers. For more information, see Securing communication between the hub server and a spoke server in the IBM Spectrum Protect documentation.

Spoke Server page

Spoke server

The default server name is either SERVER1 or, on the Microsoft Windows operating system, the computer name.

Restrictions:

• Hub and spoke servers must have unique server names.

  You can change a server name by using the SET SERVERNAME command, but do not rename a server after it is configured as hub or spoke.

• A server should not act as both a hub and a spoke. To manage a larger environment, associate separate hub servers with multiple instances of the Operations Center.

SSL

Specifies whether to encrypt communication with the spoke server. Communication is encrypted by using the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol. The scope of this setting depends on the version of IBM Spectrum Protect that is running on the spoke server.

If spoke server is running IBM Spectrum Protect Version 8.1.2 or later, all communication with the spoke server is encrypted, except when the server is sending or receiving object data. This setting controls only whether encryption is also used for sending and receiving object data.

If a spoke server is running a version of IBM Spectrum Protect that is earlier than V8.1.2, then this setting controls whether all communication with the spoke server is encrypted by using TLS. If this check box is not selected, communication with the spoke server occurs over a TCP/IP session and is not encrypted.

Port

The port on the spoke server for establishing communications sessions. The port number that you specify depends on the version of the spoke server, whether secure communication is required, and whether the ADMINONCLIENTPORT server option is enabled on the spoke server.

The following ports numbers are specified by IBM Spectrum Protect server options:

• The SSLTCPPORT and SSLTCPADMINPORT ports support only encrypted communication. If the session is not secured by using TLS, you cannot connect to the spoke server by using this port.

  You use the SSLTCPADMINPORT port if the ADMINONCLIENTPORT server option is enabled, and the SSLTCPPORT if the ADMINONCLIENTPORT server option is not enabled.

• The TCPPORT or TCPADMINPORT ports are, for earlier versions, used only for unencrypted communication. In versions earlier than V8.1.2, a server cannot connect to this port for TLS sessions. However, starting in V8.1.2, the TCPPORT or TCPADMINPORT ports accept both encrypted and unencrypted communication. A server can establish an TLS encrypted session or a unencrypted session.

  You use the TCPADMINPORT port if the ADMINONCLIENTPORT server option is enabled, and the TCPPORT if the ADMINONCLIENTPORT server option is not enabled.

To determine which port number to specify, refer to the following table:

Table 1. Determining which spoke server port to use for communication

Is the SSL check box selected?	The spoke server is running V8.1.1 or earlier	The spoke server is running V8.1.2 or later
The SSL check box is selected.	Connect by using the SSLTCPPORT or SSLTCPADMINPORT port.	Connect by using the TCPPORT or TCPADMINPORT port. You can also connect by using the SSLTCPPORT or SSLTCPADMINPORT port.
The SSL check box is not selected.	Connect by using the TCPPORT or TCPADMINPORT port.	Connect by using the TCPPORT or TCPADMINPORT port.

Tip: The Operations Center registers and maintains a dedicated administrator ID on the hub and spoke servers. This monitoring administrator must always have the same password on all the servers.

You can optionally use the IBM Spectrum Protect enterprise configuration feature to manage this ID by completing the following steps:

1. Designate the configuration manager server as the hub server.
2. On the hub server, add the monitoring administrator ID to a new or existing enterprise configuration profile.
3. Issue the NOTIFY SUBSCRIBERS command to distribute the profile to the managed servers.
4. Add one or more of the managed servers as Operations Center spoke servers.

The Operations Center detects this configuration and allows the configuration manager to distribute and update the monitoring administrator ID on the spoke servers.

The password is changed automatically every 90 days.

Communication page

Server group

A server group named IBM-OC-server_name is defined on the hub server, and the new spoke server is added to the group. If you connect more spoke servers, they are added to the same server group.

Estimated database space

Estimates the maximum amount of IBM Spectrum Protect database space that will be needed at any given time to manage the spoke server. The estimate is based on the current spoke server configuration. The space requirement is subject to change if clients or storage pools are added to or removed from the spoke server.

For more information about using IBM Spectrum Protect commands, see the IBM Spectrum Protect documentation.