Registering a vSnap server as a backup storage provider

Edit online

Any vSnap server that is deployed virtually or installed physically must be registered in IBM Storage® Protect Plus so that it can be recognized as a backup storage provider.

Before you begin

After you add and register a vSnap server as a backup storage provider, you can choose to configure and administer certain aspects of the vSnap, such as network configuration or storage pool management. For more information, see Configuring backup storage options.

If the vSnap server will also be registered as a VADP proxy, the account added in the Storage Properties field for the vSnap must have sudo privileges for the VADP proxy registration to succeed. For more information, see Permission types.

Procedure

To register a vSnap server as a backup storage device, complete the following steps:
  1. Log on to the vSnap server console with the user ID serveradmin. The initial password is sppDP758-SysXyz.
    You are prompted to change this password during the first logon. Certain rules are enforced when creating a new password. For more information, see the password requirement rules in Start IBM Storage Protect Plus.
  2. Run the vsnap user create command to create a user name and password for the vSnap server.
  3. Start the IBM Storage Protect Plus user interface by entering the host name or IP address of the virtual machine where IBM Storage Protect Plus is deployed in a supported browser.
  4. In the navigation panel, click System Configuration > Storage > vSnap servers.
  5. Click Add vSnap server.
    The Add vSnap server wizard opens.
  6. Complete the fields on the vSnap server details page, and then click Next.
    Hostname/IP
    Enter the resolvable IP address or hostname of the backup storage.
    Note: The hostname or IP of the vSnap server as entered in the IBM Storage Protect Plus UI must exactly match one of the Subject Alternative Names (SANs) embedded in the vSnap certificate. Refer to Certificate management for detailed information on how to obtain and customize the vSnap certificate.
    If you plan to protect Kubernetes or Red Hat® OpenShift® container workloads, you must enter the IP address or fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the backup storage.
    Site
    Select a site for the backup storage. Available options are Primary, Secondary, or Add a new site. If more than one primary, secondary, or user-defined site is available to IBM Storage Protect Plus, the site with the largest amount of available storage is used first.
    Use existing user

    Enable this option to select the user name for the vSnap server that you created in step 2.

    If you do not select this option, complete the following fields to add a user:

    Username
    Enter a user name for the vSnap server.
    Password
    Enter a password for the user.
    Certificate
    In the Certificate field, select one of the following options to import the certificate:
    Upload
    1. Download the /etc/vsnap/ssl/spp-vsnap.crt file from the vSnap server to the local machine where you are running the browser.
    2. Click Choose file and search for the downloaded certificate in your system.
    3. Click Upload.
    Copy and paste
    Enter a name for the certificate, such as spp-vsnap.crt. Then, paste the contents of the certificate in the Copy and paste certificate here field and click Create.
    Use existing certificate
    Click Choose file to select an existing certificate from the Select a certificate list. This option is the default.
    Note: If the vSnap server is configured to use a custom CA-signed certificate, you need to make sure that the certificate uploaded or pasted is in the same format as installed on the vSnap server. The certificate must contain the full chain that consists of the server certificate, intermediate certificate (if any), and root certificate. For more information, see Certificate management.
    Obtain the server key and verify that the key type and key fingerprint match the host. Click Get server key
    Get server key
    The SSH server key for the Linux-based host. You must complete this step when adding servers for the first time or if the key on the server changes.
    When upgrading to the IBM Storage Protect Plus latest version, systems that are already registered in the previous version are set to trust on first use (TOFU) and the SSH key fingerprint will automatically be added to the registration information in the catalog.
    Key type
    The type of key for the Linux-based host is displayed. The following key types are supported:
    • RSA with a minimum key size of 2048 bits
    • ECDSA
    • DSA
    Key fingerprint
    The MD5 hash of the SSH key fingerprint is displayed. Confirm that they key fingerprint matches the key fingerprint of the host that you are adding.
    Requirement: If the serveradmin account is to be used, ensure that the default password is changed through the vSnap server console prior to registering the vSnap server as a backup storage provider in IBM Storage Protect Plus.
  7. Review your selections, and then click Submit.
    IBM Storage Protect Plus confirms a network connection and adds the backup storage device to the database.

What to do next

After you add a backup storage provider, take the following actions:
Action How to
Initialize the vSnap server. See Initializing the vSnap server.
Expand the vSnap storage pool. See Configuring backup storage partners.
If necessary, configure and administer certain aspects of vSnap, such as network configuration or storage pool management. See Configuring backup storage options