Release notes for IBM Spectrum Protect Application Programming Interface Version 8.1

IBM Spectrum Protect™ Application Programming Interface (API) V8.1 is available. Read this document to find important installation information. You can also learn about product updates, compatibility issues, limitations, and known problems.

Contents

Description

The IBM Spectrum Protect API enables an application client to use storage management functions. The API includes function calls that you can use in an application to run the following operations:

  • Start or end a session
  • Assign management classes to objects before they are stored on a server
  • Back up or archive objects to a server
  • Restore or retrieve objects from a server
  • Query the server for information about stored objects
  • Manage file spaces
  • Send retention events

The API is used by software developers to create new applications that work with IBM Spectrum Protect.

The publication entitled IBM Spectrum Protect Using the Application Programming Interface provides information about how to use the IBM Spectrum Protect API.

The IBM Spectrum Protect API is available on the following operating systems:
  • HP-UX
  • IBM® AIX®
  • Linux
  • Mac OS X
  • Microsoft Windows 64-bit operating systems
  • Oracle Solaris

For a list of the APARs that are fixed in this release, see technote 1993247.

Announcement

The announcement for the IBM Spectrum Protect V8.1 family of products includes the following information:
  • Detailed product description, including a description of new functions
  • Product-positioning statement
  • Packaging and ordering details
  • International compatibility information
To search for the product announcement, complete the following steps:
  1. Go to the product announcement website.
  2. In the Search for field, enter the product identifier (PID) for your product. The PID for IBM Spectrum Protect is 5725-W98.
  3. In the Information Type field, select Announcement letters, and click Search.
  4. From the Search in list, select Product Number.
  5. Optional: In the Refine Your Search pane on the left side of the window, select the country where you reside.
  6. In the Sort by section, select Newest first.

Compatibility with earlier versions

For compatibility with earlier versions, see IBM Spectrum Protect Server/Client Compatibility and Upgrade Considerations.

System requirements

For information about hardware and software compatibility, see the detailed system requirements document at the following web pages:
Apple Macintosh client requirements
Technote 1053584
HP-UX Itanium API requirements
Technote 1197146
IBM AIX client requirements
Technote 1052226
Linux on Power® Systems client requirements
Technote 1169963
Linux x86_64 client requirements
Technote 1052223
Linux on z Systems™ client requirements
Technote 1066436
Microsoft Windows client requirements
Technote 1197133
Oracle Solaris SPARC API requirements
Technote 1052211
Oracle Solaris x86_64 client requirements
Technote 1232956

Installing the API

For installation instructions, see Installing the API.

Updates, limitations, and known problems

Documentation updates, limitations, and known problems are documented as technotes in the Support knowledge base at the IBM Support Portal for IBM Spectrum Protect. As problems are discovered and resolved, IBM Software Support updates the knowledge base. By searching the knowledge base, you can find workarounds or solutions to problems.

Limitations and known problems
For the limitations and known problems that affect the IBM Spectrum Protect V8.1 API, see technote 1993248.
Documentation updates
For information that was not available at the time of publication, see the documentation updates at technote 7048957.