Vmverifyiflatest

This option applies only to VMware virtual machine (VM) backup operations that use the incremental-forever-incremental backup mode (that is, a backup vm command with -mode=IFIncremental specified). If this vmverifyiflatest option is enabled, the data mover runs an integrity check on the CTL and bitmap files that were created on the server during the last backup, if the last backup was an incremental-forever-incremental backup.

If the files pass the integrity tests, the virtual machine is restorable. The current backup proceeds and adds another snapshot to the chain of snapshots for the virtual machine.

If the files fail the integrity tests, the virtual machine is not restorable. The data mover then performs another action, which you specified on the vmverifyifaction option. You can set vmverifyifaction to create a full VM backup immediately, or you can fail the backup completely, and run a full VM backup at another time. A third parameter can be set to just verify the CTL and bitmap files for a virtual machine, without creating a new backup snapshot.

Verification can be performed only if the previous backup operation for the VM used mode=IFIncr, and if the current backup operation also uses mode=IFIncr. This option has no effect on the other virtual machine backup modes.

Important:

If this option is set to no, VM backup processing continues without any verification tests. The processing resources that are involved in performing the integrity checks is negligible. To ensure the continued integrity of your incremental-forever-incremental backup chain, set or use the default value (vmverifyiflatest yes). Do not set this option to no, unless you are directed to do so, by IBM® support.

This feature is available only if the client operates as a data mover for IBM Spectrum Protect™ for Virtual Environments: Data Protection for VMware.

Supported clients

Linux operating systems This option is valid for Linux clients that act as a data mover for VMware guest backups.

Windows operating systems This option is valid for Windows clients that act as a data mover for VMware guest backups.

Options file

Windows operating systems Set this option in the client options file (dsm.opt).

Linux operating systems Set this option in the client options file (dsm.opt) or the client system options file (dsm.sys).

This option can also be included in a client options set, as a parameter on a backup vm command, or on the options parameter in a schedule definition.

Syntax


                     .-YES-.   
>>-VMVERIFYIFlatest--+-----+-----------------------------------><
                     '-NO--'

Parameters

YES: This setting specifies that validation of the CTL and the bitmap data is performed for each VM that is processed by the current incremental-forever-incremental (mode=IFIncr) backup operation, if the previous backup operation for that VM was also an incremental-forever-incremental backup. This value is the default value.
NO: This setting specifies that validation of CTL and bitmap data does not occur during incremental-forever-incremental backup processing. Do not set this value unless directed to do so by IBM support.

Examples

Options file:: vmverifyiflatest yes
Command line:: dsmc backup vm vm1 -mode=ifincremental –vmverifyiflatest=yes