IBM Spectrum Protect for Virtual Environments: Data Protection for Microsoft Hyper-V updates

Learn about new features and updates for IBM Spectrum Protect™ for Virtual Environments: Data Protection for Microsoft Hyper-V Version 8.1.

Release	New features and updates
8.1.2	Enhanced support for Data Protection for Microsoft Hyper-V running on Windows Server 2016 Back up virtual machines by using resilient change tracking (RCT) To improve the scalability and performance of virtual machine (VM) backups, resilient change tracking (RCT) is used for all VM backup operations of Hyper-V hosts that run on the Microsoft Windows Server 2016 operating system. For more information, see Virtual machine backups with resilient change tracking (RCT). Exercise more control over backup operations on VMs with physical disks You can control whether full Hyper-V RCT VM backups are processed if the VM has one or more physical disks (pass-through disks) provisioned. For more information, see the following options: Vmprocessvmwithphysdisks Vmskipphysdisks Specify the number of snapshot attempts and the level of data consistency for backup operations To determine the total number of snapshot attempts to try for a virtual machine that fails during backup processing due to snapshot failure, use the INCLUDE.VMSNAPSHOTATTEMPTS option. You can choose to attempt application-consistent or crash-consistent snapshots. For more information, see INCLUDE.VMSNAPSHOTATTEMPTS. Exclude VM disks from or include VM disks in backup operations You can use the exclude.vmdisk option to exclude a VM disk (VHDX) from VM backup operations or use the include.vmdisk option to include a VM disk in VM backup operations. For more information, see the following topics: Exclude.vmdisk Include.vmdisk Domain.vmfull Backup VM Enhanced support for Data Protection for Microsoft Hyper-V running on Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 Scalability and reliability of VM backups are improved VMs are logically grouped into a single snapshot to reduce or eliminate snapshot conflicts at the Hyper-V host level. Improved snapshot retry processing simplifies scheduling and improves reliability across cluster nodes. To control the number of VMs to include in a snapshot, use the vmmaxpersnapshot option. For more information, see Vmmaxpersnapshot. To control how many snapshot retries are attempted, use the vmmaxsnapshotretry option. For more information, see Vmmaxsnapshotretry. Use these grouping and retry improvements along with the vmmaxparallel option to help improve performance. For information, see: Tuning scheduled VM backups for Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 clusters
8.1.0	IBM® Tivoli® Storage Manager is now IBM Spectrum Protect IBM Spectrum Protect Version 8.1 is the next generation of Tivoli Storage Manager. This new release represents more than a name change in the user interface and documentation. It is an evolution to a higher level of data protection designed to meet the complex demands of today's world. For more information, see Meet IBM Spectrum Protect. An administrative user ID is no longer created by default by the REGISTER NODE server command Beginning with IBM Spectrum Protect V8.1, the REGISTER NODE server command does not automatically create an administrative user ID that matches the node name. This product update is designed to optimize the process of authenticating when you authenticate users to a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) server. You can still manually create an administrative user ID with client owner authority over a node by specifying the USERID parameter on the REGISTER NODE command. For the latest information about this product update and its effect on storage environments, see technote 7048963. Virtual machine operations on the backup-archive client discontinued Virtual machine operations are available only if you are using the client as a data mover for the IBM Spectrum Protect for Virtual Environments products (Data Protection for VMware or Data Protection for Microsoft Hyper-V). You can no longer run virtual machine operations without installing IBM Spectrum Protect for Virtual Environments.

Release

New features and updates

8.1.2

Enhanced support for Data Protection for Microsoft Hyper-V running on Windows Server 2016

Back up virtual machines by using resilient change tracking (RCT): To improve the scalability and performance of virtual machine (VM) backups, resilient change tracking (RCT) is used for all VM backup operations of Hyper-V hosts that run on the Microsoft Windows Server 2016 operating system.
For more information, see Virtual machine backups with resilient change tracking (RCT).

Exercise more control over backup operations on VMs with physical disks

You can control whether full Hyper-V RCT VM backups are processed if the VM has one or more physical disks (pass-through disks) provisioned.

For more information, see the following options:

Specify the number of snapshot attempts and the level of data consistency for backup operations

To determine the total number of snapshot attempts to try for a virtual machine that fails during backup processing due to snapshot failure, use the INCLUDE.VMSNAPSHOTATTEMPTS option. You can choose to attempt application-consistent or crash-consistent snapshots.

For more information, see INCLUDE.VMSNAPSHOTATTEMPTS.

Exclude VM disks from or include VM disks in backup operations

You can use the exclude.vmdisk option to exclude a VM disk (VHDX) from VM backup operations or use the include.vmdisk option to include a VM disk in VM backup operations.

For more information, see the following topics:

Enhanced support for Data Protection for Microsoft Hyper-V running on Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2

Scalability and reliability of VM backups are improved

VMs are logically grouped into a single snapshot to reduce or eliminate snapshot conflicts at the Hyper-V host level. Improved snapshot retry processing simplifies scheduling and improves reliability across cluster nodes.

To control the number of VMs to include in a snapshot, use the vmmaxpersnapshot option. For more information, see Vmmaxpersnapshot.
To control how many snapshot retries are attempted, use the vmmaxsnapshotretry option. For more information, see Vmmaxsnapshotretry.

Use these grouping and retry improvements along with the vmmaxparallel option to help improve performance.

For information, see: Tuning scheduled VM backups for Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 clusters

8.1.0

IBM® Tivoli® Storage Manager is now IBM Spectrum Protect: IBM Spectrum Protect Version 8.1 is the next generation of Tivoli Storage Manager. This new release represents more than a name change in the user interface and documentation. It is an evolution to a higher level of data protection designed to meet the complex demands of today's world.
For more information, see Meet IBM Spectrum Protect.

An administrative user ID is no longer created by default by the REGISTER NODE server command: Beginning with IBM Spectrum Protect V8.1, the REGISTER NODE server command does not automatically create an administrative user ID that matches the node name. This product update is designed to optimize the process of authenticating when you authenticate users to a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) server.
You can still manually create an administrative user ID with client owner authority over a node by specifying the USERID parameter on the REGISTER NODE command. For the latest information about this product update and its effect on storage environments, see technote 7048963.
Virtual machine operations on the backup-archive client discontinued: Virtual machine operations are available only if you are using the client as a data mover for the IBM Spectrum Protect for Virtual Environments products (Data Protection for VMware or Data Protection for Microsoft Hyper-V).
You can no longer run virtual machine operations without installing IBM Spectrum Protect for Virtual Environments.