IT04201: NEED NEW OPTIONS TO DETECT IF THERE ARE ISSUES WITH A VMWARE BACKUP AND INITIATE ANOTHER FULL BACKUP IF DESIRED

IBM Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) Client 7.1.1 Downloads and READMEs
IBM Tivoli Storage Manager Client 6.4.3 Downloads and READMEs

APAR status

• Closed as new function.

Error description

• As discovered and fixed by IT00539, an "out of space" error
  during the last transaction of a full VMware backup initiated
  by a TSM 6.4.0, 6.4.1, or 7.1.0 data mover can result in
  an unrecoverable backup. Need an option to detect that such
  a backup has occurred, and an option setting that will initiate
  automatically a full backup for that VM to make full or
  incremental backups from point on recoverable.
  

Local fix

• Initiate the full VMware backup manually (-mode=full or
  -mode=iffull)
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED: 6.4 and 7.1 TSM Windows and Linux x86 clients*
  *                 used as data movers for VMware guest backups.*
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: See above                               *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION: Apply the csd when available. Targeted for   *
  *                 7.1.1, 6.4.3, and interim fix 6.4.2.1.       *
  *                 These targets can change at IBM's discretion.*
  ****************************************************************
  

Problem conclusion

• Code was to added to detect data mover backups of current VMs
  performed using the incremental backup forever method which
  are unrecoverable. Two new options were added to control this
  checking and to optionally automatically initiate a new
  incremental forever full VM backup (-mode=iffull) if an
  unrecoverable backup is detected. The two new options are
  described below.
  
  No detection or options were possible for "legacy" data mover
  VMware guest backups (-mode=full and -mode=incr). Customers
  who performed such VMware guest backups with data mover levels
  affected by IT00539 need to apply the fix for IT00539 and
  initiate new full backups.
  
  VMVERIFYIFLATEST
  Use this option to specify whether the TSM data mover performs
  validation of the latest CTL and bitmap files stored on the TSM
  server during the IFIncr backup operations
  When this option is set to YES (the default), then validation
  or each VM as it is being backed up when both of the following
  conditions are true for that VM:
  - The previous backup operation was an IFIncr
  - The current backup operation is an IFIncr
  If the validation detects a problem with the CTL and bitmap
  files, subsequent processing for that VM depends on the
  VMVERIFYIFACTION setting.
  If no problems are detected then the backup operation for the VM
  proceeds normally.
  
  The overhead involved in performing the integrity check is
  negligible. In order to best ensure the continued integrity of
  your incremental forever backup chain, use the default
  VMVERIFYIFLATEST value unless otherwise directed by IBM support.
  The default value for this option is YES.
  
  VMVERIFYIFACTION
  Use this option to specify what happens during IFIncr backup
  processing when the data mover detects an integrity problem with
  a VM's latest CTL and bitmap file data. This option affects
  backup processing for a given VM guest only when all of the
  following conditions are true:
  - The previous backup operation was an IFIncr backup
  - The current backup operation is an IFIncr backup
  - The data mover detected an integrity problem with the CTL and
    bitmap data from the previous INFIncr backup operation
  - The VMVERIFYIFLATEST option is set to YES (the default)
  
  This option is valid for Windows and Linux clients that act as a
  data mover for VMware guest backups. Place this option in the
  client options file (dsm.opt or dsm.sys)
  
  Syntax
                       .-FAILbackup-.
  >>-VMVERIFYIFAction--+-----+------------------><
                       +-FORCEfull--+
                       '-PREview----'
   Parameters
    FAILbackup
    The VM is not backed up. Instead the following messages will
    be written to the data mover error log file (dsmerror.log):
    ANS9921E Virtual machine disk, vm_name (disk_label),
             verification check failed (size_on_disk/ctl_size)
    ANS9919E Failed to find the expected control files for vm_name
  
    Perform IFFull backups for affected VMs at a time of your
    choosing. An alternative is to use the
    -vmverifyifaction=forcefull on the next scheduled IFIncr
    to force a full backup of those VMs if you determine that your
    scheduled backup window can contain the IFFulls for these VMs.
  
    This is the default.
  
    FORCEfull
    The backup mode for the VM is automatically switched to IFFull
    instead of IFIncr. he following messages will be written to
    the data mover error log file (dsmerror.log):
  
    ANS9921E Virtual machine disk, vm_name (disk_label),
             verification check failed (size_on_disk/ctl_size)
    ANS9919E Failed to find the expected control files for vm_name
    ANS9922I VMVERIFYIFLatest is enabled for vm_name (action:
             FORCEFULL)
    ANS9920W Forcing a full vm backup for vm_name
  
    Use this option if your backup window can contain IFFull
    backups of affected VMs. A manual IFIncr operation performed
    in advance with the VMVERIFYIFACTION PREVIEW option can be
    to identify affected VMs, if any.
  
    PREview
    When this setting is in effect, no VM guest snapshots are
    created and no VM guests are backed up. Instead the CTL and
    bmitmap data for each eligible VM guest is restored to a
    temporary location in order to check the integrity of the
    data. The following messages will be written to the data mover
    error log file (dsmerror.log):
  
    ANS9921E Virtual machine disk, vm_name (disk_label),
           verification check failed (size_on_disk/ctl_size)
    ANS9919E Failed to find the expected control files for vm_name
    ANS9922I VMVERIFYIFLatest is enabled for vm_name (action:
           PREVIEW)
  
    Use the backup vm command with -mode=ifincr and
    -VMVERIFYIFACTION=PREVIEW to validate the integrity of the
    backups for each VM whose last backup was an IFIncr. If any VM
    backups have integrity issues, you should perform manual
    IFFull backups for those VMs at a time of  your choosing. An
    alternative is to use the -vmverifyifaction=forcefull on the
    next scheduled IFIncr operation to force a full backup of
    those VMs if you determine that your scheduled backup window
    can contain the IFFulls for these VMs.
  Options file example:
    vmverifyifaction failbackup
  
  Command line example:
    -vmverifyifaction=preview
  

Temporary fix

• interim fix 6.4.2.1 targeted for 30 September 2014,
  subject to change at IBM's discretion
  

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Modules/Macros

• DSMC
  

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  TSM CLIENT

• Fixed component ID

  5698ISMCL

Applicable component levels

• R71W PSY

     UP

• R71L PSY

     UP

• R64W PSY

     UP

• R64L PSY

     UP