IT10329: RARE RACE CONDITION CAUSES CLIENT CRASH DURING VMWARE VM BACKUPS

IBM Spectrum Protectâ„¢ client 7.1.3.x interim fix downloads
IBM Spectrum Protectâ„¢ Client 7.1.4 Downloads and READMEs

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• The crash occurs due to caching info from vCenter. One thread
  tries to add new info to cache, and the other is reading it.
  Tivoli Storage Manager Versions Affected: 6.3.x and 7.1.x on
  Windows and Linux
  
  Customer/L2 Diagnostics:  The following callstack will be seen.
  
  tsmvisdk.dll!visdkGetMoRefName(VimBinding * vimP,
  ns2__ManagedObjectReference *
  moRefP,std::basic_string<char,std::char_traits<char>,std::alloca
  tor<char> > * * stringRetPP) Line 2094
  tsmvisdk.dll!visdkBuildVMInventoryPath(VimBinding * vimP,
  ns2__ManagedObjectReference * vmMoRefP, char type,
  std::basic_string<char,std::char_traits<char>,std::allocator<cha
  r> > & fullpath, int & bVapp) Line 9282
  dsmc.exe!visdkQueryVmForDeviceOptions(VimBinding * vimP,
  ns2__ManagedObjectReference * vmMoRefP, visdkVmDeviceOptions *
  vmDeviceOptionsP) Line 6195
  dsmc.exe!vmVddkBackupVM(vmData * vmDataP) Line 6111
  dsmc.exe!vmBackupVM(vmData * vmDataP) Line 3903
  dsmc.exe!tlVMSend(txnConsumerObject_t * txnConObjP, txnSpec_t *
  txnSpecP, DccBackupController * baCP) Line 1906
  dsmc.exe!DccTxnConsumer::HandleQueue() Line 3158
  dsmc.exe!DccTxnConsumer::Run(void * argP) Line 2786
  dsmc.exe!DccTxnConsumer::DoThread(void * argP) Line 3676
  dsmc.exe!startThread2(Threadstart * startInfoP) Line 1551
  dsmc.exe!startThread(Threadstart * startInfoP) Line 1512
  msvcr110.dll!_callthreadstartex() Line 354
  msvcr110.dll!_threadstartex(void * ptd) Line 332
  kernel32.dll!000007ff76af1842()
  ntdll.dll!000007ff790d02a9()
  
  Initial Impact: Low
  
  Additional Keywords: crash abend tsm backup backups vm VMware
  

Local fix

• To prevent the crash form occurring, the vmmaxparallel option
  should be set to 1. However, if that cannot be done due to
  backup restraints, simply reducing it to lower values should
  also reduce chances of the crash occurring.
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:                                              *
  * Tivoli Storage Manager for Virtual Environments versions 7.1 *
  * and 6.4 running on all Microsoft Windows x64 and Linux       *
  * x86_64 platforms                                             *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:                                         *
  * See ERROR DESCRIPTION                                        *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  * This issue is projected to be fixed in the Tivoli Storage    *
  * Manager Client on Windows x64 and Linux x86_64  in level     *
  * 7.1.4                                                        *
  * Note 1: The Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) Client is a         *
  * prerequisite to using the Data Protection for VMware. In     *
  * Data Protection for VMware environments, the TSM Client is   *
  * also known as the data mover.                                *
  * Note 2: This is subject to change at the discretion of IBM.  *
  ****************************************************************
  

Problem conclusion

• Caching of vCenter data was enhanced to avoid crash.
  

Temporary fix

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

• dsmagent dsm
  

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