IT12016: DOMAIN.VMFULL OPTION IS CASE INSENSITIVE AND MIGHT CAUSE UNEXPECTED VMWARE GUEST EXCLUSIONS FROM BACKUPS

IBM Spectrum Protect client 7.1.4.x interim fix downloads

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• The Tivoli Storage Manager Backup/Archive Client is case
  insensitive for the 'VM' values specified in the domain.vmfull
  option.
  This can produce unexpected results when attempting to exclude
  or include specific virtual machines with mixed case.
  For example, an environment has VMs named 'guest1', 'Guest2',
  and 'guest3' as follows :
  Datacenter_1
   |
   +--> ESXi_host_1
         |
         +--> guest1
         +--> Guest2
         +--> guest3
  
  and a user wants to include 'Guest2' but exclude the other two
  VMs.
  
  The domain.vmfull option specified in this way will fail to
  include the expected VM and all three VMs will be excluded :
  
   -domain.vmfull="VM=Guest2;-VM=g*"
  
  Changing the values, so that excludes are before includes, as
  follows :
  
   -domain.vmfull="-VM=g*;VM=Guest2"
  
  will have the desired results.
  
  The effect of the domain.vmfull specifications can be verified
  without actually perform a backup using the '-preview' option
  as follows :
  
  dsmc backup VM -domain.vmfull="<VM include/exclude
  specifications>" -preview -optfile=<data mover dsm.opt>
  -asnode=<datacenter node name>
  
  This problem will likely be seen when using the "Advanced VM
  filter" option of the Tivoli Storage Manager for Virtual
  Environments - Data Protection for VMware GUI schedule wizard
  when either creating or editing backup schedules.
  
  Tivoli Storage Manager Versions Affected:
  Tivoli Storage Manager client 6.4.2 and higher on Windows and
  Linux
  
  Initial Impact: Medium
  
  Additional Keywords: tsm4ve tdp4ve web mask rule filter
  lowercase uppercase spectrum protect
  
  | MDVPARTL 6.4.2.0 5698MCL |
  

Local fix

• Reverse the order of options in the domain.vmfull option in the
  schedule definition using the server command :
  
  'update schedule <domain name> <schedule name> option="..."
  
  For example with the above scenario, the domain.vmfull option
  can be changed :
  
  from  -domain.vmfull="VM=Guest2;-VM=g*"
  to    -domain.vmfull="-VM=g*;VM=Guest2"
  
  After such a change, do not update the schedule again using the
  schedule wizard as the original order will again be set.
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:                                              *
  * Tivoli Storage Manager for Virtual Environments Data         *
  * Protection for VMware 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     *
  * 7.1.6                                                        *
  * 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

• Tivoli Storage Manager Client now treats wildcarded parameters
  in backup vm command case-sensitively.
  

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