IT35387: REGISTRY HANDLE LEAK IN BACKUP-ARCHIVE CLIENT AND API

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• The backup-archive client and API can leak registry handles,
  most notably registry key
  HKLM\SOFTWARE\IBM\ADSM\CurrentVersion\BackupClient
  
  Long-running backup-archive clients and API applications can
  continue to leak handles. This can eventually lead to
  application instability, such as error messages or crashes.
  
  Examples of affected applications include, but are not limited
  to:
  
   * Db2 (including the IBM Spectrum Protect server)
   * Backup-Archive client (especially a scheduler service that is
     not managed by the Client Acceptor Daemon)
   * Data Protection for *
   * Third-party applications that use the IBM Spectrum Protect
     Backup-Archive Client or API
  
  Customer/Support Diagnostics:
  Use the Microsoft Sysinternals tool handle.exe to count the
  number of open registry handles. For example, to display the
  number of open handles for db2syscs.exe:
  
   handle -a HKLM\SOFTWARE\IBM\ADSM\CurrentVersion\BackupClient
          -p db2syscs.exe | find /c "type: Key"
  
  Note: the above example is one command. It is split into two
  lines due to APAR text width restrictions.
  
  Over time, the number of open handles increases.
  
  Spectrum Protect Versions Affected:
  IBM Spectrum Protect Backup-Archive Client for Windows
  versions 7.1.x and 8.1.x
  
  Initial Impact: Low
  
  Additional Keywords:
  TS004755018 API handle leak windows registry
  

Local fix

• Periodically restart affected processes.
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:                                              *
  * IBM Spectrum Protect BA Client and API v7.1.6, v7.1.8,       *
  * v8.1.2, v8.1.4, v8.1.6, v8.1.8, v8.1.9, v8.1.10 and, v8.1.11 *
  * on the Windows platform.                                     *
  *                                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:                                         *
  * See ERROR DESCRIPTION                                        *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  * This issue is projected to be fixed in the IBM Spectrum      *
  * Protect Backup-Archive client and API 8.1.12 version on      *
  * Windows platform.                                            *
  * Note that this is subject to change at the discretion of     *
  * IBM.                                                         *
  ****************************************************************
  

Problem conclusion

• The root of the problem was that the internal methods didn't
  close a registry handles when we are finished with the registry
  keys. The methods were modified to correctly close the registry
  handles.
  

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

• DSM      DSMC     DSMCSVC  DSMAGENT
  

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  TSM CLIENT

• Fixed component ID

  5698ISMCL

Applicable component levels