Collecting Data for Spectrum Protect: Virtual Environments Backup/Restore Performance

Diagnosing The Problem

Collecting data early, even before opening the Case, helps IBM® Support quickly determine if:

Symptoms match known problems (rediscovery).
There is a non-defect problem that can be identified and resolved.
There is a defect that identifies a workaround to reduce severity.
Locating root cause can speed development of a code fix.

Collecting Data: Table of contents:

	Gathering general information
	Manually Gathering General Information
	Gathering TSM Client Performance Information
	Submitting Information to IBM Support
	Online Self-Help Resources
	Related Information

For supported levels of Spectrum Protect (IBM Tivoli Storage Manager) you can use IBM Support Assistant (ISA) to capture general information. Alternatively, you can also manually collect the general information.

Review the following Performance Tuning Guides:

• V7.1 Tivoli Storage Manager Performance Guide
• V8.1 Spectrum Protect Performance Guide

1) From the operating system command prompt on the VMware backup server, run the following Spectrum Protect / Tivoli Storage Manager client command to gather up general information about client and the operating system environment (saved output is written to file dsminfo.txt):

dsmc QUERY SYSTEMINFO

2) From a Spectrum Protect / Tivoli Storage Manager administrative command line client(dsmadmc), enter the following commands:

QUERY SYSTEM > querysys.out

3) Gather the following file and information:

• dsminfo.txt
• querysys.out
• Details of the operating system levels for the Spectrum Protect Server ( i.e., Windows 2012)
• Details of the operating system levels for the Spectrum Protect Client/VMware Backup server (i.e RedHat 7.5)
• Spectrum Protect Client version (i.e. 8.1.0.2)
• Data Protection for VMware version (i.e. 8.1.0.2)
• ESXi host version (i.e. 6.5)
• Spectrum Protect Server version (i.e. 8.1.2.0)

Collect Spectrum Protect performance instrumentation collection on the VMware backup server. The VMware backup server is where the Spectrum Protect client is installed, and is responsible for processing the client BACKUP VM or RESTORE VM commands.

There are two methods to enable/collect performance instrumentation:

• 1. Command-line invocation:
  
  A) From the poor performing backup server, issue a command similar to the following from an operating system command prompt to initiate a BACKUP VM or RESTORE VM with performance collection enabled:
  
  dsmc BACKUP VM <vm name(s)> -TESTFLAG=INSTRUMENT:DETAIL/API
  dsmc RESTORE VM <vm name(s)> -TESTFLAG=INSTRUMENT:DETAIL/API
  
  2. Options-file invocation:
  
  A) Locate the dsm.opt file utilized by the Spectrum Protect client for VMware backups and restores. For example, on Linux, this would be in /opt/tivoli/tsm/client/ba/bin/ by default. On Windows, this would be in C:\Program Files\Tivoli\TSM\baclient\
  
  B) Edit the dsm.opt file, and place the following option at the end of the file on a new line:
  
  Prior to version 7.1.6.x use the following:
  
  TESTFLAG INSTRUMENT:DETAIL/API
  
  Version 7.1.6 and later, use the following:
  
  enableinstrumentation yes 
  
  C) Save and close the file.
  
  D) Initiate the BACKUP VM or RESTORE VM command:
  
  dsmc BACKUP VM <vm name(s)>
  dsmc RESTORE VM <vm name(s)>
  
  E) Remove the TESTFLAG from the dsm.opt to prevent further performance collection.
  
  NOTE: Initiation of a Data Protection for VMware backup or restore from the VMware plugin does not generate a full performance instrumentation report. In order to get the full instrumentation report, the operation must be invoked using dsmc on the backup server.

Once the BACKUP VM or RESTORE VM operation has completed, collect the following files:

• dsminstr.report.* files generated. These should be located in the same directory as the ERRORLOGNAME option (which is typically the client installation directory).

It my be beneficial to also run Tivoli Storage Manager server performance data collection during DP for VMware performance collection. More information on server performance data collection can be found here.

After a Case is open, you can submit diagnostic Troubleshooting data to IBM. Please include the following data as requested above:

• dsminfo.txt
• querysys.out
• dsminstr.report.* files
• Details of the operating system levels for the Spectrum Protect Server ( i.e., Windows 2012)
• Details of the operating system levels for the Spectrum Protect Client/VMware Backup server (i.e RedHat 7.5)
• Spectrum Protect Client version (i.e. 8.1.0.2)
• Data Protection for VMware version (i.e. 8.1.0.2)
• ESXi host version (i.e. 6.5)
• Spectrum Protect Server version (i.e. 8.1.2.0)
• OPTIONAL: Spectrum Protect server performance data

When data is uploaded to the Case, the status will be automatically be updated to acknowledge that data has been received. If you are still working with older Problem Management Records, you will want to update the PMR to indicate that you have sent the data.

• Review up-to-date product information at the IBM Spectrum Protect Support page.
• The Tivoli Storage Manager Product Support page is also still available if you have the older product.
• Sign into your account on the Spectrum Protect Product page, to access additional resources or to open a Case with the Support team.

• Exchanging information with IBM Technical Support
• Latest Spectrum Protect Server and Client Downloads - Fixpacks and Fixtests