Release Notes
Abstract
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on IBM Spectrum Sentinel
Content
IBM Spectrum Sentinel 1.1 FAQ
General:
Q. What is IBM’s recommended software solution if I want an integrated anomaly detection, copy management and recovery orchestration solution to use with my IBM FlashSystem storage for my application or workload?
A. IBM Spectrum Sentinel offering that is validated per workload. Currently, IBM Spectrum Sentinel 1.1 released in June 2022 only supports Epic with InterSystems Cache and IRIS databases and Intel x86/Linux operating system (bare metal and virtual/VMware).
Note: IBM plans to extend IBM Spectrum Sentinel support to multiple applications and operating systems soon. Please contact your IBM seller rep/partner for roadmap enquiries.
Q: Where can I find documentation on IBM Spectrum Sentinel?
A: Please refer to the IBM Spectrum Sentinel Installation and User Guide available here: https://www.ibm.com/docs/spectrum-sentinel/1.1
Q: What applications, databases or workloads are supported with IBM Spectrum Sentinel?
A: The initial release, IBM Spectrum Sentinel 1.1, supports Epic with InterSystems databases (Cache and IRIS) only. IBM Spectrum Sentinel will support additional applications with subsequent releases. Please contact your IBM account rep or partner for further details on future application support.
Q. What Operating System does IBM Spectrum Sentinel support with Epic application?
A. The initial release, IBM Spectrum Sentinel 1.1, supports Epic application with Intel x86/Linux (bare metal and virtual/VMware) only. There are future plans to support Epic with Power AIX. Please contact your IBM account rep or partner for further details on future application support.
Q. Does Spectrum Copy Data Management (SCDM) or Spectrum Sentinel support IBM FlashSystems storage with High Availability configurations, such as, HyperSwap, enhanced stretch cluster?
A. Spectrum Sentinel support is dependent on SCDM’s supported HA configuration with IBM Safeguarded Copy. SCDM supports HyperSwap and Enhanced Stretch Cluster for regular FlashCopy only. As of SCDM v2.2.16, SCDM does not support the HA configurations with IBM Safeguarded Copy.
Q. SCDM is made highly available using VMware. Is this applicable to Spectrum Sentinel since SCDM is the orchestration engine for the solution?
A. Yes, if SCDM is made highly available using VMware, it would apply to Spectrum Sentinel since SCDM is the orchestration engine.
Q. Does Spectrum Sentinel support the scanning of any xFS file system i.e. can I use the SCDM “file system” application and let the anomaly scan engine that comes with Spectrum Sentinel look for anomalies, with no understanding of the application?
A. Spectrum Sentinel does not support scanning of just “file systems”. It requires the application.
Q. I want the ability to natively capture and manage application consistent Safeguarded Copy (SGC) snapshots/backups with no scripting AND I do not require anomaly or ransomware detection capabilities, what is IBM’s recommended copy software for application-aware Safeguarded Copies?
A. Starting with v2.2.16, SCDM is integrated with SGC and can be used for creation and management of application consistent SGC copies. Scripting not required.
Q: Are there any differences between running a virtual or physical anomaly scan server?
A: There are differences with what type of applications can be scanned between virtual and physical anomaly scan servers:
- When a virtual anomaly scan server is deployed, it will have the capability to scan both virtual and physical applications instances.
- When a physical anomaly scan server is used, it will only be able to scan physical application instances.
Licensing:
Q: Is a per-enclosure license available for Spectrum Sentinel?
A: No, Spectrum Sentinel license is only available on a $/TB licensing model based on usable managed source capacity from the RAID arrays on the storage system that is presented to the servers.
Q: I currently have SCDM and interested in the anomaly detection capability that comes with Spectrum Sentinel for Epic workloads, how can I obtain Spectrum Sentinel?
A. Order IBM Spectrum Sentinel 1.1 available via single PID (5900-APZ) with the SCDM Trade-Up part number #D0AACZX
Q: I want to use some terabytes of SCDM from my purchased Spectrum Sentinel license for non-supported Spectrum Sentinel workload, what is the recommendation?
A: When the capacity of an application is entitled to IBM Spectrum Sentinel, all SCDM functions can still be used, for example dev/test clones, etc. without scanning.
- Obtain SCDM via the standard offering options available
- xTB of license of SCDM for non-Spectrum Sentinel workloads + xTB of Spectrum Sentinel for Epic. Note: This can be achieved with a single instance of SCDM. There is no need for two SCDM installs.
Q: I want to manage some capacity with Safeguarded Copy on VMware, some more capacity on Oracle and then use anomaly detection, copy management with recovery orchestration for FlashSystem and Epic with InterSystems databases, what is the recommendation?
A:
- Obtain SCDM via the standard offering options for Safeguarded Copy on VMware and Oracle
- Obtain Spectrum Sentinel for anomaly detection and copy management/recovery orchestration for FlashSystem and Epic with InterSystems database.
Q: Can I use a single software license for the Spectrum Sentinel anomaly scan software across multiple servers?
A: No, the anomaly scan software in IBM Spectrum Sentinel 1.1 will only support single license per server MAC address. Future releases will support a Federation management server scheme for managing licenses across multiple servers.
Q: What is the license prerequisite to install IBM Spectrum Sentinel?
A: A software license file is needed. This license file is derived from the MAC address of the server where IBM Spectrum Sentinel should be installed. and includes information about the amount of capacity licensed. Further details on how to locate the MAC address, also known as the Engine ID, can be found in the “Finding Your Engine ID” section of the IBM Spectrum Sentinel 1.1 Installation and User Guide
Q: What happens when the purchased licensed capacity has been exceeded on the anomaly scan server?
A: When the license capacity has been exceeded, you are now in what is in an overdraft situation. Here is what to expect:
- The next scan/analytic job and all subsequent jobs to be run with that single licensed server will provide a status message back through the API with the analytic completion message indicating the job has completed along with a warning message indicating “License Capacity has been exceeded”.
- If you have setup email notification, the email generated by the anomaly scan software upon completion of each scan job will include a warning message, “License Capacity has been exceeded”
- This email is sent to the recipient email address set within the API call to start the scan job
- If syslog event logging is enabled,
- The job completion message/alert for each scan job will also include the warning message “License Capacity has been exceeded”
- Note: The warning message indicating licensed capacity has been exceeded will continue to be set in the scan job completion messages, as stated above for the period of 90 days (grace period)
- If the 90 days grace period is exceeded AND no new capacity license is applied to the anomaly scan server, the scan/analytics for each job will cease
- If a new capacity license (increase) is applied to the system within the 90-day grace period,
- Scan/Analytics will continue to function as normal
- The warning messages will be removed from the job completion messages in the API, email messages will be removed from the job completion messages in the API, email messages and in syslog events
Q: What happens when the server whose MAC address was used for generation of the software license file experiences an unplanned outage (for example, goes offline, unable to boot, etc.)?
A: You do not need to purchase a new Spectrum Sentinel software license if the current server running the anomaly scan software experiences an unplanned outage or is unavailable. You can resume using your current software license once the server is available. Please see FAQ section for handling server migration, if you need to migrate to another server.
Q: I want to move or migrate from my existing anomaly scan server (MAC address was used for software license generation) to another server
A: You do not need to purchase a new Spectrum Sentinel software license if migrating an existing software license file from the current server to another server. Please see below for steps to handle migration of your anomaly scan server to another server.
- · Customer captures or documents unused capacity from the anomaly scan software server UI
- · Customer follows documented procedure to migrate analytics/scan software (index) to new server
o Amount of consumed capacity will be migrated with the index
o System license will not be migrated to new server
o Unused capacity will not be migrated to new server
- · Customer files a support case with IBM for licensing of migrated server
- · IBM Support gathers the following details:
o Order number associated with the current software license
o New MAC address of new server
o Screenshot/documentation of unused capacity left on old server
- · IBM Support escalates the support case to anomaly scan software vendor support team
- · Anomaly scan software vendor Support:
o Creates new (no charge) license with (1) new MAC address, (2) unused capacity
o Updates internal records with new server and MAC address
o Sends new software license to IBM Support
- · IBM Support forwards new software license to customer
IBM Support:
Q. How do I contact IBM Spectrum Sentinel support if I run into any setup, configuration, or problems during or after my installation?
A. https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/ibm-support-guide
Was this topic helpful?
Document Information
Modified date:
23 August 2022
UID
ibm16608562