IBM Spectrum Protect Blueprints

Description

A Blueprint consists of a document, or “cookbook”, that describes the three reference architectures in detail, including IBM hardware model numbers and configuration requirements. It also includes scripts to speed up the installation and configuration, optimizing time-to-value. The storage preparation script automates preparation of the file systems that will be used by the IBM Spectrum Protect server. The Blueprint configuration script verifies that the hardware configuration meets the Blueprint specifications, validates kernel settings on Linux® systems, and verifies the configuration of required file systems prior to running the standard IBM Spectrum Protect server installation. The script also configures the IBM Spectrum Protect server using best practices and:

• Creates an IBM Db2 instance
• Defines deduplication storage pools with optimal performance settings
• Defines administrative maintenance tasks optimized for data deduplication scalability
• Defines IBM Spectrum Protect database backup to disk
• Creates a dsmserv.opt file with best practice option overrides
• Creates policy domains for database, mail, and file servers with management classes for 30, 60, and 120-day retention
• For all client types, defines backup schedules that can be selected when deploying the desired client workloads

The workload simulation script runs simulated IBM Spectrum Protect database and storage pool workloads and provides performance measurements that can be used to compare as a reference against those measured on the Blueprint configuration.

Links to other Blueprints:

IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Blueprints

IBM Spectrum Protect Cloud Blueprints

Blueprint for IBM Spectrum Protect for Enterprise Resource Planning: Data Protection for SAP HANA

What's new in the V5.1 release

• Updated storage references based on the next generation IBM FlashSystem 5000 and IBM FlashSystem 5200
  The small, medium, and large storage references have been updated to the IBM FlashSystem 5015, 5035, and 5200 respectively which provide a scalable hybrid storage solution that is fast, affordable, and reliable.
• Updated storage references based on the IBM Elastic Storage® System 5000 and 3200
  The powerful IBM Elastic Storage System models 5000 and 3200 are combined to simplify bringing the power and flexibility of the IBM Spectrum Scale file system for running multiple IBM Spectrum Protect servers across a global namespace. This update provides storage for both database and directory container pool storage.
• The blueprint configuration automation no longer provides default passwords
  The default values for passwords set during server configuration have been eliminated to improve security. The user is now required to provide values for all passwords set during the initial configuration. In addition, the blueprint configuration automation now enforces the new minimum password length of 15 characters introduced in IBM Spectrum Protect 8.1.16.

What's new in the V4.4 release

• Replicate data to multiple servers

  IBM Spectrum® Protect 8.1.13 introduces multi-target replication, which is the process of replicating data from a source replication server to multiple target replication servers.

• Streamline and improve replication by using replication storage rules

  IBM Spectrum® Protect 8.1.13 introduces a feature for replicating data by defining replication storage rules and associated subrules. This feature streamlines the configuration process and supports fine-tuning of replication operations. In addition, the feature supports enhanced protection of data in directory-container storage pools.

What's new in the V4.3 release

• Updated operating system support available with IBM Spectrum Protect Version 8.1.11
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 8 for Linux x86
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2019
• Extra-small blueprint size
  The blueprints for Linux x86 and Windows now include instructions for building an extra-small
  blueprint configuration that runs in a virtual machine.

What's new in the V4.2 release

• IBM® Storwize® storage references are updated to the next generation, IBM FlashSystem® 5000 and
  IBM FlashSystem 5100
  The small, medium, and large Storwize references are updated to the FlashSystem 5010, 5030, and 5100, respectively.
  • The IBM FlashSystem 5000 series was formerly known as IBM Storwize V5000E. The FlashSystem 5000 series is designed to deliver enhanced performance and storage efficiency with optimized ease of use.
  • IBM FlashSystem 5100, formerly Storwize V5100, is a virtualized, software-defined storage system designed to consolidate workloads into a single storage system for ease of management, reduced costs, highly scalable capacity, optimized performance, and high availability.
• Enhancements to the automated configuration scripts
  • A new client workload simulation tool named sesstest is now available with the Blueprint downloads. With this tool, you can stress test new Blueprint configurations with simulated production workloads.
  • The configuration scripts can now be used in non-English-language operating system environments.

What's new in the V4.1 release

• Implement IBM POWER9 technology for data-intensive computing
  You can now take advantage of POWER9 processor technology, which supports data-intensive computing and is designed to provide enhanced performance. POWER9 technology is available on the IBM AIX and Linux on Power Systems operating systems.
• Take advantage of newer Intel® server generations
  Take advantage of newer server generations when you install IBM Spectrum Protect on a Linux x86_64 or a Microsoft® Windows operating system in a medium or large configuration. These configurations incorporate the Lenovo ThinkSystem SR650 server, which uses Intel Xeon Scalable processors to help optimize performance.
• Handle larger workloads with Storwize V5020
  The medium Blueprint is now based on IBM Storwize V5020 hardware, which supports larger storage pool and database capacities to process larger workloads.
• Increase the IBM Spectrum Protect database to 8 TB
  In the large configuration, you can now increase database capacity up to 8 TB. Previously, the maximum size of the IBM Spectrum Protect database was 6 TB.

What's new in the V3.2 release

• Hardware upgrades for IBM Elastic Storage Server configurations
  Instructions are provided for configuring a large system that uses IBM Elastic Storage Server model GL6S with IBM Spectrum Scale Version 4.2.3 or later.
• Hardware upgrades for small and medium Storwize configurations
  For small and medium configurations, Storwize V3700 systems are now replaced with Storwize V5010. By using Storwize V5010 hardware, you can switch to distributed arrays for the IBM Spectrum Protect database and storage pools. Serial-attached SCSI (SAS) 10k rpm drives are eliminated.
• Introduction of Supermicro SuperServer technology
  For small, medium, and large Storwize systems, a Supermicro SuperServer reference is provided in addition to a Lenovo server reference.

What's new in the V3.1 release

• Added support for IBM Spectrum Protect V8.1
  The configuration scripts now provide support for configuring a server running IBM Spectrum Protect V8.1.
• The large IBM Storwize reference now uses Storwize V5030 hardware
  The large Storwize reference is designed with V5030 second-generation hardware and distributed array technology.  The storage design is simplified by eliminating the SAS 10k drives, and capacity available to the database has been increased up to 6 TB.
• The small reference now uses SSD drives for the database
• New Blueprint for Linux on Power (little endian version)
  A June 2017 update adds a new Blueprint for Linux on Power (little endian).  The configuration scripts have been updated in V3.1c to include support for this platform.

Note: The updated script packages V3.1d include updates in support of IBM Spectrum Protect V8.1.2.

What's new in the V2.3 release

• Added support for IBM Elastic Storage Server for AIX and Linux on Power
  The Blueprint cookbooks for AIX and Linux on Power now include IBM Elastic Storage Server references in addition to Linux x86_64, which was previously available.
• Compression of data in container storage pools
  If you install IBM Spectrum Protect V7.1.5 or later, inline compression of data in container storage pools is enabled by default. Data is compressed as it is written to a storage pool.

What's new in the V2.2 release

• New Blueprint for Linux running on IBM Power Systems
  A new Blueprint cookbook is available covering Linux on Power running on IBM Power 8 S822-L systems.  The automated configuration scripts have been updated to support Linux on Power.

What's new in the V2.1 release

• Support for IBM Spectrum Protect V7.1.3 and inline data deduplication
  With V7.1.3, you can define directory-container storage pools that provide both inline and client-side data deduplication. Benefits of using directory-container storage pools include optimized data deduplication processing, reduced database growth and size, and improved recoverability of damaged extents. When you install V7.1.3, the Blueprint configuration script creates a deduplicated directory-container storage pool by default.
• Support for IBM Elastic Storage Server, based on IBM Spectrum Scale technology
  Linux medium and large Blueprint systems can be configured to use IBM Elastic Storage Server file systems.
• Updated disk storage hardware 
  IBM Storwize systems that are used in Blueprint configurations are updated. Changes are available for the V3700 small, V5000 medium, and V7000 large systems.

Support for Blueprint and server automated configuration

The information contained in these documents is distributed on an “as is” basis without any warranty either expressed or implied. Support assistance for the use of this material is limited to situations where IBM Spectrum Protect support is entitled and where the issues are not specific to a Blueprint implementation.

Links to the V5.1 Blueprint downloads

The following attachments are available:

Blueprint for Linux x86 (V5.1, PDF file)

Blueprint configuration scripts (V5.1, .zip file)

Blueprint configuration scripts (V5.1, compressed .tar file)

IBM Spectrum Protect sesstest tool (V1.5b, .zip file)

IBM Spectrum Protect sesstest tool (V1.5b, .tar.gz file)

Links to the V4.4 Blueprint downloads

The following attachments are available:

Blueprint for AIX (V4.4, PDF file)

Blueprint for Linux x86 (V4.4, PDF file)

Blueprint for Linux on Power, little endian (V4.4, PDF file)

Blueprint for Windows (V4.4, PDF file)

Blueprint configuration scripts (V4.4, .zip file)

Blueprint configuration scripts (V4.4, compressed .tar file)

IBM Spectrum Protect sesstest tool (V1.5b, .zip file)

IBM Spectrum Protect sesstest tool (V1.5b, .tar.gz file)

Links to the V4.3 Blueprint downloads

The following attachments are available:

Blueprint for AIX (V4.3, PDF file)

Blueprint for Linux x86 (V4.3, PDF file)

Blueprint for Linux on Power, little endian (V4.3, PDF file)

Blueprint for Windows (V4.3, PDF file)

Blueprint configuration scripts (V4.3, .zip file)

Blueprint configuration scripts (V4.3, compressed .tar file)

IBM Spectrum Protect sesstest tool (V1.5b, .zip file)

IBM Spectrum Protect sesstest tool (V1.5b, .tar.gz file)

Links to the V2.3 Blueprint downloads

The following attachments are available:

Blueprint for Linux x86 (V2.3, PDF file)

Blueprint for Windows (V2.3, PDF file)

Blueprint for AIX (V2.3, PDF file)

Blueprint for Linux on Power (V2.3, PDF file)

Blueprint configuration scripts (V2.3, .zip file)