IBM Spectrum Protect for Databases: Data Protection for Microsoft SQL Server Version 8.1 Documentation Updates

Tip: The product now known as IBM Spectrum Protect™ for Databases was named IBM Tivoli® Storage Manager for Databases in releases earlier than Version 7.1.3. To learn more about the rebranding transition, see technote 1963634.

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Correction to setup executable file name and installation directory paths

The installation program for Data Protection for Microsoft SQL Server, setup.exe, is renamed to spinstall.exe. To successfully install Data Protection for Microsoft SQL Server V8.1.0, use the corrected setup executable file name and directory paths detailed here.
 

Topic	Corrected setup executable name and directory paths
Installing and configuring Data Protection for SQL Server	The corrected name for the executable file is package_name.exe, where package_name is like this example: 8.1.0.0-TIV-TSMSQL-Win.exe
Installing on a local system	The corrected name for the executable file is package_name.exe, where package_name is like this example: 8.1.0.0-TIV-TSMSQL-Win.exe
Installing Data Protection for SQL Server on Windows Server Core	The corrected name for the executable file to install Data Protection for SQL Server in a Windows Server Core environment is: x:\spinstall.exe
Silently installing Data Protection for SQL Server with the setup program	You can use the setup program (spinstall.exe) to silently install Data Protection for SQL Server. The corrected paths for the Data Protection for SQL Server setup program on the installation media are: (32-bit) x:\fcm\x86\sql\8100\enu\spinstall.exe (64-bit) x:\fcm\x64\sql\8100\enu\spinstall.exe The corrected paths to silently install both Data Protection for SQL Server components to the default installation directory are: x:\fcm\aaa\mmc\8100\enu\spinstall.exe /s /v/qn x:\fcm\aaa\sql\8100\enu\spinstall.exe /s /v/qn (where aaa is either x64 or x86)
Batch files usage in silent installations	You can create a batch file to begin the silent installation with the parameters that you want to use (sample script name c:\spinstall.bat) The corrected path to silently install both Data Protection for SQL Server components is: x:\fcm\aaa\mmc\8100\enu\spinstall.exe x:\fcm\aaa\sql\8100\enu\spinstall.exe (where aaa is either x64 or x86)
Silently installing with the Microsoft Installer program	Unlike the spinstall.exe program, and setupfcm.exe programs, the msiexec.exe program does not include some prerequisites that are installed by Data Protection for SQL Server. When you use msiexec.exe, you must install all prerequisites manually. The corrected path to install Microsoft Management Console (MMC) using the Microsoft Installer (MSI) program, msiexec.exe is: msiexec /i "x:\fcm\aaa\mmc\8100\enu\IBM Spectrum Protect for Databases.msi" RebootYesNo="No" Reboot="ReallySuppress" ALLUSERS=1 INSTALLDIR="c:\program files\tivoli" ADDLOCAL="Client" TRANSFORMS="x:\fcm\aaa\mmc\8100\enu\1033.mst" /qn /l*v "c:\temp\log_fcm.log" The corrected path to install Data Protection for SQL Server using the Microsoft Installer (MSI) program, msiexec.exe is: msiexec /i"x:\fcm\aaa\sql\8100\enu\IBM Spectrum Protect for Databases - MS SQL.msi" RebootYesNo="No" Reboot="Suppress" ALLUSERS=1 INSTALLDIR="c:\program files\tivoli\tsm" ADDLOCAL="Client" TRANSFORM=1033.mst /qn /l*v "c:\temp\DpSqlLog.txt" (where aaa is either x64 or x86)
Creating and testing a silent installation package on a DVD or a file server	The setup.bat file is renamed to spinstall.bat.
Silent installation error messages	The setup.exe file is renamed to spinstall.exe.

The above topics in the IBM Spectrum Protect for Databases: Data Protection for Microsoft SQL Server book will be updated in the next release.

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/SQLSERVer optional parameter - clarifications on port value and variable description

• Default port value for TCP protocols used with /SQLSERVer parameter

If you choose to use a TCP protocol when specifying the /SQLSERVer parameter (to establish the communication with SQL Server instances), you have the option of defining a port. If you choose not to specify a port value, a default value is used. In the IBM Spectrum Protect for Databases: Data Protection for Microsoft SQL Server V8.1.0 documentation, it incorrectly states that this port value is 1443. However, the correct default value is 1433.
 

• /SQLSERVer parameter variable

The variable description for the /SQLSERVer parameter has been updated to "sqlserver-connection" because the format of the SQL Server connection differs depending on the communication protocol that is configured for the SQL Server instance. For example, a port is not relevant for all communication protocols.

Example:
 

Communication Protocol	Example Usage
lpc	/sqlserver=lpc:<servername>\<instancename>
np	/sqlserver=np:<servername>\pipe
tcp	/sqlserver=[tcp:]<servername>[\<instancename>][,port]

Updated variable description:
 

Before	After
/SQLSERVer=sqlprotocol:sqlservername, port	/SQLSERVer=sqlserver-connection

These updates will be published with the next version of IBM Spectrum Protect for Databases: Data Protection for Microsoft SQL Server documentation and will be added to the /SQLSERVer parameter information in the following topics.

· Reference information > Backup command > Backup optional parameters
· Reference information > Query command > Query optional parameters
· Reference information > Restore command > Restore optional parameters


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(IT19728) Clarification on communication between applications and SQL Servers in an AlwaysOn Availability Group (AAG) cluster

With Microsoft SQL Server 2012, Microsoft implemented the use of AlwaysOn Availability Group (AAG) listeners to enable applications to connect to an AAG instance using the listener name (or listener name and port number).

However, Microsoft does not support this feature for 3^rd party backup applications, such as IBM Spectrum Protect for Databases: Data Protection for SQL Server. Instead, for backup and restore operations, 3^rd party backup applications must use the SQL Server instance name (or instance name and port number) and not the AAG listener to communicate with the server instance.

Example:

• Local Instance name = MySQLServer\SQLInstance1
• Local Instance port = 1600

In this example, to communicate with the SQL server, you specify the following values for the /SQLSERVer option.

/SQLSERVer=MySQLServer\SQLInstance1,1600

This clarification will be published with the next version of IBM Spectrum Protect for Databases: Data Protection for Microsoft SQL Server documentation.

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(IT20292) - Clarification on how Differential and Log backups expire and the policy settings that apply

The IBM Spectrum Protect for Databases: Data Protection for Microsoft SQL Server V8.1.0 documentation describes preferred settings for IBM Spectrum Protect policies, which you can define to help ensure that your storage environment meets your requirements for data protection and retention.

This information was updated to clarify the behavior of the VERExists, VERDeleted, RETExtra, and RETOnly parameters on differential and log backup objects after a full backup is done.

Clarification:

When you run a full SQL database backup, all preceding copy-only full, file, group, and differential backups stop adhering to VERExists and RETExtra parameters, even if the databases still exist on the Data Protection for SQL Server client system.

To allow for consistent version-expiration behavior, you can update the management class for these backup objects as follows:

• Set the VERDeleted parameter to be equal to the VERExists parameter
• Set the RETExtra parameter to be equal to the RETOnly parameter

For log and set type backups, the VERDeleted parameter must be greater than 0 to allow the RETOnly parameter to control the expiration. If VERDeleted is 0, these backups are deleted by the next expiration run on the server after they are inactivated.

This clarification will be published with the next version of IBM Spectrum Protect for Databases: Data Protection for Microsoft SQL Server documentation in the following topics:

 

• Preferred settings for IBM Spectrum Protect policies
• Deactivating legacy backups of SQL Server databases
• Backup positional parameters

 

For more information, see also http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21995074.

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Support for Microsoft SQL Server 2012

With IBM Spectrum Protect Version 8.1.0, support for Microsoft SQL Server 2012 is deprecated.

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(IT23706) - Update required to describe Microsoft edition restriction during availability database backup operations

In the IBM Spectrum Protect for Databases: Data Protection for Microsoft SQL Server Installation and User's guide, the Availability Database Backup Operations topic describes restrictions that apply when you run an availability database backup operation. However, the restriction that Microsoft does not support backups of secondary replicas in an AlwaysOn Availability Group (AAG) using the SQL Server Standard edition is missing.

The following restriction information is added to the Availability Database Backup Operations topic and will be published in the next release of the IBM Spectrum Protect for Databases: Data Protection for SQL Server Installation and User's guide.

Restriction:

• If you use SQL Server Standard edition, Microsoft does not support backups of secondary replicas in an AAG. To back up secondary replicas in an AAG, you must use SQL Server Enterprise edition. For information, see Basic Availability Groups (AlwaysOn Availability Groups).

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(IT23927) - Update required to include missing parameters from 'tdpsqlc set' command reference section

In the IBM Spectrum Protect for Databases: Data Protection for Microsoft SQL Server Installation and User's guide, the tdpsqlc set reference topic lists the parameters and options to use with this command for changing Data Protection for SQL Server configuration values on Windows Server Core. However, the LANGUAGE and NUMBERformat parameters are not included.

The following parameters are added to the Set command topics 'Set syntax' and 'Set positional parameters' and will be published in the next release of the IBM Spectrum Protect for Databases: Data Protection for SQL Server Installation and User's guide.

LANGUAGE=3-letter country code

NUMBERformat=numberformatnum


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(IT33813) - Parameter update required to Backup optional parameters

In the IBM Spectrum Protect for Databases: Data Protection for Microsoft SQL Server Installation and User's guide, the Backup optional parameters topic describes optional parameters that follow the backup command and positional parameters.

The following parameter information is added to the Backup optional parameters topic and will be published in the next release of the IBM Spectrum Protect for Databases: Data Protection for SQL Server Installation and User's guide.

/VDITIMEOUT=numseconds
The /vditimeout parameter specifies the maximum number of seconds that the Microsoft SQL Server waits before timing out a request from the Data Protection for Microsoft SQL Server.  The number is an integer that ranges from 0 to 3600. The default is 60.

Considerations:

• A value of 0 means that Microsoft SQL Server waits indefinitely.
• If you specify a negative value, the default value 60 is used.
• If you specify a value greater than 3600, the maximum value 3600 is used.
• If you specify a non-integer value, it will be reported as error to the user. The operation will abort.

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(IT35849) - Update required to describe Data Protection for SQL can process databases with an ampersand in the database name

In the IBM Spectrum Protect for Databases: Data Protection for Microsoft SQL Server Installation and User's guide, the Configuring Data Protection for SQL Server on Windows Server Core topic describes the restrictions for special characters that cannot be used in SQL Server database names on Data Protection for SQL Server.

The following information on special character support in database names will be published in the next release of the IBM Spectrum Protect for Databases: Data Protection for SQL Server Installation and User's guide. 

• Ampersand characters (&) can be used with Data Protection for SQL Server versions later than 8.1.12.
• Multibyte characters (^) can be used with Data Protection for SQL Server version 8.1.9 or later versions.
• In the Command-line overview topic, in the syntax description for the TDPSQLC Backup command, database names with special characters must be enclosed by double quotes.

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(IT37364) - Update required to describe Inactivate optional parameters

In the IBM Spectrum Protect for Databases: Data Protection for Microsoft SQL Server Installation and User's guide,  the Inactivate optional parameters  topic describes optional parameters that follow the Inactivate command and positional parameters.

The following text describes the new /QueryNode optional parameter for the Inactivate command.

/QueryNode=DP|ALWAYSON
Specify whether you want to query standard databases from SQL Server 2012 and later versions that are backed up from a standard Data Protection for SQL Server node, the AlwaysOn node. This parameter is ignored for availability databases because the availability databases are always backed up under AlwaysOn node.

Important: Use the default setting unless directed otherwise by IBM Software Support.