IBM Support

IBM AIX Client Requirements

Troubleshooting


Problem

Hardware and software requirements for IBM Spectrum Protect AIX backup-archive client and API
 

Cause


 

Resolving The Problem

Hardware and Software Requirements

This document is divided into linked sections. Use the following links to go to the section of the document that you require.

Note: IBM Spectrum Protect backup-archive client support for third-party operating systems, applications, services, and hardware depend on the respective vendor. If a third-party product or version moves into extended support, self-service support, or end-of-life, IBM Spectrum Protect backup-archive client supports the product or version at the same level as the vendor. See also IBM Support General Guidelines and Limitations - IBM support for software on unsupported operating systems
 

Release 8.1


Hardware
 
System
 		 RS/6000 or System i or System p, or compatible hardware as supported by AIX.
For IBM PowerHA SystemMirror: One extra network adapter for each workstation.
Disk space 1.5 GB disk space required to install the client
Note: using the web user interface requires minimum 4.4 GB disk space (preferred 9 GB disk space)
Memory No extra Random-Access Memory (RAM) required.
Note: using the web user interface requires minimum 4 GB RAM (preferred 8 GB RAM)

Software
 
Communication protocol One of the following:
  • Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), which comes standard with AIX
  • Shared Memory Protocol (with AIX server only)
Note: The web backup-archive client requires TCP/IP
Operating system
  • AIX 7.1 TL0-TL3 (Supported in 8.1.0 - 8.1.10)
    AIX 7.1 TL4 or later fix pack levels
  • AIX 7.2 or later fix pack levels (64-bit kernel)
  • AIX 7.3 or later fix pack levels (64-bit kernel) (Beginning with 8.1.15)
APAR IT35286: Because of security fixes, the operating levels AIX 7.1 TL0-TL3 (xlc.rte < 13.0) are not longer supported by IBM Spectrum Protect backup-archive client 8.1.11 and later levels.
File system
  • Journaled file system (JFS)
  • JFS2
  • JFS2 NFSv4
  • VERITAS file system (VxFS) 6.1
  • IBM Spectrum Scale 4.2.1 or later fix pack
  • IBM Spectrum Scale 4.2.2 or later fix pack
  • IBM Spectrum Scale 4.2.3 or later fix pack (Beginning with 8.1.2)
  • IBM Spectrum Scale 5.0.0 or later fix pack (Beginning with 8.1.4)
  • IBM Spectrum Scale 5.0.1 or later fix pack (Beginning with 8.1.6)
  • IBM Spectrum Scale 5.0.2 or later fix pack (Beginning with 8.1.6)
  • IBM Spectrum Scale 5.0.3 or later fix pack (Beginning with 8.1.7)
  • IBM Spectrum Scale 5.0.4 or later fix pack (Beginning with 8.1.8)
  • IBM Spectrum Scale 5.0.5 or later fix pack (Beginning with 8.1.9)
  • IBM Spectrum Scale 5.1.0 or later fix pack (Beginning with 8.1.10)
  • IBM Spectrum Scale 5.1.1 or later fix pack (Beginning with 8.1.12)
  • IBM Spectrum Scale 5.1.2.1 or later fix pack (Beginning with 8.1.13)
  • IBM Spectrum Scale 5.1.3 or later fix pack (Beginning with 8.1.15)
  • IBM Spectrum Scale 5.1.4 or later fix pack (Beginning with 8.1.15)
  • IBM Spectrum Scale 5.1.5 or later fix pack (Beginning with 8.1.15)
For more information, see: File system and ACL support

More Software
 
Required file sets: xlC.rte (xlC.rte.11.1.0.0 or later), see file set information for: xlC.rte
Note: You can also search the IBM support portal for the files at: https://www.ibm.com/support/home/
The Java GUI and web backup-archive client require Java: JRE 7 or JRE 8
Note:
  • Backup-archive client 8.1.0: web client is supported when it is running in a Mozilla Firefox browser.
  • Backup-archive client 8.1.2-8.1.8.x: you can no longer use the web client to connect to the IBM Spectrum Protect 8.1.2 or later 8.1 server or the 7.1.8 or later 7.1 server. For more information, see Using the web client in the new security environment
  • Backup-archive client 8.1.9 and later: a new web user interface is supported when it is running in a Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome browsers.
    Note: The web user interface requires IBM Spectrum Protect 8.1.2 or later 8.1 server or the 7.1.8 or later 7.1 server.
IBM Spectrum Scale - Scale Out backup and restore (SOBAR) supported.
  • On IBM Spectrum Scale 4.2.3, you need at least IBM Spectrum Scale 4.2.3.5 fix pack level.
  • Installation of IBM Spectrum Protect™ Backup-Archive client and IBM Spectrum Protect™ for Space Management client in the same (matching) release level required.
  • For IBM Spectrum Protect™ for Space Management client requirements, see: IBM AIX HSM requirements
The function mmbackup in the IBM Spectrum Scale 5.0.4 or earlier does not work in combination with the IBM Spectrum Protect backup-archive client 8.1.10. For IBM Spectrum Scale 5.0.4 see APAR IJ22017,  for IBM Spectrum Scale 4.2.3 see APAR IJ22035.
The IBM Global Security Kit (GSKit) provides libraries and utilities for Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or the Transport Layer Security (TLS) communication, which is used by IBM Spectrum Protect product components. The GSKit levels included in IBM Spectrum Protect are listed in GSKit levels distributed by IBM Spectrum Protect



 

Release 7.1

Tip: The product now known as IBM Spectrum Protect was named IBM Tivoli Storage Manager in releases earlier than 7.1.3. To learn more about the rebranding transition, see Tivoli Storage Manager branding transition to IBM Spectrum Protect.

Note: IBM Spectrum Protect and IBM Tivoli Storage Manager 7.1 reached end of support (EOS) at 31 December 2021.
 


Hardware
 
System RS/6000 or System i or System p, or compatible hardware as supported by AIX.
For IBM PowerHA SystemMirror: One extra network adapter for each workstation.
Disk Space 1.5 GB disk space required to install the client, and all language packs.

Software
 
Communication Protocol One of the following:
  • TCP/IP, which comes standard with AIX
  • Shared Memory Protocol (with AIX server only)
Note: The web backup-archive client requires TCP/IP
Operating system
  • AIX 6.1 (Supported in 7.1.0 - 7.1.8.9)
  • AIX 7.1 TL0-TL3 (Supported in 7.1.0 - 7.1.8.9)
    AIX 7.1 TL4 or later fix pack levels
  • AIX 7.2 64-bit kernel (Beginning with 7.1.4.4)
APAR IT35286: Because of security fixes, the operating systems AIX 6.1 and AIX 7.1 TL0-TL3 (xlc.rte < 13.0) are not longer supported by IBM Spectrum Protect backup-archive client 7.1.8.10 and later levels.
File system
 
  • JFS
  • JFS2
  • JFS2 NFSv4
  • VxFS 5.0
  • VxFS 6.0
  • GPFS 3.5.0 or later fix pack
  • GPFS 4.1.0 or later fix pack (Beginning with 7.1.1)
  • GPFS 4.1.1 or later fix pack (Beginning with 7.1.3)
  • GPFS 4.2.0 or later fix pack (Beginning with 7.1.4.4)
  • GPFS 4.2.1 or later fix pack (Beginning with 7.1.6)
Note:
  • APAR IT12256:
    Backup-archive client 7.1.0 supported GPFS V3.4.0.4.  With backup-archive client 7.1.1 and later, this GPFS version is not longer supported because of technical reasons. GPFS V3.4 reached End of Support (EOS) in April 2015.
  • GPFS and IBM Spectrum Protect use GSKit library and both include GSKit library in their packages. The GSKit library included in the IBM Spectrum Protect backup-archive client 7.1.8.5 and later packages is not compatible with the GSKit library, which is included in the GPFS versions supported by IBM Spectrum Protect backup-archive client 7.1. To reset the library path before GPFS commands call IBM Spectrum Protect backup-archive client commands, run the manual steps described in APAR IJ03770.

More Software
 
Required file sets: Note: You can also search the IBM support portal for the files at: https://www.ibm.com/support/home/
Java GUI and web backup-archive client require:
  • Before 7.1.2.1: Java GUI requires Java: JRE 7. Web client requires the Java plug-in included in JRE 7
  • Beginning with 7.1.2.1: Java GUI requires Java: JRE 7 or JRE 8. Web client requires the Java plug-in included in JRE 7 or JRE 8.
Note: The backup-archive client is supported when it is running in a Firefox browser with the required plug-in.
For NetApp Data ONTAP supported levels, see Backup-Archive Client supported levels of NetApp Data ONTAP
Beginning with backup-archive client 7.1.8: No automatic client deployment support on AIX 6.1
IBM Spectrum Scale SOBAR supported.
  • Requires GPFS 3.5 TL 3 or later
  • Installation of IBM Spectrum Protect™ backup-archive client and IBM Spectrum Protect™ for Space Management client in the same (matching) release level required.
  • For IBM Spectrum Protect™ for Space Management client requirements, see: IBM AIX HSM requirements 
The IBM Global Security Kit (GSKit) provides libraries and utilities for Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or the Transport Layer Security (TLS) communication, which is used by IBM Spectrum Protect product components. The GSKit levels included in IBM Spectrum Protect are listed in GSKit levels distributed by IBM Spectrum Protect



 

End of Support (EOS) releases


 

Note:

  • The LAN-free client also requires IBM Tivoli Storage Manager for Storage Area Networks (5608-SAN).
  • The NDMP client also requires IBM Tivoli Storage Manager Extended Edition (5608-ISX).
  • The HSM client also requires IBM Tivoli Storage Manager for Space Management (5608-HSM). For IBM Spectrum Protect™ for Space Management client requirements, see: IBM AIX HSM requirements
  • The image backup feature supports disks with sector sizes of 512 bytes. Image backup does not support disks with other sector sizes, such as 4,096 bytes.



 

Client Components Offered

Administrative Backup-archive client Space management client (HSM) API client
Command line interface Graphical user interface Command line interface Web browser interface Graphical user interface
(Beginning with 7.1.1)		 Command line interface Interface
yes yes yes yes yes yes yes



 

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Document Information

Modified date:
08 December 2022

UID

swg21052226

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