Install and configure backup software

This user guide helps you to install and configure the backup software IBM Storage Protect on your Linux device.

Due to a software error, the ZID advises against installing or updating to IBM Spectrum Protect Client v8.1.23.0 and higher.

 Note

Parts of this user guide are aimed primarily at users of the Linux distribution Ubuntu. Installation guides and information about setting up the backup software on other Linux distributions can be found on the IBM websites.

Downloading backup software

  1. Download the latest Storage Protect software from the IBM website. To do this, open both of the following links and select the more recent version:

  2. Select the appropriate folder according to your distribution and system architecture.
  3. Download the TAR archive listed there. Usually, this is the largest file in the directory.
    For Ubuntu with x86 architecture download the installation package as follows:

    mkdir /tmp/ISP

    cd /tmp/ISP

    wget https://aix.software.ibm.com/storage/tivoli-storage-management/maintenance/client/v8r1/Linux/LinuxX86_DEB/BA/v81<xx>/8.1.<xx>.0-TIV-TSMBAC-LinuxX86_DEB.tar

  4. Compare the checksum of the file with the one in the download directory on the manufacturer's website:
    sha256sum 8.1.<xx>.0-TIV-TSMBAC-LinuxX86.tar
    For older client versions with MD5 Hash use the command md5sum instead of sha256sum.

Installing the backup software

  1. To install the backup client, you have to unzip the TAR archive first:
    tar -xvf 8.1.<xx>.0-TIV-TSMBAC-LinuxX86_DEB.tar
  2. The different packages are then installed one after the other. Pay attention to the correct order, as some packages are dependent on other packages:
    sudo dpkg -i gsk*
    sudo dpkg -i tivsm-api64*
    sudo dpkg -i tivsm-ba.*
    sudo dpkg -i tivsm-bacit.*

Basic configuration

In order to be able to establish a connection to the backup servers of the University of Vienna, the connection data must be set up. You can find this in the e-mail you received after registering for the central backup.

  1. As a root user, change to the directory of the backup client and create a copy of the file dsm.opt.smp with the name dsm.opt:
    sudo su
    cd /opt/tivoli/tsm/client/ba/bin/
    cp -p dsm.opt.smp dsm.opt
  2. The file dsm.opt will have the line Servername BACKUPX0 added to it. In case that the e-mail you received after registration contains a different server name, make sure to use it instead of BACKUPX0.
    echo "SErvername      BACKUPX0" >>dsm.opt
  3. A copy of the file dsm.sys.smp will be created afterwards
    cp -p dsm.sys.smp dsm.sys
  4. and will be edited according to the values in the e-mail in an editor of your choice. For example:
    SErvername           BACKUPX0
      NOdename           A123-RAINER.ZUFALL.UNIVIE.AC.AT
      TCPServeraddress   BACKUPX0.UNIVIE.AC.AT
      TCPPort            1500
  5. Run the backup client for testing reasons via the following command, using the node name of your backup node as the userID: 
    dsmc
  6. To exit the client, use the command
    quit


In case you will receive the following note when starting the client

ANS0102W Unable to open the message repository /opt/tivoli/tsm/client/ba/bin/DE_AT/dsmclientV3.cat. The American English repository will be used instead.

create a shortcut to a similar keyboard layout (e.g. DE_DE) according to the mentioned layout (in this case DE_AT) in the folder /opt/tivoli/tsm/client/ba/bin/:

cd /opt/tivoli/tsm/client/ba/bin/
ln -s DE_DE/ DE_AT

More configuration options


Adjust files list

If you want to adapt your backup settings (e.g. exclude certain files or folders from the backup), you can create an Include/Exclude list.

  1. As a root user, open the installation directory and add the command InclExcl /opt/tivoli/tsm/client/ba/bin/inclexcl in the file dsm.sys:
    sudo su
    cd /opt/tivoli/tsm/client/ba/bin/


    In case the following echo command is shown over 2 rows: Copy the row until including dsm.sys in your command-line:
    echo "  InclExcl           /opt/tivoli/tsm/client/ba/bin/inclexcl" >>dsm.sys
  2. Create the file inclexcl and open it in an editor of your choice:
    touch /opt/tivoli/tsm/client/ba/bin/inclexcl


Die Include-/Exclude-Regeln werden von unten nach oben eingelesen. The Include/Exclude rules are read from bottom to top. If you exclude a file or an entire file system from the lower part of the include/exclude list, it will be ignored, even if it is explicitly mentioned above. 

For example, the following definition

include /home/user01/test/test.file
exclude /home/user01/.../*

would not save the file test.file since the folder has been excluded before.
However, if you write the lines in reverse order, the test.file file is saved as the only object in the directory:

exclude /home/user01/.../*
include /home/user01/test/test.file


You can find possible Include/Exclude rules on the IBM websites:


To check if your Include/Exclude rules are working, use the following command:

dsmc q inclexcl

Saving password


Saving password

To avoid entering a password when starting the backup client, the password can be saved encrypted.

  1. Navigate to the file dsm.sys and add the command PASSWORDAccess generate to:
    sudo su
    cd /opt/tivoli/tsm/client/ba/bin/
    echo " PASSWORDAccess     generate" >>dsm.sys
  2. Run the backup client via dsmc and type in your password for the last time.
  3. Next time you start the client, you don't have to enter a password again.

If you have defined an automatic scheduler task, make sure that when you log in to the backup client again, the password is saved and does not have to be re-entered. 

Changing password


Changing password

To change the password of your account, start the backup client as a root user and execute the command set password.

sudo dsmc
set password

Follow the instructions to change the password.