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Install Storage Protect Client version 8.1 for Linux (EZ-Backup)

This article applies to: EZ-Backup

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Use these installation instructions for the following Linux distros:

  • SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) 11, including SLES 11 level in Novell OES 11 and OES 2015. (Vendor documentation on the Novell OES environment)
  • SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop ( SLED ) 11
  • SLES 12
  • SLES 15 (beginning with version 8.1.6)
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 6 or 7 for Servers or Desktop Editions
  • RHEL 8 for Servers or Desktop Editions (beginning with version 8.1.9)
  • RHEL 9 for Servers or Desktop Editions (beginning with version 8.1.15)
  • Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, 16.04 LTS, 18.04 LTS
  • Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (beginning with version 8.1.6)
  • Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (beginning with version 8.1.10)
  • Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (beginning with version 8.1.15)

The following instructions are the Cornell condensed version of the IBM/Tivoli process, which is documented in the IBM Storage Protect UNIX and Linux Backup-Archive Clients Installation and User's Guide.

These instructions assume

  • that anyone administering a Linux system is technically savvy.
  • the language used by the client is English and the locale code is either en_US or EN_US.
  • that the computer is registered with the EZ-Backup service. If this computer is not yet registered, please see our article on EZ-Backup Subscriptions.

If you have an earlier version of EZ-Backup installed, please use our Upgrade instructions instead of these instructions. 

Install the Client

  1. Review the README file for requirements (software and hardware) and limitations (filesystem types supported, known problems).
  2. Log on to the system as the root user.
  3. Download the tarball containing the packages to /tmp
  4. cd to /tmp
  5. Expand the tarball with tar -xf /tmp/SP_CLIENT_LATEST_LIN86_ML.tar
  6. cd to /tmp/TSMCLI_LNX/tsmcli/linux86 
  7. Note the version number(s) of the 64-bit gskit packages:
    • gskcrypt64-version.linux.x86_64.rpm
    • gskssl64-version.linux.x86_64.rpm
  8. Install the 64-bit gskit package with this command, replacing version with the values noted in step 7 (the following is all one command, not two separate commands):
    rpm -U gskcrypt64-version.linux.x86_64.rpm gskssl64-version.linux.x86_64.rpm
  9. Install the Storage Protect 64-bit API packages with this command:
    rpm -i TIVsm-API64.x86_64.rpm TIVsm-APIcit.x86_64.rpm
  10. Install the Storage Protect 64-bit backup-archive (B/A) client packages with this command:
    rpm -i TIVsm-BA.x86_64.rpm TIVsm-BAcit.x86_64.rpm

Configuring the Backup-Archive Client

  1. Change to default installation directory: cd /opt/tivoli/tsm/client/ba/bin/
  2. Using this template, create a file called dsm.sys, using the information provided in the EZ-Backup subscription confirmation email:
    • TSM Node Name
    • TSM TCP Server Addr(ess)
    • TSM TCP Port Addr(ess)
  3. Create a file called dsm.opt using the TSM TCP Server Addr(ess) provided in your EZ-Backup subscription confirmation email): /usr/bin/cat "SErvername <TSM TCP Server Addr(ess)>" > dsm.opt  
  4. Input and store the initial password (provided in the EZ-Backup subscription confirmation email): /usr/bin/dsmc q sess Performing this step also validates the configuration information entered above.
  5. Change the initial password: /usr/bin/dsmc set password newpassword  

Notes on Configuration

By default, the TSM client for Linux will attempt to backup every file in the system. This is usually not the desired behavior; however, IBM Storage Protect does not deliver a set of default "exclude" statements for the Linux clients. You - in conjunction with your users - need to make decisions as to what to include and exclude, and then create a list of INCLUDE and EXCLUDE statements to control what information is backed up. This list can reside in the dsm.sys (beneath the information) or be referenced from the dsm.sys via an INCLEXCL option. For more on this, see the EZ-Backup documentation on creating INCLUDE and EXCLUDE rules (some of which being Windows-oriented has NTFS file naming, but the concepts are the same for Linux):

You can also read more the comprehensive IBM Storage Protect documentation on configuring the Storage Protect client in the chapter on “Configure the Storage Protect client” in the IBM Storage Protect UNIX and Linux Backup-Archive Clients Installation and User's Guide.

And you can direct questions to the EZ-Backup Team.

(optional) Configure the GUI (Java) Client

On Linux systems, the Storage GUI (Java) client must be run from the X Window System.

Start the GUI (Java) Client by typing the following:
/usr/bin/dsmj

Notes on GUI client

For more on the Java GUI client, see the information in the “Starting a Java GUI session” section of the “Getting Started” chapter in the IBM Storage Protect UNIX and Linux Backup-Archive Clients Installation and User's Guide.

(optional) Configure Automated (Scheduled) Backups

Backups by the Storage Protect client for Linux can now be automated (scheduled) in two ways. The recommended method is to use the TSM Client Acceptor Daemon (CAD) to manage scheduled backups. This gives two advantages with respect to the other method, running the Storage Protect client in schedule mode.

  1. The Storage Protect client starts anew each backup, so changes to the configuration files (dsm.sys or dsm.opt) will take effect at the next backup without having to restart the scheduler.
  2. The Storage Protect client ends after each backup, so it doesn't persist and consume resources such as memory.

Method 1: Configure Scheduled Backups Using the Client Acceptor Daemon

(assuming still logged in as root)

  1. The installation program creates a startup script for the client acceptor (dsmcad) in /etc/init.d

  2. To enable the client acceptor to start automatically after a system restart, add the service as follows
    # chkconfig –add dsmcad

  3. If the Linux operating system runs the systemd initialization service, complete the following steps to start the dsmcad and to run it at system start time:
    a)    Run the following command to refresh the systemd unit list: 
    systemctl daemon-reload
    b)    Run the following command to start the client acceptor at system start time:
    systemctl enable dsmcad.service
    c)    Run the following command to start the client acceptor: 
    systemctl start dsmcad.service

Method 2: Configure the TSM Client in Schedule Mode

  1. Using an editor, remove the MANAGEDSERVICES SCHEDULE option from dsm.sys
  2. (assuming still logged in as root) Start the scheduler:
    sh -c 'nohup /usr/bin/dsmc sched 2> /dev/null &'
    Be sure to include the quotes as shown.
  3. Add scheduler to list of processes run after reboot; the simplest way is to put the following lines in /etc/rc.d/rc.local (or similar file for non-RedHat Linux):
    # Start the scheduler for automated backups (EZ-Backup) /usr/bin/dsmc sched > /dev/null 2>&1 &

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