Install vSnap Server

Every installation of IBM Spectrum Protect Plus requires at least one vSnap server. The vSnap server serves as the primary backup destination. Disk storage is connected to the vSnap servers.

In either a VMware or Hyper-V environment, one vSnap server with the name localhost is automatically installed at the time that the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance is initially deployed. The default vSnap server resides on a partition of the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance. The default vSnap server is registered in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus and initialized as well. In smaller backup environments, that default v-Snap server might be sufficient.

In larger backup enterprise environments, additional vSnap servers might be desired. These can be installed on either virtual or physical appliances any time after the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance is installed and deployed. After installation, some registration and configuration steps are required for these stand-alone vSnap servers.

In summary, the process for setting up a stand-alone vSnap server is:

  • Install the vSnap Server
  • Register the vSnap server as a backup storage target in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
  • Initialize the system and create a storage pool

vSnap servers can be deployed through the following formats:

  • IBM Spectrum Protect Plus default installation, which includes a pre-registered vSnap server with the name localhost. Before the storage can be used, additional software components will be initialized and a storage pool will be created. Refer to Initial Configuration for next steps.
  • Physical vSnap server, installed on a physical machine
  • Virtual vSnap server, installed in a VMware or Hyper-V environment

BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

Note: If performing a custom (non-OVA) installation to a VMware virtual machine, the virtual disk UUIDs must be visible to the operating system in order for vSnap to detect the disks and use them in a storage pool. Edit the VM settings, add the advanced configuration parameter disk.enableUUID and set its value to TRUE.

Initial Configuration

Before using a new installation of vSnap, you must perform the following initial configuration tasks:

  • Register the vSnap server as a backup storage target in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
  • Initialize the system and create a storage pool

Register the vSnap server as a backup storage target

Note: If deploying an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance, a vSnap installation is present on the same appliance, and the following section can be skipped. The default, or on-board, vSnap is registered in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus with the name localhost when the appliance is deployed.

  1. Log in to the vSnap server console as serveradmin and run vsnap user create. The initial password is sppDP758-SysXyz.
  2. Enter a username and password when prompted.
  3. Log in to the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user interface. From the navigation menu select Backup Storage, then register the vSnap server using the credentials of this new user. See Add a Backup Storage Provider.

System and Storage Initialization

The initialization process prepares a new vSnap system for use by loading and configuring software components and initializing the internal configuration. This is a one-time process that needs to be run only on new installations.

As part of the initialization process, vSnap creates a storage pool using any available unused disks on the system. The OVA-based deployments of vSnap each contain a default 100GB unused virtual disk which is used to create the pool. Refer to vSnap Server Administration Reference for details on how to expand and administer the pool.

If no unused disks are found, the initialization process completes without creating a pool. Refer to vSnap Server Administration Reference for details on how to create and administer a pool.

Simple Initialization

The following is the recommended procedure for initializing virtual deployments of vSnap.

  1. Log in to the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus user interface.
  2. For the default on-board vSnap installation that is registered as part of an IBM Spectrum Protect Plus installation, you are prompted to start the initialization process the first time you log in to the user interface. No further steps are required.
  3. For any other vSnap servers, register them into IBM Spectrum Protect Plus as described in Register the vSnap server as a backup storage target. Next, from the Actions menu, select Initialize with Encryption to enable encryption of backup data on each vSnap server. To initialize vSnap servers without encryption enabled, select Initialize. The initialization process runs in the background and requires no further user interaction. Note that the process may take 5 to 10 minutes to complete.

Advanced Initialization

The following is the recommended procedure for initializing physical deployments of vSnap. It gives you the flexibility of creating a storage pool using advanced redundancy options and a specific list of disks.

  1. Log in to the vSnap server console as serveradmin (or alternatively, as the user you created previously using the vsnap user create command). The initial password is sppDP758-SysXyz.
  2. Run vsnap system init --skip_pool. The command requires no further interaction and performs all initialization tasks except for the creation of a storage pool. Note that the process may take 5 to 10 minutes to complete.
  3. Refer to vSnap Server Administration Reference for details on how to create and administer a pool.

To update your vSnap server:

The default, or on-board, vSnap server is updated along with the IBM Spectrum Protect Plus appliance. To update additional vSnap servers that are installed on either virtual or physical appliances, perform the following procedure.

Download the self-extracting archive snap-dist-version.run file from the FixCentral Online Web site to a temporary location on the vSnap server. For information about the file and how to obtain it from Fix Central, see technote 4044571.

If a vSnap server update is not required for a patch, an update file is not provided with the patch.

  1. Ensure there are no active jobs utilizing the vSnap server to be updated. Once associated jobs complete or are in an idle state, navigate to the Jobs and Operations > Monitoring page in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, then select Pause Schedule from the Actions list for each job.
  2. Download the latest vSnap installation package, which is a self-extracting archive named vsnap-dist-<version>.run, to a temporary location on the vSnap server.
  3. On the vSnap server, open a terminal.
  4. From the directory where the file was downloaded, make the file executable through the following command: chmod +x vsnap-dist-<version>.run.
  5. From the directory where the file was downloaded, execute the installer through the following command: ./vsnap-dist-<version>.run.
  6. Reboot the vSnap server when prompted. After reboot, additional components will be installed which may take several minutes to complete.
  7. Note: On a virtual appliance, after the vSnap server update completes, you will be prompted to change the serveradmin password. The serveradmin user is used to access the vSnap server command line interface, and replicates the functionality of the root user.
  8. On the Jobs and Operations > Monitoring page in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus, select Release Schedule from the Actions list for the jobs that are associated with the vSnap server.

To uninstall your vSnap server:

  1. Ensure there are no active jobs utilizing the vSnap server to be uninstalled.
  2. On the vSnap server, log in as user serveradmin. The initial password is sppDP758-SysXyz.
  3. Open a terminal and enter the following commands:
  4. systemctl stop vsnap
  5. yum remove vsnap

After removal, the vSnap configuration is retained in the /etc/vsnap directory and will be reused if the vSnap software is reinstalled.

NEXT STEPS:

 


IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 10.1.2

Licensed Material - Property of IBM Corp. © IBM Corporation and other(s) 2018. IBM is a registered trademark of the IBM Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both. | 8/23/2018