IBM's failure to spontaneously provide a TSM Linux client for prevalent, modern 
CPU architectures is certainly a marked departure from the company's early 
pronouncements of Linux being a strategic direction meriting concerted product 
development.

TSM client product management has markedly failed in its role to both meet 
customer needs and keep the product competitive in a challenging marketplace of 
backup products.  In a properly run software organization it should never be 
necessary for customers to have to file a request for intrinsic functionality 
in the product line and then wait further years for it to appear: timely 
development would be a natural result of strategic product planning.  The 
absence of a 64-bit client is a remarkable failing.

   Richard Sims

On Jan 5, 2010, at 4:47 AM, Michael Green wrote:

> Folks, turns out that whereas 64 bit clients for Linux PPC and Zseries
> are already available, it's not for x64 arch. Moreover, there are
> currently no plans for development the 64 bit version of BA client for
> Linux x64.
> 
> Just to remind you that x64 client is required to overcome the 4GB
> memory limit of the 32 bit BA client on Linux x64. Such ability would
> allow for backup of much more objects within the same scheduled
> process without having to resort to the help of awkward workarounds
> such MEMORYEFFICIENTBACKUP.
> 
> The TSM support person (who was very responsive by the way) who
> received my PMR is ready to file a so called "Design Change Request"
> on my behalf. Within that request I need to formulate a Business
> Justification, where I highlight how important this could be to my
> business to get such a change in the future.
> 
> As I'm not very good at writing "Business Justifications", I would
> appreciate your input/ideas on this matter.
> --
> Warm regards,
> Michael Green