dsm.exe crashes on windows 2008 server R2

[Jonor]

I'm all new here and I'm all new to TSM as backup programme.

I have installed a new IBM server, and I have installed TSM ver 5.5 on top of Windows 2008 Server R2 x64.

The installation goes OK and all looks OK but when I try to open dsm.exe to configure the scheule I get that the programme needs to be closed.

When I look in eventvwr I see:

Faulting application name: dsm.exe, version: 5.5.0.6, time stamp: 0x47e05b3d
Faulting module name: ntdll.dll, version: 6.1.7600.16385, time stamp: 0x4a5be02b
Exception code: 0xc0000374
Fault offset: 0x00000000000c6cd2
Faulting process id: 0x840
Faulting application start time: 0x01ca425dcd05a54d
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\Tivoli\TSM\baclient\dsm.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll
Report Id: 0fe273cb-ae51-11de-89f6-02215eddad07

I have searched on the execption code and no help. I found something about an environment variable DSM something that could be wrong but this does not exist on my server.

Anyone can help me please!

 

[SpecialK]

There doesn't appear to be ANY version of the BA client that will successfully backup a Server 2008 R2 machine at present. I've tried 5.5 through to 6.1 and they all fail in various imaginative ways. Presumably there will be a new release of the BA client that will support Server 2008 R2 (and Windows 7) out soon?

 

[Jonor]

Thank you! Suspected that but since it is the client itself I thougt I might be in luck since it says straight out on the ibm webpage that it is OK.

What do you do in the meantime? I mean running a server without backup or rather restore is not an opton for me...

 

[SpecialK]

There are some other posts in ADSM.ORG that suggest you backup everything except the SystemState using the BA client and backup the SYstemState using the Windows built-in backup. But I wouldn't want to trust that for a production system. If you have a support contract with IBM, start giving them some grief.

BTW the relevent environment variables, which probably aren't the cause of your problem in any case, are:

DSM_DIR -> the full path to the directory that the BA client is installed in
DSM_CONFIG -> the fullk path to the dsm.opt file you are using (including the name of the dsm.opt file)
DSM_LOGS -> the full path to the directory you want to write dsmerror.log in.

If you don't set any of these, then the defaults will be taken out of the registry.

 

[Jonor]

The problem is that I don't get the dsm.exe started even. Is there another way of creating the schedule process on the client? What is important on this server is that I get backup of the folders, system state is of no interest right now. It is a clean fileserver (or to be since I am doing all I can to stop the server from being a productive server right now) and therefore the it is a clean server.

That is the variables that I checked. They are not present at all, none of them.

 

[TykneeTym]

Doesn't matter even if you get the scheduler installed, it's not going to work because the process itself will crash when the scheduler tries to start it.

I'm having this same problem on a W2k8 box that doesn't have R2 (at least as far as I can tell). If I find anything useful I'll update it here, so far no luck.

 

[SpecialK]

A 6.1.0.2 client should backup a Windows Server 2008 (but not R2) OK, or at least it has when I've tested it.

What version of the BA client were you using?

 

[TykneeTym]

5.5.2.2 and 5.5.2.1
We have several w2k8 boxes in the environement, this is the only one having this issue.

It may have R2 and I just don't see it. I've checked WINVER and right-clicked on "Computer", nothing in there about R2. It is 64bit though and I am using the 64bit client (The 32bit one won't install anyway).

 

[SpecialK]

Are you using LVSA or VSS for your snapshots?

 

[Jonor]

I am running two servers with W2k8 and the backups on those works in manual but not scheduled. But they don't need to have scheduled backups so I haven't tried to fix this just jet. The R2 server is much more important. If that piece of information is of any help.

 

[TykneeTym]

Talked with Tivoli support yesterday. They said that 5.5.3 client version will support R2. The machine I'm having a problem with is showing the exact same error, but as far as I can tell no R2 is installed. However it may be a test machine, they may have installed it then removed it or something and it's causing the same issue.

 

[SpecialK]

I'd love to know by what definition of the word "work" they mean that the BA client version 5.5.3.x will "work" with Windows Server 2008 R2.

 

[Jonor]

SpecialK: The same question here. Works as it does with my other two servers ie manual backups or as you want it to work scheduled?

TykneeTym: Please update if you get something else. I haven't gotten an answer where to turn with my questions yet...

 

[fuzzmower]

I have this problem too with a customers server. They are running Small business 2008 64-bit. It was working just fine with version 5.5.2.0. Then I added an exclusion in the dsm.opt file and tried restarting the scheduler service. Now dsm.exe crash and the service starts and then stops. I have tried removing the client and services and starting all over with a fresh install but it still will not work. Also tried updating the client to a newer version.

 

[TykneeTym]

Sorry I didn't post sooner, Tivoli support recommended upgrading to the 6.1 client, which seemed to fix the issue.

I asked if there were any problems running a version 6 client with a version 5 server and haven't gotten a response. I assume it's OK as they knew our server version was 5.5 when I opened the case...

 

[fuzzmower]

I can confirm that solution, it works with client version 6.1. Server version is 5.5. Thank you for that TykneeTym.

 

[droach]

Try this...

I had the same problem withe my W2K8R2 servers and TSM client 5.5.2 The fixes below seems to have fixed my problem.

To fix the DSM.EXE: In the BACLIENT directory right click on the DSM.EXE, select properties, Compatibility tab. Under 'Compatibility Mode' select 'Windows Server 2008 (Service Pack1). Click 'Change this setting for all users' and select the same 'Compatibility Mode' setting. OK, OK.

To fix the scheduler:In the BACLIENT directory right click on the DSMCSVC.EXE, select properties, Compatibility tab. Under 'Compatibility Mode' select 'Windows Server 2008 (Service Pack1). Under 'Privilege level' check 'Run this program as an administrator' (not sure if this is necessary). Click 'Change this setting for all users' and select the same 'Compatibility Mode' setting. OK. OK.

Start the service and launch the GUI to test.