TSM for VMware: Exclude of SRM Placeholders

[compare]

Friends,

VMware version 5.1 with SRM 5.1 ( build 941848 )
TSM Server 6.3.1.8
TSM for VMware 6.4.0.1

We have a twin-center VMware environment with SRM, where we have SRM Placeholders in the other location.
On both locations TSM for VMware is used to backup ALL VM’s, except the ones we exclude on the TSM Serverside by Client Option Sets.

The datamovers report errors when they want to start a backup of a SRM Placeholder:

04/18/2013 22:00:48 ANS9365E VMware vStorage API error for virtual machine 'ABCD'.
TSM function name : __ns2__CreateSnapshot_USCORETask
TSM file : vmvisdk.cpp (1710)
API return code : 12
API error message : SOAP 1.1 fault: "":ServerFaultCode[no subcode]
"The method is disabled by 'com.vmware.vcDr'"
Detail:

04/18/2013 22:00:48 ANS5250E An unexpected error was encountered.
TSM function name : vmVddkFullVMPrePareToOpenVMDKs
TSM function : targetMoRefP is null
TSM return code : 115
TSM file : ..\..\common\vm\vmbackvddk.cpp (10472)

Is there a smart trick to exclude all SRM Placeholders from the backup? Or another way to avoid errors?

Thanks in advance,
Maurice van ‘t Loo

 

[cividan]

I have the exact same question. Did you ever find a way to exclude them ?

 

[cividan]

For future refence in case someone else have the same problem I found a workaroud: instead of specifying the "vmhostcluster=" or "ALL-VM" I specified the datastore since SRM placeholder are in their own datastore I just didn't specified that datastore. Even if the specified datastore are not present at backup TSM doesn't seem to complain.

 

[rpandey]

I also have same issue. How can i exclude SRM paceholder vm?

 

[marclant]

That's fixed in later releases, upgrade to a 8.1.4 and you will be ok.
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg1IT22861

 

[rpandey]

Thank you marclant for quick response.
make sure none of the VM from this folder/datatore are being backed up please?

How can i make sure none of the vm from SRM placeholder folder/datastore are being backed up?

Can i use below option on dsm.opt ?

-VMFolder=*Placeholder;-VMdatastore=*Placeholder

 

[marclant]

How can i make sure none of the vm from SRM placeholder folder/datastore are being backed up?

They are never backed up, there is nothing to backed up. Before the fix, the backup fails because there is nothing to backup. With the fix in place, they are skipped because there is nothing to backup.

 

[rpandey]

Yes that's correct. SRM Placeholder vm are skipped during backup but in result it is showing failed with return code 6582 which affecting the backup SLA. I just want to exclude whole SRM placeholder datastore so that we don't get failed backup on report. If you know how to do this, please share with me.

 

[marclant]

No I don't. But since a fix is available, I'd personally upgrade to that fix. It has other fixes too including some fixes to security vulnerabilities.

 

[rpandey]

Hi
My TSM server version is - 7.1.7.2
BA client version on Proxy server is - 7.1.6.5
TSM for VE version on Proxy server is - 7.1.6.5

If i upgrade TSM for VE to v8.1.4 ,do i have to upgrade TSM server and BA client too?

 

[marclant]

If i upgrade TSM for VE to v8.1.4 ,do i have to upgrade TSM server and BA client too?

No. Source: https://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21053218