Administrator's Guide


Managing Clients

Managing client nodes includes:


Task Required Privilege Class
Register client nodes to specific policy domains and assign the nodes to a specified client option set System, unrestricted policy, or restricted policy for those domains
Update, rename, lock, or unlock any client nodes System, unrestricted policy
Update, rename, lock, or unlock client nodes assigned to specific policy domains System, unrestricted policy, or restricted policy for those domains
Define client options from the server System or unrestricted policy
Request information about client nodes or file spaces Any administrator
Delete any file space from storage pools System or unrestricted policy
Delete file spaces defined for client nodes assigned to specific policy domains System, unrestricted policy, or restricted policy for those domains
Remove any client nodes System or unrestricted policy
Remove client nodes assigned to specific policy domains System, unrestricted policy, or restricted policy for those domains

Defining Client Options from the Server

Central client configuration allows an administrator to define a set of client options to be used by a client node at TSM Version 3. The client options specified in the set are used in conjunction with the client options file. This allows an administrator to specify additional options that may not be included in the client's option file. Specify the option set with the REGISTER NODE or UPDATE NODE commands. The client can use these defined options during a backup, archive, restore, or retrieve process.

To define a client option set and have the clients use the option set, do the following:

  1. Create the client option set with the DEFINE CLOPSET command.

  2. Add client options to the option set with the DEFINE CLIENTOPT command.

  3. Specify which clients should use the option set with the REGISTER NODE or UPDATE NODE command.

Creating a Client Option Set

When you create a client option set, you define a name for the option set, and can optionally provide a description of the option set. For example:

define cloptset engbackup description='Backup options for eng. dept.'
Note:The option set is empty when it is first defined.

Setting Client Options in an Option Set

You can set client options in a defined client option set.

The following example shows how to set a client option in the ENGBACKUP option set.

define clientopt engbackup schedlogretention 5

For a list of valid client options you can specify, refer to Administrator's Reference.

The server automatically assigns sequence numbers to the specified options, or you can choose to specify the sequence number for order of processing. This is helpful if you have defined more than one of the same option as in the following example.

define clientopt engbackup include d:\admin
define clientopt engbackup include d:\payroll

A sequence number of 0 is assigned to the option include d:\admin. A sequence number of 1 is assigned to the option include d:\payroll. If you want to specifically process one option before another, include the sequence parameter as follows:

define clientopt engbackup include d:\admin sequence=2
define clientopt engbackup include d:\payroll sequence=1

The FORCE parameter allows an administrator to specify whether a client node can override an option value. The default value is NO. If FORCE=YES, the client cannot override the value.

Register Client Nodes and Assign Them to an Option Set

You can register or update a client node and specify an option set for the client to use as follows:

register node mike pass2eng cloptset=engbackup

The client node MIKE is registered with the password pass2eng. When the client node MIKE performs a scheduling operation, his schedule log entries are kept for 5 days.

Updating the Sequence Number for a Client Option

You can update the sequence number for a client option to change its processing order. This is helpful if you have more than one of the same option, for example several INCLUDE options.

The following example shows how to change the sequence number for the DATEFORMAT option from 0 to 9:

update clientopt engbackup dateformat 0 9

Deleting an Option from a Client Option Set

You can remove an option that is defined in a client option set. The following example shows how to remove the SCHEDMODE polling option from the financeschd option set:

delete clientopt financeschd schedmode

Copying a Client Option Set

You can copy an existing client option to another option set. The following example shows how to copy the engbackup option set to financeschd option set:

copy cloptset engbackup financeschd

Requesting Information about a Client Option Set

To display information about the contents of a client option set, issue the following command:

query cloptset financeschd

Updating the Description for a Client Option Set

You can update the description for a client option set. The following example shows how to update the description for the engbackup option set:

update clopset engbackup description='Scheduling information'

Deleting a Client Option Set

When you delete a client option set, client node references to the option set are null. The clients continue to use their existing client options file. The following example shows how to delete the engbackup client option set:

delete cloptset engbackup

Managing Client Node Access

You can control client node access to the server by updating or renaming client nodes or by locking and unlocking client nodes from the server.

Updating Client Node Information

You can update the following client node information:

For example, you can update client node TOMC to prevent him from deleting archived files from storage pools by entering:

update node tomc archdelete=no

Renaming Client Nodes

You can rename a client node if the workstation network name or host name changes.

For example, with UNIX systems, users define their node name based on the value returned by the HOSTNAME command. When users access the server, their TSM user IDs match the host name of their workstations. If the host name changes, you can update a client node user ID to match the new host name.

For example, to rename CAROLH to ENGNODE, enter:

rename node carolh engnode

ENGNODE retains the contact information and access to backup and archive data that belonged to CAROLH. All files backed up or archived by CAROLH now belong to ENGNODE.

Locking and Unlocking Client Nodes

You can prevent a client node from accessing the server and performing functions such as back up and restore or archive and retrieve. You can later let the client node reaccess the server. For example, to prevent client node MAB from accessing the server, enter:

lock node mab

To let client node MAB access the server again, enter:

unlock node mab

Accessing Clients with Client Access User IDs

The following can use enterprise logon:

Enterprise logon enables a user with the proper administrative user ID and password to access a TSM client for help desk activities, such as performing a client restore operation. This also allows for a native backup-archive client to log on to TSM using their node name and password, or administrative user ID and password if they are configured to access a 3.7.0 server or above. A user can temporarily access their node's data from another machine by using the VIRTUALNODENAME option. Refer to Using the Backup-Archive Client guide for your particular platform for details.

Client Access User IDs

By default, an administrator with system or policy privilege over a client's domain, can remotely access clients and perform backup and restore operations.

You can grant client access or client owner authority to other administrators by specifying CLASS=CLIENT and AUTH=ACCESS or AUTH=OWNER parameters on the GRANT AUTHORITY command. The administrator must have one of the following privileges to grant or revoke client access or client owner authority:

You can grant an administrator client access authority to individual clients or you can grant an administrator client access to all clients in a specified policy domain. For example, you may want to grant client access privileges to all nodes for individuals that staff help desk environments.

The following describes the difference between client owner and client access privileges:

Client owner
Access the client through a remote client interface or native backup-archive client and perform backup and restore operations on the client. The administrator can also access the data from another client using the -NODENAME parameter. The administrator can restore data to a client node other than the original client.

The administrator can change the client node's password for which they have authority.

Client access
Access the client through a remote client interface and perform backup and restore operations on the client. The administrator cannot access the client from another system using the -NODENAME parameter to restore files to a system other than the original client.

This privilege class authority is useful for help desk personnel so they can assist users in backing up or restoring data without having system or policy privileges. The client data can only be restored to none other than the original client. An administrative user ID with client access privilege cannot directly access client's data from a native backup-archive client. A system or policy administrator has client access privileges by default.

Granting Client Authority

To grant client access authority to administrator FRED for the LABCLIENT node, issue:

grant authority fred class=client auth=access domain=primary node=labclient

The administrator FRED can now access the LABCLIENT client, and perform backup and restore. The administrator can only restore data to the LABCLIENT node.

To grant client owner authority to ADMIN1 for the STUDENT1 node, issue:

grant authority admin1 class=owner auth=owner domain=primary node=student1

The administrator ADMIN1 can now perform backup and restore operations for the STUDENT1 client node. The administrator can also restore files from the STUDENT1 client node to a different client node.

Automatically Creating an Administrative User ID with Client Access

An administrator can use the REGISTER NODE command to automatically create an administrative user ID with client owner authority to a node when the node is defined to the server. By default, the server creates an administrative user ID in addition to the client node entry. For example, you want to register client node DESK2, issue:

 register node desk2 pass2dsk

The DESK2 client node is registered, in addition to an administrator user ID with the same DESK2 ID. The administrator DESK2 has a password of pass2dsk. The DESK2 administrator now has client owner authority to the DESK2 node. If the PASSWORDACCESS=GENERATE option is used by the client to change the password, the administrative DESK2 ID can access the client from a remote location.

Preventing Automatic Creation of an Administrative User ID with Client Access

An administrator can prevent automatic creation of an administrative user ID with client owner authority by specifying ACCESSUSERID=NONE on the REGISTER NODE command. For example, you want to register DESK2 without creating an administrative user ID with client owner authority by default, issue the following:

register node desk2 pass2dsk userid=none

Granting an Existing Administrative ID Client Owner Authority

You can grant client owner authority to an existing administrative user ID. This is useful if you want to set up enterprise logon for a remote help desk. For example, to give client access to the HELPADMIN user ID when registering the NEWCLIENT node, enter:

register node newclient pass2new userid=helpadmin

This command results in the NEWCLIENT node being registered with a password of pass2new, and also grants HELPADMIN client owner authority. This command would not create an administrator ID. The HELPADMIN client user ID is now able to access the NEWCLIENT node from a remote location.

Requesting Information about Client Nodes

You can request information about client nodes. For example, as a policy administrator, you might query the server about all client nodes assigned to the policy domains for which you have authority. Or you might query the server for detailed information about one client node.

Client Nodes Assigned to Specific Policy Domains

You can display information about client nodes assigned to specific policy domains. For example, to view information about client nodes assigned to STANDARD and ENGPOLDOM policy domains, enter:

query node * domain=standard,engpoldom

The output from that command might look like this:


+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Node Name    Platform     Policy Domain   Days Since   Days Since   Locked?     |
|                          Name                  Last     Password               |
|                                              Access          Set               |
|----------   --------     --------------  ----------   ----------   -------     |
|DEBBYG         DOS        STANDARD                 2          12    No          |
|ENGNODE        AIX        ENGPOLDOM               <1           1    No          |
|HTANG          OS/2       STANDARD                 4          11    No          |
|MAB            AIX        ENGPOLDOM               <1           1    No          |
|PEASE          AIX        STANDARD                 3          12    No          |
|SSTEINER       (?)        ENGPOLDOM               <1           1    No          |
|                                                                                |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

A Specific Client Node

You can view information about specific client nodes. For example, to review the registration parameters defined for client node JOE, enter:

query node joe format=detailed

The resulting report would look like this:


+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                                                                                |
|                     Node Name: JOE                                             |
|                      Platform: WinNT                                           |
|               Client OS Level: 4.00                                            |
|                Client Version: Version 3, Release 1, Level 3.0                 |
|            Policy Domain Name: STANDARD                                        |
|         Last Access Date/Time: 05/19/1999 18:55:46                             |
|        Days Since Last Access: 6                                               |
|        Password Set Date/Time: 05/19/1999 18:26:43                             |
|       Days Since Password Set: 6                                               |
|         Invalid Sign-on Count: 0                                               |
|                       Locked?: No                                              |
|                       Contact:                                                 |
|                   Compression: Client's Choice                                 |
|       Archive Delete Allowed?: Yes                                             |
|        Backup Delete Allowed?: No                                              |
|        Registration Date/Time: 05/19/1999 18:26:43                             |
|     Registering Administrator: SERVER_CONSOLE                                  |
|Last Communication Method Used: Tcp/Ip                                          |
|   Bytes Received Last Session: 108,731                                         |
|       Bytes Sent Last Session: 698                                             |
|Duration of Last Session (sec): 0.00                                            |
|   Pct. Idle Wait Last Session: 0.00                                            |
|  Pct. Comm. Wait Last Session: 0.00                                            |
|  Pct. Media Wait Last Session: 0.00                                            |
|                     Optionset:                                                 |
|                           URL:http://JOE:2121                                  |
|                     Node Type: Client                                          |
|    Password Expiration Period: 60                                              |
|             Keep Mount Point?: No                                              |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Requesting Information about File Spaces

A file space name identifies a group of files that are stored as a logical unit in server storage. On registered client nodes, users can define file spaces for their workstation.

On client nodes such as OS/2 or DOS, a file space name identifies a logical partition, such as the volume label of a disk drive. For example, a volume with the label XYZ is a different file space from a volume with the label ABC.

On client nodes such as AIX or SunOS, a file space name identifies a file system or file space defined by a user with the VIRTUALMOUNTPOINT option. With this option, users can define a virtual mount point for a file system to back up or archive files beginning with a specific directory or subdirectory. For information on the VIRTUALMOUNTPOINT option, refer to the appropriate Using the Backup-Archive Client.

You can display file space information in order to:

You display file space information by identifying the client node name and file space name.

Note:File space names are case-sensitive and must be entered exactly as known to the server.

For example, to view information about file spaces defined for client node PEASE, enter:

query filespace pease *

The following figure shows the output from this command. The report shows that client node ID PEASE:


+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Node Name                      Filespace   Platform Filespace Capacity %Util    |
|                               Name                 Type          (MB)          |
|------------------------------ ----------- -------- --------- -------- -----    |
|PEASE                          /home/peas- AIX      JFS          196.0  91.7    |
|                                e/dir                                           |
|PEASE                          /home/peas- AIX      JFS          328.0  81.0    |
|                                e/dir1                                          |
|PEASE                          /home/peas- AIX      JFS           46.9  96.0    |
|                                e/dir2                                          |
|                                                                                |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Deleting File Spaces and Client Nodes

You can delete a client node from a server, but first you must delete all of that client's data from server storage by deleting any file spaces belonging to the node.

Deleting a File Space

You may want to delete a file space when:

Removing Client Nodes

After all file spaces belonging to a client node have been deleted (see Deleting a File Space), you can delete the client node.

For example, to remove client node DEBBYG, enter:

remove node debbyg


[ Top of Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Table of Contents | Index ]