Configuring the Data Protection for VMware command-line interface in a vSphere environment

Update the Data Protection for VMware command-line interface profile on the system where the Data Protection for VMware vSphere GUI is installed.

Before you begin

The profile (vmcliprofile) is located in this directory on the system where the Data Protection for VMware vSphere GUI is installed:

Linux operating systems/opt/tivoli/tsm/tdpvmware/common/scripts

Windows operating systems64-bit: C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Tivoli\TDPVMware\VMwarePlugin\scripts

About this task

All steps in this procedure are completed on the system where the Data Protection for VMware vSphere GUI is installed.
Tip: This task can also be completed by using the Data Protection for VMware vSphere GUI configuration wizard or configuration notebook. Go to the Data Protection for VMware vSphere GUI Configuration window and click Run Configuration Wizard or Edit Configuration.

Procedure

  1. Update the profile with these settings:
    VE_TSMCLI_NODE_NAME
    Specify the node that connects the Data Protection for VMware command-line interface to the Tivoli® Storage Manager server and the agent node (MY_VMCLINODE).
    Restriction: The VMCLI node does not support the SSL protocol or LDAP authentication when communicating with the Tivoli Storage Manager server.
    VE_VCENTER_NODE_NAME
    Specify the virtual node that represents a vCenter (MY_VCNODE).
    VE_DATACENTER_NAME
    Specify the virtual node that maps to a data center. The correct syntax is shown here:
    datacenter_name::datacenter_node_name
    • The datacenter_name value is case-sensitive.
    • Make sure to set this parameter for each data center in your environment (MY_DCNODE).
    • The Data Protection for VMware vSphere GUI does not support data centers with the same name in the vCenter.
    VE_TSM_SERVER_NAME
    Specify the hostname or IP of the Tivoli Storage Manager server.
    VE_TSM_SERVER_PORT
    Specify the port name to use for the Tivoli Storage Manager server. The default value is 1500.
    An example profile with these settings is provided here:
    VE_TSMCLI_NODE_NAME    MY_VMCLINODE
    VE_VCENTER_NODE_NAME   MY_VCNODE
    VE_DATACENTER_NAME     MyDatacenter1::MY_DCNODE
    VE_TSM_SERVER_NAME     tsmserver.mycompany.xyz.com
    VE_TSM_SERVER_PORT     1500
    See Profile parameters for the complete list of available parameters, descriptions, and examples.
  2. Set the VMCLI node password in the pwd.txt file.
    This password is for the node that connects the Data Protection for VMware command-line interface to the Tivoli Storage Manager server and the data mover node. It is specified by the VE_TSMCLI_NODE_NAME profile parameter.
    1. Issue the echo command to create a text file that contains the password:
      Linux operating systemsecho password1 > pwd.txt
      Windows operating systemsecho password1> pwd.txt

      Windows operating systemsA space must not exist between the password (password1) and the greater-than sign (>).

    2. Issue this vmcli command to set the password for the VMCLI node:
      vmcli -f set_password -I pwd.txt
      Important:
      • Linux operating systemsYou must issue the vmcli -f set_password command as tdpvmware user, and not as root.
      • Linux operating systemsWindows operating systemsIf you plan to generate application protection reports, you must specify the -type VMGuest parameter to identify that the password applies to a VM. For example:
        vmcli -f set_password -type VMGuest -I password.txt
        For more information, see Set_password.
  3. Verify that the Data Protection for VMware command-line interface is running:

    Windows operating systemsClick Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services and verify that the status of Data Protection for VMware command-line interface is Started.

    Linux operating systemsGo to the scripts directory (/opt/tivoli/tsm/tdpvmware/common/scripts/) and issue this command:
    ./vmclid status
    • If the daemon is running, proceed to Step 4.
    • If the daemon is not running, issue this command to manually start the daemon:
      /opt/tivoli/tsm/tdpvmware/common/scripts/vmcli --daemon
      These init scripts can also be used to stop and start the daemon:
      ./vmclid stop
      ./vmclid start
  4. Issue this vmcli command to verify that the Data Protection for VMware command-line interface recognizes the Tivoli Storage Manager node configuration:
    vmcli -f inquire_config -t TSM
    See Inquire_config for details about this command.
  5. Validate the nodes to confirm that no configuration errors occurred:
    1. Start the Data Protection for VMware vSphere GUI by clicking the icon in the Solutions and Applications window of the vSphere Client.
    2. Go to the Configuration window.
    3. Select a node in the table and click Validate Selected Node. Status information is shown in the Status Details pane.

What to do next

Linux operating systemsWindows operating systemsAfter successfully completing the three manual configuration tasks described in this section:
  1. Setting up the Tivoli Storage Manager nodes in a vSphere environment
  2. Setting up the data mover nodes in a vSphere environment
No additional configuration tasks are required to back up your VM data.See Backing up VMware data for detailed backup instructions.