Troubleshooting TSM Scheduled Backup Failure Reports

1.1. Is the node in question still active?

• The first thing to check is whether the machine that used this nodename has been replaced, rebuilt, or is no longer used.
  • If the node has been replaced, rebuilt or is no longer used then please follow the instructions for de-registering the node so that it is no longer on the backup schedule.
  • Check the TSM Self-Registration Page to ensure that you do not have two or more similarly-named registered nodes: it could be that one of them is active and being backed up, and the other does not exist and is therefore being reported as missed. If you have nodes registered to you that you know do not represent existing machines, please follow the instructions for de-registering the node.
  • If the node is active and you still require it to be backed up then please proceed to the following section.

1.2. Is your TSM node locked?

• If your TSM node is locked then you will not be able to back up to the HFS until it is unlocked. To check your node's status do as follows:
  • Go to the TSM Self-Registration Page.
  • Select the problem node and, from the drop-down list provided, choose [View Client Information].
  • If your node's Locked status is Yes then you will need to contact hfs@ox.ac.uk to get it unlocked. You can do this by clicking on Request unlock on the aforementioned client information page. When it has been unlocked we suggest running a manual backup so that you can:
    • Test that the issue has been resolved;
    • Ensure that we have an up-to-date copy of your data.
  • If your node's Locked status is No then also check the Last Password Change date. If the date shown is over a year old, then your password may have expired and need to be changed. To do this:
    • Click on the TSM Home Page button.
    • Select the required node and from the drop-down list provided, choose [Change Client Password] and follow the on-screen instructions to reset the node's TSM password.
    • Windows users will then need to update the TSM scheduler.
    • Once the password has been reset, we suggest running a manual backup so that you can:
      • Test that the issue has been resolved;
      • Ensure that we have an up-to-date copy of your data.
  • If your account was neither locked nor had an expired password then please proceed to the following section.

1.3. Checking your machine

• Was your machine left switched on overnight?
  • NO - Are you registered for the Wake on LAN service?
    • NO - Your machine must be switched on to run a scheduled backup. If the machine was off when the schedule was due to run then the schedule will have been missed. You either need to leave your machine on overnight, or to register for the Wake on LAN service. Please see further our page on how to set a machine to switch on and off for scheduled backups. You are advised to run a a manual backup to ensure your data is backed up.
    • YES - Check in dsmsched.log to see if there is an entry at around your scheduled backup time, which would indicate that your computer was switched on. (The location of dsmsched.log can be looked up in our list of TSM Options Files.) Did your machine switch on, so that the backup could run?
      • NO - If the machine did not switch on, report this problem to the Help Centre as this is an issue with the Wake on Lan service. You may also wish to run a manual backup.
      • YES - Did you put your machine to sleep rather than shut it down, and if so are you running Windows Vista or 7?
        • YES - A Windows Vista/7 machine woken from sleep mode will return to sleep two minutes after wake-up - so please do not put your machine to sleep if you wish it to be woken up, but next week shut it down instead.
        • NO - if you are not a Windows Vista/7 user who put their machine to sleep, proceed to the next step to check if your machine switched itself off.
  • YES - Your machine may still have switched itself off or gone into sleep mode, meaning that the scheduled backup was missed. Would your machine have definitely stayed switched on?
    • NO - most machines will go into a sleep mode after a certain period. To prevent this, you need to set power management correctly, as follows:
      • In Windows:
        • In XP/2003, go to Start > (Settings >) Control Panel > Power Options > Power Schemes (tab), and check that System standby is set to Never. Then, if your machine is a laptop whose lid you close when you leave it on for backup, click on Advanced (tab) and under When I close the lid of my portable computer choose Do nothing.
        • In Vista/7, go to Start > Control Panel > Power Options > Change when the computer sleeps (tab), and check that Put the computer to sleep is set to Never. Then click on the arrow to go back to Power Options and also check that under Choose what the power button does (tab), When I press the power button is not set to Sleep. On the same screen, if your machine is a laptop whose lid you close when you leave it on for backup, check that When I close the lid is set to Do nothing.
      • On a Mac:
        • If you are running OS X 10.7 (Lion) or 10.8 (Mountain Lion), download the latest client for Mac OS X.
        • If not, go to System Preferences > Energy Saver and check that the computer (not the display) is set never to go to sleep.
    • YES - if the machine was left on and power management is set correctly, proceed to the next step.
• Was your machine left connected to the physical Oxford University network?
  • NO - if you were connected via a VPN connection or not connected to the network at all then the scheduled backup would not have started. You must have a physical network connection to the Oxford University network for the scheduled backups to run.
  • YES - if the machine was on and there was a physical connection to the Oxford University network, please see our page on Checking the Client Scheduler for Windows, Mac or Linux/Unix machines.

1.4. Summary

You should now have performed enough troubleshooting to ensure that you know why the scheduled backup was missed and hopefully put corrective measures in place to ensure subsequent scheduled backups are successful. If you have been unable to determine the likely cause of why the backups are being missed then please follow the steps below for logging calls with the HFS Team with the appropriate amount of data.

If you have not already done so, we recommend that you run a manual backup.

To find out when your next scheduled backup is, please see the FAQ item When is my scheduled backup due to run?.