Release Notes 5.1.0 Apollon

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SEP sesam version 5.1.0 Apollon: major feature, improvement, and bug fix release
May 25, 2023
Installation is highly recommended as it includes various performance, stability, and other key customer fixes. For details, see Change report 5.1.0 Apollon.
Download for Linux: SEP sesam 5.1.0 Linux Download for Windows: SEP sesam 5.1.0 Windows
See Installation on Linux See Installation on Windows
Note

You always have to update the SEP sesam Server first before updating the RDS and client components. For more information on the SEP sesam software updates, see Updating SEP sesam.

What's new

S3 Object Lock

SEP sesam now supports the Object Lock function to protect your data from alteration or deletion when backing up your data to the Amazon S3 cloud storage, Wasabi cloud storage, or other S3-compatible cloud implementation. Object Lock is a data protection feature and enables you to customize immutability of the backup objects. The retention time can be set for a fixed amount of time or indefinitely, and no one can change, delete or overwrite a backup object until its retention time is expired.

Performing virus scan with IKARUS scan.server

SEP sesam introduces a new feature that enables a virus scan on selected files before initiating a Single File Restore. By performing a virus scan with the latest Virus Database (VDB) before starting the restore, SEP sesam effectively prevents restoring any known infections that might have gone undetected during the backup process.

Fighting ransomware with SEP sesam Immutable Storage – SiS

SEP Immutable Storage or SiS is a file storage feature resistant to ransomware attacks, based on Si3 NG on Linux. Even with full admin access to the SEP sesam backup server, attackers cannot delete, modify, or encrypt data stored on SiS. The idea behind SEP sesam Immutable Storage is that stored data remains completely static in its original and unchanged form throughout its lifetime. This means that businesses can quickly recover from a ransomware attack, even if they have lost access to their data and servers, by using stored data copies that have remained unchanged and intact to restore the entire operating environment.

SEP Customer Experience Program (SCE)

SEP Customer Experience (SCE) collects technical information from participating customers. This data is used to improve SEP sesam, both for existing needs and for future development.

Hyper-V Resilient Change Tracking (RCT)

SEP sesam supports Resilient change tracking (RCT) for Hyper-V VM disks. At the data block level, RCT tracks changes to a VM disk (VHDX) that occur in between backup operations and only blocks that have changed since the last backup are backed up. This approach is more efficient and can significantly reduce space consumption when you have multiple snapshots on a single host.

Failover media pool

A failover media pool can be configured for any media pool. In case a media pool isn't available for writing for some reason (out of space, no free media, RDS cannot be reached), a failover media pool can be used for backups or migration.

Failover backup task event

In addition to failover media pool, a failover backup task event can be configured for more complex tasks. This enables you to set more options to ensure that a task completes successfully. A failover backup task event is started when data storage (media pool or data store for example) is not accessible and the original task cannot be executed successfully.

Abort command

The definition for a command is extended to include also an abort command. Abort command will be run when the command event is cancelled during its execution.

Introducing new media by barcode only

SEP sesam offers the functionality for introducing new media into the loader without interrupting or blocking any backup, restore or migration. SEP sesam checks the barcodes of the tapes that are not in drives and does not block all drives for backup or restore. This enables introducing new media and adjusting the archive while the drives are in use.

With the combination of archive adjustment options Adjustment by barcode only and Automatic introduction you can put new media into a loader and the barcodes of these media are scanned and stored into SEP sesam DB. When these media are loaded into the drive, they are checked for SEP sesam label or initialized (according to your selection for handling the unknown SEP sesam media).

Saving backup metadata on tape

Saving backup metadata on tape allows backup administrators to store critical information about a backup on the tape, which can be used for restoring data in the event of a disaster or data loss. Backup metadata information includes important details about the backup and can be used to recreate DB entries that are required for FULL restore.

To enable saving the meta file archive (LIS/SGM/DB entries) on tape by default, set the global variable gv_conf_no_info_upload_sms to 0.

License

The new SEP sesam Unit license model (SEP sesam UNIT PURCHASE AND SUBSCRIPTION LICENSE) enables you to easily identify the license relevant Tier T1/T2/T3 Units, especially in Hyper-V Hypervisor environments. Contact our sales team for more details (sales@sep.de).

Improvements

  • SEP sesam settings: All available SEP sesam global variables are stored with default settings in the SEP sesam table defaults and can be configured in UI/Web UI. Note: Customers who use global variables must insert the specific GLBVs into table defaults before updating, otherwise they will be overwritten with the SEP sesam default settings.
  • Improved directory structure for LIS files: On the SEP sesam Server, LIS files are stored in the <SESAM_ROOT>/var/lis directory. Now, a sub-directory is created for every (Sesam) day. This significantly reduces the number of files in one directory, which can be difficult to handle and can slow down the file system operations. LIS files contain information about the backup's unique files, which is used by restore wizard to select and restore unique files. You can use the restore wizard also to check what was backed up.
  • Changes in CLI commands: sm_vmdk_interface is replaced by sm_mount and sm_data_store mount_saveset is replaced by sm_mount mount.
  • Backup and restore SSH/SSL private/public keypairs: SEP sesam database can now store the SEP sesam server key, the HTTPS certificate and other important private/public keypairs. In case of a disaster recovery, where the whole backup server needs to be restored from scratch, SEP sesam can recover these important keypairs directly from the restored SEP sesam database.
  • Immediate start: You can define a custom start time when you use immediate start option to override the scheduled start time for an event. In addition, immediate start option is supported for more results and tasks, and for schedules in Web UI.
Security
  • SEP sesam now supports HTTPS protocol for all control commands and network traffic. The HTTP and FTP interfaces can be switched off and all data traffic is performed over HTTPS interfaces. For more information see Disabling unsecure transport modes.
Restore Assistant (web)
  • Single File Restore for vSphere via attach: Attaching virtual disks via NFS is enabled for vSphere Single File Restore.
  • Lifetime (abort time) and Restore Task Name: Before starting restore, you can set the name for a restore task and define the time at which a (still running) restore task will get cancelled.
Web UI enhancements
  • Improvements to layout and navigation: Many improvements were made to enhance the user experience. The Sidebar Navigation is redesigned, dashboard is optimized and widgets can be configured, accessibility is improved, and new layout, colors and actions are configured for Notifications. More filters are available for searching and limiting displayed entries in table views, more information is available and presented in a more comprehensive and useful way.
  • Reports can be exported as HTML and PDF: HTML report can be opened in a new browser tab or window, where you can download it for easier viewing and printing. You can also generate the report in PDF format. The HTML to PDF export is performed by an external tool wkhtmltopdf which must be installed on the SEP sesam server. To activate the PDF export, add the full path to the wkhtmltopdf executable to the sm.ini file:
...
[UI]
html2pdf_converter=/usr/local/bin/wkhtmltopdf
...
  • New Active Jobs page with timeline: There is an additional timeline view to show active jobs. If there are no running jobs, the timeline shows the next four events. In addition, you can now view active sub-jobs in a backup details pop-up.
  • Restart failed jobs: You can restart failed migration parents, migrations, backups, and replications.
  • System Configuration: You can view, add, edit and delete system properties (DB-Defaults).
  • Licensing: In Server status details pop-up you can view License Terms, and upload and install a license file.
UI enhancements
  • Improvements to default layout and navigation: The Navigation Tree is redesigned to improve user experience when working with the SEP sesam. Default layout is optimized, design improvements bring better scaling on high resolution displays, and dark mode is now available. In addition, new informational messages (Tip of the Day) are shown at UI startup.
  • Saveset state: savesets have states that indicate health of the saveset (if the saveset is OK, incomplete or corrupted). The saveset state is presented in the relevant views together with backup state (previously, State).
  • Command definition and view: The dialog for configuring commands is improved and extended with an option to specify an abort command. The list of configured commands and command events is now available in Commands view.
  • Reset password: The old password is no longer required when superuser resets the password of any user, except superuser.
  • New exclude type for backup tasks (on Linux): To differentiate between files and directories a new regular expression based exclude type is provided for excluding items in a backup task.
  • Delete multiple events: You can now select and delete multiple events at the same time in the event list view.

New supported systems and integrations

Note
On RHEL 8.6 update the VDDK to version 7.0.3, otherwise you might experience problems with vSphere restore.
Microsoft Windows 11
SEP sesam Server 5.1.0 Apollon supports Microsoft Windows 11 (with BSR Windows Disaster Recovery).
Microsoft Windows Server 2022
SEP sesam Server 5.1.0 Apollon supports Microsoft Windows Server 2022 (with BSR Windows Disaster Recovery).
Proxmox 7.3
Introduced with Apollon in SEP sesam VM extensions.
vSphere 8
Introduced with Apollon in SEP sesam VM extensions.

For a complete list of supported OS and databases, see SEP sesam Support Matrix.

Fixes: SEP sesam Server 5.1.0 Apollon

Fixed with 5.1.0.5 Apollon:
SEP sesam since v. 5.1.0.2 - Hyper-V RCT INCR may run with wrong reference if previous Hyper-V backup failed or was aborted
Hyper-V may exhibit a backup issue where the timestamp for RCT backups may be set incorrectly if backup failed or was aborted, which can lead to an invalid backup chain. In such cases the subsequent INCR backups may reference the failed backup instead of the last successful backup.
Workaround: Start a FULL backup in case a FULL or INCR backup did not finish sucessfully. This will ensure that the backup timestamp is correctly set, preventing any further issues in the backup chain. It is also recommended to regularly test the validity of backups and monitor backup logs for any errors or anomalies.
Resolution: Fixed with 5.1.0.5.
  • Hyper-V restore and Hyper-V Mount and SFR restore
  • Restore of a sparse file bigger than 4GB gets stuck but destination file becomes larger and larger
  • (#32096) Update of client via Sesam server may fail because sub-processes are still running
  • (#32100) Web UI: Write correct target path for NDMP restore to original location
  • (#32035) NDMP generation restore of migrated saveset with one selected directory failed due to empty SEL file for FULL saveset
  • (#32035) NDMP restore failed because of spaces in name of the selected file or directory
  • (#32091) Nutanix VM mount failed

Known issues and limitations

Note
Antivirus programs may disrupt network communication and cause SEP sesam processes, such as backup and replication, to fail. One program that is known to cause SEP sesam processes to terminate is Sophos Firewall with IPS (Intrusion Prevention System) enabled. Make sure that there are no antivirus, firewall, IDS or IPS programs preventing interaction with SEP sesam.
5.1.0.x Apollon known issues:

Severity: MAJOR

Severity: NORMAL

SEP sesam v. 5.1.0.5 - (#32381) PostgreSQL startup failure after changing SEP sesam service user (Windows only)
By default, the SEP sesam service starts under the SYSTEM user account. At installation, postgreSQL database is set to start under this account. However, if the user name of the SEP sesam service is changed from SYSTEM (for example, to Administrator) after installation, PostgreSQL encounters startup issues and fails to start.
Changing the user name of the SEP sesam service affects the ownership and permissions of the PostgreSQL data directory, typically the db_pg folder. As a result, PostgreSQL is unable to access the necessary files and resources, causing failure to start up.
Solution: You can revert to the previous SEP sesam service account (SYSTEM), or change the ownership and permissions of the PostgreSQL data directory (db_pg folder) to the used SEP sesam service account user. In this case make sure you change ownership and permissions for subfolders and files as well (use Windows Explorer option Replace owner on subcontainers and objects). PostgreSQL regains the necessary access rights, enabling it to start successfully. Note that this workaround modifies the folder's ownership and permissions, so make sure that the used user account has appropriate privileges for managing the SEP sesam database.
SEP sesam v. 5.1.0.5 - (#32359) The GUI options for handling running events during NEWDAY are not functioning as intended
The functions of the two options for handling running events during NEWDAY have been inadvertently swapped, causing them to perform the opposite of their expected behavior. These two options can be found in Newday event Properties window, accessed from Main Selection -> Scheduling -> Schedules by double-clicking the Newday event (for more information see Newday Event).
Workaround: To achieve the desired behavior, select the opposite option of your intended action. For instance, if you want Newday to continue all running activities, select the option Cancel all running activities (and vice versa).
Resolution: SEP is working on this issue and will provide a fix as soon as possible.
SEP sesam v. 5.1.0.5 - (#32360) On the German GUI Client the default setting for deleting savesets after migration is set to ON
When creating a new migration task in German language version of the GUI, the option Nach erfolgreicher Migration löschen is by default set to An (Mit nächstem 'Bereinigen' löschen). This option can be found in Migration Task window, accessed from Main Selection -> Tasks -> Migration Tasks by clicking New Migration Task (for more information see Creating a Migration Task). Note that in the English version, this option is set to Off.
Workaround: When creating a new migration task, review and modify the setting for this option as required.
Resolution: SEP is working on this issue and will provide a fix as soon as possible.
SEP sesam v. 5.0.0.x – BSR Pro fails to update during silent SEP sesam update
BSR Pro is not updated when you update a SEP sesam Server, RDS or Client component including BSR in silent mode, e.g. via the powershell command line.
BSR Pro is installed with own MSI installer and cannot be included automatically in a chained installation. During a manual update using the installer EXE, or during the remote update installation via the SEP sesam GUI (sm_update_client) BSR Pro will be updated normally. During the silent installation the update of BSR Pro is not performed.
Workaround: Start a regular GUI-based update or use the SEP sesam GUI (sm_update_client), which includes updated version of BSR Pro.

Severity: MINOR

SEP sesam v. 5.1.0 – SEP sesam Wiki documentation update in progress
Major restructuring and rewriting of SEP sesam Wiki is in progress. The articles are in process of being moved and updated. Some links may be broken, some articles may not be available anymore, and some articles do not yet reflect current state.
Resolution: SEP is working on this issue and will bring the documention up to date as soon as possible.


Discontinued systems

Note
With Apollon release SEP sesam no longer supports Java JRE 1.8 release. During SEP sesam Server update, Java update to version 11 or higher is enforced. On RDS component, you have to upgrade Java to version 11 or higher manually.

If you are using Si3 or Si3-NG deduplication store, which require Java, update the Java version before updating the RDS component, otherwise Si3 might not start.

In SEP sesam Apollon, SEP announced that it would no longer support:

  • RHEL 7
  • Debian 9 (Stretch)
  • Windows 2012 R2

You can continue using the last available version of SEP sesam on these operating systems, but SEP AG no longer provides updates or fixes for the specified versions.

For SEP sesam Client versions, backward compatibility is maintained and the last available versions for a platform are continuously supported. On older platforms you can use older versions of SEP sesam Client component, but it is recommended to combine such clients with the latest versions of SEP sesam Server and RDS components.

For details on discontinued systems, see Unsupported OS. For a complete list of supported SEP sesam Clients, see SEP sesam Support Matrix.

End of maintenance and support

Obsolete SEP sesam Server versions

The following versions of SEP sesam are no longer supported:

For the list of all SEP sesam versions see SEP sesam Release Versions.

Change reports


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Any form of reproduction of the contents or parts of this manual is allowed only with the express written permission from SEP AG. When compiling and designing user documentation SEP AG uses great diligence and attempts to deliver accurate and correct information. However, SEP AG cannot issue a guarantee for the contents of this manual.
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