Supported Versions

Find out which releases of BRMS are supported

The current supported releases of BRMS are:

The overviews below highlight the features and enhancements that appeared in each release. For information about older BRMS releases, visit 

Release information about the latest releases and new PTFs can be found at IBM and at this location.

Version 7.5 Overview

New Features/Functionality

• The default authority for BRMS shipped functional usage is changing from default authority *ALLOWED to *DENIED. Use the SETUSRBRM command as a starting point to grant system operators and administrators access to BRMS functions and components. Then use the functional usage model to customize access by user.
• The default assigned to the database shipped with BRMS is changing from *PUBLIC *USE authority to *PUBLIC *EXCLUDE.
• The data authority for BRMS shipped flight recording is changing from data authority *RWX to *WX.
• BRMS is introducing SQL Service interfaces as a new way to view, order, and subset BRMS information.
• VTL iSCSI attached device support.
• New support for Ultrium 9 (LTO9) tape drives and media.

Enhancements to Backup and Restore

• The default for the Save Object using BRM (SAVBRM) command parameter Asynchronous bring (ASYNCBRING) is changing from *NO to *YES to match the SAV command default.
• Backup control group support for IFS backups using SAVACTOPT(*ALWCHKPWRT)and SAVACTOPT(*ALL).
• Backup control group entry support for Save active message queue library.
• RSTLIBBRM has been enhanced with the STRJRN() and SELECT() parameters.
• RSTOBJBRM has been enhanced with the STRJRN() parameter.

Enhancements to Media Service

• WRKMEDBRM has been enhanced to select multiple From locations and multiple Media class names.
• WRKMEDBRM has been enhanced to support OUTPUT(*OUTFILE)and OUTPUT(*OUTSTMF).
• The Work with Media using BRM (WRKMEDBRM) parameter Select volumes(TYPE) special value *BOTH has been removed and is replaced by special value *ALL.

Enhancements to Logging and Reporting

• Recovery report (QP1ARCY) steps have been enhanced to include cloud recovery support for Network Install Using Network File System(NFS) and using DSI VTL iSCSI attached devices.
• PRTRPTBRM has been enhanced with an EXPDATE() parameter to select which records to include in the report.
• DSPLOGBRM has been enhanced to support OUTPUT(*OUTFILE)and OUTPUT(*OUTSTMF).

Enhancements to BRMS Policies

• WRKPCYBRM *SYS option for BRMS to include all messages that occur during BRMS command processing in the BRMS log.
• WRKPCYBRM *RCY option for check the size of the restore.
• WRKPCYBRM *BKU option for automatic virtual volume attributes.
• The Work with Policies using BRM (WRKPCYBRM) TYPE(*BKU) default value for Asynchronous bring is changing from *NO to *YES to match the Save Object (SAV) command.

API and Exit Program Enhancements

• Reclaim Media (Q1ARCLMED) API gives users the ability to programmatically reclaim a single tape volume.
• Change Control Group Attributes (Q1ACHGCGA) API enables users to change programmatically the control group attributes.
• Control Group exit program support for new format BKUI0200.
• APIs have a default assigned functional authority of *DENIED.

Version 7.4 Overview

Enhancements

• Turn-key cloud control group deployment which allows customers to easily set up custom cloud control groups.
• Enable the green screen command to change control group attributes which were previously only available in the GUI.
• Backup for journaled objects changes is now the default setting: the default parameter value for SAVLIBBRM command has been changed to OBJJRN(*YES).
• New *OBJ list named QALLSPLF to backup all spooled files which improves restore performance.
• Support for the 3592-60F tape drive with *FMT3592A6 and FMT3592A6E densities.
• Enhanced log information: uses the system timestamp to preserve message order when messages are logged at the same second are displayed using DSPLOGBRM.

Version 7.3 Overview

BRMS Web Client

• Key panels converted to Dojo – better filtering and usability
• Multi-task navigational tree added to the main panel
• Improved backup list editing (sorting)
• Improved Include panel selection on “ok”
• Newer infrastructure support (Liberty)

BRMS Server

• PRTRPTBRM FROMSYS support w/help text
• INZBRM network checker options w/help text
• Modernization of Storage Tiering using BRMS Migration
• IFS lists supported
• SSD < HDD support
  
  

I-ASP support

• I-ASP can be marked migration eligible and support *LIB, *LNK, and *OBJ control group entries.
• Available in 7.2 using command:
  QSYS/CALL QBRM/Q1AOLD PARM('SETMGRELIG' 'asp-name' 'asp-class' 'Y')
• IFS Suport
• Migration (*MGR) list support for link lists (*LNK).
• Restriction: Only first level directory path names allowed. Example: ‘/dirName’
• Restriction:Only one directory entry allowed in an *LNK list.
• Restriction: IBM product directories (directories starting with /Q) not supported
  Non IBM product directories not supported:
  /
  /tmp
  /dev
  Directory tree contents must all be in the same file system.
• Displays *LNK list control group entry statistics as the Migration *LNK list name.
• Migration (*MGR) list support for object lists (*OBJ).
• Moves objects within same ASP or IASP. (Solid state disk storage support - SSD)
• Restriction: Specific library names (special values and generics not supported)
• Restriction: Only supports DB files (Object type *FILE and Object Attribute PF or LF) Specific member names (no generics)
• Displays *OBJ list control group entry statistics on first line.
• Breaks out individual objects from the migration object list.
• CHGMEDBRM movement support of 1 volume with help text.
• SAVBRM now supports Pattern parm.

Version 7.2 Overview

Enterprise

BRMS Enterprise allows administrators to monitor backup operations for their BRMS systems from a central site called an Enterprise Hub. The systems being monitored by the Hub are called Enterprise Nodes. The Enterprise Network is comprised of Nodes that can be stand-alone BRMS systems, part of a BRMS Network or any combination of stand-alone and BRMS Networked systems. Configuration and management of the Nodes are handled through the Hub and does not impact the existing operations of traditional BRMS Networks.

The Hub can monitor Node backup activity in several ways:

• Reporting
  • Reports generated by BRMS commands
    • Display Log for BRM (DSPLOGBRM)
    • Print Report using BRM (PRTRPTBRM)
    • Start Maintenance for BRM (STRMNTBRM)
    • Start Recovery using BRM (STRRCYBRM)
  • Manually run or scheduled
  • Store on the Hub
  • Optionally stored on the Node  
  • Email
  • Email notifications for report errors
• Display status for backup control group runs
• Display connectivity status
• Display and filter the BRMS log

Enterprise function that is not available in IBM i 7.1 PTFs:

• Auto refresh of the Hub’s node status (dashboard)
• Failed Control Group View to identify backup problems faster
• Q1ABRMENT subsystem that runs Enterprise function independent of the traditional Q1ABRMNET subsystem

IBM Navigator for i enhancements

• Redesigned how policies are handled by IBM Navigator for i to be more consistent with green screen. 
• The global policy properties panel has been redefined with the following panels:
  • Archive policy (*ARCPCY)
  • Backup policy (*BKUPCY)
  • Recovery policy (*RCYPCY)
  • Retrieve policy (*RTVPCY)
  • System policy (*SYSPCY)
• Property panels will display values resolved from policies
• Auxiliary storage pools (ASP) can be used for object selection in Control Group and Save Item wizards
• Media pool (class) can be updated on the Volume Properties screen
• All objects from a library can be omitted from a backup
• Support manual and scheduled movement of media
• Confirmation message on the Add Media Wizard
• All save history can be marked for duplication
• Support right-to-left languages for reports

Backup enhancements

• Allow setting spool file expiration dates during backups
• BRMS object lists indicate whether to include or exclude objects during backups
• BRMS object lists can select objects using the object attribute
• Support the Asynchronous bring (ASYNCBRING) parameter on integrated file system backups to improve performance
• Support the Abnormal end delay time (ABNENDDLY) parameter on End Subsystem (ENDSBS) to force restricted state
• Support the Queue data (QDTA) parameter to backup the contents of queue objects
• Support the Sort by (SORT) parameter to allow sorting backups by library size
• Support the Update history (UPDHST) parameter to prevent object updates during backups
• Use creation date for incremental backups of spooled files
• Online domino backups with new Weekly Activity types
• Control groups defined for parallel backup operations will dynamically change to serial backups for control group entries that require serial backups
• Support auxiliary storage pool (ASP) value * for backup operations, * includes the system ASP, user ASPs and independent ASPs in the current job’s ASP group
• Allow retry of backups to Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) when TSM failures occur
• Automatically IPL the system if subsystems cannot be started after a restricted state backup
• Allow auto-restart when Start Backup using BRM (STRBKUBRM) ends abnormally
• Support media and save item expiration dates after the year 2038
• Enhanced tape library selection based on resources and media
• Support saving to save files located on independent storage pools (IASP)
• Automatically omit system libraries QPTFOBJ1 and QPTFOBJ2 from backups

Recovery enhancements

• Support the Restore list of libraries  (RSTLST) parameter on the Restore Library using BRM (RSTLIBBRM) command to restore objects using a BRMS object list
• Support the Show deleted libraries (SHWDTLLIB) parameter on the Start Recovery using BRM (STRRCYBRM) command to omit deleted libraries from recovery report
• Support the List (LIST) parameter on the Restore Object using BRM (RSTBRM) command to restore objects using names contained in a stream file generated by a Domino Server for Domino Attached and Object Service (DAOS)  objects
• Support the Volume summary order (VOLSUMORD) parameter on the Start Recovery using BRM (STRRCYBRM) command to sort volumes based on create date
• Support up to 12 parallel media files for fast positioning during restores, only 4 are supported in releases prior to IBM i 7.2
• Information added to the recovery report for the Update TCP/IP Information (UPDTCPINF) command
• Information added to the recovery report for the Configure Device ASP (CFGDEVASP) command
• Information added to the recovery report for  turning off Flashcopy

Media services enhancements

• Volume selection reuses media more efficiently
• Support *RESET as a Duration in a move sequence for a move policy to reset the move pattern to the first move sequence when new data is written to the media
• Support multiple values for the From location (LOC) parameter on the Move Media using BRM (MOVMEDBRM)  command to process movement for more than one location
• Support the Submit batch options (SBMOPT) parameter on the Duplicate Media using BRM (DUPMEDBRM) command to run media duplication in batch and indicate the number of media files to be produced
• Support the Data compaction (COMPACT) parameter on the Duplicate Media using BRM (DUPMEDBRM) command to indicate whether data compaction should be used on target media
• Support generic names for the File group (FILEGRP) parameter on the Duplicate Media using BRM (DUPMEDBRM) command
• Increase the number of volumes to 1000 for message BRM1553 sent from the Duplicate Media using BRM (DUPMEDBRM) command
• Support of LTO5 and LTO6 tape devices
• Support of Virtual Optical Library
• Support the Move marked for duplication field for move policies to allow media that is marked for duplication to be moved
• Support the Initialize media on expiration field for media classes to indicate that media should be initialized after it is expired, this is particularly useful for virtual media technologies so that storage can be freed when media is not being used
• After a response is provided for an inquiry message, tape media that was previously rejected by the job will be available for selection

BRMS network enhancements

• Support the Relational database (*RDB) value for the Communication method field in the network policy network group, this allows Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDN) to be used for BRMS communications through RDB entries
• Formatting improvements to the report generated by the Audit system media (AUDSYSMED) parameter on the Start Maintenance for BRM (STRMNTBRM) command

Install enhancements

• Performance improvements to the *RUNPRDINZ value for the Option (OPTION) parameter on the Initialize BRMS (INZBRM) command

Maintenance enhancements

• Support more specific object level detail for the Remove media information (RMVMEDI) parameter on the Start Maintenance for BRM (STRMNTBRM) command and the Object level detail (OBJDTL) parameter on the Remove Media Info from BRM (RMVMEDIBRM) command
• Change media owner for expired media when the owning system is not in the BRMS network
• Support the *BATCH value for the Reorganize BRMS database (RGZBRMDB) parameter on the Start Maintenance for BRM (STRMNTBRM) command to improve STRMNTBRM performance

Miscellaneous enhancements

• Support in system policy to control flight recorder size for first failure data capture.
• Support the BRMS flight recorder size field in the system policy to aid with BRMS problem determination
• Support *CTLGRPSTAT value for the Report type (TYPE) parameter on the Print Report using BRM (PRTRPTBRM) command for additional backup report information
• Enhance the Display ASP Information (DSPASPBRM) and Work ASP Information (WRKASPBRM) commands to indicate that independent auxiliary storage pool (IASP) information is unknown, if an IASP is varied off.