With the release of TSM 6.2.2, IBM has focused on the following four areas:

VMware

The TSM Backup-Archive client already supports multiple ways of protecting VM environments, including in guest (TSM, TSM Fastback and Tivoli Storage FlashCopy Manager), Console and VCB.  Earlier in 2010 we expanded our "proxy based" backup support to utilize VMware vStorage APIs for file level backup with file level recovery through the Backup-Archive client.  Now with TSM v6.2.2 you can utilize VMware vStorage APIs for Data Protection for image-level backup and recovery.

nSeries

TSM 6 introduced support for the Snapshot Differencing API for very efficient file level backups of nSeries or NetApp filers with very large file systems. With version 6.2.2 the Snapshot Differencing API support has been extended and now includes support for Unicode file names and the Linux Backup-Archive  client.

Support for ASR

Automated System Recovery is now supported on Windows 2008, Vista and Windows 7 with version 6.2.2 of TSM.  The ASR process allows restoring the system disks (usually the C: drive) including the Windows files, all Registry settings and all user programs and data, allowing  recovery of a completely crashed system without having to use the original operating system installation media.

High Availability Disaster Recovery for TSM environments.

TSM 6.2.2 now provides the ability to coordinate data replication offsite using a copy storage pool and near real time replication of TSM's database utilizing DB2's HADR capabilities (additional DB2 licensing might be required). This allows customers to have a secondary online copy of TSM's data at a remote site. This remote site can be utilized in disaster recovery scenarios to quickly start recovering an environment. For more details please refer to the wiki here

Other features include

Increased the deduplicated object size limit from 750 GB to 1 TB on the client, and 2 TB on the server.

Other notes regarding TSM for Virtual Environments

Over the last couple of months we have seen tremendous interest in our new TSM for Virtual Environments offering. Dozens of customers have participated in the EAP programs and the proposed beta program is almost full. Considering the warm response, we have decided to extend our testing/beta cycles to ensure that the code meets IBM's quality standards and the expectations of our customers. We have postponed the GA date from the last quarter of 2010 to the first quarter of 2011. Please note that we still intend to release vStorage API support in the standard backup archive client in 4Q/10 (see information above).

This means that the standard TSM backup client will have full support for various VMware backup capabilities by the end of 2010 (in-guest backup, on host backup, VCB and vStorage API support) and the advanced backup & recovery options will be released early in 2011.

For further information regarding the beta program for TSM for Virtual Environments which will be available early in 2011, please contact: Mary Anne Filosa