topic Re: DFM release Question in Active IQ Unified Manager Discussions

DFM release Question

hheuze — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 07:20:53 GMT

Hi All,

I have recommended to a customer using a DFM/OM server for monitoring and another DFM/OM/PM server for Protection Manager backup / restore.
I would like to know if these two activities Monitoring and Backup / Restore must have the same version of DFM?

ie: a fasX can be managed with a DFM 3.6/3.7 for monitoring and a DFM 3.8.1 or 4.0 for Backup / Restore

The underlying question is do we have to align DFM version for monitoring and backup/restore operation?
I suppose no, but after checking our doc, unfortunately we found nothing on this topic.

Thanks for your help.

Regards,

Hugues

Re: DFM release Question

adaikkap — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:15:51 GMT

Hi Hugues,

What is the basis of recommending two different DFM versions for monitoring and Backup/Restore.

Infact Backup/Restore depends upon monitoring.

Moreover huge improvment/features are added in 3.8.1/4.0 with respect to monitoring/Backup/Restore.

Regards

adai

Re: DFM release Question

smoot — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:41:29 GMT

There's no reason I know of to need the same DFM versions. Since the monitoring DFM station is only reading data from the storage systems, it ought not cause any issues.

OTOH, it seems it would make your life simpler to use the same version everywhere, unless you're trying to avoid a bug we introduced in the more recent release. 3.8.1 should be very solid -- I don't know of any serious issues with it. You should strongly consider upgrading your monitoring system to 3.8.1.

-- Pete

Re: DFM release Question

RichardSopp — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:48:06 GMT

I'm seeing lots of talk about 3.8.1 but it's not currently available via the NOW site.

Does all this talk about 3.8.1 imply its arrival is imminent?

Re: DFM release Question

smoot — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:05:17 GMT

Hi Richard --

Sorry to get your heart racing. 3.8.1 is relatively imminent, but I don't know the actual planned release date.

Let me put it this way: I can't get bug fixes into 3.8.1 any more because it's too close to the end of it's test phase. But since we want this to be a GA release, the release team is being very careful what they let in and making sure they extensively test to avoid any regressions. The sad, sorry truth of software "engineering" is you add one new bug for every two you fix :-(.

-- Pete

Re: DFM release Question

hheuze — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:26:22 GMT

Thanks all for your answers.

What I understand:

- having the same DFM release is not mandatory but recommended

In my case, my customer already have 2 DFM servers running on Solaris.

We are bulding a backup infrastructure based on snapVault and Protection Manager

--> target release for production: 4.0

It was the reason for my request, the customer doesn't target to update DFM and buy 2 new servers for replacing the 2 Solaris.

Thanks to confirm me everything is OK

Regards,

Hugues

Re: DFM release Question

RichardSopp — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:10:06 GMT

Hi Hugues,

I hope you're aware that as of DFM 3.8 there is no longer support for Solaris.

You should keep that in mind when planning a solution based around 4.0.

Richard

Re: DFM release Question

hheuze — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:36:01 GMT

Absolutely Richard,

It's the reason why my customer want to manager 2 DFM release:

- 1 based on Solaris server for monitoring

- 1 based on Windows MCSC for backup with PM

Thanks,

Hugues

Re: DFM release Question

adaikkap — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 03:55:57 GMT

Also keep in mind solaris is the slowest of all three OS flavours DFM supports.

Regards

adai

Re: DFM release Question

RichardSopp — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 04:27:08 GMT

Just out of interest what is considered the fastest of the three OS flavours?

Re: DFM release Question

soehlig — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 04:30:32 GMT

Is what you are saying that your customer wants to run an older version of DFM on Solaris and then run a newer version on Windows with MSCS support?

If that is the case, you would be better off to have them run the latest version from one OS Platform - either Linux or Windows.

You are just looking for trouble if you want to try and run to different versions on two different platforms.

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Re: DFM release Question

adaikkap — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 04:50:47 GMT

IIRC Linux and Windows are equally good.

regards

adai