New Client Option to force backup by file attribute change

Configuration:

Linux/UNIX Filesystem B/A Client

Problem:

After a chmod or chown command on a file, it is not possible to go back to the state before customers change when a new file backup was made.

Because only the attribute in the DB was changed and there is no new backup version for the file. There is only one inventory attribute field per file version stored in the database.

If a customer makes a chmod or chown over several files and this is discovered after the next incremental, the files can no longer be restored with the file permission/attribute before customers change.

Impact:

This can lead to large disturbances since all files must be adapted manually. We can no longer restore the state for the customer with the correct permission or attributes.

Solution:

Create a new B/A client option, which determines whether the file will be backuped or only metadata update is made.

With this B/A Client option the customer can force a file backup even only the file attributes has changed.

The customer can control if he wants a large number of new file versions or if this is undesired and therefore only the new attributes are saved.

With a B/A ClientOption different clients can be treated differently.

Client Option (Proposal):

ForceBackupByChangeAttr = yes (default is no)

Affected attributes:

Backup the File instead of only Metadata Update. See at link below for further information.

IBM Information:

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/407655