MQSeries.net :: View topic - RFE - Allow sftp as destination option for secure-backups

PeterPotkay

This RFE became eligible for reconsideration today, so I resubmitted it. The reason for the rejection was something along the lines of "that's not how it works". Well duh, that's why I am opening an RFE and not a PMR.

Please vote at the following link if you think its a good idea.
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/rfe/execute?use_case=viewRfe&CR_ID=67179

Description:
The secure-backup command doesn't allow sftp as an destination, only regular ftp. Its seems odd that a *secure* backup only offers "unsecure" regular ftp and not sftp as an option.

This Request For Enhanacement is for a way to specify sftp as the destination for secure-backups.

I understand the secure backup files are already encrypted, so the need to use sftp may be consider excessive, however the issue is that plain ftp is not allowed or enabled on our servers - we must use sftp.

While there are methods of using SFTP (FTP to a MPGW with a SFTP backend, or, produce the backup files locally, then use the copy command which does allow sftp, then delete the local copies), these alternate solutions require additional steps/objects which adds complexity to the solution. We need an option take secure backups with SFTP protocol the same way that the regular backup command allows sftp as an option for the destination.

Use case:
We are using a script on a central Linux server to ssh to all our Datapower appliances to execute secure-backups via the Command Line Interface. Without sftp as an option our script needs the extra steps of sending the backup to the temp directory, using the copy command which does allow sftp and then using the delete command to clean up the files from the temp directory. Since there are multiple potential files that result from a secure backup, that is multiple copy commands and multiple delete commands. It also assumes the list of files doesn't change. If secure-backup allowed sftp, it would eliminate this extra complexity and maintenance concern (how do we know the next Firware release doesn't introduce new files to the secure backup, that we then have to code copy and delete commands for?)
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Peter Potkay
Keep Calm and MQ On