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IT22689: UPGRADING BOTH CLIENT AND SERVER TO EITHER 718 OR 812 MAY RESULTIN SSL INITIALIZATION FAILURE WHEN USING MD5 TYPE CERTIFICATES

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APAR status

  • Closed as program error.

Error description

  • The scenario can happen as follows: the user is using old MD5
    certificates and they upgrade both the client and Server
    to either 7.1.8 or 8.1.2. Since 7.1.8 and 8.1.2 Server now
    require TLS 1.2 or later, but client still has the MD5
    certificate,
    the client will initialize a TLS connection using TLS 1.1
    protocol, thus TLS handshake fails. Then a very generic
    error message is given that SSL could not be initialized.
    

Local fix

Problem summary

  • ****************************************************************
    * USERS AFFECTED:                                              *
    * Backup-archive client version 7.1.8 and 8.1.2 running on all *
    * platforms and trying to establish an SSL connection to a     *
    * newly upgraded Spectrum Protect Server 7.1.8 or 8.1.2        *
    ****************************************************************
    * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:                                         *
    * The problem is that we don't have a good error message       *
    * explaining a TLS protocol mismatch between the client and    *
    * the Server.                                                  *
    * Currently we only display and log the following error        *
    * message:                                                     *
    * ANS1592E Failed to initialize SSL protocol.                  *
    *                                                              *
    * If the Backup-archive is already setup to use SSL            *
    * communication with the Spectrum Protect Server using MD5     *
    * type certificates, and both the Backup-archive client and    *
    * Server are upgraded to either 7.1.8 or 8.1.2, the connection *
    * will failed with the error indicated above. Instead it       *
    * should fail with a better message explaining  the error.     *
    * Something like:                                              *
    * ANS2027E GSKit function gsk_secure_soc_init failed with 410: *
    * During the SSL/TLS handshake, the client could not agree on  *
    * a supported SSL/TLS protocol version to use with server.     *
    * GSK_ERROR_BAD_MESSAGE                                        *
    *                                                              *
    * This new error message will provide better indication that   *
    * the client and server could not establish agreement on an    *
    * SSL/TLS protocol, Thus indicating to the user that they need *
    * to update their certificates.                                *
    ****************************************************************
    * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
    * Apply fixing level when available. This problem is currently *
    * projected to be fixed in 8.1.4.                              *
    * Note that this is subject to change at the discretion of     *
    * IBM.                                                         *
    ****************************************************************
    

Problem conclusion

  • A better message will be displayed if client and server cannot
    agree on SSL/TLS protocol.
    

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

  • APAR number

    IT22689

  • Reported component name

    TSM FOR VE DP V

  • Reported component ID

    5725TVEVM

  • Reported release

    71W

  • Status

    CLOSED PER

  • PE

    NoPE

  • HIPER

    NoHIPER

  • Special Attention

    NoSpecatt / Xsystem

  • Submitted date

    2017-10-05

  • Closed date

    2017-10-23

  • Last modified date

    2017-10-23

  • APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

  • APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Fix information

  • Fixed component name

    TSM CLIENT

  • Fixed component ID

    5698ISMCL

Applicable component levels

  • R71W PSY

       UP

[{"Business Unit":{"code":"BU058","label":"IBM Infrastructure w\/TPS"},"Product":{"code":"SSGSG7","label":"Tivoli Storage Manager"},"Platform":[{"code":"PF025","label":"Platform Independent"}],"Version":"71W","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB26","label":"Storage"}}]

Document Information

Modified date:
08 January 2022