Tag: backup

How do I schedule a nightly tape backup on AIX?

Traditional tape backups are kicked off by the Eclipse phantom scheduler. The SYS.BACKUP.DVR phantom itself simply executes the /bin/save script, which in turn performs the backup routine and returns a status to Eclipse.

To view/change the nightly backup phantom that runs from within Eclipse:

  • <F2> for System
  • <ALT><A> for Phantom Status
  • <ALT><E> for Schedule
  • Press <Enter> to view all phantoms for all user IDs
  • Select the “System Backup” phantom and press <ALT><E> to Edit
  • When you’ve made the appropriate modifications, press <ESC> to save and exit
For Linux systems, we recommend that you schedule the tape backup and snapshot script simultaneously via crontab, as detailed in this KB article.

What is the procedure to restore an Eclipse database server?

If the need arises to restore the Eclipse database, we recommend following the general procedure below:

  • Whenever possible, backup the existing system
  • Whenever possible, move the existing /u2 filesystems to a new location and create new /u2 filesystems
  • Restore the database filesystems
  • Start the UniVerse database, SYSTEM.ADMIN and JBoss application server

If the need arises to restore an Eclipse database server from bare metal, we recommend following the general procedure below:

  • Install the OS (Red Hat Enterprise Linux or AIX) using the DVD media
  • Configure the OS for use with Eclipse
  • Restore the OS configuration files (i.e. users, printers, email relay configuration, etc.)
  • Install and configure the UniVerse database and VSIFAX
  • Restore the Eclipse filesystems (/u2/eclipse, /u2/pdw, etc.)

What is ABS?

The Epicor Automated Backup Solution (ABS) uses CrashPlan PRO to product Eclipse customers with data backup both on-site and at a secure off-site location. The ABS Failover offering utilizes this off-site backup to offer hosting for customers a disaster situation.

The product is currently available for Eclipse Customers running Linux and Windows servers. The ABS software is installed and configured by Epicor.

There are three levels of backup for the ABS product:

  • Tier 1 – CrashPlan PRO software alone offers the ability for local backup copies within the customer network
  • Tier 2 – ABS Off-Site Backup: adds the protection of a secure, off-site backup
  • Tier 3 – ABS Failover: adds the ability to failover to Epicor’s hosting environment

The CrashPlan PRO software used by ABS offers:

  • Local or off-site data backup storage in a secure location
  • Byte differential backups, using compression and de-duplication for efficient transportation and archiving
  • Incremental, backup versions
  • Email backup alerts and reports
  • Data is encrypted during transport and backend storage
  • Failover for Epicor Eclipse systems (Eclipse Database, Forms, Imaging and Internet Gateway servers)

Contact your inside sales representative for more information and pricing.

How do I run a manual data backup in AIX?

Sometimes it is useful to run a manual backup outside of the normal schedule:

The validity of the data backup is determined by the state at which the database was backed up. If your system uses a snapshot-based backup script, the backup can be run at any point in the day — regardless of system activity. If you are not using a snapshot-based backup, you must ensure there are no user or phantom processes running on the system.
To run the backup process in foreground:
  • Log in as root
  • At the root prompt (#), run:
/bin/save
  • When the backup has completed, you will return to the root prompt (#)

 

To run the backup process in background:

  • Log in as root
  • At the root prompt (#), run:
at now
/bin/save
  • Hold Control and d (Ctr-d) to submit the background job
  • Review the /tmp/backup* files to check the backup status

 

How do I troubleshoot tape drive errors on my AIX server?

Most tape drive errors are caused by defective media or dirty read/write heads. Here are a few simple steps that IBM provides to rule out these potential problems:

  1. Run a non-expired cleaning cartridge through the cleaning cycle three times
  2. Place a brand new tape in the drive
  3. Run a manual backup or wait for the next automatic backup to occur
  4. If errors persist, contact IBM for service