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IMC server + DB server Backup

 
kuda
Occasional Contributor

IMC server + DB server Backup

 Hi IMC community,

 

I am struggling with a backup of IMC server and its database (external mysql). I would like to follow some guide that makes sense but unfortunately I was not able to find any info that could help me.

Can anyone point me to the right direction when:

1) I want to backup local IMC filesystem and copy it to a cifs share .. (once a week via cron)  .. kind of cli based "backup.bat"

2) I want to backup IMC's db's from MySQL server (I hope mysqldump is possible) (once a week via cron)

 

Both servers (IMC and db) are physical ones. Thank you for hints.

 

Br p.

7 REPLIES 7
LindsayHill
Honored Contributor

Re: IMC server + DB server Backup

Check the install guide for a Centralised Install with Remote DB http://h20565.www2.hp.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?sp4ts.oid=4176535&docId=emr_na-c04465179&docLocale=en_US

 

In chapter 10, it covers how to do a backup. This will backup everything that you need - customised config files + DB contents.

 

Does that help?

 

PS Why still using physical servers?

kuda
Occasional Contributor

Re: IMC server + DB server Backup

Hi Lindsay,

 

I really appreciate your feedback. I have read that document several times (in various modifications). The problem is that people who have written it don't seem to have any linux knowledge - yet, they are trying to write about it. In chapter 10 (page 82,83) they suggest copying of dbman files to database server, set some envir.variable (linux case) and start it. The guide shows how to start it on Windows server but dbman.exe is win-exe file and it won't work in linux.

They suggest to do the same (start dbman.exe (there is no other bin file one could use in linux)) in the tab that pops up when clicking on "configure" (backup) in IDMAgent.

 

From readme_EN.txt (placed in dbman dir):

 

3. When the database is deployed in distributed mode and uses a separate server,
    to back up the databases, perform the following configurations:
    a) On the intelligent deployment monitoring agent of each IMC server,
        select the Environment tab, and click Configure to configure backup parameters.
        After completing the configuration, click OK to generate configuration files.
    b) Copy the dbman folder in the IMC installation directory of the primary server to the same position of the database server.
    c) Copy all the files in the iMC/dbman/etc directory of each secondary server to the same position of the database server.
        However, before copying these files, you must rename each dbman.conf file as dbman.partn.conf,
        where n is a random number and must be different from that of any other secondary server.
    d) Run dbman through the CLI.

 

BTW: I began to work in a company and I got those 2 physical servers as resources I can work with. Moreover HP recommends using of physical HW when running heavier db (like IMC), please check the document you've send me - chapter 2 (page 6-8), on page 9 one can read "HP recommends installing IMC on a physical server."

 

Best regards p.

LindsayHill
Honored Contributor

Re: IMC server + DB server Backup

Ach, sorry, you're right - that doc is too Windows-focused. I'll see if I can dig up something that covers the Linux side better.

 

PS That stuff in the doc about installing on physical servers is the sort of thing people wrote 5-10 years ago...I think they just haven't caught up with the times. Even going to a single VM on a server gives you so many more benefits - e.g. easy migration/upgrade, etc.

kuda
Occasional Contributor

Re: IMC server + DB server Backup

Well, I don't really think that document should be more "pro-linux". The problem is that IMC documents are full of nonsenses, as also Lindsay pointing out ...

NeilR
Esteemed Contributor

Re: IMC server + DB server Backup

I agree about the documentation - its only a starting point for experimentation to determine how it really works.

 

I'm running on windows, but my current understanding of the backup feature in the IMC deployment agent is that its primarily for backing up to a standby IMC server for stateless failover. 

 

I tried gettting it do automatic backups locally. But for automatic it wants to send the backup by default to an FTP server on the standby machine.

 

I guess you could setup an FTP account and just not have a standby server. IMC does somehow tell the standby server to restore the files sent by FTP onto the second machine. I saw somehwere a mod to make it work with a shared CIFS directory.

 

I'm also running fine on VMware and agree its the way to go - for one thing you can snapshot the enitre VM and roll back if some update did not run properly. 

 

My suggestion - apologies as it doesn't really address your original issue and don't know size of your environment - is to take your two pieces of hardware, run vmware on each, and create a local IMC/DB primary on one system and a stateless backup on the 2nd one.

 

The backup uses the primary license so no extra IMC license needed.

 

The vmware layer won't add too much overhead and you'll get some extra managability out of it.

 

The secondary can function if the primary is out, as it can authenticate users, recieve alarms etc, just can't change anything. If you have questions about setup let me know.

kuda
Occasional Contributor

Re: IMC server + DB server Backup

Thank all for replies and recommendations. Yes, I was thinking about "virt" ... I am not a fan of proprietary solutions like M$, VMware and others (so I always try to think "open" ... e.g. KVM/Proxmox/OpenStack).

 

@NeilR: I'm running on windows, but my current understanding of the backup feature in the IMC deployment agent is that its primarily for backing up to a standby IMC server for stateless failover. 

 

... perhaps you are right, but still ... if you have MySQL backend running on linux, you won't be able to take any backup as this operation heavily depends on dbman (in HP world) and I have not been able to find out how to run it under linux based servers.

 

I agree that virtualization is the way to go, one can use other kinds of backup (snapshots, clones etc.).

 

I have learned that HP products are poorly documented which is really sad because I don't think HP products are as bad as HP documentation.

 

Have a nice weekend!

raf2
Frequent Advisor

Re: IMC server + DB server Backup

That is the one thing that saves HP's bacon.. there products are usually much better than their documentation and their support services including their web site. I do find things slowly starting to improve though. Fingers crossed.