A backup solution??

[someone_4]

I am looking for a backup solution. I would like to back up the OS and Informix.
I would also like to back up the files that are on the OS. My goal is if my entire system
goes down and the OS is corrupted that I can recover and have it right back how it was. I am running HPUX 11.0. And I do not have take drives attached. I would like to back up over a network.
Thanks

[Dan Hetzel · Accepted solution]

Hi Richard,

The best way to bring your system back quickly is with a recovery tape.
This tape may include the totality of your root volume group.

The command to create that tape is:
/opt/ignite/bin/make_recovery -AC -d /dev/rmt/xxx

Once that tape is created, you may use any backup software for the non-root volume groups: fbackup, Omniback, Networker...

See manpage of make_recovery for more information.

Best regards,

Dan

PS: You'll have to install Ignite to have the make_recovery executable, it's on your application CD.

[James R. Ferguson]

Richard:

Dan is certainly correct. Ignite make_recovery tapes are intended for recovering your O/S.

Note carefully that a NO-REWIND tape device file is required -- /dev/rmt/0mn by default. This is easy to overlook.

Also, note that full Ignite documentation and CURRENT software can be obtained at the Ignite web site:

http://www.software.hp.com/products/IUX/index.html

Be sure to choose the version of Ignite that is correct for your OS version. Ignite version "A" runs on 10.20; version "B" runs on 11.x but services both 10.x and 11.x.

...JRF...

[Patrick Wallek]

In this situation, since you don't have any tape drives attached, you could set up a different HP machine as an Ignite/UX server and do a make_net_recovery of you Informix server. I would do this for your VG00 volume group.

As for your Informix database, there are numerous backup packages on the market that will allow you to backup over the network. HP OmniBack, Legato Networker, Sterling Software (now Computer Associates, I think) SAMS:Alexandria, Veritas (I can't remember the name of theirs). The best way is to just go to all of these companies web sites and investigate each product to see which best fits your needs. Most of these guys probably have products that can do HOT backups of your Informix database as well. Otherwise, you will want to make sure your database is shutdown when you do the backup so that you get a consistent backup that you can actually restore from.

[Darrel Louis]

Hi,

As some already mentioned, If you want to backup Informix over the Network, ontape won't be the preferable solution.
So Either need to look for a product like Omniback.

See the following url for info:
Info regarding Integration,
http://www.openview.hp.com/products/omniback/Documents/Product_HTML-153.asp

Omniback Manuals,
http://ovweb.external.hp.com/lpe/doc_serv/

Omniback you can also use for filesystem backups.
If you want a full recovery of a System.
- Use Ignite to create a recovery tape.
Install Omniback in /dev/vg00, so that when you recover the system, omniback can be recovered via the Ignite tape.

Good Luck

Darrel

[Shannon Petry]

As people have said, there are two products you need. Your concerns have to approached at 2 angles.

1. OS Backup/Recovery
Can be handled by Ignite, or mirroring disks manually. Ignite is supported by HP-UX 100%. Works extremely well, backup from 1 or multiple DDS 4MM tapes. Most importantly it's FREE!
(Last I created, ignite required DDS1 No rewind device only. NO 8MM, NO DLT!!!!!)
perhaps this is changed....
The only other method would be disk/duping. Depending on the size of the disk may not work.

2. Data/Database Backup/Recovery

There are several choices. Omniback works very well, and I find it the most "windows like" so users dont have too much difficulty.
TIVOLI (IBM), Legatto (Networker/Sun), ARC Serve are a few of the other choices. All of these Backup and Recovery applications work on virtually all OS's (UNIX and Windblows), have utilities for backup of open files/databases, can use remote and local devices, batch mode, etc....All come with a descent price tag to boot!
Really it boils down to what you get accustomed to using. I know people (real cheap) that use tar to backup everything and are more than happy with it. the big-shots dont like the fact that they dont get pretty graphs to look at, but.......


Anyway Hope it helps!

Regards,
Shannon

[Patrick Wallek]

If I were you I would seriously consider getting some sort of tape drive that you can install locally on your machine. Ignite-UX will work with DLT (4000 and 7000 - I don't know about 8000) and DDS1, DDS2, DDS3 and probably DDS4, but I don't know for sure.

Haveing a tape drive locally will aid significantly in your backup/recovery efforts. Ignite works pretty well over the network with the make_net_recovery, but it works even better if you just create a tape, then you can boot from that tape and restore your system if it ever crashes.

The local tape drive would be money well spent.

Any backup you do over the network will be slow. Hopefully you have a 100 Mbit interface and aren't running 10Mb. If you are running 10 Mb, performance will be even worse.

When you back up over the network, if you are just backing up one machine then you have the problem of not being able to throw enough data at the tape drive to keep it running along smoothly. This can be especially bad with DLT tape since they run at such a high speed. If they have to stop and rewind often because there isn't enough data to keep it happy, then your performance really slows down.

Just some things to keep in mind.