Full Backup or Ignite Backup

[Mohammad Kaleem]

We have four volume group (vg00, vg01, vg02, vg03) on N & K-Class servers. I took a full backup with the following command.
#fbackup -f /dev/rmt/0m -0i /
and ignite backup with the command..
#make_recovery -AvCi -d /dev/rmt/0m

In order to restore full backup. I booted system with Ignite backup and when I tried to restore the full backup its failed with error volume group not found because Ignite tape created only vg00 not other volume group (vg01,vg02...). I created voulme group manually and able to restore the full backup.

I would appreciate if some can answer my following queries.

1- How can I re-store full backup without creating volume group manually?

2- Can ignite take the backup of all volume group?

3- Does fullbackup or Ignite take a backup of raw devices?

Thanks and best regards,

Mohammad

[RAC_1]

ignite will take the backup of vg00 only by default. you will have to specify volume groups you want backup on command line
check make_tape_recovery

check -x option to inclue/exclude what you want.

[Leif Halvarsson_2]

Hi
In normal cases Ignite will restore the volume group configuration as it was backed up, something must have gone wrong in your case. I use a Ignite server but I dont think there is any difference with this if using tape.

Raw devices (as far as I know) can't be backed up with fbackup or Ignite. You have to use dd or some other tool (for example OmniBack).

[john korterman]

Hi Mohammad,
a small but important detail: your ignite backup is not OK - it requires that you use the non-rewinding device.

regards,
John K.

[Matt Walker_1 · Accepted solution]

The whole pupose of ignite is to get you up and going with your base OS, aka vg00. It is not meant to be a complete backup strategy unto itself. I would write a script that would build the volume groups and logical volumes for you, then you could get away with doing the following:

1) Perform ignite recovery.
2) Execute script to build VGs and LVs.
3) Perform frecover.
4) Go have a beer while you waite on the restore. :)

[Deshpande Prashant]

HI
You may use the make_tape_recovery with -x inc_entire=vg00 -x inc_entire=vg01 -x inc_entire=vg02
if you want.

The purpose of using make_recovery_tape is to recover the system as fast as possible with VG00 then restore data from your conventional backup system.

The more data/VGs you include in make_tape_recovery, more time you will need to recover.

Thanks.
Prashant.

[Anil C. Sedha]

Mohammed,

Pls look at the points below

1) You must ideally take ignite backup only of vg00 (as you have to bring up your system as fast as possible). Your other volume groups must be backed up by standard backup procedures.

2) Also it is easier to restore normal backups on a priority basis then restoring every volume group with ignite-ux. If you have a database application which is of a higher priority than other applications running on your box, you have a chance of restoring that first with normal backup.

3) You may take multiple volume group backups as listed above by someone before me. I wouldn't repeat the same again.

4) I believe ignite will take the backup of raw devices.

Regards,
Anil (if you find suitable answers then don't forget to assign points)

:-)

[Martin Johnson]

I wouldn't trust ignite to recover raw devices. I would recover raw devices frfom database backups.

Our Disaster Recovery procedures:
1 - Recover vg00 from ignite
2 - create non-root volume groups
3 - frecover non-root data
4 - recover database data from db backups

This is tested twice a year at Sungard.

HTH
Marty

[Mohammad Kaleem]

Dears,

Thank you very much for your suggestions and guidlines.

I am waiting for the weekend to test all your suggested methods and would come back to you next week.

Cheers,

Mohammad

[Mohammad Kaleem]

Hi Matt,

Do you have such script handy which could build the volume groups and logical volumes.

I would appreciate if you could pass it to me.

Regards,

Mohammad