Backup - Informix

Topics | How To | Related Topics

Overview

Supported Backup Types

Informix Backup Jobs

Backup Considerations

Advanced Backup Options

Third Party Command Line Backups

Overview

Plan your backup jobs for this agent by reviewing the following information:

For an overview of backup jobs, see Backup Data.
For a list of supported data types for this agent, see Supported Data Types.
For information on subclients, see Subclients
- For information on configuring subclients for this agent, see Subclients - Informix.

Supported Backup Types

This agent supports the following backup types:

Informix Backup Jobs

This agent has the following unique functionality.

Some database iDataAgents run backups using a system-generated script that is run behind the scenes from a command line. The CommCell Console serves as a front-end user interface for specifying various backup arguments and parameters that are passed to the backup script that is run. Depending on your agent, you can specify, for example, the application-specific Backup Level, whether the backups will be online or offline, as well as buffer and bundle sizes, among other settings. Although the backup arguments/parameters vary among iDataAgents, they all function in a similar manner. These arguments are set at the subclient level from the respective iDataAgent's Subclient Properties dialog box tab.

For step-by-step instructions, see Configure Backup Arguments.

Verifying Backups

ON–Bar utility writes informational, progress, warning, error, and debugging messages to the ON–Bar Activity Log. The information in the activity log helps in determining whether a backup or restore operation succeeded. ON-Bar Activity Log location can be found in the ONCONFIG file under the BAR_ACT_LOG parameter.

Backup Considerations

Before performing any backup procedures for this agent, review the following information:

If you perform a backup of the default subclient without changing its default properties, the backup would include all the objects in the database, including any new objects that may have been created.
- If you have created subclients for a database, you can create a complete backup of the database by backing up these subclients.
- If you have created a group of selected subclients for the database, you must back up all of these subclients to create a complete backup.
- If you have created separate subclients for the logical log files, backup emergency boot file, and or backup ONCONFIG file, and if these subclients are not included with the subclients defined for databases or subsets, then the subclients for these files must also be backed up to create a complete backup.
Informix recommends that you run an Incremental Level 0 backup (Full backup) after adding new dbspaces to the database. If this is not done, the next Incremental backup will fail because the system will not be able to find the parent files for the new dbspaces.
Multiple streams are supported for data protection and recovery operations with this agent; however, before utilizing multiple streams, you should understand how their use affects operations. For more information, see Streams.
A file system backup for the following files must be run from the CommCell immediately after a backup:
- ONCONFIG file
- Emergency boot files (ixbar)
- sm_versions file
- sqlhosts file (UNIX)
- oncfg_servername.servernum.coserverid file from each co-server
- xcfg_servername.servernum file in the etc subdirectory
ON-Bar utility stores information about the backup and logical logs in the ixbar file (as well as in the sysutils database). This file should not be modified by users. If this file becomes corrupted, modified, or removed, ON-Bar may not be able to find the backups needed to perform a restore resulting in data loss.
Maximum backup streams under storage policy tab cannot be of value greater than 1 for an entire system [serial] backup i.e the BAR_MAX_BACKUP value in onconfig file should have a value of 1 for a successful a full system backups.

Third Party Command Line Backups

In addition to backups from CommCell Console, you can also perform backups of Informix databases using the third party command line (ON-Bar) utility. However, in the case of Informix XPS databases, backups are performed from the third party command line (ON-Bar) utility.

Configuring Environment Variables for third party command line (ON-Bar) utility:

You must configure and export the following environment variables to perform ON-Bar third-party command line backups for a specific instance on a client where multiple instances are installed:

CvInstanceName
CvClientName

For example:

export CvClientName=Client1
export CvInstanceName=Instance001
where Client1 is the name of the Informix client and Instance001 is the name of the instance.

Configuring Backups and Restores for Informix XPS Databases

Informix XPS databases are backed up and restored from third party command line (ON-Bar) utility. In a multi-coserver environment, you can configure the XPS database backups in one of the following ways:

Install the iDataAgent on one of the coservers (Primary node) , and configure the instance for this coserver (Primary) from the CommCell. You can use this instance to perform backup and restore operations on all the coservers.
Install the iDataAgent on all the coservers which have storage managers, and configure the instance in CommCell Console for one of the coservers. The coserver for which you have configured the instance in CommCell console should be specified in the onbar-worker.

Configuring the Primary Coserver (Primary node):

If Informix iDataAgent is installed on one coserver (primary node), you must configure the storage manager on this primary node. Once you configure the storage manager, the system will automatically start a single onbar-worker process and perform backups and restores for all coservers from this primary node. While configuring the storage manager, if you exclude BAR_WORKER_MAX parameter, you must manually start the start_worker.sh file.

Use the following steps to set the ONCONFIG, onbar_worker and storage manager on a primary coserver:

1.	From the command line, navigate to $INFORMIXDIR/etc folder.
2.	Open ONCONFIG file set the global parameters for Log Backup.	For example, to set the LOG_BACKUP_MODE to MANUAL: LOG_BACKUP_MODE MANUAL You can provide one of the following values for this parameter: # CONT - backup as soon as the file fills # MANUAL - user must perform log backups # NONE - don't backup logs and re-use them # as soon as they fill. Use of # NONE is not recommended as dataR_PROGRESS_FREQ # will be lost if the IBM Informix-XPS server must be restored
3.	Open the start_worker.sh file, and add these parameters before $INFORMIXDIR/bin/onbar_w and save the file to configure onbar_worker.	CvInstanceName=Instance001 Calypso Instance Name Like Instance00x CvClientName=dbserver01 #Informix Client Name, this name must be same with commcell gui client name CvPrimaryClientName=dbserve01 #In Calypso, the entire database server (with all its coservers) is represented as a single #Informix database instance running on one of the coservers. User can pick any one of the #coservers when creating Informix instance on the commcell gui. Environment information like INFORMIXDIR etc for that coserver will be entered into the GUI. This coserver is #identified as CvPrimaryClient and all jobs in Calypso will be associated with this client. export CvInstanceName CvClientName CvPrimaryClientName
4.	Set the following parameters on primary coserver to configure a Single Storage manager in a multi coserver environment: # Storage Manager for Coserver1 (ex:dbserver01) BAR_SM <id> BAR_SM_NAME <name> BAR_WORKER_COSVR BAR_DBS_COSVR BAR_LOG_COSVR BAR_WORKER_MAX BAR_BSALIB_PATH /Informix_HOME/lib/ibsad001.so END	Example: In a four coservers Environment: # Storage Manager for dbserver01 BAR_SM 1 # Storage manager ID BAR_SM_NAME CV1 # Storage manager name BAR_WORKER_COSVR 1 # CV Storage mgr is installed on coserver 1 (dbserver01) BAR_DBS_COSVR 1-4 # Route dbspaces for Backup from coserver1 to coserver4 to CV storage mgr BAR_LOG_COSVR 1-4 # Route logs for Backup from coserver1 to coserver4 to CV storage mgr BAR_WORKER_MAX 2 # Number of streams for Backup to be used which depends on available Tape #Drive configuration on command line storage policy BAR_BSALIB_PATH /Informix_HOME/lib/ibsad001.so # full pathname of storage manager # XBSA shared library ibsad001.so name can be # different base upon OS END # End coserver 1(dbserver01) Storage Manager

Configuring All Coservers

If Informix iDataAgent is installed on all coservers which have storage managers, we need to configure the storage manager and onbar-worker on each coserver. When you configure the storage managers, do not switch the BAR_SM identification numbers between two Calypso storage managers. If you switch the identification numbers, the On-Bar utility will not be able to find the backup objects. For example, do not reassign BAR_SM 1 to storage-manager dbserver01 and BAR_SM 2 to storage-manager dbserver02.

Ensure that the Calypso library exists on each coserver node where you are performing onbar_worker processes.

Use the following steps to set the ONCONFIG, onbar_worker and storage manager on all coservers:

1.	From the command line, navigate to $INFORMIXDIR/etc folder on each coserver.
2.	Open ONCONFIG file set the global parameters for Log Backup.	For example, to set the LOG_BACKUP_MODE to MANUAL: LOG_BACKUP_MODE MANUAL You can provide one of the following values for this parameter: # CONT - backup as soon as the file fills # MANUAL - user must perform log backups # NONE - don't backup logs and re-use them # as soon as they fill. Use of # NONE is not recommended as dataR_PROGRESS_FREQ # will be lost if the IBM Informix-XPS server must be restored
3.	Open the start_worker.sh file, and add these parameters before $INFORMIXDIR/bin/onbar_w and save the file to configure onbar_worker on each coserver.	CvInstanceName=Instance001 Calypso Instance Name Like Instance00x CvClientName=dbserver01 #Informix Client Name, this name must be same with comcell gui client name CvPrimaryClientName=dbserve01 #In Calypso, the entire database server (with all its coservers) is represented as a single #Informix database instance running on one of the coservers. User can pick any one of the #coservers when creating Informix instance on the commcell gui. Environment information like INFORMIXDIR etc for that coserver will be entered into the GUI. This coserver is #identified as CvPrimaryClient and all jobs in Calypso will be associated with this client. export CvInstanceName CvClientName CvPrimaryClientName
4.	Set the following parameters to configure storage managers on all coservers: # Storage Manager for Coserver1 (ex:dbserver01) BAR_SM <id> BAR_SM_NAME <name> BAR_WORKER_COSVR BAR_DBS_COSVR BAR_LOG_COSVR BAR_WORKER_MAX BAR_BSALIB_PATH /Informix_HOME/lib/ibsad001.so END # Storage Manager for Coserver2 (ex:dbserver02) BAR_SM <id> BAR_SM_NAME <name> BAR_WORKER_COSVR BAR_DBS_COSVR BAR_LOG_COSVR BAR_WORKER_MAX BAR_BSALIB_PATH /Informix_HOME/lib/ibsad001.so END	Example: In a two coservers environment (dbserver01 and dbserver02): # Storage Manager for dbserver01 BAR_SM 1 # Storage manager ID BAR_SM_NAME CV1 # Storage manager name BAR_WORKER_COSVR 1 # CV Storage mgr is installed on coserver 1 (dbserver01) BAR_DBS_COSVR 1 # Backup dbspaces for coserver 1 (dbserver01) only using CV1 storage mgr BAR_LOG_COSVR 1 # Backup logs for coserver 1(dbserver01) only using CV1 storage mgr BAR_WORKER_MAX 2 # Number of streams for Backup to be used which depends on available Tape #Drive configuration on command line storage policy BAR_BSALIB_PATH /Informix_HOME/lib/ibsad001.so # full pathname of storage manager # XBSA shared library ibsad001.so name can be # different base upon OS END # End coserver 1(dbserver01) Storage Manager # Storage Manager for dbserver02 BAR_SM 2 # Storage manager ID BAR_SM_NAME CV2 # Storage manager name BAR_WORKER_COSVR 2 # CV Storage mgr is installed on coserver 2 (dbserver02) BAR_DBS_COSVR 2 # Backup dbspaces for coserver 2 (dbserver02) only using CV2 storage mgr BAR_LOG_COSVR 2 # Backup logs for coserver 2(dbserver02) only using CV2 storage mgr BAR_WORKER_MAX 2 # Number of streams for Backup to be used which depends on available Tape #Drive configuration on command line storage policy BAR_BSALIB_PATH /Informix_HOME/lib/ibsad001.so # full pathname of storage manager # XBSA shared library ibsad001.so name can be # different base upon OS END # End coserver 2(dbserver02) Storage Manager

It is highly recommended to perform a file system backup for the following files from the CommCell console or manually backup a copy to save locations immediately after a backup:

ONCONFIG file
Emergency boot files (ixbar)
sm_versions file
sqlhosts file (UNIX)
oncfg_servername.servernum.coserverid file from each co-server
xcfg_servername.servernum file in the etc subdirectory

Level 0 Backup

Full backups are level 0 backups.

At the command prompt, type the command to run a full backup.

onbar -b -L 0

Level 1 Backup

A level 1 backup is an incremental backup. It backs up records that have changed since the last level 0 backup.

At the command prompt, type the command to run an incremental backup.

onbar -b -L 1

Level 2 Backup

A level 2 backup backs up records that have changed since the last level 1 backup.

At the command prompt, type the command to run a level 2 backup.

onbar -b -L 2

Data Only Backup (Physical Backup)

Use the following steps to backup the data without the logs:

At the command prompt, type the command to backup the database without the logs.

onbar -b -p

Backup Individual Dbspaces (Partial Backup)

Use the following steps to run a partial backup of selected dbspaces.

At the command prompt, type the command to backup selected dbspaces.

onbar -b dbspace1 dbspace2

where dbspace1 and dbspace2 are the dbspace names.

Backup Multiple Storage Spaces

Use the following steps to backup multiple storage spaces listed in a file. Each line in the file can list more than one storage space separated by a space or a tab space.

At the command prompt, type the command to backup a list of storage spaces specified in a file.

onbar -b -f /informix/backup_list/listfile3

where listfile3 is the name of the file containing the storage spaces list to be backed up.

Logical Log Backup

A logical log backup backs up the filled logical logs.

At the command prompt, type the command to backup logical logs.

onbar -b -l

Backups for Informix XPS Databases

In addition to the above mentioned backups, you can perform specific backups for Informix XPS databases.

Current Logical Log Backup

A logical log backup does not include the current logical log file. However, we can backup the current logical log file separately using the following steps.

1.	At the command prompt, type the command to move the database server to the next logical log.	xctl onmode -l
2.	Type the command to backup the current logical log file.	onbar -b -l

Log Salvage Backup

When the database is offline, you can run a log salvage backup which backs up the logical logs residing directly on the disk and which are not yet backed up. These backups are run during a restore operation, when you want to recover the database to the last completed transaction.

1.	At the command prompt, type the command to shutdown the database server.	xctl onmode –yuk
2.	Type the command to start the co-server.	xctl –C oninit -m
3.	Type the command to backup the salvaging logical log file.	onbar -b -l -s