Backups without downtime

[megh101]

Hi

We are running several HP 9000 machines in Service Guard environment having packages configured on them. For cold backup once in a week we bring those packages down and mount each file system manually without SG and use FBACKUP command. Our concern is to get rid of down time, which is 2 hrs/week. Is there any way in HP UX in which we can backup System without bringing packages down and still able to restore/recover without any loss.

I will be thankful for your help.

 

[achduliebe]

I don't beleive there is anything that HP offers that would help you. What kind of storage are you using? (ie... EMC, HP, Hitachi???)
Bryan

 

[crowe]

Here are two concepts to accomplish the "non-downtime" backup. Both have drawbacks.
The first is a split-mirror backup. If all your data is mirrored, you should be able to halt all activity, the split off the mirrors. Now you have an exact copy of your data, that you can mount and backup without effecting the current running data. The two major drawbacks are data integrity redundancy. While you are backing up the mirrors, your primary's are not protected in a redundant fashion.
Also, the fashion in which you split the mirrors can leave the data corrupt. For example, if you split a database while it was up, more than likely, the mirror would be corrupt, unless you can stop and sync the database processing.
The second is using the OnlineJFS feature of Vxfs. It allows a "online" backup. The biggest drawbacks here are time and performance. The backup times will more than likely run longer, as well as the system performance will be impacted. OnlineJFS is a feature that HP provides, but it does require a license ($$$)
I hope this gives you some direction.

crowe

 

[megh101]

Brian

We Hp xp256 storage array.

 

[achduliebe]

If you are using XP 256 array, you should be able to use the BCV's (Business Continuance Volumes) like crowe is talking about. That is what we use here, with EMC frames. When we perform our "split" of the bcv's while the db is up and running, here is the sequence of events we use....basically this is what crowe was referring to in one part of his reply.
1. We synch our disks (standards and bcv's)
2. After they are synch'd, we slip the db into hot backup mode.
3. Once all tablespaces are in hot backup mode, we split off the bcv's.
4. Once this split has occurred, we slip the db out of hot backup mode.
5. Once all of the tablespaces are out of hot backup, we split off the disks responsible for catching the archive logs while the db is in hot backup mode.
6. Now we take all of these bcv's that have been split off and mount them back on the system as /bcv/xxxxxx mount points and begin our backup. We do not get Service Guard involved at all.
We also have another scenario that we use, which requires minimal downtime. If you would like to know more about that, please email me.
Hope this helps!
Bryan
bryan.quinn@coopertools.com

 

[megh101]

Brian

Thanks for reply.

Few questions on my mind.

1) What is BCV ?? Is it HP's software , because I remember we pursued something called BUSINESS COPY and CONTINUOUS COPY features of XP256, for some reason we rejected that to use. Is it same ???
2) In step 5, you are saying db will not be running in hot backup mode. While db is not running in hot backup mode, there is a danger of losing transactions during the time db runs without hot backup mode.
3) When do you bring database in hot backup mode again ??

 

[bi]

How much data do you have to back up? What kind of device or devices do you back up to? What kind of tapes do you use? Do you have room to back up to a file rather than a tape device?

If I remember correctly, fbackup is slower than, say, Omniback, but Omniback costs $$$$$$. You would still have downtime, but not two hours, if you went to a third party backup application. My 11.0 installation disks had a try and buy version of Omniback, which you could install and try out.

If you have the space to back up to a file rather than a tape device, it would probably be faster. (And then back up the file to tape once the database is up and running again.)

The type of tape device and type of tapes you are using also will affect backup time.

 

[unixqueen]

Hi

One question that I must pose is - Are you backing each of the packages up on the node with the backup device or do each of the nodes have their own backup devices?
If you bring down a package, mount it manually and then backup to another nodes tape drive then you are introducing lan transfer time into the equation - One of the companies that I have worked with had this scenario, and shortened backup time dramitically by bringing the packages down and then mounting them manually on the node with the tape library.

Queenie

 

[achduliebe]

Hey,
Sorry it took me so long to respond back.
Here are my answers:
Q: 1) What is BCV ?? Is it HP's software , because I >remember we pursued something called BUSINESS COPY and >CONTINUOUS COPY features of XP256, for some reason we >rejected that to use. Is it same ???

A: 1)Business Continuance Volumes (EMC) or Business Copy for HP. It is the same as what you are talking about.

Q: 2) In step 5, you are saying db will not be running in >hot backup mode. While db is not running in hot backup >mode, there is a danger of losing transactions during the >time db runs without hot backup mode.

A: 2)We do not keep our database in hot backup mode under normal situations.

Q: 3) When do you bring database in hot backup mode again ??

A: 3) We never bring it back into hot backup mode. You could dot that after the archive disks are split off, if you were use to running in hot backup mode.

 

[megh101]

Thank you everyone who responded to my thread.

 

[VvVeoX]

Just thought I would suggest for the recovery of the main system disk depending on how the system is configured you might want to try ignite/make_recovery.