Know Database Backup. How to Back up Informix DS as an Application??

[antzzz]

Hi. I'm using Informix 7.3 on SCO Openserver 5.5. I know how to use ontape to do my backups. This protects the data. Now I want to backup the Informix Application files as well to save the trouble of Installing Informix all over again in case of hardware failure. Will a complete Unix filesystem Backup suffice? Does anyone know the command (cpio) to perform a Complete filesystem backup (ie. all files in ALL drives) in SCO 5.5? Will this backup Informix as well (ie. the app files) and will Informix work automatically if ever I restore this complete filesystem backup? My contingency plan is to eliminate the need to install Informix again and just restore the latest data using ontape. We're using raw devices. Appreciate any help. Thanks!

P.S. I'm using a 40GB DLT tape and only have 2 17GB hard drives. This means I can backup all drives into 1 tape.

 

[jbcamel]

While I'm not familiar with SCO I'm pretty sure the cpio command is the same:

find / -depth -print | cpio -oavcC 32768 > /dev/your/tapedrive

or of you don't want to use an explicit path:

cd /
find . -depth -print | cpio -oavcC 32768 > /dev/your/tapedrive

This will back up everything from the root directory down (aka complete system backup.)

The 32768 (32k) is the buffer size - goes with the 'C' option. This is the most efficient size on our machine. It may vary on yours.

You realize, of course, that you will still have to restore the backups you did with the ontape command since cpio will not back up your raw devices.

The quesion of whether Informix will work automatically if you do a complete system restore probably remains to be seen. I would think so, but Unix can be a strange animal. Luckily I've never had to test this theory, but I'd say chances are it will. The more current your backup the better your chances.

Frankly I think reinstalling Informix is easier and less destructive then doing a full system restore.

 

[olded]

Hi:

I've had some experience with this. I've done this:

find /usr/informix -depth -print | cpio -oavcC 2768 >/dev/tapedrive

and backed up the informix directory. It's worked, but, obviously, if you restore onto a system with the informix user number and/or informix group number, be prepared with chown and chgrp.

I agree with jbcarmel; you're better off reinstalling informix if you can.

Ed
Schaefer

 

[antzzz]

Thank you jbcamel and olded for your replies. Olded, when you said it worked after you restored the informix app files, what else did you have to do? My plan is to only restore the complete filesystem backup after I reinstall Unix itself and created the various filesystems and raw devices that I use for Informix. What's the issue with the Informix User Number and group number? If I'm restoring, they will be preserved, right? Please advise.

Thanks!

 

[olded]

antzzz:

Informix user and group number saved? Maybe and maybe not. At the operating system level will you be readding user informix? (Probably not, but I don't know in your case).

If you have to add the user, the user number may not be the same.

Ed

 

[GRP]

Dear friend,
I had a faced a problem like this. My Informix original CD was corrupt and I had only the Source Backup using tar command. I had no alternative other than restoring the Informix from the application backup. It worked fine. Only we need to do small changes along with Informix appl. restoration.

If you want to retain the Informix user and grop. Backup the /etc/passwd & /etc/group files along with Informix directory backup.

Or add the user and group name a fresh.

Along with the above you need to link two files from your informix/lib directory to /usr/lib using ln command in UNIX.

These two files are iosm07a.sl & ipldd07a.sl.


G.R.P.