Binary backup produces a copy of the database files, and is performed at the filesystem level. The output of a binary backup is a set of binary files containing all entries, indexes, the change log, and the transaction log. A binary backup does not contain configuration data.
Binary backup is performed using one of the following commands:
dsadm backup must be run offline, that is, when the Directory Server instance is stopped. The command must be run on the local server containing the Directory Server instance.
dsconf backup can be run online and remote to the Directory Server instance.
Binary backup has the following advantages:
All suffixes can be backed up at the same time.
Binary backup is significantly faster than a backup to LDIF.
The replication change log is backed up.
Binary backup has one limitation. Restoration from a binary backup can be performed only on a server with an identical configuration.
At a minimum, you need to perform a regular binary backup on each set of coherent machines. Coherent machines are machines that have an identical configuration.
Because restoration from a local backup is easier, perform a binary backup on each server.
These abbreviations are used in the remaining diagrams in this chapter:
M = master replica |
RA = replication agreement |
The following figure assumes that M1 and M2 have an identical configuration and that M3 and M4 have an identical configuration. In this scenario, a binary backup would be performed on M1 and on M3. In the case of failure, M1 or M2 could be restored from the binary backup of M1 (db1). M3 or M4 could be restored from the binary backup of M3 (db2). M1 and M2 could not be restored from the binary backup of M3. M3 and M4 could not be restored from the binary backup of M1.
For details on how to use the binary backup commands, see Binary Backup in Sun Directory Server Enterprise Edition 7.0 Administration Guide.