Chapter 7   Backup and Restore

Meta-Directory uses the Directory Server to store most of its configuration and the data that flows between different components. Hence the backup process for Meta-Directory requires backup of Directory Server as well. A typical deployment might contain many directory servers associated to a single Meta-Directory installation, containing configuration, data: the connector views for each of the connectors and so on. A backup of the complete Meta-Directory, thus involves backup of each of these Directory Servers. So it is assumed that when the "Directory Server" is mentioned, it means perform the same operation on all the associated Directory Servers.

The following sections are discussed

• Backup

• Usage of upgrade.pl for backup of Meta-Directory configuration only
• Restore

Backup

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The backup of Meta-Directory and Directory server involves taking a backup of all related files and directories, any external configuration files and external data sources.

1. Make sure no data is flowing between the external data sources, Connector Views and Meta View. Also make sure no data is being changed in the Directory Server.

2. Copy the server roots of Meta-Directory (NETSITE_ROOT) and Directory Server (location where these products are installed) to a backup location. This backup location can also be a tape drive or any mass storage system.

This ensures that all the configuration, data and the binaries are backed up at once.

Note: In the case of Universal Connector, the configuration files like template.pl, task.cfg are provided by the administrator and hence can be located external to NETSITE_ROOT. In such a case where these files are not automatically copied, you must take a backup of these files separately.

3. External Data sources like Oracle, Active Directory, Novell eDirectory etc should also be backed up to be in a consistent state when Meta-Directory is restored. Please refer to the individual products' documentation for information on backup and restore.

Note the following points:

1. When an Oracle database connector instance is created, a SQL script is generated which is run on the Oracle database to create the required set of the tablespaces, triggers etc. Take a backup of this SQL script. This could be helpful to the DBA to understand the changes on the database made for the connector to run, and to troubleshoot in case of any problems.
2. The Novell Directory Connector and the Lotus Notes Connector make use of an intermediate changelog database in MySQL for change-detection with respect to data in external data source. Each connector instance stores its changelog data in a separate/different "database". Hence, to backup the complete Meta-Directory, you also need to backup each such database (in MySQL) separately (and restore them separately).
3. For more specific details on backup and recovery of databases in MySQL, please refer to the section: "Disaster Prevention and Recovery" in MySQL documentation

Usage of upgrade.pl for backup of Meta-Directory configuration only

The upgrade.pl (refer to the previous chapter) also provides an option, -B, to backup the Meta-Directory configuration in the Directory Server. This tool captures the Meta-Directory configuration and the server instances from the Directory and stores in the for of LDIF files in the backup location provided. This tool also copies the config directories for each of the Meta-Directory server instances to the backup location. This option is mainly for diagnostic purposes.

The script is run using the -B option to backup all the configuration.

Usage :

upgrade.pl -<B> [-h <directory server hostname>] -p <port> -D <Directory Manager> -w <password>

Where:

B: Backup

For example:

nsperl upgrade.pl -B -h ldap_host -p 389 -D "cn=Directory Manager" -w dmanager

Restore

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Upgrade tool in combination with option -R should not be used for a complete restore of Sun ONE Meta-Directory since this option can only be applied when the directory configuration is in a particular state, as was the case in the previous chapter. However, if your Meta-Directory configuration or the data is corrupted, you can restore from a previously generated complete backup, as described in the previous section, using the steps below.

1. Stop all the Meta-Directory servers and the Directory Servers (including the Admin Servers).
2. Move the existing NETSITE_ROOT and Directory Server Root directories from their existing location to a different place. You may delete these directories/files once the restore of a previous backup is successful and if no longer need them.
3. Restore the files and directories of Meta-Directory and Directory from the previously created backup location, (possibly a tape drive). Make sure you copy them to the same location where they were original backed up.

Note: For a Universal Connector instance if the configuration files like template.pl, task.cfg etc. were backedup separately, you must restore these files also, to their original location.

4. Restore the external data sources
5. Restore the MySQL database that contains the changelog for Lotus Notes and Novell Directory Connectors.
6. Start all the servers

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