Backups.

The backups can be divided into data and server backups.

Data Backups

Typically we do data backups after the experiment. The job name is ExperimentBackup. The job has to be slightly modified before running:

1. On General Tab change the media name to match the tape name - e.g. KML_DATA_016
2. Change backup set description: usually it is an animal name - e.g. K31
3. Go to Selections Tab and in the text mode and delete non-existing directories from the list - you cannot do this in the graphics mode (clearly a bug) and if a non-existent dir is present, the backup will fail.
4. In the graphics mode select the dir with the data files

Typical list of directories in text mode looks like:

• \\GAIDA\GAIDA_F\K31\*.* /SUBDIR
• D:\ExperimentDB\*.* /SUBDIR
• D:\SystemData\InterBase\ExperimentDB\ExperiementDB.gdb

Database of tapes is located in:  \\Mccoy\KML_root\LAB\BackupTapes\BackupTapes.mdb

Make sure to update the database after running the backup. The form has to be open manually, its name is "frmDataTapes". The size of the backup should be estimated in advance. Files on D: take about 2GB. The tape is 20GB uncompressed, but datafiles are almost uncompressible - anything above 22GB is probably too optimistic to expect to fit on one tape.

The policy for the data backups is the following: backup the data and the relevant files on the server ASAP. If you want to erase datafiles from the disk make an extra backup, so we have two copies of each datafile at any time.

Server Backups

We are running backups on the server only: disks C: and D:. D: disk is also known as Z: and \\Mccoy\KML_root. User subdirectories (mounted as Y: during the logon) are also located on the server's disk D:. We use full backups (which are not scheduled) and differential backups (that run at night). Note: don't forget to put the backups on hold during the experiment!

The backup scenario is as follows:

1. Allocate a new tape (see details below).
2. Run full backup overwriting the tape.
3. Run differential backups appending to the tape until the tape is full.

Usually this gives 10-15 days of backups per tape.

Tape allocation.

We keep a pool of tapes that represent the state of the system in the last 6 months or more. Every half-year we save a tape for permanent storage. So we have a daily history of the last half-year and half-year snapshots before that.

When a tape is needed (see point 1 above), the oldest (not-saved) tape is used. To find out which tape to use go to the database of tapes:
\\Mccoy\KML_root\LAB\BackupTapes\BackupTapes.mdb
The form is opened automatically at start-up. Saved tapes are at the top, below are the non-saved (rotated) tapes. The tape that just became full is supposed to be at the bottom of the form. Fill in the date when the tape was finished ("End Date").  Find the topmost (the oldest) non-saved tape and change the start date to the current date. Erase the end date field. After the record is updated it should be at the bottom of the list.

Now go to BackupExec on the server and modify the job Server Full Backup. On General Tab change the media name and backup set description to match the tape name - e.g. KML_BACKUP_017. Go to the media manager. Find the tape in the System Backup folder and drag it to the Scratch Media folder. This allows to overwrite the tape. Schedule Full Backup for the nearest night (use Only Once repeat interval). It is also possible to schedule the differential server backup - make sure that you make the new schedule effective a night later than the full backup.

"Server Full Backup" checklist.

1. In the database write down the closing date of the current tape.
2. In the database find a tape to write to (e.g. KML_BACKUP_017). We will call it "allocated tape".
3. In the database write down the opening date of the allocated tape.
4. Take out the current tape from the drive and insert the allocated tape.
5. In BackupExec go to the job "Server Full Backup" and edit the tape name to match the name of the allocated tape (e.g. KML_BACKUP_017).
6. In BackupExec go to the job "Server Differential-daily" and edit the tape name to match the name of the allocated tape (e.g. KML_BACKUP_017).
7. In BackupExec schedule the job "Server Full Backup" to run once on the nearest night at about 1:30 am.
8. In BackupExec make sure that the job "Server Differential-daily" is still scheduled to run at about 3:30 am. If not, schedule it to run on Monday through Friday at about 3:30 am.
9. In BackupExec move the allocated tape from the "System Backup" folder to the "Scratch Media" folder.
10. In BackupExec perform inventory job on the tape device and make sure that the name of the allocated tape shows up in the device.

Last modified: July 9th, 2002