ON-Bar for Data Recovery

ON-Bar for Data Recovery

Use

ON-Bar is one of a number of Informix tools for data recovery (that is, whole-system backup, storage-space backup, logical-log backup, and restore) with your Informix database. ON-Bar provides the following functions on both UNIX and NT platforms:

Backup database (including selected dbspaces and whole system)

Back up logical-log files

Restore data from backups (including restore of selected dbspaces)

Unlike the other Informix data recovery tools (that is, ontape and ON-Archive ), ON-Bar does not communicate directly with storage devices, such as tape drives. Instead, it passes control of storage devices to third-party storage managers using the X/Open Backup Services Application Programmer's Interface (XBSA). You can select your own storage manager (for example, ISM, Legato/Networker, HP OmniBack, IBM/ADSM) and so exploit a wide range of intelligent and high-capacity storage devices (for example, auto loaders, robotic loading systems, or optic disks).

With ON-Bar , you can easily implement fast parallel backups and restores, so improving the availability of your database. Therefore, ON-Bar is well suited for large databases (larger than about 50 GB).

With ON-Bar , the terminology used by Informix changed. The new term "storage spaces" refers to dbspaces and blobspaces. The process of making a copy of the data and control information managed by the Informix server, formerly called an archive, is now called a "storage space backup" or a "whole system backup". For more information, see What are Whole-System and Storage-Space Backups? or the Informix documentation.

The term "logical-log file backup" – often shortened to "logical-log backup" or even "log backup" – remains the same.

In summary, backup is the ON-Bar term for all copies of the database taken for recovery purposes.

Integration

If you choose ON-Bar as your data recovery tool, you must do all your backups and restores with it.

The backups written by ON-Bar are not compatible with the archives and backups from ontape and ON-Archive . You cannot mix tapes from these tools.

Compared to the other tools available, ON-Bar is easy to use and has wide functionality (but the functionality depends on the storage manager you are using). For more information about the differences between the Informix data recovery tools, see Comparison of ON-Bar, ON-Archive, and ontape for Data Recovery.

The following diagram shows how ON-Bar is integrated with the dabatase server and storage manager:

You can think of ON-Bar as processing data to and from the database, whereas the storage manager handles data to and from the backup media.

Prerequisites

To implement ON-Bar in a production system, you must have the following:

Informix Version 7.23UC3 (delivered as standard starting with R/3 Release 3.1H) or a later version (see OSS note 50157)

An Informix-certified storage manager for ON-Bar , such as the Informix Storage Manager (ISM), which is delivered with Informix Version 7.3

To find up-to-date information on these requirements, see OSS note 78884.

Before you start using On-Bar for data recovery with production data, you must:

Configure ON-Bar according to your requirements. Refer to Configuring ON-Bar.

Work out your approach to data recovery with ON-Bar . Refer to :

Approach to Database Backup (ON-Bar)

Approach to Logical-Log Backup (ON-Bar)

Perform a whole-system backup using ON-Bar with the R/3 System down. Refer to Performing a Manual Database Backup (ON-Bar).

Features

Parallel backup and restore

Automatic backup of logical logs

An open interface for communication with third-party storage managers

Support for intelligent storage devices using XBSA.

See also:

OSS note 78884

Informix documentation