Backing Up and Restoring PCo Configuration Data

Use

By backing up the PCo configuration data, you can make sure that you can restore your PCo configuration at any time if necessary. However, you can also use the backup function to distribute stable configurations as a whole to other computers in your company, for example, from a test computer to a productive computer. The function still allows you to switch back and forth between various configuration options on one computer.

SAP recommends that you perform a backup after important configuration changes. The following configuration data can be backed up and restored:

Source systems
Destination systems
Agent instances
System settings

Prerequisites

To restore the PCo data after a backup, you need to stop all agent instances. Moreover, make sure that no application, such as a text editor, a Windows Explorer, or a command prompt, is accessing the configuration folders of Plant Connectivity.

Features

Backup

Two types of data backup are supported:

Password-protected backup files

The password-protected files are generated by the PCo Management Console when the Create Backup function is executed. You define the password when you save. The password-protected files can then be shifted freely from one computer to another.

When you save, PCo proposes a name for the backup file. The file name that is proposed has the following format: computer name_timestamp.pbf

Example

WDFN33345212A_2015.06.17_15.46.36.pbf

The folder %ProgramData%\SAP\PCo\Backup is provided as the default folder for data backups. However, you can choose a different file name and a different folder for storing the backup file.
Local backup files

During a new installation or upgrade and before restoring a backup, PCo automatically generates local backup files. These are not password-protected and can only be used for restoring data on the local computer. The local backup files are stored in the %ProgramData%\SAP\PCo\Backup folder under the name computer name(local)_time stamp.pbf.

Note

You cannot generate local backup files manually.

You can use the Create Backup function to save the configuration of the PCo system. To do so, proceed as follows:

In the menu, choose Plant Connectivity Create Backup.

The PCo Configuration Backup dialog box appears. PCo has already proposed a file name and the default storage folder for backup files.
Choose Save.

The Enter Password dialog box appears.
Enter the password twice and confirm your entries.

You receive a success message containing the path where the backup file is stored.

Restoring Data

You can use the Restore Backup function to restore the configuration of a previously-saved state. To do so, proceed as follows:

Stop the running agent instances, and choose Plant Connectivity Restore Backup in the menu.

The Restore Backup dialog box appears.
Select the backup file that you want to restore.
If you want to restore a password-protected backup file, you need to enter the password that you defined when you created the backup.
Specify whether you also want to restore system settings and settings for cloud integration from the backup file.

However, this only makes sense in exceptional cases, for example, if a PCo installation is to be completely rebuilt after a new installation. When system files are adopted from a backup from another computer, problems may occur with the configured ports for the main service.

When you execute the restore function, the entire configuration, including the source systems, destination systems, agent instances, and, if applicable, the system settings, are restored to the previously-saved state. A local backup is performed automatically before recovery.

If parameters of the main service have changed as a result of restoring the backup, this is restarted automatically. The Management Console may also be restarted to enable access to the changed configuration services. If necessary, correct the settings for the main service by choosing Start of the navigation path Tools Next navigation step Options Global Settings Main Service End of the navigation path . (See also: Configuring the Main Service.)

Caution

The restore function replaces the entire configuration. Any source systems, destination systems, and agent instances that you generated after creating the backup are deleted when the configuration is restored. Alternatively, use the function for exporting and importing the configuration if you only want to transfer individual agent instances and their dependent source and destination systems between computers.

If the backup contains source systems that use libraries from other software vendors, such as Aspentech IP21 or GE Proficy Historian, the recovery may fail if these libraries are not yet set up for the current PCo installation. Follow the instructions in the Post-Installation section of the Installation Guide to prepare PCo for using these source system types.