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Use

This section provides an overview of the objects that you need to save to make sure that you can restore your data to a consistent state in the event of system failure.

The following table lists the objects that you need to save and specifies how frequently you need to save them.

Objects to Be Saved

Frequency

SAP database libraries R3<SID>DATA and SAP<SID>DB, IFS objects /usr/sap/<sid>/* and /sapmnt/<sid>/*

Daily. In addition to the normal daily backup, make a backup before major transports are imported.

We recommend that you save the database libraries and IFS objects at about the same time. However, IFS operations are not running under commitment control, so you cannot guarantee that database libraries and IFS objects are saved in a consistent state. If you require database libraries and IFS objects in a consistent state at any time, you need to consider data replication technologies.

SAP journal receiver libraries R3<SID>JRN and SAP<SID>JRN (save strategy 1 only)

If you are using save strategy 1, do not delete the journal receivers before you have saved them. Save journal receivers manually after they have been detached.

For more information, see SAP Note 82079 Information published on SAP site.

SAP executables library, for example, R3SYS, R3SAP400, SAP<SID>IND, SAP<SID>UC or SAP<SID>NUC

Before and after each change

Libraries for RFC-SDK and CPI-C-SDK ( R3<REL>RFC, R3<SID>CPIC)

Before and after each change

Entire system (including the SAP system)

See the IBM documentation

Licensed Internal Code and IBM i operating system

See the IBM documentation

SQL packages (optional)

Saving SQL packages is not necessary because they are automatically created by the SAP system when needed.

Work library for the SAP system R3<SID>400

Each time you create a new SAP system

The following sections provide background information about the objects to be saved, explaining why they need to be saved and, in some cases, why they need to be saved at particular intervals.

SAP Database Libraries

To backup all the data in the SAP database, save the SAP database libraries R3<SID>DATA and SAP<SID>DB daily.

Note

When you save database libraries, you must decide if you want to save the access paths together with database tables and indexes. Saving the access paths with the database objects requires more space on the backup media and more time during the save operation, but the system is sooner available after a restore of the data. If you did not save the access paths, they must be rebuilt by the system after the restore based on the key or index columns. This may consume a significant amount of time.

The libraries for the different installation types are:

  • For SAP NetWeaver Application Server ABAP:

    • R3<SID>DATA:

      This is the data library for ABAP.

    • R3<SID>JRN:

      This is the journal receiver library that is associated with R3<SID>DATA.

  • For SAP NetWeaver Application Server Java:

    • SAP<SID>DB:

      This is the data library for Java.

    • SAP<SID>JRN:

      This is the journal receiver library that is associated with library SAP<SID>DB.

IFS Objects

SAP application components do not only write to the database, but can also generate sequential files in the IFS. This happens when applications write directly to the IFS or if you have configured your SAP system to store spool data (TemSe) in the IFS rather than in the database.

The following scenarios exist:

  • You can regenerate a sequential file if it is lost but it is very time-consuming.

  • An application sets a flag in the database indicating that a sequential file has been generated. Once the flag has been set, you might not be able to regenerate the sequential file. For example, if you export a transport request, the request is flagged as exported in the SAP system. If data is lost in the IFS, you cannot easily export it again.

If critical-business sequential files are produced for one of the above reasons, we recommend that you use data replication software in order to ensure IFS data consistency.

If you have any other directories than /usr/sap/<SID>/... or /sapmnt/<SID>/... for IFS data produced by ABAP programs, you must also remember to save the objects in these directories.

We recommend that you save this data each time you back up the SAP database libraries - that is, daily and after importing transport requests - especially if you have located your spool data outside the SAP database libraries.

Save IFS objects (profiles, logs and traces, spool data, transport data) with the IBM i command SAV or Save Menu option 11 ( Objects in directories).

The following table gives the path names you enter to save specific types of data:

Type of Data

Path Name

System-specific data

'/sapmnt/<SID>*'

Instance-specific data

'/usr/sap/< SID>/<inst>*'

Transport files

'/sapmnt/trans*'

Note

You cannot save objects via symbolic links. If you save a path such as '/usr/sap/trans', which is actually a symbolic link to another directory, you save only the path to that directory. To save the contents of the directory or directories, you also have to save the physical objects.

SAP Journal Receiver Libraries

If you decide to implement SAP system save strategy option 1, you need to save libraries R3<SID>JRN and SAP<SID>JRN.

If you want to recover as well as restore, you need an uninterrupted chain of journal receivers going all the way back to the last backup. Depending on the receiver size, it might make sense to save receivers in between SAP database library backups. For information about how to automate the procedure for saving and deleting your journal receivers, see SAP Note 82079 Information published on SAP site.

SAP Executables Libraries and Work Management Libraries

Save the executables libraries, for example, SAP<SID>IND, SAP<SID>UC, SAP<SID>NUC, R3SAP400, R3SYS, R3<REL>RFC or R3<REL>CPIC and the work management library R3<SID>400 before and after each change. You will probably not need to do this once you have made your full SAP system backup after installation or update, unless you apply patches from the SAP Software Distribution Center.

Entire System

After major system operations such as updating the operating system or the SAP software, we recommend that you back up your entire system including the SAP software.

Licensed Internal Code and IBM i Operating System

After installing PTFs or upgrading the operating system, we recommend that you back up the Licensed Internal Code and the IBM i operating system. For more information, see the IBM backup and recovery documentation.

SQL Packages

You do not need to save the SQL packages because they will be recreated automatically when they are needed.

Other Objects

You must also save any other objects you may need to recover after a problem situation.

See also: