Performing a Manual Database Backup (ON-Bar) (SAP Library - SAP Database Guide: Informix (BC-DB-INF-DBA))

Performing a Manual Database Backup (ON-Bar)

Use

This procedure tells you how to perform an Informix database backup – that is a whole-system or storage-space backup – with ON-Bar . It assumes you are entering ON-Bar commands manually.

For more information about database backup without entering ON-Bar commands manually, see Archiving or Backing Up the Database in the DBA Planning Calendar (Informix).

Prerequisites

Before you start the database backup, be sure to complete the following tasks:

Verify database consistency. This is not necessary for every single database backup, but always make sure that you have at least one database backup for which the data consistency has been checked.

Decide what type of database backup you want to perform, either whole-system or storage-space backup, and at what level. For more information about developing an approach to database backups, see Approach to Database Backup (ON-Bar).

Copy all essential files for ON-Bar . You might need the information in these files if you have to restore the database later.

Use Listing System Information with SAPDBA to view the ONCONFIG file, containing the names and locations of many of the files listed below.

Essential Files for ON-Bar

File Name	Technical Name and Where to Find it
Informix message log	See MSGPATH parameter in the ONCONFIG file.
ONCONFIG file	Normally onconfig.<hostname>.sid and normally in directory $INFORMIXDIR/etc (UNIX) or %INFORMIXDIR%\etc (NT).
ON-Bar activity log	See BAR_ACT_LOG parameter in the ONCONFIG file.
ON-Bar debug log	See BAR_DEBUG_LOG parameter in the ONCONFIG file.
ON-Bar emergency boot file	ixbar.<server number> in directory $INFORMIXDIR/etc (UNIX) or %INFORMIXDIR%\etc (NT). For <server number> , see the ONCONFIG file.
Server boot file	oncfg_<server name>.<server number> in directory $INFORMIXDIR/etc (UNIX) or %INFORMIXDIR%\etc (NT). For <server name> and <server number> , see the ONCONFIG file.
Storage manager files	Refer to your storage manager documentation.
sqlhosts file (UNIX)	sqlhosts in directory $INFORMIXDIR/etc .
UNIX and NT operating system files	Refer to your operating system documentation.

Procedure

Back up the database in one of the following ways:

Whole-system backup

Enter the following at the command level as user informix :

$ onbar -b -w

Storage-space backup

Enter the following at the command level as user informix :

$ onbar -b

This commands backs up all dbspaces. SAP does not recommend you to back up individual dbspaces unless you have a good reason.

The commands shown above are for a full, level-0 backup. If you want to perform a backup at level-1 or level-2, add the parameters -L 1 or -L 2 . For example, for a storage-space backup at level-1, enter the following at the command level as user informix :

$ onbar -b -L 1

Note

You can check the progress of the database backup by looking in the ON-Bar activity message log file. Refer to Checking Database Backup Status and Result with Activity Log.

Result

The database is backed up. Therefore, you have a copy of database data that can be restored in the event of database failure.

Make sure that you check the result of the database backup as follows:

Checking Database Backup Status and Result with Activity Log (ON-Bar)

Checking Result of Database Backup or Archive with Message Log

Finally, be sure to complete the database backup.

See also:

Informix documentation at http://www.informix.com