Performing Continuous Logical-Log Backup to Tape (ON-Archive) (SAP Library - SAP Database Guide: Informix (BC-DB-INF-DBA))

Performing Continuous Logical-Log Backup to Tape (ON-Archive)

Use

This procedure describes how to perform a continuous backup of the Informix logical log to tape with ON-Archive . For more information about continuous logical-log backup, see Choosing Continuous Logical-Log Backup (ON-Archive).

Caution

For any of the procedures in which you use tape media, you must always make sure that the correct tape volume is mounted in the appropriate tape device. If not, the operation fails. If your logical log is full, see Emergency Logical-Log Backup.

Prerequisites

You have defined tape devices as well as volume sets and volumes.

You have determined the volume required for the logical-log backup and loaded it into your tape drive.

Caution

If you use a local tape drive, only fully backed up logical-log files are included on the tape and are marked as backed up. Partially backed up logical-log files are backed up the next time you start continuous backup.

If you use a remote tape drive, it is not guaranteed that the files are correctly backed up. Therefore, SAP recommends you to use a local drive for continuous backup.

Procedure

You can perform a continuous logical-log backup to tape with ON-Archive either in attended or unattended mode.

Attended mode

Proceed as follows to do an attended mode logical-log backup:

1. Enter the following from the command line in a dedicated window as user informix :

$ onarchive 'BACKUP/LOGFILE/CONTINUOUS/VSET=LOGTAP'

ON-Archive returns a message like the following:

Request 00000203 registered in the catalog.

You get a message in your dedicated backup window indicating when the tape volume is full.

2. When the tape volume is full, change the tape, cancel the backup (using Ctrl C ), and start a new command as in step 1 above.

If you want to receive mail, use NOTIFY at the end of the above command. The mail goes to the user who issued the command (usually informix ).

Unattended mode using onautovop

For more information about using onautovop , see the Informix documentation. SAP recommends that you do not use this procedure since it is difficult to see when the tape volume is full.

Note

To find out how the logical-log backup is progressing, see Checking Logical-Log Backup Status (ON-Archive).

Result

The logical log is backed up. Therefore, you can use the logical-log backup for a restore in the event of database failure.

Make sure that you check the logical-log backup result and check the tapes. Finally, be sure to complete the logical-log backup.

See also:

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