Database backup

Owned by Former user (Deleted)
Last updated: Oct 09, 2018 by Arne Tøn
4 min read

General information

EDM6Service can perform full backup of EDM database, for this backup should be enabled for the database through Database configuration tab and for the configuration through Configuration tab. EDM6Service stops a solution for making a full copy of EDM database and starts it afterwards. The first backup process starts in specified day of week and time, afterwards it starts in specified interval. Backup process can indirectly affect other running solutions because of higher hard drive load. Time necessary for making full copy of EDM database depends on database size, hardware performance and system load.

After solution start the solution log will show message with information about when the first backup will be done (if backup is enabled):

Backup configuration

Before doing backup EDM6Service checks for available space on hard disk. It is possible to specify the minimum free disk space necessary to start the backup process in percents of database size. Use "Tools"->"Application settings" menu to invoke "Settings" dialog:

Change "Disk space excess for backup in percents of database size" to necessary value. The default value is "10%", it means that if EDM database is 100 Mb, hard disk should have at least  110 Mb of free space for backup process to be started.

Backup location and number of backups can be specified on Database configuration tab. After each successful backup EDM6Service checks the number of existing backups and if this number exceeds the limit the oldest backup is removed.

Backup first start time and interval can be specified on Configuration tab.

Manual / Snapshot backup

EDMservice based backup is only callable as a scheduled task. If you want an "immediate" backup following options are most common:

  • Set up a time based backup a mminut from "now" and let EDM6Service do the job
  • Stop server, copy or zip database folder and restart server

Restoring backup

  • Stop server if running
  • Copy or zip current database folder if required
  • Empty database folder (delete contents and subfolders)
  • If the backup is a .ZIP unzip to database folder, else just copy files from backup
  • Restart server

Proposal for backup plan

The EDM backup process using EDMserverConsole dumps the entire database at designed time point defined by EDM Backup interval to a configured EDM Backup location. A configurable number of versions of the backup are kept in the location. For production environments, the EDM backup location is usually a staging area where the enterprise backup system picks up the EDM backup and transfer to enterprise backup media. Currently, the EDM database backup process will yield database unavailable during backup. Hence the backup time slot should be kept as short as possible. There are two modes of storage for the backup:

  1. A single ZIP archive file. This conserves space, and is fastest if the backup location has limited write transfer speed, for example a mapped disk over limited bandwidth network.
  2. A copy of the database files. This is faster if the backup location has a high transfer speed, for example at a fast disk in the same file system.

The mode is set in "EDM6Service settings" reachable from "Application Settings" in "Tools" menu in EDMserverConsole GUI.

For production environments, a recommended backup plan is: 

1) Set up EDM backup location disk location that has fast access, for example a local disk. The location must be reachable for the system-wide backup system, if such exists.

2) Make sure "Compress backup" option in service settings is disabled

3) Set up the EDM Backup Time and Interval  to minimize production impact, for example every night at 02:00.

4) Set number of versions to 1 to minimize disk usage. Existing backup will be deleted after successful EDM Backup.During backup, both backups will exist simultaneously so necessary disk space will be for two backups.

5) Configure the enterprise backup system to back up the EDM Backup Location containing generated .ZIP file. Make sure this backup is done outside the time when EDM Backup itself is running, WRT this example for example every evening at 17:00. 

6) The enterprise backup system now controls how many versions are kept for how long. A recommended setup is: keep daily backups for last week, keep backups from each Friday for 6 months, and keep backup from last Friday every month forever. 


Troubleshooting

EDMserver fail to stop properly before backup 

This is known to happen if there are consistency problems in the database. Stopping the server using Task Manager and restarting it using EDMserverConsole may cure the problem. If it does not, make a manual copy of the database into an archive file (.zip, .rar) and restore database from a backup, or contact Jotne helpdesk 

EDMserver fail to start properly after backup 

This may be several things, like configuration or versioning problems, timed out license,  or consistency problems in the database. Consult edmserver and edmappserver output windows and look for error messages and/or contact Jotne helpdesk.