Implement NSF backup strategies that are
based on your requirements such as network traffic, backup window,
and acceptable restore times. Information about backup strategies,
and sample strategies are provided.
Your choice of NSF backup strategy includes selecting
the type of backup commands to use and the type of transaction logging
to be done on the Domino® server. Data Protection for IBM® Domino can
back up transaction logs from a Domino server
that has archival logging enabled. Transaction logs cannot be backed
up from a Domino server that
has circular or linear loop logging in effect.
Archival logging allows transaction log data to be archived on
the Tivoli® Storage Manager server so
that changes to logged databases can be stored on the Tivoli Storage Manager server without
having to run a full backup. Less frequent full database backups result
because changes to logged databases are available for restore in the
archived transaction log files.
The archivelog command backs up Domino transaction log files when archival
logging is in effect on the Domino server.
The command queries the Domino server
to determine whether any log extents are ready for archiving. If so,
the log files are backed up to Tivoli Storage Manager server storage,
and the Domino server is
notified of their availability for reuse.
High and low threshold values can be specified as
a percentage of the log capacity to control whether log files can
be archived. These values allow the command to be scheduled regularly
to protect against a log full condition. The log files are archived
only if the log is getting close to being full.
Consider the following information when you are choosing
a backup strategy:
- When you are using archival transaction logging, the frequency
of archivelog command usage depends on the size
of your log and the rate of change for logged databases. Run archival
transaction logging several times a day if you generate a large volume
of changes at a rapid rate.
- When a DBIID for a logged database changes, the database cannot
be recovered until another backup of that database is run. The incremental command
detects the changed DBIID. Any changes that are recorded in the log
between the DBIID change and backup are not restored if the original
database is lost. The Domino server
sends a message to the server console when a DBIID change occurs.
It is useful to monitor the server console and run a backup when the
DBIID changes.
- When you are restoring a group of logged databases for which transactions
must be applied, activate them together when possible. Activating
them together avoids restoring the same transaction log files multiple
times. Restored transaction log files are deleted during a database
recovery by the Domino server.
Activating and applying logs to the database separately requires retransmitting
log files for each database.
- When querying the Tivoli Storage Manager server for
databases to restore on the Data Protection for IBM Domino GUI,
reduce query processing time by specifying a database name and typing
letters with a wildcard character (*) in the By Database
Name field.
- Data Protection for IBM Domino provides
backup and restore functions for the Domino databases
(including template files) and associated transaction logs. However, Data Protection for IBM Domino does
not provide a complete disaster recovery solution for a Domino server by itself. There are executable
and configuration files that are part of the Domino server installation, which are not
backed up. For example, database link files have an nsf extension
but are not considered databases and are not backed up by Data Protection for IBM Domino.
These files must be recovered in a disaster recovery situation. A
comprehensive disaster recovery plan can be achieved using the Tivoli Storage Manager Backup
Archive Client for your server together with Data Protection for IBM Domino.
- Personal copies (replicas) of Domino databases
that are stored on Notes® clients
(not on the Domino server)
are not protected by Data Protection for IBM Domino.
You can use the Tivoli Storage Manager Backup-Archive
Client on the Notes client
to back up and restore these files or rely on Domino server replication if you must recover
them.
- To restore an individual Notes document, you must restore the entire
database to a different name. Choose a time when the document existed
for both the restore /pit and activate /applylogs commands
but before the document was deleted. Copy the required document on
the Notes client.
- The Tivoli Storage Manager encryption,
deduplication, and compression functions can be used with Data Protection for IBM Domino.
For more information read the Using the application programming interface
documentation on the Tivoli Storage Manager information
center.
Sample strategies
Some strategies that you
can employ are described here.
- Full backups only
- The following backup option
can be implemented if your network capacity and backup window support
regular full database backups:
- Perform regular Selective backups.
- Perform occasional Incremental backups to deactivate backup copies
of databases that no longer exist on the Domino server.
Each backup takes longer to run, but the restore process is most
efficient because only the most recent full backup is restored. Note: You can apply updates to the restored database from
the transaction log if the log is not wrapped since the backup was
run. If the log is wrapped, the attempt to apply logs fails.
- Full backup plus transaction log archives
- It is
often not practical to back up entire databases with each regular
backup for large Domino installations.
Archival logging captures changes to all logged databases in the archived
transaction log files. Full database backups are run less frequently,
reducing burdens on network and storage resources. To implement this
strategy:
- Run regular log archives by running the archivelog command.
The log file does not fill and it captures changes to logged databases.
- Run regular Incremental backups, which back
up logged databases with unchanged DBIIDs.
- Run occasional Selective backups of all logged
databases. The number of transaction log files to be processed during
a restore is reduced.
- Issue the inarchivelog command
(following Selective backups) to allow nonessential transaction log
files to expire.
The archivelog command captures changes to
all logged databases in between full backups of selected databases.
To restore a database to its most recent state, restore the most recent
database backup and specify /applylogs. All the
necessary archived transaction log files are restored so that updates
for the database can be applied.