Backup iw-store using iw-freeze open files outages

Best practices for backing up iw-store says when backing up iw-store use an "Open Files" type software for backup. As well the iwfreeze command should be run so files don't get corrupt when the backup process takes place. Using the iwfreeze prevent users from editing files on TS.

Problem: We currently have countries from around the world accessing our TS server here on the East cost. The phrase it's normal business ours some where" applies.

Besides purchasing multi backing store license or doing an HA approach what could I do?

I feel that others are not using the best practices approach 9iwfreeze) and are crossing their fingers if they ever need to restore their store that the files are no corrupted
http://devnet.interwoven.com/forums/cgi-bin/showthreaded.pl?Cat=&Board=PRODUCTS_TEAMSITE&Number=29238&page=&view=&sb=&o=&vc=1#Post29238

Thanks in advance!
WIN2K TS/TST 5.5.2 sp5; OD 5.6.0.1; DD 5.5.2
The Professor-

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Comments

Migrateduser

It is not acceptable, but I think you're just out of luck here (you have to freeze). Isn't there some ISO standard that a system has to be up at least 97% of the time? Of course if the back end was an enterprise-class database you could do a hot backup without bringing down the system...

iwovGraduate

If your TS needs to be available 24x7, I don't think multi-store is going to help you.

I would recommend hot swap RAID mirroring. You can break the mirror, run backup and join the disk back in the array.

How large is your backing store ?

Hierarchy.JPG

Adam Stoller

Other alternatives:
1) using a mirroring system - do an iwfreeze, break the mirror, un-freeze and perform the backup from the static copy and then restore the mirroring.
2) using additional local (or mounted) disk storage - do an iwfreeze, rsync (or similar) the backing store to the additional space, unfreeze and perform the backup from the additional space.

Both methods requiring freezing the backing store temporarilly - but generally for less time than it would take if you were backing up the 'real' backing store.

My current customer uses the 2nd approach with a 2.5 hour frozen window (unclear if they need that much time, or just figured out that it was a safe amount of time to complete the process within).

I haven't dealt with implementing either of these solutions personally, so you'll have to look elsewhere for mode detailed information - but hopefully this will provide you some reasonable ideas to investigate.

--fish
Senior Consultant, Quotient Inc.
http://www.quotient-inc.com

Migrateduser

Along the lines of approach 2), on one of the TS servers I've managed, the amount of freeze time required is <4sec. for a 6+GB backing store. We have 7x24 access needs. This is possible due to hosting the backing store on a NetApp and using its snap-shot capability. Once the snap-shot is complete my program issues the unfreeze restoring use of the TS server. The backup proceeds to backup the snap-shot. This process has been working for nearly three years. We've occassionally tested the backups by restoring them to another backing sore and starting a TS server using the new backing store.

The NetApp is expensive storage. But this feature is not by any means to only value it provides as a fileserver for the TS backing store.

Adam Stoller

I think that's more of '1' than '2' though perhaps a hybrid.

NetApp boxes are great for this kind of thing - and if you've got it...use it!

Thanks for the information about the reduced down-time advantage - I think it makes a compelling argument for those folks who are in the process of, or have the ability to influence, purchasing of hardware.

--fish
Senior Consultant, Quotient Inc.
http://www.quotient-inc.com