Documentum 6.5 Backup

Yes. The common way to perform a back up Documentum repository is to shut the content server, and back up the database and the content filestore. How you perform a backup on the database is dependent on the database vendor.

This is normally called a cold back up, since you have to shutdown the content server.

*** Documentum's recommended procedure is to shut down both the Docbase and underlying database prior to doing backups. The following should be used only in those cases where these practices are not possible to follow. Lastly, the information below is for Documentum Docbases running with an Oracle server only.

Documentum/Oracle Backup Procedures

Documentum recommends the Documentum Docbase and Oracle database is shutdown prior to backup, which are often referred to as 'cold' backups. This recommendation is made to ensure that the content and the metadata of the Docbase are in a consistent state with reference to a point in time.

Currently, cold backups of both the Docbase's content area and the Oracle database are the only way to ensure that a restore from backups will leave the content and metadata of the Docbase in a consistent state.

For the sites that require high availability of the Docbase and cannot afford downtime, it is possible to take online or 'hot' backups of Documentum and Oracle while users are still accessing the Docbase. However, the site should be aware that they run the risk of leaving the Docbase in an inconsistent state with reference to a point in time (e.g. metadata may exist for content which is not present on the file system, or content may exist for which there is no metadata). The chance of inconsistency can occur because there is no sure way to synchronize the backups of the Docbase storage area(s) and the Oracle database.

The best way to take online backups of the Docbase storage area(s) and the Oracle database would be to use the following procedure:

1. Identify the Oracle tablespace(s) for your Docbase(s).
Begin an online backup of each Oracle tablespace.
alter tablespace take OS backup
alter tablespace
2. Take a backup of the storage areas for the Docbase(s).

Once the backup of a Docbase's storage area(s) has completed immediately issue the following command in the Oracle database:

alter system archive log current;
alter database backup controlfile to

The 'alter system archive log current' will archive all current enabled redo logs. Make note of the archived logs, as these archived logs will be the ending points of any media recovery should one be required.

Periodic cold backups of the

Recovery Procedure
Oracle, currently does not offer point in time tablespace recovery. For this reason the procedure to recover the database will require additional steps then would an ordinary Oracle recovery scenario. The scenario described below is based on the procedures listed in the Oracle 7 Server Administrator's Guide, Recovering a Database: Recovery from User Errors and Recovering a Dropped Tablespace:

Example: It is important that the Docbase administrator or Oracle administrator become familiar with Oracle recovery procedures and that recovery procedures are well tested before attempting to implement in a production environment.

Should recovery of the Docbase be required:
- the file system will be restored with the OS backup of the content storage area(s)
- Oracle will be recovered with the online backup and the archived redo logs up to and including those logs archived and associated with the tablespace(s) belonging to the Docbase needing recovery.

Recovery will need to take place in a temporary copy of the database, which will be recovered to the point in time up to and including the last log archived and associated with the backup of the Docbase's storage area(s). The Docbase's Oracle tablespace(s) will then be exported from the temporary copy of the database and imported into the permanent database. This should restore the Docbase's content and metadata back to a point in time using Oracle cancel based recovery.

The steps involved would be:

1. Backup the existing, intact database - DO NOT PROCEED UNLESS YOU HAVE BACKED UP THE EXISTING DATABASE.

2. Drop the Docbase's tablespace(s) including content of the Docbase in need of recovery.

3. Re-create the tablespace(s) dropped in step 2.

4. Using the backups of the Oracle database and the archived redo logs to reconstruct a temporary copy of the database up to and including the last log archived and associated with the backup of the Docbase's storage area using cancel-based recovery.

5. Export the data of the tablespace(s).

6. Import the data into the permanent database.

7. Delete the files associated with the temporary copy of the reconstructed database.

Hi Kenny,

                     I have a similar scenario  , did you manage to get some convincing solution for the back up issue on a windows environment.

Thanks

Mak