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SAP MaxDB

Following sections will show how to configure your MaxDB system to use cxLink Backup functionalities.

All commands in this guide are executed using an SAP Database with SID M10. Please replace M10 with your actual database SID.

Please note that SAP Database Studio is used during this guide to illustrate different cxLink Backup functionalities.

Only MaxDB SAP instances are supported by cxLink Backup. It is not possible to use cxLink Backup for a MaxDB standalone database.

Topics

To have MaxDB database using cxLink Backup follow the steps:

  • Create a configuration file named M10.bsi under /opt/emory/conf directory has to be created with the following recommended contents:

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BACKINT /opt/emory/emory
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INPUT /opt/emory/tmp/M10.bsi.in
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OUTPUT /opt/emory/tmp/M10.bsi.out
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ERROROUTPUT /opt/emory/tmp/M10.bsi.err
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PARAMETERFILE /opt/emory/conf/M10.cfg
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TIMEOUT_SUCCESS 60
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TIMEOUT_FAILURE 60
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ORIGINAL_RUNDIRECTORY /opt/emory/tmp
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CHECK_AVAILABILITY YES

  • Set parameter BSI_ENV under MaxDB configuration set:

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dbmcli -d M10 -n emorymaxdb -u <dbm_operator>,<dbm_operator_password> dbm_configset -raw BSI_ENV /opt/emory/conf/M10.bsi

Note: remember all examples here correspond to a MaxDB database with SID M10. Change M10 for your actual MaxDB SID. Change also emorymaxdb by your MaxDB server hostname.

SAP Help Page

https://help.sap.com/viewer/e2e2f2423fc64ed5852501482d880243/2020.002/en-US/4574683612e14022e10000000a1553f6.html

Configure backup templates​

Backup templates can be managed from SAP Database Studio, command line (dbmcli) and SAP GUI, and to have cxLink Backup working they must be set using the following mandatory parameters:

  • Device Type: pipe
  • Backup Tool: backint

All remaining attributes can be set at your convenience followin SAP MaxDB documentation.

This is an example of a creation of a complete data backup template named Complete from command line using dbmcli and medium_put command:


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medium_put Complete /tmp/pipe PIPE DATA 0 8 NO NO backup_replace BACK

DATA parameter stands for a complete backup type; PAGES would correspond to an incremental template and LOG to a log backup one.

This is an example of a complete data backup template from SAP Database Studio:

MaxDB complete data backup template

And the same for a parallel backup template:

MaxDB complete data backup parallel template

To configure how many parallel processes are going to be used during a backup operation, MaxBackupMedia MaxDB parameter has to be set.

You can do all template related configuration from SAP GUI as well using DB13 transaction.

This is an example of a complete data backup template using SAP GUI:

MaxDB complete data backup template from DB13

Configure Autolog​

As per SAP documentation Autolog backup using pipes is not possible, so Autolog is not possible to be configured for cxLink Backup.

Log Backup to a Pipe

You can execute a backup operation using cxLink Backup from:

  • Command line using dbmcli
  • DB13 transaction from SAP GUI
  • SAP Database Studio

Command Line Backup​

All backups are executed using backup_start command and specifiying a template. The backup template defines backup level: complete, incremental or log backup.

Using a complete backup template named Complete and a database with SID M10:


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emorymaxdb:sdb 999> dbmcli -d M10 -u <dbm_operator>,<dbm_operator_password>
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dbmcli on M10>db_connect
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OK
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---
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dbmcli on M10>backup_start Complete
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OK
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Returncode 0
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Date 20220307
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Time 00155458
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Server emorymaxdb
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Database M10
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Kernel Version Kernel 7.9.10 Build 004-123-265-969
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Pages Transferred 3473048
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Pages Left 0
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Volumes 1
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Medianame Complete
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Location /tmp/m10_complete_pipe
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Errortext
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Label DAT_000000182
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Is Consistent true
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First LOG Page 156010
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Last LOG Page
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DB Stamp 1 Date 20220307
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DB Stamp 1 Time 00155457
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DB Stamp 2 Date
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DB Stamp 2 Time
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Page Count 3473025
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Devices Used 1
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Database ID emorymaxdb:M10_20211014_112604
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Max Used Data Page 0
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Converter Page Count 1874
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---
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dbmcli on M10>

In the case of an incremental backup an incremental backup template has to be used and in the case of a log backup a log backup one.

Regarding parallelism and compression, the same applies; it is the template what defines both.

SAP GUI Backup​

As explained in the last section, what defines the backup operation to perform is the backup template, so the way a MaxDB backup operation is executed from DB13 transaction is quite simple, just schedule a new action Complete Data Backup and set a complete backup template.

Taking into account that we already defined a complete backup template named Complete:

DB13 Complete Data Backup

SAP Database Studio Backup​

And the same applies when a backup operation is executed from SAP Database Studio

Taking into account that we already defined a complete backup template named Complete:

SAP Database Studio Complete Data Backup

Command line Recover​

You can restore your MaxDB database using dbmcli.

Those are the steps for a SID M10:

First check backup history list. It is important to execute with -e option to show backup external information.


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dbmcli -d M10 -u <dbm_operator>,<dbm_operator_password>
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dbmcli on M10>backup_history_open
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OK
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---
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dbmcli on M10>backup_history_list -e
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...
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6227529A0027|LOG_000000044|SAVE WARM|2022-03-07 16:01:45|2022-03-08 13:56:14|2022-03-08 13:56:58|2022-03-08 13:57:02| 156012| 168070| |Log | 12072| 0| 0| |
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E:UNKNOWN|M10 20220308135659 /tmp/m10_log_pipe|
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622751EE0024|DAT_000000189|SAVE WARM|2022-03-08 13:54:06|2022-03-08 13:54:06|2022-03-08 13:54:06|2022-03-08 13:55:58| 168061| |NO |Complete | 3483552| 1| 0| |
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E:UNKNOWN|M10 20220308135408 /tmp/m10_complete_pipe|
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6227512F0022|PAG_000000188|SAVE WARM|2022-03-08 13:50:55|2022-03-08 13:50:55|2022-03-08 13:50:55|2022-03-08 13:51:00| 168056| |NO |Incremental | 240| 1| 0| |
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E:UNKNOWN|M10 20220308135056 /tmp/m10_incremental_pipe|
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62263A580020|PAG_000000187|SAVE WARM|2022-03-07 18:01:12|2022-03-07 18:01:12|2022-03-07 18:01:12|2022-03-07 18:01:19| 165066| |NO |Incremental | 112| 1| 0| |
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...

The line starting with E: corresponds to the external backup information. First field is availavility information, second one the external backup id

Put the database in admin state and connect:


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dbmcli on M10>db_admin
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OK
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---
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dbmcli on M10>db_connect
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OK
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---

Start recover from a complete backup template; this will start restore from backup template named Complete and backup identified by external id M10 20220308135408 /tmp/m10_complete_pipe:


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dbmcli on M10>recover_start Complete DATA EBID "M10 20220308135408 /tmp/m10_complete_pipe"
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OK
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Returncode 0
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Date 20220310
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Time 00105624
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Server emorymaxdb
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Database M10
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Kernel Version Kernel 7.9.10 Build 004-123-265-969
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Pages Transferred 3483552
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Pages Left 0
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Volumes 1
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Medianame Complete
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Location /tmp/m10_complete_pipe
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Errortext
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Label DAT_000000189
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Is Consistent true
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First LOG Page 168061
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Last LOG Page
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DB Stamp 1 Date 20220308
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DB Stamp 1 Time 00135406
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DB Stamp 2 Date
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DB Stamp 2 Time
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Page Count 3483508
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Devices Used 1
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Database ID emorymaxdb:M10_20211014_112604
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Max Used Data Page 0
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Converter Page Count 1886
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---
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dbmcli on M10>

Recover completed successfully and the log page that system expects after backup is 168061, as you can read from First LOG page field.

That means if you want to recover to a more recent point in time, you must recover log backup corresponding to that log page.

You can see this executing db_restartinfo command:


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dbmcli on M10>db_restartinfo
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OK
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Used LOG Page 168061
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First LOG Page 0
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Restartable 1
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Id Restart Record emorymaxdb:M10_20211014_112604
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Id LOG Info emorymaxdb:M10_20211014_112604
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Consistent 1
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Log Volume Enabled 1
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Log Auto Overwrite 0
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Master Servernode EMORYMAXDB
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Converter Version 4744
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Oldest Compatible Version 7.9.10.04
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Queue Count 2
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Repository Imports NO
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Last Known Log Io Sequence 174871
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Hot Standby Role None
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---
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dbmcli on M10>

From that command you can also see the database is ready to be started by checking Restartable attribute value.

You can see from backup history that log backup LOG_000000044 contains pages from 156012 to 168070.

To recover from that backup:


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dbmcli on M10>recover_start Log LOG EBID "M10 20220308135659 /tmp/m10_log_pipe"
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OK
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Returncode 0
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Date 20220310
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Time 00120156
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Server emorymaxdb
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Database M10
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Kernel Version Kernel 7.9.10 Build 004-123-265-969
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Pages Transferred 552
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Pages Left 0
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Volumes
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Medianame Log
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Location /tmp/m10_log_pipe
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Errortext
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Label LOG_000000044
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Is Consistent
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First LOG Page 156012
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Last LOG Page 168070
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DB Stamp 1 Date 20220307
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DB Stamp 1 Time 00160145
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DB Stamp 2 Date 20220308
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DB Stamp 2 Time 00135614
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Page Count 12059
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Devices Used 1
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Database ID emorymaxdb:M10_20211014_112604
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Max Used Data Page
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Converter Page Count
_30
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---
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dbmcli on M10>

In our case this is the last log backup we have and database can be started:


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dbmcli on M10>db_online
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OK
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---
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dbmcli on M10>

SAP Database Studio Recover​

You can recover a backup easyly using SAP Database Studio.

Only last complete backup recovery will be covered in this guide, to do so follow the steps:

Access database administration with an administrator account, select Recovery... option:

Recovery option

Put your database in Admin state:

Admin State

Select Recover last backup option:

Admin State

Admin State

Wait until restore finishes:

Admin State

Where are your backups stored?​

They will be stored in the target bucket as:

<SAP_SID>/<DB>/<year>/<month>/<day>/<timestamp>.<MaxDB_Backup_Label>.<full|partial|archive>

Example: DBD/DBD/2022/02/25/20220307155459.DAT_000000182.FULL