onbar portability issues?

Hello. I have an informix IDS version 10 FC7 rdbms database. I need to port the database to another server (with an identical OS and configuration) as part of a DR exercise. We have onbar backups. I have read that it is 'difficult' to recreate a database on another server using onbar backups....but I have never found or read any specific reason(s) why this is difficult. Does anyone know of any 'gotchas' with this method? Or exactly what these 'difficulties' are? Thanks

Will, An import restore with onbar would be a lot faster than export/import, but there are some gotchas, mostly to do with the storage manager. You will need to copy the Source ixbar and oncfg files from the source host's $INFORMIXDIR/etc to the target hosts $INFORMIXDIR/etc directory. If you are changing DBSERNAME or SERVERNUM you will need to rename the oncfg_DBSERVERNAME.DBSERVERNUM and ixbar.SERVERNUM files to match the target requirements. Also, in the ixbar.SERVERNUM file, you will need to change the SOURCEDBSERVERNAME in the first column of each line to the TARGETDBSERVERNAME, unless you want them to have the same name on different hosts, potentially hazardous. You will also need to register the Source host and users with the target ISM. If you put the following commands into a file and use nsradmin -s TARGETHOST -i fileName to update the ISM register. print type:NSR client;name:SOURCEHOST create type:NSR client;name:SOURCEHOSTM;remote access:root@TARGETHOST,informix@TARGETHOST,root,informix NB: The above needs to be on a single line in a file update remote access:informix@TARGETHOST,root@TARGETHOST,informix,root You then need the Source ISM Volumes to be registered with the Target ISM, so you will need to load each tape (or copy the disk directories used), add them using ism_add -device pathToDevice -type deviceType ( as you would do on the source). You cannot mount the volumes until you register them using ism_catalog -recreate_from device. Make sure you register all the volumes required to restore you DBServer, don't forget logical log volumes. You will need adequate disk space ( raw or cooked or both ) to take the restore. You may be able to setup identical chunk paths, but more than likely you will ant to prepare a chunk remapping file. You only need to touch cooked chunks ( touch pathToTargetChunk ; chmod 660 pathToTargetChunk ). The new offsets should all be 0 if you are using cooked chunks. If your source system was also using cooked chunks the offset will be 0 also, so you really only need to figure out the new paths and have a one to one mapping. If on the other hand you are going to raw from raw or raw from cooked you may need to figure out new staring offsets for each chunk. Once you have done all that its pretty much like you had done a backup on the target host and are about to do a restore, just one gotcha Set ISM_CLIENT=SOURCEHOST in your environment before you begin the restore and make sure it is exported. It won't work if you don't. You will probably need to be root to do the recatalogging and nsradmin bits. Good luck.. Stuart McCann Integrated Spatial Services Unit Information Communication & Technology Department of Lands, Bathurst Phone: (02) 63328285 stuart.mccann@lands.nsw.gov.au -----Original Message----- From: ids-bounces@iiug.org [mailto:ids-bounces@iiug.org] On Behalf Of WILL LANDSTROM Sent: Monday, 28 April 2008 8:13 AM To: ids@iiug.org Subject: onbar portability issues? [11908] Hello. I have an informix IDS version 10 FC7 rdbms database. I need to port the database to another server (with an identical OS and configuration) as part of a DR exercise. We have onbar backups. I have read that it is 'difficult' to recreate a database on another server using onbar backups....but I have never found or read any specific reason(s) why this is difficult. Does anyone know of any 'gotchas' with this method? Or exactly what these 'difficulties' are? Thanks ************************************************************************ ******* Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum. See you at the IIUG Informix 2008 Conference The Power Conference for Informix Professionals April 27 - 30, 2008 Marriott Overland Park (Kansas City), Kansas http://www.iiug.org/conf Registration Now Open!! *************************************************************** This message is intended for the addressee named and may contain confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete it and notify the sender. Views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender, and are not necessarily the views of the Department of Lands. This email message has been swept by MIMEsweeper for the presence of computer viruses. ***************************************************************

It depends on the capabilities of the storage manger you are using. If you are using a storage manager, the steps are listed below: 1) install storage manager client on new host 2) register client with storage manager 3) restore or copy the following files $INFORMIXDIR/etc/ixbar.<servernum> $INFORMIXDIR/etc/$ONCONFIG $INFORMIXDIR/etc /oncfg_<$INFORMIXSERVER>.<servernum> $INFORMIXDIR/etc/sqlhosts to the DR host. 4) important keep the server name and server number as for the live server (change after the restore) 5) install the Informix module for the specific storage manager 6) ensure that the secondary server does not have access to the chunks of the primary server. 7) start the Informix restore ( you can use chunk rename if need). 8) monitor restore progress from storage manager and informix logs. Steps 1,2,5 are somewhat different for different storage managers. Step 6 is important as otherwise onbar will try to backup the logs. Regards, Kenneth Penza Systems Engineer Systems and Database Services Service Management Department Malta Information Technology & Training Services Ltd Please read our Legal Notice: http://emailpolicy.mitts.gov.mt P Please consider your environmental responsibility before printing this e-mail. END OF TEXT -----Original Message----- From: ids-bounces@iiug.org [mailto:ids-bounces@iiug.org] On Behalf Of WILL LANDSTROM Sent: 28 April 2008 00:13 To: ids@iiug.org Subject: onbar portability issues? [11908] Hello. I have an informix IDS version 10 FC7 rdbms database. I need to port the database to another server (with an identical OS and configuration) as part of a DR exercise. We have onbar backups. I have read that it is 'difficult' to recreate a database on another server using onbar backups....but I have never found or read any specific reason(s) why this is difficult. Does anyone know of any 'gotchas' with this method? Or exactly what these 'difficulties' are? Thanks ************************************************************************ ******* Forum Note: Use "Reply" to post a response in the discussion forum. See you at the IIUG Informix 2008 Conference The Power Conference for Informix Professionals April 27 - 30, 2008 Marriott Overland Park (Kansas City), Kansas http://www.iiug.org/conf Registration Now Open!!

Penza. Thank you. This is a real help.

Stuart. Thanks. This is great information.