Informix

There is no information about the configuration necessary to recover the database to another computer in documentation: https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/informix-servers/14.10?topic=manager-configuring-spectrum-protect. I would like to know if there any environment variable to set before the onbar -r commad that indicate the client(source) or if we have to change any spectrum client's configuration file.

We are used to use the Networker, so to this, we have to set variables like:

NSR_CLIENT
NSR_LOG_VOLUME_POOL
NSR_SERVER
NSR_DATA_VOLUME_POOL

and then, execute onbar -r command.

Can anyone help me?

------------------------------
Camila Marinho de Barros
------------------------------

Hi Camila,

Tomas here from Spictera .
We have some different options for you to perform redirect restore.

Redirect restore from source to target using IBM Spectrum Protect
Alternative 1 using ASNODE:
===========================

On the Spectrum Protect server:
SP> GRANT PROXYNODE TARGET=sourcenode AGENT=targetnode

Create a redirect restore option file (dsm.opt), pointing out other configuration stanza in dsm.sys
root@targetserver# echo SERVERNAME restore > /tmp/dsm.opt

Create a new stanza in dsm.sys
root@targetserver# cat >> /opt/tivoli/tsm/client/api/bin64/dsm.sys <<- EOF
SERVERNAME restore
TCPSERVERADDRESS backup.server.com
NODENAME targetnode
ASNODE sourcenode
PASSWORDACCESS generate
ERRORLOGNAME /var/log/dsmerror_restore.log
EOF

Point out the new option file, by setting the DSMI_CONFIG environment variable, pointing to the location of the newly created dsm.opt file
root@targetserver# export DSMI_CONFIG=/tmp/dsm.opt

Perform your redirected restore
root@targetserver# onbar -r

Alternative 2 using same source node credentials:
=================================================

Create a redirect restore option file (dsm.opt), pointing out other configuration stanza in dsm.sys
root@targetserver# echo SERVERNAME restore > /tmp/dsm.opt

Create a redirect restore option file (dsm.opt), pointing out other configuration stanza in dsm.sys
root@targetserver# cat >> /opt/tivoli/tsm/client/api/bin64/dsm.sys <<- EOF
SERVERNAME restore
TCPSERVERADDRESS backup.server.com
NODENAME sourcenode
PASSWORDACCESS generate
ERRORLOGNAME /var/log/dsmerror_restore.log
EOF

Point out the new option file, by setting the DSMI_CONFIG environment variable, pointing to the location of the newly created dsm.opt file
root@targetserver# export DSMI_CONFIG=/tmp/dsm.opt

Point out the new option file, by setting the DSM_CONFIG environment variable (needed to set password), pointing to the location of the newly created dsm.opt file
root@targetserver# export DSM_CONFIG=/tmp/dsm.opt

Point out location of dsm.sys file for "dsmc"
root@targetserver# export DSM_DIR=/opt/tivoli/tsm/client/api/bin64

Save the source node password
root@targetserver# dsmc # Enter the sourcenode and the password for the sourcenode

If you don't remember the source nodes password, than one can set a new password on the Spectrum Protect server
SP> UPDATE NODE sourcenode newpwd

Perform your redirected restore
root@targetserver# onbar -r

Alternative 3 using virtualnode: <<--- have never tried this
===========================================

You need to add the "VIRTUALNODENAME sourcenode" to the current used dsm.opt file
root@targetserver# echo VIRTUALNODENAME sourcenode >> /opt/tivoli/tsm/client/api/bin64/dsm.opt

Regards Tomas

Spictera creates innovative Climate Smart Energy Efficient solutions
We have agentless solutions (Spictera SPFS) where one can mount the IBM Spectrum Protect on a path on your server (mountpoint of filesystem)
Eg
# mount -t spfs /backup

All file operations that goes via this path is translated directly to IBM Spectrum Protect Client API calls
So a backup/restore using onbar/rman/mysqldump is more easy to manage, as the solution is agentless.
One can see all the backups using native OS commands etc.

With Spictera Snapshot, one can take application consistent snapshots directly to a IBM Spectrum Protect server, using progressive block level incremental forever techniques. Controlling the retention of the snapshot on the IBM Spectrum Protect server, and are not limited to a hardware
Restoring a snapthot is nearly instant

Contact us for more information: https://www.spictera.com 

​Regards Tomas

I don't know about Networker, but Spectrum Protect appears to be based on TSM.

You can try following the steps for a redirected restore.  I may well have missed something...

Let's assume that you have taken a backup on Server A and want to restore to Server B...

1. Shut down informix on Server B (if Informix is installed, configured, and running)
2. Copy the file $INFORMIXDIR/etc/ixbar.<servernum> from Server A to Server B
3. Edit the ixbar file on Server B and remove all entries before the last full backup.  Search back from the end of the file until you find the rootdbs mentioned for a Level 0.
4. Copy over the $ONCONFIG file from Server A to Server B (assuming that there isn't one already - don't overwrite if there is), and make any changes necessary for Server B
5. Make sure that BAR_BSALIB_PATH in the $ONCONFIG file on Server B points to the correct library
6. Make sure that BAR_ACT_LOG and BAR_DEBUG_LOG in $ONCONFIG on Server B point to valid directories (the files do not need to exist)
7. Copy over the sqlhosts file ($INFORMIXDIR/etc/sqlhosts or file pointed to by $INFORMIXSQLHOSTS) from Server A to Server B (assuming that there isn't one already), and make any changes as necessary.
8. Copy over the $INFORMIXDIR/etc/oncfg* file from Server A to Server B.  Rename to have the INFORMIXSERVER of Server B and SERVERNUM of Server B.
9. export IFX_SERVERNUM=<SERVERNUM of Server A>
10. If Server B will have a different location for the root dbs, then update the ONCONFIG on Server B to match that used on Server A.  Same with the root path offset.
11. Set the following env variables as necessary on Server B (change as needed for your environment)

Then try a restore on Server B:

onbar -r -p

Check the file referenced by BAR_ACT_LOG for messages.

If successful (unlikely on the first try in my experience!), and you are not planning to use Server B for replicating with Server A, then perform the logical restore:

onbar -r -l

I may probably missed a step or two, and you will need to determine what you need to do that is additional for Networker or Spectrum, but this may get you started.  

Mike

------------------------------
Mike Walker
xDB Systems, Inc
www.xdbsystems.com
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Wed January 18, 2023 08:11 AM
From: Camila Marinho de Barros
Subject: How to recover database informix to another computer using Spectrum Protect

There is no information about the configuration necessary to recover the database to another computer in documentation: https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/informix-servers/14.10?topic=manager-configuring-spectrum-protect. I would like to know if there any environment variable to set before the onbar -r commad that indicate the client(source) or if we have to change any spectrum client's configuration file.

We are used to use the Networker, so to this, we have to set variables like:

NSR_CLIENT
NSR_LOG_VOLUME_POOL
NSR_SERVER
NSR_DATA_VOLUME_POOL

and then, execute onbar -r command.

Can anyone help me?

------------------------------
Camila Marinho de Barros
------------------------------