Backup Save Restore

Stuff we might want to Backup

• OS/400 IBM System Resources
• Application Software
• Libraries
• Data Files
• Spooled Reports

We can save and restore

• Without buying 3rd party stuff
• What comes native with OS/400 support

400 objects have both external definition, and data contents, both of which get saved.

• External definition also includes a variety of statistics and description that get saved

Save and Restore

• Single object in a library, all its members
• Group of objects by generic name
• Group of objects by generic name and object type
• An entire library
• Only the changed objects in a library
• OS/400 system stuff like user profiles and device configuration
• All libraries other than system stuff

Need 3rd party stuff

• Unless we are running GO SAVE 21 everything, there is some system information that cannot be saved
  • needs SAVSTG save storage command
• We cannot save damaged objects
• We cannot save objects that are in use for update
  • unless SAVACT function used
  • advise thorough testing ... for example do we have enough disk space for this approach?
• We cannot save spooled file reports
  • We can copy from report to a data base file then save that
• We cannot save output contents of Queues
  • Output OUTQ
  • message MSGQ
  • JOBQ
  • etc.
  • We can save descriptions of Queues
• Archive Spool Files
• Archive application files based on some cut-off criteria

Backup Save References

• GO BACKUP
• GO SAVE
• GO TAPE

Restore References

• GO RESTORE

Restore Gotchas

Restore Libraries alphabetically

• Let's suppose you have physical files in one library called GOODSTUFF
• Let's suppose you have logical access to the GOODSTUFF files located in another library called GETGOODIES
• Let's suppose you need to restore several libraries including GOODSTUFF and GETGOODIES
• OS/400 restores libraries in ALPHABETICAL SEQUENCE
  • (unless you restoring 100% or
  • doing libraries one at a time where you specify which one each time)
• which means it will try to restore GETGOODIES before GOODSTUFF
• but if the physical file that a logical accesses is not on disk at time you try to restore the logical, you will not recover that from the backup
• Lesson or Moral of the story ... if you need to store logicals in a library of different name than that of the physical ... it might be smart to use a name alphabetically after that of the library with the physical.

Other Availability Recovery Topics

Managing Backup Performance

• OS/400 stores statistics on backup media volumes which we can access via STRSST

Managing Performance of what's on Disk

Security Considerations

• Who knows passwords to Master Security?
  • such as STRSST System Security Tools
• What happens if that person gets hit by a truck, or other accident removes them from the picture?
• Let's suppose, thanks to human error, the master security signon gets messed up, and no one can sign on with it. What now?
• Do you know where the KEY is to your 400 hardware?
  • Do you know where the BACKUP key is?

UPS Power Protection

• Do you check Power Protection periodically, so when the battery dies of old age, that is no surprise to you ?
• When it was originally hooked up, was it tested to make sure it was hooked up correctly, so when you need it, because of loss of public utility power, it does protect you?
• If folks do power down / up the same way 99% of the time, do y"all remember how to work the CPU control panel?

Disaster Recovery

• Let's suppose your hardware goes kaput, due to a physical disaster ... fire, weather, plane crashes into your building, terrorism, someone goes postal, etc.
• You have your OFF SITE backups right?
• You have a directory of all the stuff on your 400, right?
• You know where to find a "hot site" to which you can restore your backups right?
• You can find phone #s of vendors that sold your 400 stuff, right?
• You know which stuff needs a software key to run it on the CPU serial # of the replacement box, right?