Backups

 

 

 

Links / Videos :

 

 

This command allows to configure backups of the database and data. It also allows to restore them.

These backups can be immediate or planed. They can be full or incremental.

It is only available when using TopSolid in Local Pdm Server. In case of using the client-server mode, this command is available on the server.

 

 

IT IS IMPERATIVE TO REGULARLY BACKUP THE DATABASE, AND THE VAULT. ALL BACKUP INFORMATION IS INDICATED IN THE INSTALLATION GUIDE (DATA/BACKUP PROCEDURE CHAPTER ).

FOR SECURITY REASONS, THESE BACKUPS HAVE TO BE SAVED ON ANOTHER DISK OR BETTER, ON ANOTHER SERVER.

 

 

 

 

Creation stages / Use for the backup:

 

Select the Pdm > Backups... command from the TopSolid button.

 

  1. Activate or not the planning. If checked, this option allows to define days and hours when backups have to be done.

  2. Choose if the backup must be complete (1) and/or incremental (2). With the complete option, it saves all data at each backup. With the incremental option, it saves changes since the previous backup. A complete backup is necessary to be able to create an incremental one. If the complete doesn't exist, it is created instead of the incremental.

  3. Click the Save now button to have an immediate backup without taking in account the planing.

  4. Select the backups location (3). It is recommended to select this location on another disk or better on another server.

  5. Enter the maximum number of complete backups to keep. The size of a complete backup can exceed several tenth of Gb.

  6. The list (4) displays each created and kept backup. It displays their start and end date, their size and type of backup.

  7. Enter the e-mail address of recipients for notifications (5). When a backup is finished or restored, a report is automatically sent by e-mail to these recipients. To be able to do that, the mail server must be configured in TopSolid.

  8. Validate.

 

 

  • The backup can take several hours. It is recommended to back-up during the night.

  • It is possible to use this backup/restoration to transfer the database and/or data to another pc. In this case, TopSolid must be started with advanced mode (by adding the -a argument to the shortcut) and use the Extract contextual command from the list (4). Then follow explained described in Data > Transfer to another server chapter of the installation guide.

  • If the database is manually backed-up with MicroSoft SQL Studio Management or by script, the Read-only Backup option must be checked. if not, the incremental backup after this manual backup will not be done and a complete backup will be done instead. See the installation guide (Data / Manual backup) to activate this option.

  • It is recommended to select this location on another disk or better on another server. In this case, the user of the TopSolid'Local Pdm Server service can't be "local" but has to be changed with a domain user with writing rights in the destination folder. It is recommended to use the domain administrator. To change the user of this service, run the services.msc command, right click on the TopSolid'Local Pdm Server service and select properties. then change the user in the log on tab. The service has to be restarted.

 

 

  • The database as well as all data from the vault and the workspace are saved.

  • A complete and 2 incremental backups can be done per day.

  • The planning doesn't create a Windows planning task.

  • If the maximum number of kept backups is reached, the next backup replace the first one.

 

 

Use for the restoration:

 

Select the Backups... command from the TopSolid button.

 

  1. In the list of created backups (4), select the one  to restore.

  2. Use the Restore contextual command.

 

 

  • The Restore command can't be used when transferring to another pc. In this case, use the Extract contextual command which is explained below.

  • When a incremental backup to restore is selected, the complete backup and all intermediate incrementals are also restored. They are displayed on a yellow background.

 

 

The database as well as all data from the vault and the workspace are restored in their previous location.

 

 

Available options by contextual menu on the listed backups:

 

 

This command allows to delete a listed backup.

 

 

 

This command is only available when starting TopSolid as advanced mode (by adding the -a argument to the shortcut). It allows to extract files and database contained in one of the listed backups (4).

It is useful to transfer to another pc (read corresponding chapter in the installation guide.

In the case of incremental backups use, you have to extract the main complete backup and all incremental backups.