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 IMPERATIVE TO REGULARLY BACKUP THE DATABASE, VAULT, WORKSPACES AND STORAGE AREAS. 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 Backups... contextual command from the TopSolid'Pdm Server icon.

 

  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.

 

 

  • To avoid slow performances, it is recommended to stop the different TopSolid client during the backup which 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 server. In this case, TopSolid'Pdm server 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.

  • This type of backup is not compatible with non-centralized workspaces. In this case, the backup must be done manually as explained in the installation guide. Each database create since TopSolid 7.6 has centralized workspaces by default.

  • 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.

 

 

  • The database as well as all data from vaults, storage areas and workspaces are saved regardless the type of area storage type (TopSolid'Pdm File Server, FTP, NAS).

  • 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... contextual command from the TopSolid'Pdm Server icon.

 

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

  2. Use the Restore contextual command.

 

 

  • The different TopSolid client must be stopped during the backup which can take several hours.

  • The Restore command can't be used when transfering to another server. In these cases, 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 vaults, storage areas and workspaces are restored regardless the type of area storage type (TopSolid'Pdm File Server, FTP, NAS).

 

 

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'Pdm Server 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 server (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.