DB2 Version 9.7 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows

Backing up databases before upgrade

Before you start the upgrade process to DB2® Version 9.7, it is strongly recommended that you perform a full offline database backup. If an error occurs during the upgrade process, you need full database backups to recover and upgrade your databases.

After you upgrade your instances to DB2 Version 9.7, you cannot backup databases until you upgrade them.

Before you begin

To backup a database, you require SYSADM, SYSCTRL, or SYSMAINT authority.
Databases must be cataloged. To view a list of all the cataloged databases in the current instance, enter the following command:
```
   db2 LIST DATABASE DIRECTORY
```

Procedure

To perform an offline full back up for each of your local databases:

Disconnect all applications and users from the database. To get a list of all database connections for the current instance, issue the LIST APPLICATIONS command. If all applications are disconnected, this command returns the following message:
```
   db2 list applications
     SQL1611W No data was returned by the Database System Monitor.
     SQLSTATE=00000
```
To disconnect all applications and users, use the FORCE APPLICATION command:
```
   db2 force application all
```
Backup your database using the BACKUP DATABASE command. The following is an example for UNIX operating systems:
```
   db2 BACKUP DATABASE sample USER arada USING password TO backup-dir
```
where sample is the database alias, the username is arada, the password is password, and the directory to create back up files is backup-dir.
In partitioned database environments, back up all database partitions.

If you activated and configured DB2 ACS on your databases in DB2 Version 9.5, you can use the USE SNAPSHOT parameter to perform a snapshot backup. However, you can only restore a snapshot backup in a DB2 Version 9.5 instance. You cannot use snapshot backup to upgrade to a new server. Refer to Performing a snapshot backup

If you performed a full offline or online database backup recently and you cannot perform another one before upgrade, you can perform an incremental offline database backup instead. Refer to Upgrading to a new DB2 server for details on how to upgrade your database using an incremental offline database backup.
Optional: Test the integrity of a backup image to ensure that the image can be restored using the db2ckbkp Check Backup command. The following is an example on UNIX operating systems:
```
   cd backup-dir   
   db2ckbkp SAMPLE.0.arada.NODE0000.CATN0000.20051014114322.001

   [1] Buffers processed:  #######

   Image Verification Complete - successful.
```