Backing up and restoring IBM InfoSphere Information Server

The services tier, engine tier, and metadata repository tier consist of various elements that require back up. The procedures documented here do not cover backing up and restoring InfoSphere Information Server clients that are running on Microsoft Windows computers. Back up and restore is typically not required for client-only installations as only local, user-specific customizations are stored on client computers. To recover a client-only installation, you can reinstall the clients.

The InfoSphere Information Server recovery assistant back up and restore wizards walk you through interviews that collect information about your system. The wizards automatically create a response file, which is used to back up and restore the services, engine, and metadata repository tiers. When you run a back up or recovery, all tiers installed on the computer are backed up. If your system is dispersed across computers, back them all up individually.

The engine tier installation contains files and configuration data that are linked to elements stored in the metadata repository. IBM InfoSphere DataStage® and IBM InfoSphere QualityStage® projects are stored in the engine tier installation directory or elsewhere on the same computer. They are linked to elements stored in the metadata repository. There is also information stored in files in the IBM WebSphere® Application Server directory that is linked to elements stored in the metadata repository. Finally, while the IBM InfoSphere Information Analyzer analysis database and InfoSphere QualityStage Match Designer database are separate from the metadata repository database, there are cross-database references between them.

Because of these interdependencies, to guarantee a successful back up, the metadata repository, the InfoSphere QualityStage Match Designer database, the InfoSphere Information Analyzer analysis database, the IBM InfoSphere DataStage and InfoSphere QualityStage projects, and all of the file system-based elements that change after installation must be backed up, and the back up must occur while all services and IBM WebSphere Application Server are shut down. If you do not shut them down manually, the recovery tool shuts them down.

When you restore an installation, all of the same elements that were backed up need to be restored during the same restore session. Restore all elements before you start IBM WebSphere Application Server or InfoSphere Information Server.