Backup and restore requirements for a 2DCDR deployment

Points to consider when you configure database backup and restore settings on a two data center disaster recovery (2DCDR) deployment.

In a 2DCDR deployment, the backup requirements are different for the portal and management databases.

Management database 2DCDR backup and restore requirements

  • Different remote backup locations must be specified for each data center.
  • Both active and warm-standby management subsystems run the scheduled database backup job.
  • For manual database backups, always run the warm-standby backup first.
  • For scheduled database backups, configure the warm-standby's backup to run one minute before the active site's backup.
  • To restore the management database, you must convert both sites to standalone (non-2DCDR) before you can run the restore process.
  • To restore a management database backup, follow these steps:
    1. Make each management data center a stand-alone API Connect deployment: Temporary conversion to stand-alone.
    2. Restore the database backup to your previously active data center: Restoring from a management database backup.
    3. Restore the 2DCDR configuration to the management CR in the restored data center. Ensure that the multiSiteHA section defines the data center as the active.
    4. Restore the 2DCDR configuration to the other data center. Ensure that the multiSiteHA section defines the data center as the warm-standby (passive).
    5. The management database takes some time to synchronize across the data centers. To confirm that replication is working, see: Verifying replication between data centers.
    Note: If you want to restore the backup to your previously warm-standby data center, and make that the active, then after step 1 follow these steps:
    1. To prevent an active-active situation, disable network connectivity to the management subsystem in your previously active data center.
    2. Restore the backup to your previously warm-standby data center.
    3. Restore the 2DCDR configuration to the management CR in the restored data center. Ensure that the multiSiteHA section defines the data center as the active.
    4. Restore the 2DCDR configuration to the management CR to the other data center. Ensure that the multiSiteHA section defines the data center as the warm-standby (passive).
    5. Enable network connectivity to your new warm-standby data center.
    6. The management database takes some time to synchronize across the data centers. To confirm that replication is working, see: Verifying replication between data centers.

Portal subsystem 2DCDR backup requirements

  • The backup settings for both the active and warm-standby portal must be identical.
  • Only the active data center portal takes backups. On failover, the backup job of the new warm-standby is disabled, and the backup job of the new active is enabled.
  • Restore portal database backups on the active data center.

Configuring database backups

The steps for configuring database backups for both subsystems are the same as for a single API Connect deployment, but keep the additional 2DCDR requirements in mind when following the steps in Backing up, restoring, and disaster recovery.