System elements and databases that require backing up

When you back up IBM® InfoSphere® Information Server, all file system-based elements that change after installation and all databases must be backed up simultaneously. The backup must occur while all services and IBM WebSphere® Application Server are shut down.

Special considerations

Your backup must meet the following criteria:
  • User ownership of files and directories is retained
  • Group ownership of files and directories is retained
  • File names with special characters, such as asterisk (*), ampersand (&), dollar sign ($), and exclamation point (!) are handled
  • Hidden files are copied. On Linux® or UNIX, these files start with a period (.)
  • Zero length files are copied.

File system elements that change after installation

The following tables identify file system elements that change after installation. The paths in these tables use the default installation directory. Your path varies if you installed InfoSphere Information Server in a different location.

Table 1. File system elements that change after installation (Windows)
Element Description Changed by
C:\IBM\InformationServer The base installation directory for InfoSphere Information Server. Includes all files that are associated with the InfoSphere Information Server installation instance. By default, this directory also stores InfoSphere DataStage® and InfoSphere QualityStage® projects. All InfoSphere Information Server installation actions, running of analysis jobs, InfoSphere DataStage and InfoSphere QualityStage activities, configuration changes such as application of license files, and various other activities.
IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment
C:\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer\profiles\InfoSphere The InfoSphere profile can be located outside of the base installation directory for IBM WebSphere Application Server if you preinstalled and configured it before you installed InfoSphere Information Server.
.
The InfoSphere profile includes all installed services tier components of InfoSphere Information Server. All IBM WebSphere Application Server or InfoSphere Information Server installation actions, configuration changes that are made through the IBM IBM WebSphere Application Server or InfoSphere Information Server administrative consoles or external tools that modify configuration values.
InfoSphere DataStage and QualityStage server project directories. By default: C:\IBM\InformationServer\Server\Projects
Note: You can create project directories anywhere on the server's file system.
Stores compiled InfoSphere DataStage and InfoSphere QualityStage jobs and routines and metadata that is associated with running InfoSphere DataStage and InfoSphere QualityStage jobs. Whenever a user creates a new InfoSphere DataStage and InfoSphere QualityStage project, a corresponding server directory is created to hold its runtime metadata.
Table 2. File system elements that change after installation (Linux, UNIX)
Element Description Changed by
/opt/IBM/InformationServer
Note: If this directory contains /opt/IBM/InformationServer/Repos directory, do not include it in the backup. This directory contains the Db2 database metadata repository files for which you create a backup copy by using Db2 tools. In case of restoring data, it needs to be restored separately from other files in the /opt/IBM/InformationServer directory.
The base installation directory for InfoSphere Information Server. Includes all files that are associated with the InfoSphere Information Server installation instance. By default, this directory also stores InfoSphere DataStage and InfoSphere QualityStage projects. All InfoSphere Information Server installation actions, running of analysis jobs, InfoSphere DataStage and InfoSphere QualityStage activities, configuration changes such as application of license files, and various other activities.
IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment
/opt/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer
The base installation directory for InfoSphere Information Server which includes all installed services tier components of InfoSphere Information Server. All InfoSphere Information Server installation actions, configuration changes that are made through the IBM WebSphere Application Server or InfoSphere Information Server administrative consoles or external tools that modify configuration values.
Server project directories. By default: /opt/IBM/InformationServer/Server/Projects
Note: You can create project directories anywhere on the server's file system.
Stores compiled InfoSphere DataStage and InfoSphere QualityStage jobs and routines and metadata that is associated with running InfoSphere DataStage and InfoSphere QualityStage jobs. Whenever a user creates a new InfoSphere DataStage or InfoSphere QualityStage project, a corresponding server directory is created to hold its runtime metadata.

File system elements that do not change or rarely change after installation

Table 3. File system elements that do not change or rarely change after installation (Windows)
Element Description Changed by

C:\Windows\.nifregistry

C:\os_install_dir\vpd.properties, where os_install_dir is the installation directory of the operating system. For example, C:\WINNT, C:\Windows, or user_home

Installation information for IBM WebSphere Application Server. Not changed by use of InfoSphere Information Server. Might be changed if WebSphere Application Server fixes or fix packs are installed separately.
C:\IBM\SQLLIB The base installation directory for IBM Db2® when installed as part of InfoSphere Information Server. Not changed by use of InfoSphere Information Server. Installation of Db2 fixes or fix packs modify files in this directory.
C:\Program Files\MKS Toolkit UNIX emulation tools that are used by InfoSphere Information Server. Not changed by use of InfoSphere Information Server. Installation of InfoSphere Information Server fixes or fix packs that identify they update MKS Toolkit modifies files in this directory.
IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment
C:\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer
Note: You can exclude any profiles under the C:\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer\profiles directory that are used by other applications.
The base installation directory for IBM WebSphere Application Server which includes all installed services tier components of InfoSphere Information Server. Changed by any IBM WebSphere Application Server fix pack installation.
Linux cue graphicAIX cue graphic
Table 4. File system elements that do not change or rarely change after installation (Linux, UNIX)
Element Description Changed by
AIX cue graphicOn AIX platforms:
  • /usr/.ibm/.nif/.nifregistry or non_root_home/.ibm/.nif/.nifregistry
  • /root/vpd.properties or /usr/lib/objrepos/vpd.properties
Linux cue graphicOn Linux:
  • /opt/.ibm/.nif/.nifregistry
  • /root/vpd.properties or /user_home/vpd.properties
Installation information for IBM WebSphere Application Server. Not changed by use of InfoSphere Information Server. Might be changed if IBM WebSphere Application Server fixes or fix packs are installed separately.
/etc/services Port assignments for the computer. When Db2 or InfoSphere Information Server are installed, the following entries are added:
  • DB2_db2inst1 60000/tcp
  • DB2_db2inst1_1 60001/tcp
  • DB2_db2inst1_2 60002/tcp
  • DB2_db2inst1_END 60003/tcp
  • dsrpc 31538/tcp # RPCdaemon DSEngine@/u1/IBM/InformationServer/Server/DSEngine
Port assignments might be different in your installation.
Not changed after initial installation of InfoSphere Information Server.
/etc/inittab Services to be started on system boot. If you installed Db2 as part of InfoSphere Information Server, this file is modified to add the following entry:
fmc:234:respawn:/u1/IBM/
db2/V10/bin/db2fmcd #DB2 
Fault 
Monitor Coordinator 
Not changed after initial installation of InfoSphere Information Server.
Startup and shutdown scripts.
You can determine the scripts to back up and restore by using these commands:
cd /etc
find . -name "SISFServer*" -print
find . -name "SISFAgents*" -print
find . -name "*" -print 
  | xargs grep -i DSEngine 
Scripts that are used to start and shut down the services that are associated with InfoSphere Information Server. The SISFAgents script and DSEngine scripts are present only when engine components are installed. The SISFServer script is present only when the services tier is installed. Not changed after initial installation of InfoSphere Information Server.
/opt/IBM/db2/V10 The base installation directory for Db2 when installed as part of InfoSphere Information Server. Not changed by use of InfoSphere Information Server. Installation of Db2 fixes or fix packs modify files in this directory.
/home/dasusr1 The home directory of the Db2 database administrator account. Contains files that are required to run Db2. Not changed by use of InfoSphere Information Server. Installation of Db2 fixes or fix packs might modify files in this directory.
/home/db2inst1 The home directory of the Db2 database instance owner. Contains files that are required to run Db2. Not changed by use of InfoSphere Information Server. Installation of Db2 fixes or fix packs might modify files in this directory.

Databases that must be backed up

You can use several tools to complete the backup process. For more information about backing up Db2 databases, see Backup overview in the Db2 10.5 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows in the Knowledge Center. For other supported database systems, refer to your vendor documentation.

Table 5. Databases that must be backed up
Repository or database Description Default database name/schema name
Metadata repository Stores the metadata about external data sources that are governed, managed, and analyzed by InfoSphere Information Server components. Default database name: XMETA
Default schema name: User-defined schema user name, typically XMETA

Note: Database must be the same as the database that is used for the staging area data store.
Staging area Stores metadata that is imported from external data sources so that it can be examined before it is moved to the active metadata repository. Default database name: XMETA
Default schema name: User-defined schema user name, typically XMETASR

Note: Database must be the same as the database that is used for the metadata repository.
Analysis database Stores results of information analysis by InfoSphere Information Analyzer. Default database name: IADB
Default schema name: User-defined schema user name, typically IAUSER

Note: Database cannot be the same as the database that is used for the metadata repository.
Optional: Operations database Stores monitoring data that is displayed by the InfoSphere DataStage and QualityStage Operations Console. Default database name: XMETA
Default schema name: User-defined schema user name, typically DSODB

Note: Database can be the same or different from the database that is used for the metadata repository.
Optional: Match Designer database Stores the results of match test passes by InfoSphere QualityStage Match Designer, a component of InfoSphere QualityStage. This database is an ODBC data source that is used as a staging area before match designs are checked in to the active metadata repository. User-defined database name and schema name. No default, but typically MDDB.

Note: Database cannot be the same as the database that is used for the metadata repository.
Optional: Standardization Rules Designer database
Important: IBM InfoSphere QualityStage Standardization Rules Designer will not be supported after 31 December 2020. No replacement is planned.
Stores a copy of revisions to InfoSphere QualityStage rule sets that were made in the IBM InfoSphere QualityStage Standardization Rules Designer . Default database name: XMETA
Default schema name: User-defined schema user name, typically SRDUSER

Note: Database can be the same or different from the database that is used for the metadata repository.
Optional: Exceptions database Stores exceptions that are generated by InfoSphere Information Server products and components. Default database name: XMETA
Default schema name: User-defined schema user name, typically ESDB

Note: Database can be the same or different from the database that is used for the metadata repository.

Critical files that are unique to each installation

The following tables identify critical files that are unique to each installation.

Windows cue graphic
Table 6. Critical files that are unique to each installation (Windows)
Element Description Changed by
IBM WebSphere Application Server Liberty
C:\IBM\InformationServer\wlp\usr\servers\iis\lib\iis\15properties\isf-server.keystore
IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment
C:\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer\profiles\InfoSphere\classes\isf-server.keystore
Note: A duplicate of isf-server.keystore is used as a deployment source to install isf-server.keystore into the IBM WebSphere Application Server profile. It is in the following location, which is based on your installation of IBM WebSphere Application Server:
IBM WebSphere Application Server Liberty
C:\IBM\InformationServer\ASBServer\apps\lib\iis\15properties
IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment
C:\IBM\InformationServer\ASBServer\apps\lib\iis\classes
On the service tier, the keystore that contains the InfoSphere Information Server engine private key. If you want to restore a backup in a new installation, you must back up the keystore files. Not changed after the initial installation of InfoSphere Information Server.

C:\IBM\InformationServer
\ASBNode\eclipse\plugins
\com.ibm.iis.client\isf-
node.keystore

On the engine tier, the keystore that contains the private key and certificate that is generated when nodes are created. This keystore is updated with the InfoSphere Information Server engine public certificate during registration. If you want to restore a backup in a new installation, you must back up the keystore files.

Not changed after initial installation of InfoSphere Information Server.

Table 7. Critical files that are unique to each installation (Linux, UNIX)
Element Description Changed by
IBM WebSphere Application Server Liberty
/opt/IBM/InformationServer/wlp/usr/servers/iis/lib/iis/15properties/isf-server.keystore
IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment
/opt/IBM/WebSphere/ AppServer/profiles/InfoSphere/ classes/isf-server.keystore
Note: A duplicate of isf-server.keystore is used as a deployment source to install isf-server.keystore into the IBM WebSphere Application Server profile. It is in the following location, which is based on your installation of IBM WebSphere Application Server:
IBM WebSphere Application Server Liberty
/opt/IBM/InformationServer/ASBServer/apps/lib/iis/15properties
IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment
/opt/IBM/InformationServer/ASBServer/apps/lib/iis/classes
On the service tier, the keystore that contains the InfoSphere Information Server engine private key. If you want to restore a backup in a new installation, you must back up the keystore files. Not changed after initial installation of InfoSphere Information Server.

/opt/IBM/InformationServer
/ASBNode/eclipse/plugins
/com.ibm.iis.client/
isf-node.keystore

On the engine tier, the keystore that contains the private key and certificate that is generated when nodes are created. This keystore is updated with the InfoSphere Information Server engine public certificate during registration. If you want to restore a backup in a new installation, you must back up the keystore files.

Not changed after initial installation of InfoSphere Information Server.

Other elements that must be backed up

Windows cue graphicOn Windows installations, the registry stores various values that are used by InfoSphere Information Server. You must back up and restore the following registry keys with a full system backup:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Wow6432Node\Ascential Software

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Wow6432Node\IBM\InformationServer

For more information about importing and exporting registry keys, see Import or Export Keys.