Configuring NFS backup on an existing HA cluster

You can configure Network File System (NFS) for an existing high-availability cluster.

About this task

Warning:

Large backups, such as data backups, can take a long time to complete because the backups are generated directly in the mounted folder over the network. Unless a network interruption occurs, these backups usually complete successfully, but can take 14-19 hours. As an alternative, you could leave your backup directory local and have a script copy the backup to a mounted NFS share.

If you use NFS or a Windows share for offboard storage, your system can lock and cause an outage. This practice is not supported by IBM QRadar.

If you choose to use NFS or a Windows share anyway, they can be used only for daily backup data, such as the /store/backup directory. You cannot use NFS or a Windows share for storing active data, which includes the PostgreSQL and ariel databases. If you do use NFS or a Windows share, they might cause database corruption or performance issues.

Restriction: Do not create your new backup location under the /store file system. Use a different directory, such as /backup or /nfs.

Procedure

Use SSH to log in to the primary HA host as the root user.
Start NFS services by typing the following commands:
```
systemctl enable rpcbind
systemctl start rpcbind
```
Add the following line to the /opt/qradar/ha/fstab.back file.
```
nfsserver:/nfs/export/path /<backuppath> nfs rw,soft,intr,noac 0 0
```
You might need to adjust the settings for the NFS mount point to accommodate your configuration.
Add the same line to the /etc/fstab file, preceded by #HA.
```
#HA nfsserver:/nfs/export/path /<backuppath>  nfs rw,soft,intr,noac 0 0
```
You might need to adjust the settings for the NFS mount point to accommodate your configuration.
Repeat steps 1 - 4 on the secondary HA host.
Move your backup files from the existing directory on the primary HA host to a temporary location by typing the following commands:
```
cd /store/
mv backup backup.local
```
Create a new backup directory on the primary HA host by typing the following command:
```
mkdir /<backuppath> 
```
Set the permissions for the NFS volume on the primary HA host by typing the following command:
```
chown nobody:nobody /<backuppath> 
```
On the navigation menu ( ), click Admin.
Click Advanced > Deploy Full Configuration.
All services restart.
Verify that the /<backuppath> mount point is listed in the output of the following command on the primary and secondary HA hosts:
```
grep MOUNTS /opt/qradar/ha/ha.conf
```
Verify that /<backuppath> is mounted on the primary HA host by typing the following command:
```
df -h
```
On the primary HA host, move the backup files from the temporary location to the NFS volume by typing the following command:
```
mv -f /store/backup.local/* /<backuppath> 
```
Remove the backup.local directory by typing the following commands:
```
cd /store
rm -rf backup.local
```