DB2 enabled Notes database backup strategy considerations

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Factors to consider when you are planning your DB2® enabled Notes® database backup strategy, and sample strategies are presented.

You can choose different backup strategies that are dependent on your specific requirements. Requirements to be considered include network traffic, backup window, and acceptable restore times. Your choice of strategy includes selecting the type of DB2 backup commands to use.
Note: The DB2 commands do not return information about when a backup to a IBM Storage Protect server was compressed, encrypted, sent LAN-free or de-duplicated.

Sample strategies

Some strategies that you can employ are described.
Full DB2 database backups only
This backup strategy can be followed when the Domino® DB2 database is enabled for rollforward recovery:
  • Perform full DB2 database backups regularly.
  • Routinely deactivate and delete DB2 objects from the IBM Storage Protect server that are no longer needed.
A full DB2 database backup completes quicker and requires less storage space than DB2 Group backups. However, DB2 enabled Notes databases cannot be restored to a specific point-in-time since the database is not enabled for rollforward recovery and requires less storage space than backing up all the DB2 Groups individually.
Full DB2 database backups plus DB2 Group backups
This backup strategy can be followed when the Domino DB2 database is enabled for rollforward recovery:
  • Perform full DB2 database backups regularly.
  • Perform DB2 Group backups regularly in between full DB2 database backups. Note only those DB2 Groups with the strictest restore time requirements must be backed up.
  • Maintain a complete set of transaction log files to a specified point-in-time. DB2 automatically archives the transaction logs when the DB2 database is enabled for rollforward recovery.
  • Routinely deactivate and delete DB2 objects from the IBM Storage Protect server that are no longer needed.

To restore a DB2 enabled Notes database to its most recent time, select the most recent backup from a DB2 Group backup or from a full DB2 database backup that contains the DB2 enabled Notes database. If the most recent DB2 Group backup is not available, restore the DB2 Group from the most recent full DB2 database backup. Note, this type of restore is to an alternative DB2 database. Rollforward the DB2 Group or full DB2 database backup. Activate and copy the DB2 enabled Notes database to the alternate Domino DB2 database.

Environments that contain both NSF and DB2 enabled Notes databases
Domino 8 environments that contain both NSF and DB2 enabled Notes databases can implement the following backup strategy:
  • Perform full DB2 database backups and NSF selective backups regularly.
  • Perform routine incremental backups of NSF databases to deactivate backup copies that were deleted from the Domino server.
  • Perform regular DB2 Group backups if the DB2 database is enabled for rollforward recovery.
  • Perform routine archiving of the transaction log files if archival transaction logging is enabled on the Domino server.
  • Routinely deactivate the Domino server log file and routinely deactivate and delete DB2 objects from the IBM Storage Protect server.