Overview of backup and restore procedures for LDAP

Edit online

In a Security Verify Directory environment, you tcan back up and restore a database using the DB2® commands, Security Verify Directory backup and restore commands, and Security Verify Directory tools. These options have their advantages and disadvantages.

DB2 backup and restore are built-in commands available in DB2 to back up and restore databases. The advantages of using db2 backup and db2 restore commands or the dbback and dbrestore commands is that the DB2 configuration parameters and database optimizations parameters are preserved for the backed-up database. In addition, the restored database has the same performance tuning specifications as that of the backed-up database. One of the disadvantages of using db2 backup and restore is that the database backed-up on one hardware platform cannot be restored on a different platform. For example, a database backed up on AIX® system cannot be restored on a Linux® system. In addition, database backed up on a Security Directory Server version cannot be restored on a different Security Directory Server version. You are also required to use the same version of DB2 for both the db2 backup and db2 restore operations. See DB2 Administration Guide to know more about DB2 backup and restore procedures. See DB2 Command Reference to know more about the DB2 commands. The DB2 Administration Guide and the Command Reference are part of the online library installed with DB2 and Security Verify Directory.

The Security Verify Directory commands, idsdbback and idsdbrestore, for back up and restore of databases use the DB2 backup and restore commands. In addition to the features provide by the DB2 backup and restore commands, idsdbback and idsdbrestore also backs up and restores Security Verify Directory configuration and schema files. However, it is important to note that idsdbback does not support DB2 online backup in Security Directory Server V6.0. The idsbback command can be used only when Security Verify Directory is not running. For more information about the use of these commands, see the Server utilities section in Command Reference.

An alternative to the DB2 and Security Verify Directory backup and restore commands are Security Verify Directory tools, such as the LDAP Data Interchange Format (LDIF) export and import commands, db2ldif and ldif2db. These tools can be used across dissimilar hardware platforms but the process is slower. These tools do not preserve the DB2 configuration parameters and database optimizations parameters. For more information about the use of these commands, see the Server utilities section in Command Reference.

Note: If you restore over an existing database, any performance tuning tasks on that existing database is lost. You must check all DB2 configuration parameters after performing a restore. Also, if you do not know whether a db2 reorgchk was performed before the database was backed up, run db2 reorgchk after the restore.