Backing up a server database to cloud storage

You can back up an IBM Spectrum® Protect server database to cloud object storage. If a disaster occurs at an onsite data center, you can restore the database from the backup on cloud object storage.

About this task

By using the Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) or Azure protocol, an IBM Spectrum Protect server database can be copied to cloud object storage. The database backup can be either encrypted or unencrypted.

To back up server database volumes to object storage, you must define a cloud connection and a device class of type CLOUD. The cloud credentials that you define in the connection are used by the CLOUD device class.

Device configuration, volume history, and other critical files are copied to object storage during the backup operation. These files can be used later for restore operations. The database password must be set for database backup operations to cloud object storage. The password must also be specified when you restore a database from cloud object storage.

Procedure

To configure an IBM Spectrum Protect server database for backup operations to cloud storage, complete the following steps:

Identify the S3 cloud and bucket, or Azure cloud, to use for storing the database backup volumes.
On the IBM Spectrum Protect server, define a cloud connection with your cloud credentials, including the cloud URL, cloud ID, and a bucket name.
Issue the DEFINE CONNECTION command to create the connection. The command is similar to the following example:
```
define connection cldconn1 cloudtype=s3
cloudurl=http://123.234.123.234 bucketname=cloudbucket 
identity=admin:admin password=protect8991
```
To verify the connection, issue the VALIDATE CLOUD command. The command is similar to the following example:
```
validate cloud connection=cldconn1
```
Define a device class with type CLOUD by issuing the DEFINE DEVCLASS command.
The command is similar to the following example:
```
define devclass clouddevclass devtype=cloud connection=cldconn1
```
Prepare the server for backup operations by completing the following steps:
1. Verify that the settings in the server options file are similar to the following examples:
  - ```
  devconfig devconf.dat
```
- ```
volumehistory volhist.dat
```
2. Issue the SET DBRECOVERY command for the newly defined cloud device class. In the following example, the database is configured for backup operations that will use 16 parallel data movement streams:
```
set dbrecovery clouddevclass numstreams=16 password=protect8991
```
  When you create the password, ensure that you remember it and keep a copy stored in a secure location. Without the password, data cannot be recovered.
To back up the server database, issue the BACKUP DB command with a cloud device class and the database password that you set in the SET DBRECOVERY command. Issue the following command:
```
backup db clouddevclass=cloud_class password=db_backup_password
```
where cloud_class specifies the cloud device class and db_backup_password specifies the password for backing up the server database.