Server recovery

A server is the central point of a system. If it comes crashing down for any reason, then naturally everything goes with it. It is something like killing the mother bee and the entire flock goes crazy. So utmost care needs to be taken to maintain the server. But what happens when it ?happens?. You have to take server recovery steps. How do you do it?

Tivoli Storage Manager server software is a utility that will help you carry this out. There are many other such solutions, which you can try out, but this is a good one as well.

The administrator needs to carry out the following steps.

• Review recovery steps that have been described in the ?Recovery Instructions?.
• Request server backup tapes from the offsite vault.
• Break out the recovery plan file into multiple files.
• Find a replacement server machine. The Recovery Devices will specify the device type that is needed to read the backups.
• Restore an AIX(R) image to the replacement server machine using an mksysb tape. This tape, which includes the Tivoli Storage Manager server software, is created whenever the software updates or configuration changes are made to the AIX system.
• Review the Storage Manager macros contained in the recovery plan.
• If some required storage pool backup volumes could not be retrieved from the vault, then you should remove the volume entries.
• If all primary volumes were destroyed, no changes are required to the script and Storage Manager macro files.
• Review the device configuration file to ensure that the hardware configuration at the recovery site is the same as the original site. Any differences must be updated in the device configuration file.
• While restoring the database to recover clients, always ensure that the Storage Manager server is stopped and then start the recovery file. You must enter the script file name at the command prompt.
• Due to changes in hardware configuration during recovery, you might have to update the device configuration file that is located in the restored Tivoli Storage Manager database. If client machines are not damaged, then you should start the recovery file to restore the server primary storage pools. If client machines are damaged, you have to delay this action until after all clients are recovered.
• Collect the database backup and copy storage pool volumes used in the recovery for return to the vault.
• Issue the BACKUP DB command to back up the newly restored database.
• Issue the PREPARE command.