Automate your Backups with iSeries Operator

1
Automate your Backups with iSeries Operator

• Belinda Daub
• CISTECH Senior Technical Consultant
• Belinda.daub_at_cistech.net

2
Agenda
Overview
Automated Backup and Operations
Whats new with iSO?
Configuration and Verification
Disaster Recovery Planning
QA
3
Overview

• Backup and Recovery Requirements
• Save XA and user data on a daily basis
• Save application libraries regularly
• Save system configuration, system objects and
  security settings regularly
• Full System save minimum quarterly and
  before/after system updates or upgrades
• Manage media rotation according to defined
  retention schedule
• Documented and tested recovery plan

4
Overview

• Why automation is not simple
• Someone has to prepare the environment for the
  nightly backup to be successful
• End jobs for users who did not log off
• End the U-Jobs that are running
• Finish batches
• Start the java environments for XA Rel 7 clients
• Auxiliary machines need to be reset when backup
  is active
• Nightly jobs must be run while the environment is
  not in use
• Saving the system has to be done outside the
  MAPICS backup
• Backup verification is tedious
• No tools for logging or tracking media contents
  and expiration

5
Overview

• CISTECHs iSeries Operator (iSO) can help
• Automate operator functions typically required to
  insure successful backups.
• Automate certain MAPICS jobs that cannot run
  during the day due to conflicts.
• Restarts XA Release 7 java servers and services
• Supports a comprehensive Disaster Recovery
  Strategy encompassing iSeries operating
  environment, custom systems, and MAPICS data.
• Provides tools for tracking media and reporting
  backup information to auditors.

6
iSeries Operator Benefits

• Reduce risk of data loss
• Maximize productivity of operations personnel
• Reduce labor costs
• Tune application for optimal efficiency and
  performance

Common response from users responsible for
backups Thanks for giving me back my evenings
and weekends!
7
Automated Backup and Operations

• Respects MAPICS save requirements
• Ends and starts Journaling
• Finishes IM, AR REP closed and suspended
  batches
• Cleans up used batches
• Ends jobs that would prevent saves
• Ends active U-jobs
• Run cleanup of transaction and log files

8
Automated Backup and Operations

• Additional Features
• Configure daily and weekly jobs
• Save with active batches
• End/restart jobs that will prevent success
• Restart only U-jobs that were ended when save is
  complete
• Run MAPICS file reorganization
• Run MAPICS Reports including MRP
• Run custom day-end programs
• Output queue cleanup
• Configure backup alerts via email
• Simplified verification of backup status
• Media tracking tools
• Tape volume ID using physical media label

9
Whats New with iSO?

• Media labels and tracking features
• Process Repetitive batches
• Improved control for multiple jobs
• XA Rel 7.8 compatibility
• Restart the Global Environment
• Reset the auxiliary servers
• Annual software maintenance available
• Fix support
• Upgrades
• Enhancements and OS/XA Release compatibility

10
Configuration and Verification

• Configuration options
• Daily and weekly jobs
• System Components
• User Libraries and Folders
• MAPICS processing
• Before/After commands
• Break message and delay
• E-mail Notifications
• Media labeling and tracking (Integrator required)

11
Configuration and Verification

• Daily Backup Jobs
• MAPICS environments
• How to handle batches
• Libraries and folders
• contain user data or change significantly
• Select some or all user libraries, with option to
  omit
• Save to disk or tape
• Before/After commands
• Keep users off the system
• End/start application jobs
• Submit MAPICS reports and cleanup
• Call custom programs
• String multiple backup jobs in sequence

12
Configuration and Verification
13
Configuration and Verification

• Weekly Backup Job
• System save
• System Configuration
• Security Data
• All User Libraries
• Documents and Folders
• IBM and User Directories
• IPL (required for system components)
• Before/After commands
• Purge output queues automatically
• Reorganize XA Files
• Restart U-Jobs in all environments

14
Configuration and Verification
15
Configuration and Verification

• Media Handling features
• Volume ID SAME
• Initialize your tapes to match the physical label
• Configure expiration interval (number of days)
• Backup will keep the volume id the same on
  initialization
• Configure e-mail notifications
• Send message with backup information
• Backup for 06/09/2009 on Volume 0006L4
  initialized with expiration 06/23/2009
• Log this information in the media catalog
• Always know whats on a tape

16
Configuration and Verification

• Media Catalog
• Manage rotation and retention
• Indicate location of media
• Log details of what was not saved for each backup

17
Configuration and Verification

• iSeries Job Scheduler
• View and hold backups
• Omit dates when tapes will not be loaded
• Replaced when changes are made to the
  configuration of the jobs

18
Configuration and Verification
Configuration and Verification
19
Configuration and Verification

• Libraries/Folders to Save
• All
• Selected (enter each library/folder to save)
• Omit save all user libraries except those
  listed
• (not valid for folders)
• None

20
Configuration and Verification

• Commands to Execute
• Configure for each job
• Before commands
• End non-MAPICS jobs that may prevent successful
  saves
• End TCP interfaces to keep users off
• After commands
• Run preconfigured MAPICS commands to generate
  reports and perform cleanup
• Restart non-MAPICS jobs
• Restart interfaces to let users on
• Purge selected output queues
• Save disk images to tape

21
Configuration and Verification
22
Configuration and Verification

• Verifying your backup
• Review messages
• Review reports
• Jobs that were ended
• Display of tape contents
• Review joblog
• If messages indicate errors
• Scan for and log objects not saved
• Fix errors for next backup
• Review history
• Shows all libraries/folders ever saved
• Identify when a library was removed
• Identify volume id of last save

23
Configuration and Verification
Configuration and Verification
24
Configuration and Verification
25
Disaster Recovery

• 30 Thousand Feet view of Recovery
• Obtain temporary or replacement system
• Restore the LIC and Base OS using last full
  system save
• Restore the OS and application libraries, along
  with configuration and user security from your
  last ABWEEKLY
• Recover the latest data from your last ABDAILYxy
  save for each environment
• Verify your system and environments
• Turn over to users

26
Disaster Recovery Planning

• Recovery Considerations
• How long will it take to get a replacement
  system?
• Consider a business continuity solution that
  provides temporary use of compatible hardware
• It can take 5 to 10 days to get a replacement
  system from IBM
• How will your users conduct business while the
  system is unavailable?
• Make sure you have access to critical data and
  forms
• Define the process users will employ while the
  system is down and when it is available again
• How can you insure your ability to recover?
• Provide for temporary system
• Access to selected users for testing of critical
  applications and system resources (printers,
  etc.)
• Routine tests of backup media selected restores

27
Disaster Recovery Planning

• Begin by developing a
• Disaster Recovery Strategy
• CISTECH iSeries Operator
• includes 2 days for
• implementation of a single environment and
  disaster recovery planning assistance to
• get you started

28
Disaster Recovery Planning

• Implement a backup strategy that supports your
  recovery objectives
• What is your backup downtime window?
• What data should be saved and how often?
• Who will perform and verify the backups?
• What are the retention requirements?
• What are the media rotation requirements?
• Where will the tapes be stored off site?
• Is recovery testing a requirement?

29
Business Continuity

• CISTECH can help
• you implement a Business
• Continuity Plan that protects your investors and
  your customers by allowing you to continue
  operations if a disaster occurs!

30
Business Continuity

• CISTECH offers solutions that provide for all
  components of a Business Continuity Plan
• Fail-safe Daily Backups using iSeries Operator
• Warm site system in Matthews loaded with your
  environment in 24 hours or less
• Documented Disaster Recovery procedures
• Quarterly testing of connection to temporary
  system
• Annual disaster simulations with detailed
  evaluation and score card
• Regular review and improvement
• Storing and Retrieval of data and forms needed
  for users to operate during downtime

31
Business Continuity
32
Business Continuity

• In a disaster, CISTECH would be available to
• Provide systems and operations support in the
  event your IT Department is unavailable as a
  result of the disaster
• Backups
• IT Help Desk (user support)
• System Operations
• Assist with recovery to permanent replacement
  system

33
Success Story! VT Miltope

• CISTECH helped us
• Reduce effort to achieve Daily MAPICS backup
• Reduce downtime for a disaster to less than 24
  hours
• a reduction of over 60
• Achieve 45 monthly cost savings
• Achieve ROI in less than 1 year
• Including cost of equipment for Baremetal NT
  backup system.
• Darrel Cook
• VT Miltope

34

• THANK YOU!
• Ben McCormick
• 704-814-0016
• Ben.mccormick_at_cistech.net