Backup3G/DA-Lotus 1.1 Release Notes

From Documentation

Overview and Features

DA-Lotus for Windows is a backup module for the backup and recovery of Lotus Domino databases. This module has also been certified for use with Lotus Domino 6.5.

The distribution is generic and will run on all UNIX platforms supported by COSbackup 3.2.5 or greater.

Features in DA-Lotus

• full Lotus Domino online database backup
• selected Domino data subdirectory online database backup
• verbose mode (-v in backup item options) displays list of databases in the backup log that are backed up
• restore of Lotus Domino databases while the Lotus Domino Server is active
• restore of Lotus Domino databases using ntcpio without the need of Lotus Domino being installed

Environment

Software Prerequisites

Before you can install DA-Lotus 1.1, you must have:

• Enterprise Windows Client 3.1.1 (or newer) already be installed on the same Windows host
• COSbackup installed on a UNIX/Linux server in the same network

Disk Space Required

DA-Lotus 1.1 is installed in the EWC home directory by pushing the software from the COSbackup Master to the Windows server. It requires less than 200 Kbytes disk space on both servers.

Supported Lotus Domino Versions

DA-Lotus V1.1 supports Lotus Domino V6.5 and the Windows versions supported are:

• Winodws 2000
• Windows XP
• Windows 2003

Installing DA-Lotus for Windows

To install the DA-Lotus module, you must already have COSmanager and COSbackup installed on your COSbackup Master. Before installing the DA-Lotus, check the System Requirements to ensure your system has the required resources.

You need:

• a COSbackup Master host that is connected to the network
• be logged in as the root user
• one or more Windows 2000, XP or 2003 servers with EWC 3.1.1 (or later) installed and running Lotus Domino

The procedure is:

1. Copy the DA-Lotus distribution file to your UNIX/Linux COSbackup Master and place it in /tmp
2. Get a root shell on the COSbackup Master
3. Change directory to the COSbackup home directory, /usr/cosmos/backup_3.2, by default
4. Unload the software

   If running UNIX: cpio -icdumvB < /tmp/<distribution filename>

   If running Linux: cpio -idumvB < /tmp/<distribution filename>

5. Install the software

   ./Install/lotus-install

The above will install the Lotus backup format, and backup and recovery methods.

Now you need to push the client software to the Windows clients:

1. Select Config > COSbackup configuration > Initial Configuration from the COSmanager buttonbar.
2. Select Push Lotus Domino to Windows clients, then select Perform > Selected
3. Select all the Windows hosts that require the Lotus Domino backup software and press Accept.

Notes

Defining Backup Items

You must define the backup item Object for a Lotus Domino online backup as:

Server-name/Org-name/sub-data-dir

For example, Enterprise/FS_Sydney/mail.

To backup all databases from the root Domino Data directory, including all sub-directories, you can just specify the backup item Object as:

Server-name/Org-name

For example, Enterprise/FS_Sydney.

	Note
	notes.ini and all *.id files are always backed up as part of a Lotus Domino online backup.

By specifying the -v flag in the backup item Options, each Lotus Domino database name is displayed in the backup log as it is backed up.

Recovery to an active Lotus Domino Server

You can restore selected Lotus Domino databases with the Domino Server is active. Each existing database is taken offline, then the data is restored, and finally the database is placed back online.

You must set the Into directory in the same manner as the backup item Object, and set the Recovery Method to lotus restore. This method will restore the databases to their original locations while the Domino Server is active. Each database is taken offline, restored and placed back online.

	Note
	End users can not be accessing or updating the databases that are being restored, otherwise an error will occur.

If a database is being used you will get an error message that the database cannot be taken offline. That person using that database should exit what they are doing before that database can be restored.

Restoring Lotus Domino databases and files

If you want to restore the notes.ini, .id or any database file to a different directory or host, where no interaction with the Domino Server is required, you must set the Into directory to the path where you want these files restored to and set the Recovery Method to lotus offline.

If you want to restore the notes.ini, .id or any database file to their original directories, you must set the Into directory to the Domino Data Directory path for the Domino Server and set the Recovery Method to lotus offline. Of course you will need to stop the Lotus Domino Server (Service) first.

	Note
	The notes.ini file is copied from the Domino Directory to the Domino Data Directory before being backed up. By default the notes.ini file will be restored to the Domino Data Directory. You will need to manually copy notes.ini to the Domino Directory if required.

Simultaneous Backups

You cannot run two or more online backup jobs of the same database at the same time. Doing so will result in errors.

Warnings

Database <database.nsf> is not logged

When performing an Online backup, and the database is not being logged, the backup step will end with error status 2. This is a warning to indicate that if the database was restored it may not be in a consistent form.

To enable logging for a specific database run load compact <database.nsf> -T from the Lotus Domino Server Console.

Database backup cannot span more than one tape

When performing an Online backup an error will occur when end of media is reached. It is recommended that Online backups be the first step in a backup job.

Hardware and OS Dependencies

None known.