NetVault Plug-in for Domino 12.4

Restoring data to an alternate server

The plug-in lets you restore Full Backups to an alternate Domino Server. This procedure can be used to copy a database from one production server to a different production server.


	NOTE: Incremental Backups cannot be restored to an alternate server.

Before proceeding, ensure that the following requirements are met:

•

Same version of Domino installed: The Domino version must be same as the version running on the existing Domino Server. In addition, the server platform must be the same and the operating systems on both servers must be compatible. For example, if the source server was running Windows, the target server must also run Windows.

•

Properly configured Domino Instance: Verify that you have a properly configured Domino instance.

•

NetVault Backup software and the Plug‑in for Domino installed: The same version of NetVault Backup software and the Plug‑in for Domino must be installed and configured on the new restore target.

•

Heterogeneous Client added to the NetVault Backup Server: The target server must be added as a Heterogeneous Client to the NetVault Backup Server. You can perform this task from the Manage Clients page of the NetVault Backup WebUI.

•

Recent Full Backup available: Ensure that a recent Full Backup is available. Restore to an alternate Domino Server is completed using a Full Backup of the databases being restored. Nonlogged databases can be restored from an Incremental Backup because for such databases, an Incremental Backup actually includes the full contents of the database. For logged databases, Incremental Backups are not supported when restoring to an alternate server.

To restore the data to an alternate client, perform the following steps.

Select the data to restore.

For details, see Selecting data for a restore.

Click the Rollforward tab, and do one of the following in the Recovery and Rollforward section:

•

If a Domino Database with the same name as the database being restored exists on the alternate Domino Server, clear the Last Backup Set check box.

•

If a Domino Database with the same name does not exist on the alternate Domino Server, select the Last Backup Set check box.

Because this option rolls forward the restored database on the alternate Domino Server and the roll-forward process applies the Transaction Logs that reside on the alternate server, you do not want this server to contain any Transaction Logs for the database being restored. A roll-forward recovery fails if a Domino Database with the same name as the database being restored exists on the alternate Domino Server and you select this option. This failure happens because the Transaction Logs do not belong to the database being restored.

If you are restoring a partition to an alternate server, click the Restore Destination tab, and enter the partition number for the new partition in the Restore to Logical Domino Server (Partition) field:

As explained previously, the Backup Taken from Logical Domino Server (Partition) field identifies the partition from which the backup was taken and the plug-in enters the same information in the Restore to Logical Domino Server (Partition) field by default. If you have changed the partition on which the “notes.ini” file is located, you can use this field to specify the new partition number.

Configure the DAOS options, if necessary.

For details, see Configuring DAOS restore options.

In the Target Client list, select the machine on which you want to restore the data.

Complete and submit the job.

For details, see Finalizing and submitting the job.

Performing a disaster recovery to the same Domino Server

You can use the plug-in to perform a disaster recovery to the same server where the source Domino Server resided.


	IMPORTANT: You might use this procedure if a complete media failure occurred and either the damaged host was rebuilt using the same configuration or a new server was configured that imitates the original host’s configuration.

Before proceeding, ensure that the following requirements are met:

•

Domino software installed: Install the same OS and version of Domino on the system that existed on the damaged server.


	NOTE: Only run the software installation steps. Do not set up the Domino Server.

•

NetVault Backup software and the Plug‑in for Domino installed: The same version of NetVault Backup software and the Plug‑in for Domino must be installed and configured on the new restore target.

•

Full and Incremental Backups available: Ensure that the recent Full Backup and the required Incremental Backups are available.

To restore the data to the repaired server, perform the following steps.

In the Navigation pane of the NetVault Backup WebUI on the NetVault Backup Server, click Create Restore Job.

To filter the items displayed in the saveset table, click Filter

In the saveset table, select the applicable saveset.

Select the required data from a recent Full Backup created for the original Domino Server.

For details, see Selecting data for a restore.

Quest recommends that you restore the items in the following order:

•

Initialization file, identification files, mail databases, and mail-configuration file

•

Template files

•

Server databases

•

User-mailbox items and the DAOS repository

Click Restore.

Complete and submit each job.

For details, see Finalizing and submitting the job.

Restore the Incremental Backups as required.

When restoring the last saveset, select the Last Backup Set check box and the Hard Recovery option. If Incremental Backups are not restored, the Domino Server re-creates any necessary Transaction Logs.

Restart the Domino Server.


	IMPORTANT: After a disaster recovery, Quest recommends that you perform a Full Backup of the Domino Server.

Troubleshooting

Common errors

This topic describes some common errors and their solutions. In cases where an error occurs and is not described in this table, obtain the Domino error number from the NetVault Backup Logs, and then see the relevant Domino documentation for the resolution.

Table 1. Troubleshooting

Server is not currently logged in. Resulting backup might not be recoverable.

Set up Transactional Logging on the Domino Server. For details, see Setting up Transactional logging on the Domino Server

Backup completed with errors on Linux or UNIX.

Series of job messages that indicate the backup job completed successfully but that errors were noted.

If you use Domino Server on Linux or UNIX and you use symbolic links instead of absolute links for the installation or data directory, or both, the Domino Server generates error messages during the backup process. Use of symbolic links for these directories changes the owner of items, which leads to the error messages. Update the symbolic links to use absolute links and run the backup job again.

Cold backup fails on Linux or UNIX when DAOS is configured.

A message from the client states: “Plug-in terminated unexpectedly” or “Plug-in is down.”

To change the DAOS_LOAD and DAOS_Enable settings from 1 to 0, edit the Domino Server’s “notes.ini” file, and try the backup again. After the backup has completed successfully, edit the “notes.ini” file again to change the DAOS_LOAD and DAOS_Enable settings back to 1 before you restart the Domino Server.

Hard Recovery Restore (Offline Restore) of Domino Databases, including Users Mailbox Databases, fails.

The databases being restored exist, while the Transaction Logs are missing and must be re-created. The job waits while the logs are being re-created. If the OS response is slow during this process, the thread times out and the restore job fails.

Resubmit the restore job.

Cold restore fails on Linux or UNIX when DAOS is configured.

A message from the client states: “Plug-in terminated unexpectedly” or “Plug-in is down.”

Try the following:

•

Restore the files to a different directory where they did not previously exist; for more information about relocating files during a restore, see Renaming and relocating data during restore.

•

To change the DAOS_LOAD and DAOS_Enable settings from 1 to 0 (DAOS_LOAD=0 and DAOS_Enable=0), edit the Domino Server’s “notes.ini” file, and try the restore again. If you try this method and if the “notes.ini” file must be restored, restore it after the other items are successfully restored. This process ensures that the modified settings are retained in the active file.

If you try the latter method and the “notes.ini” file does not have to be restored, edit the “notes.ini” file again to change the DAOS_LOAD and DAOS_Enable settings back to 1 before you restart the Domino Server.

Cold restore of server-database files fails.

•

Error 2014/04/10 13:23:52 43 Data Plugin <serverName> Failed to take database /local/notesdata/<fileName>.nsf offline.

•

Job Message 2014/04/10 13:23:52 43 Data Plugin <serverName> Bring database '/local/notesdata/<fileName>.nsf' online.

•

Error 2014/04/10 13:23:52 43 Data Plugin <serverName> Failed to Restore database '/local/notesdata/<fileName>.nsf'

The version and Fix Pack (FP) level of your Domino Server affects the recovery process. You can work around this issue by restoring the files to a different directory. For more information, see Renaming and relocating data during restore.