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Using backups
Monitoring database contains all the monitoring setup data – including recorded monitoring performance values, logs and monitors settings. Default IPHost installation instructs the monitoring service to keep three last good backups (created on daily basis).
Database failures can happen due to many factors (hardware or software failure, causing OS to freeze; power supply failure; other events that can render system unstable). Unless backups are stored on storage media outside the one used by IPHost installation, there’s always risk of losing monitoring data (we offer our customer services to fix corrupt monitoring database and recover data, but that’s not always possible, and can take significant time).
To reduce data loss risk (and save your time), please follow the below guidelines during your everyday IPHost use:
- backup important backups: when possible, keep more than one copy of database daily backup files (in different locations); since every storage device can fail or be lost, that would increase your chances to have a valid backup at hand
- backup your database before making any large-scale changes: if you plan changes to many settings at once, and/or plan to add or delete multiple monitors, make a backup copy first; if something goes wrong, you will be able to recover the starting point with minimal efforts
- schedule automated backup creation on non-working hours: at the time moment specified in “Settings > DB Maintenance”, “Generate backup at” new backup will be generated and oldest good backups will be deleted, to comply with “Keep … last backups” setting. To avoid “sudden” loss of some of your backups, either use “Pin” control to protect them from deletion, or remove manually after you finish making changes to monitoring setup.
- in case of any emergency, current or upcoming, make a new backup and copy all backup data: saving all monitoring database data, if any system and/or monitoring malfunction is detected, can save you much time recovering data.
- unless you tried to restore backup, it can’t be considered real: regardless of all precautions, there’s still a very small chance that database backup can be damaged. One can only make sure the backup is good by trying to restore it. We encourage you, from time to time, to do backups manually and restore them immediately (do not worry about losing both your actual database and possibly failed backup: the file nms.fdb.old contains the database state just before a backup has been attempted to restore):
If there are errors trying to restore a backup, please follow this guide.
Please note that configuring keeping backup storage in non-default location takes just a few minutes. Creating a backup copy prior to massive changes in monitoring settings takes another couple of minutes. These few minutes can save you hours of work and/or prevent failing to monitor important assets.
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