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Backups and Disaster Recovery

The BMC FootPrints Service Core application and database must be backed up on a regular basis as part of a total IT disaster recovery plan.  It is very easy to backup as part of the normal disk backups done by any organization.  This section discusses which files and databases need to be backed up, procedures for getting a new emergency license during an Emergency restore, and other database-relevant information.

FootPrints requires a database to store data.  Currently supported databases and servers are listed in detail in the Technical Overview and System Requirements PDF on our Support Web site.

BMC FootPrints Service Core typically resides in c:\FootprintsServiceCore on Windows systems and in /usr/local/footprintsservicecore under Unix or Linux systems.  These directories are used in all examples.

First, the BMC FootPrints Service Coredirectory, as well as all database directories, must be backed up daily. This should be part of the customer’s typical IT infrastructure backup and rotating media should be used so that catastrophic failure of a hard disk does not cause the loss of data.  BMC is not responsible for your data backup.

In all cases, the BMC FootPrints Service Core directory tree must be backed up.  In the case of some versions, you must also backup the database directory, using special database procedures.

Here are details on the different systems, the locations, and suggested methods of backup.

1. MS SQL Server (all versions, including SQL Express)—You must backup the FootPrints directory. In addition, this article by Microsoft gives full details of recommended database backup procedures:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;241397

You can also go to http://www.mssqlserver.com/backup/overview_p1.asp for a 32 page guide to backing up SQL Server.

These sites have additional information on Differential backups and Transaction log backups for restoring databases from logs so that no data is lost, even up-to-the-last-minute of a server failure.

3. Oracle—You must backup the FootPrints directory.  For the database, Oracle includes a comprehensive backup and recovery system called RMAN.  For more information on this system, go to:

http://www.oracle.com/oramag/mar02/rmandoc.html

4. MySQL—You must backup the FootPrints directory.  For the database, MySQL provides backup and restore procedures.  For more information:

http://www.mysql.com/doc/en/Backup.html

5. Postgres—You must backup the FootPrints directory. For the database, Postgres provides backup and restore procedures. For more information:

http://www.postgresql.org/files/documentation/books/aw_pgsql/node179.html

Note

All links were current at time of publication.

Disaster Recovery

There should be only four steps required when the server on which FootPrints resides gets a catastrophic failure:

1. Restore the FootPrints directory—Restore your latest copy of the FootPrints directory from tape backup. Typically this means c:\FootprintsServiceCore for Windows or /usr/local/footprintsservicecore for Unix or Linux.
2. Restore the Database—Follow the steps outlined in the documents above for all of the commercial databases.
3. Restore the Web Server settings—Please refer to the README file that came with your BMC FootPrints Service Core installation to re-add the aliases and Perl association to your web server.

New License—Contact BMC Support for a new license.  If this is after normal working hours, BMC provides an Emergency License program which can get you operational until we are available again.  This program is available at http://footprints.numarasoftware.com/cgi-bin/get_emergencylic.pl.

BMC Support is available at 800-836-2326 or by email for help with any of these topics.

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