KBA00022608

• The Flex database contains all your important data that is required for the application to run effectively
• In order to protect against unforeseen disasters which could lead to data-loss, it's increasingly vital that all customers take the time to ensure proper backup procedures are in place
• Properly backing up the Flex system cannot be done by simply using normal copy commands. The copy that is made will be corrupt due to how Ctree interacts with live files
• To allow for a backup to be done on a live database, a utility was created called Ctree Database Backup
• The Ctree Database Backup utility creates a safe copy of the database and places it in a directory of your choosing
• The default directory on the server is /sds/dbs-backup on Linux, and <DriveLetter>:\SpillmanServer\dbs-backup on Windows
  • The files found in this directory are then safe to be backed up by conventional backup utilities and/or copy/move commands

To access the Ctree Database Backup web app:

1. Log into the Application Server Tomcat
2. Click on the CtreeDatabaseBackup webapp:
   
   
    
3. Modifications can be made to an existing backup or a new backup can be created. Click the pencil icon to modify or the Create New Backup link to create a new backup:
   
   
    
4. The next page allows for changing of various settings such as database backup name, location, run time, and which databases to back up:
   
   
   

General Recommendations:

• Make sure you have enough space on the disk to which the backups are saved, especially if you're creating the database back up for the first time
• It's recommended to include the dbs-backup directory in external backups (tape, external drive, off-site backups) and to exclude the dbs directory
• While it's possible to run the Ctree Database Backup multiple times a day, it's recommended to monitory the server's usage at the time to make sure undue slowness doesn't occur because of the backup.