Performing a Live Cognos TM1 Backup

 
Kirk Wiseman, VP of Training for PerformanceG2
 
For many organizations, TM1 is a critical application that must be maintained as a 24×7 enterprise application. In these cases, it is not acceptable to shutdown the TM1 server to perform a backup. TM1 provides organizations the ability to maintain 24×7 uptime, and also perform regular backups of the data directory. Several changes will need to be made to the default settings of the TM1 server configuration file (tm1s.cfg) in order to perform a live backup successfully.

The advantages of this method include ease of administration, 24×7 system uptime and automation which can be created within TM1 using Turbo Integrator and Chores. The disadvantages of this method include initial configuration that must be performed, and the possibility of lost data between “saves” if the data directory files become corrupt.

The following steps must be performed in order to run backups from a live TM1 server:

1) Modify the default TM1 server configuration file (tm1s.cfg)

• Point the log files to a location other than the data directory by inserting the “LoggingDirectory” parameter in the configuration file. By default, TM1 writes log files to the data directory. Since these files will be open and active while the TM1 server is running, any attempt to back them up will result in a file sharing violation and may cause a backup process to fail.
• Verify that the “AuditLogOn” parameter is set to ‘F’. This is the default setting, however if the “AuditLogOn” parameter is set to ‘T’, then as in the case above with the transaction logs, open and active files will be in the data directory. Attempting a backup will cause a file sharing violation which may result in a backup failure.

2) The administrator must perform, or must set up automation to perform, a “Save Data All” command. This command should be executed immediately prior to backing up the TM1 server. This command takes all changed data in RAM and saves it to the TM1 data directory files, where it is then able to be captured in the back up process.

3) Backup all files in the TM1 data directory

• Create a batch file called tm1back.bat that has the following script: “C:\program files\winzip\winzip32.exe” -a -p -r c:\backup\tm1backup.zip “C:\<tm1data folder>\*.*”

4) This process can easily be automated through the use of Turbo Integrator calling the batch file and scheduling the Turbo Integrator job via the TM1 Chores.

• Expand the TM1 sever and click on “Processes”;
• Click on the “Advanced” tab;
• Click on the “Epilog” tab;
• Below the “#****End: Generated Statements****” line, type the following:
  SaveDataAll;
  ExecuteCommand(‘C:\<folder where you saved the batch file>\TM1backup.bat’,0);
• Click on the “Save” icon or choose from the menu, “File” > “Save As…”
• Enter a name for the process, for example Backup
• Next, click on the “Schedule” tab;
• Check the box “Schedule this process as a chore named:”;
• Enter a name for the new Chore, for example Backup Chore
• Choose a start date and a frequency and then click “Save”

There you have it – a scheduled backup procedure that will create a backup of your TM1 server without having to shutdown the server!
 
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This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 19th, 2010 at 8:29 am and is filed under Technical Concepts and Ideas, Tips and tricks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.