Difference between revisions of "Reload for Retain"

Revision as of 15:49, 28 February 2017

Retain is an archiving program. Over time, items will be removed from the email system. So the email system and the archive will not match and the archive will have things that no longer exist in the email system. Now there is only a single copy of important items. Retain is a very large system that can be challenging to backup.

Reload for Retain was created to make backing up Retain easy and fast.

Most backup systems have to check each and every item on the Retain server, which can be tens or hundreds of billions of files spread across 16.7 million subdirectories. Reload for Retain is able to just backup the new items without scanning everything.

Design

Reload for Retain is made up of 2 parts:

• Reload Server
• Reload of Retain Agent

The Reload server must be on the SLES Linux OS platform.

The Reload of Retain Agent is also Linux based. It can be run on the Reload server or the Retain server.

System Requirements

• Memory: Retain requires a minimum of 12GB of RAM.
• Disk space: Allot 1.13-1.2 times the existing data space on the Retain server for the Reload for Retain server. This will allow the copying the archives, database, indexes and configuration files, and a 14-day backup cycle for the database.

Reload for Retain stores the following data from the Retain Server:

Retain Base Directory contents (A few megabytes)

The Retain Database - Ratio: 1:2.4 (14 Days worth of Backups)

If using MySQL, consider using a Master/Slave configuration of MySQL so that the Retain Database can be replicated in real-time. The size of the Slave MySQL Database will be the same size as the Master MySQL Database because the Slave is a duplicate replica of the MySQL Database on the Master.

Reload for Retain can perform MySQL Dumps of the Retain database. Each dump of the Retain Database is approximately 10% of the actual size of the database. The reason for this is that the MySQL Dump is compressed into a zip file. Example: The Retain database is 100 Gigabytes Allocate 100 GB on the Reload for Retain Server In order to keep 14 days worth of dumps, allocate 140 GB on the Reload for Retain Server to store the dumps.

The Retain Archive (blob files) - Ratio: 1:1

The Retain Archive files are replicated in their entirety. Retain can maintain multiple Retain Archive partitions. Make sure to allocate disk space on the Reload for Retain Server for all Retain Archive Partitions.

The Retain Indexes - Ratio: 1:1

Generally, only one copy of the Retain Indexes (the latest version of the Indexes) is necessary.

Install Reload

• Install Reload [these are two separate products so make two docs]
• Apply the license
• Browse to the Reload sever
• Choose the Overview tab, and this line should confirm that Reload for Retain is installed: "Licensed Reload Version: 5.00 (Reload for Retain Included)"

Install Retain

Install Retain to the Reload server. This is a full install of Retain so that includes: The web server, SQL server (give it a root user name and password) and Retain. WARNING: ONCE YOU HAVE INSTALLED THE RETAIN SERVER, DO NOT RUN THE WEB-BASED CONFIGURATION WIZARD FOR RETAIN. IT WILL DELETE THE CONTENTS OF YOUR PRODUCTION RETAIN DATABASE.

Install the exact version of Retain on the Reload server as is running on the Production Retain Server. Most customers using Retain on Linux have the version of Retain installed on their Production Retain Server sitting somewhere in an installation directory on the Retain Server. Locate the software there.

• Install HTTP server

• Install SQL management software and give it a root user name and password
  • For customers using MySQL as their database for Retain, make sure to install the exact same version of MySQL on the Reload for Retain Server as is installed on the Production Retain Server. Make sure to install the appropriate MySQL Server and MySQL client. To obtain older MySQL versions go the Archives location on the MySQL website. Use the following command to determine the version of MySQL that is installed: mysqlshow -V
  • MySQL Configurations Only: Make sure to create a new MySQL database on the Reload for Retain Server. This will allow the MySQL database backup created by the Reload for Retain Agent to be imported into a database on the Reload for Retain Server.
  • MSSQL and Oracle databases: Fill in the database information to reflect the database connectivity to the database server that hosts your Retain database.

• Install Retain, but do NOT run the configuration wizard. Reload will copy over the configuration files from the production Retain server, so configuring Retain is not necessary.
  • If using MySQL, install the Connector/J software

WARNING: ONCE YOU HAVE INSTALLED THE RETAIN SERVER, DO NOT RUN THE WEB-BASED CONFIGURATION WIZARD FOR RETAIN. IT WILL DELETE THE CONTENTS OF YOUR PRODUCTION RETAIN DATABASE.

• IMPORTANT: Make sure to match the tomcat identity of the Reload for Retain Server to match exactly with the tomcat identity of the Production Retain Server. See the GWAVA Knowledgebase Article: Moving Retain To New Server (Linux to Linux) [1] and read and implement on the Reload for Retain Server the section that states: Change the tomcat userid on the new server to match the tomcat userid on the old server (if necessary). [2]

• From the production server, copy the ASConfig.cfg file from the Production Retain Server to the Retain installation that is hosted on the Reload Server. The destination location to put the ASConfig.cfg file on the Reload Server is: /opt/beginfinite/retain/RetainServer/WEB-INF/cfg

• Go into Reload Web Administration on the Reload Server. Fill in the settings under both the Configure Disaster Recovery button and also under General Settings | Local Retain Settings. The settings you make will then be added to the ASConfig.cfg file that you copied over in the steps above.

Configure Reload

• Browse to the Reload Web Console
• Select the Configure tab
  • If the Reload for Retain panel does not appear, go to Configure | Web Administration & System Preferences | Show Reload for Retain Server Controls: Enabled
• Open the Reload for Retain panel
• Edit the "Local Retain Backup Storage Path" and provide a directory for the backup data. For example, /data/reload
• Edit the "Remote Retain Server Platform" to specify the Operating System that Retain is on.
• Save settings and select NEXT

Open the General Settings pane Open the Local Retain Settings pane:

• Enter the Retain Database Type, if it is incorrect.
• Enter the Local Retain Server URL. Hostname is preferred for disaster recovery.

Open the Production Retain Settings:

• Enter the Production Retain Server URL and Production Retain Worker URL

Create a Reload for Retain Agent

The Reload for Retain Agent moves the data from one server to another. The agent runs on Linux and can run on the Reload or Retain server. If Retain is on Windows, the agent will need to run on the Reload server.

Reload for Retain Agent on Retain server

On the Retain server:

• Browse to the Reload server
• Open Backup Setting pane
• Click "Create a Reload for Retain Agent" button

This will open a new window. Here a choice must be made to run the agent on the Retain server or the Reload server.

• Choose the option "Running Directly on the Retain Server"

This will open a new window.

• Download the Reload for Retain Agent software to the Retain server. This will be an RPM file
• Open a terminal window where the file is and run the command:

rpm -ivh reload_for_retain_agent.rpm

• Run the agent software by running the command:

ribs

• Select "Configure Default Job"

The Source settings fields will be filled in with default settings.

• Set the "Job Type" to "Backup Job"
• Set the "Local Base Storage Path" to the storage path on the Retain server
• Set the "Local Index Path" to the index path on the Retain server
• Set the "Local Retain Archive Path" to the archive path on the Retain server
• Click Next

The Destination settings fields will be filled in with default settings.

• Set the "Destination Reload Server to Remote
  • Enter the Reload Server Address
  • The software will connect to the Reload server
• Press OK
• Test the connection
• Press Next

The Action settings window

• The defaults are usually good
• Press Next

The Schedule settings window

• Enable the job schedule
• Press Exit to return to the main menu

Start a job

Reload for Retain Agent on Reload server

• Choose the option "Running on this Reload Server"