SAS 9.1.3 Intelligence Platform: System Administration Guide

46 Why Use %OMABAKUP? R Chapter 6
5 resumes the handling of client requests when the backup operation is completed
Beginning in SAS 9.1.3 Service Pack 4, %OMABAKUP includes the RESTORE
option, which enables you to restore repositories to a running metadata server. The
macro restores metadata and repository relationships to the exact state they were in
when the backup copy was made.
Because they ensure consistency, regular full backups and full restores are
recommended as the best approach for backing up and restoring the SAS Metadata
Server.
Why Use %OMABAKUP?
Instead of using %OMABAKUP, you can choose to manually pause the SAS Metadata
Server, use operating system commands to copy the repository files and the repository
manager, and then resume the server. However, the %OMABAKUP macro provides the
following advantages:
3 The macro automatically pauses the repository manager and the repositories that
are being backed up or restored. The macro then quickly resumes the repository
manager and the repositories after the backup or restore operation is completed. A
manual pause and resume operation might result in longer down time.
3 When performing backups, you can use the REORG option to reclaim unused disk
space in metadata repositories.
3 When performing backups, you can use the RUNANALYSIS option to optimize the
memory usage of metadata records that are retained in memory on the metadata
server.
Best Practices for Using %OMABAKUP to Perform Backups
Scheduling Full Backups
To safeguard the integrity of your metadata, make regular full backups of the
metadata server. Full backups include the Foundation repository and all custom and
project repositories. By performing full backups, you will ensure that dependencies and
cross-references between repositories are correctly maintained and that the metadata
server can be restored to a consistent state.
Full backups also include the repository manager, which contains information about
the registered repositories. It is important to have a current backup copy of the active
repository manager, because restoring a repository to an out-of-date repository manager
can cause serious problems if the dependencies do not match.
If your metadata is continually being updated (for example, if information maps,
reports, or user identities are created or modified frequently), then you should perform
full backups on a nightly basis.
In addition to your regular full backup schedule, you should also perform a full
backup at the following times:
3 after you add a repository
3 after you change the dependencies between two repositories
3 before you delete a repository
The %OMABAKUP macro pauses the metadata server and changes repository access to
offline status. To minimize the impact of repository downtime on clients, you should
execute %OMABAKUP during periods when demand for the metadata server is low.