If you Enable Data Protection for a Service Instance, Data Management for VMware Tanzu automatically initiates a daily backup of the instance and saves it to local and cloud storage.
In addition to the automated backups, Data Management for VMware Tanzu also allows you to back up a data-protected Service Instance manually, on-demand.
The backup window that you configure for a Service Instance determines at what time Data Management for VMware Tanzu initiates the daily backup, and how long backups are retained on local and cloud storage.
When a Service Instance is created with data protection enabled, the first backup of the instance takes place immediately after it is provisioned. When data protection is enabled for a Service Instance after provisioning, the first backup of the instance takes place immediately after enabling protection. The first backup is a full backup - it contains all service data in the instance. Subsequent backups of the same instance are incremental, and include only the data that has changed since the most recent backup.
The amount of time that it will take DMS to back up a database Service Instance depends on its size and whether the backup is full or incremental.
About Backup Chains and Backup Status
The Local Backup Days that you specify when you Enable Data Protection identifies the length of a backup cycle. If you choose 7 days (the minimum value), the first backup is a full backup followed by 6 days of incremental backups. On the 8th day, the cycle resets; Data Management for VMware Tanzu takes a second full backup which will then be followed by 6 days of incremental backups.
Each full backup followed by N days of incremental backups until the next full backup forms a backup chain. Each incremental backup in a chain is dependent on the previous incremental backup, and ultimately dependent on the most recent full backup.
All backups in the current backup chain represent the most current state of the service data. Data Management for VMware Tanzu considers these backups to be ACTIVE, and does not permit you to delete them. Older, completed backup chains have an AVAILABLE status. While you are permitted to delete backups with AVAILABLE status, it is not recommended.
About Backup Properties
You can specify the backup window and retention policies for a Service Instance when you create the instance. If you chose not to Enable Data Protection at creation, you have the option to enable automated daily backup and specify the schedule and retention policies any time after instance provisioning.
Backup window and retention properties include:
| Property Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Daily Backup Time | The time of day to back up the database. This is in the local time zone of the database server. |
| Local Backup Retention | The number of days to retain a backup on local storage. |
| Cloud Backup Retention | The number of days to retain a backup on cloud storage. |
Synching Cloud Backup with Local Backup
Cloud Backup of a Service Instance can fail due to server failure, connection issues, and so on. In such cases the cloud backup of the Service Instance is behind the local backup and is not synched with the local backup.
Perform the following steps, to synch the cloud backup of the Service Instance with its local backup:
Select Database Backups from the left navigation pane.
This action displays the Database Backups view, a table that lists the provisioned Database Backups.
Examine the Database backups listed in the table, identify the Database Backup whose cloud backup you wish to synch with the local backup, and click the three dots in the Actions column of the Database Backup, and select Resync Cloud Backup from the pop-up menu.
Note: The **Resync Cloud Backup** option in the pop-up menu appears only for the Database backups that have local backups (denoted by L in the Availability column) and no cloud backup (denoted by absence of C in the Availability column).Monitor the progress of the task in the Operations tab or in the Recent Operations pane at the bottom of the UI to follow the progress of the operation, RESYNC CLOUD BACKUP.
If the task fails, click the operation, RESYNC CLOUD BACKUP, and then click the Error Info tab to examine the error information.
Enabling Automated Backups After Instance Provisioning
If Enable Data Protection was disabled when you created a Service Instance, you can choose to enable it at any time after provisioning.
Procedure
Perform the following procedure to enable automated daily backups for a Service Instance:
Select Databases from the left navigation pane.
This action displays the Database view, a table that lists the provisioned database instances.
Examine the databases listed in the table, identify the database whose backup policies you wish to update, and navigate to that table row.
Click the database Instance Name.
The database information Details tab displays.
Select the Backup tab.
This action displays backup information for the instance, including the backup policy, and the daily backup time, backup retention periods, and backup files when data protection is enabled.
Locate the Backup Policy, and click EDIT.
The Protect Database dialog displays.
Enter the daily backup time, and the number of days to retain local and remote backups.
Click PROTECT.
Data Management for VMware Tanzu generates a management operation of type PROTECT_DB, and automatically takes a full local and cloud backup of the Service Instance.
Monitor the progress of the task in the Operations tab or in the Database Operations view:
- Locate the PROTECT_DB operation type and click it.
- Select the State History tab to view the subtasks of the operation and their status.
- If the operation fails, select the Error Info tab to examine the returned error information.
You can similarly monitor and examine the BACKUP_DB operation details.
Initiating an On-Demand Backup
You can manually initiate a backup of a Service Instance at any time after instance provisioning. An on-demand backup may either be a full backup or an incremental backup, depending on when in the local backup cycle you initiate the backup.
A Backup file generated when you manually initiate a backup is bound to the same retention policies as a backup file generated from an automated backup.
Prerequisites
On-demand backup is available only for a Service Instance that has Enable Data Protection set to on.
Procedure
Perform the following procedure to initiate an on-demand backup of a Service Instance:
Select Databases from the left navigation pane.
This action displays the Database view, a table that lists the provisioned database instances.
Examine the databases listed in the table, identify the database that you want to back up now, and navigate to that table row.
Click the database Instance Name.
The database information Details tab displays.
Select the Backup tab.
This action displays backup information for the instance, including the backup policy, and the daily backup time, backup retention periods, and backup files when data protection is enabled.
Locate the Backup Files section of the pane, and click BACKUP NOW in the upper right corner.
The Backup Database form displays.
Enter the file name of the Backup Instance and click BACKUP.
Data Management for VMware Tanzu generates a management operation of type BACKUP_DB, and takes an incremental local and cloud backup of the Service Instance.
Monitor the progress of the task in the Operations tab or in the Database Operations view:
- Locate the BACKUP_DB operation type and click it.
- Select the State History tab to view the subtasks of the operation and their status.
- If the operation fails, select the Error Info tab to examine the returned error information.
If the operation completes successfully, there is an entry in the Backup Files table for the Backup Instance file name. This backup has an ACTIVE Status.
Deleting a Backup File
You can manually delete a backup file at any time. When you delete a backup file, Data Management for VMware Tanzu deletes the file from both local and cloud storage.
You can delete any backup file with an AVAILABLE status. You cannot delete a backup file that has an ACTIVE status.
Prerequisites
Ensure that the backup file that you want to delete is AVAILABLE.
Procedure
Perform the following procedure to delete a backup file for a Service Instance:
Select Databases from the left navigation pane.
This action displays the Database view, a table that lists the provisioned database instances.
Examine the databases listed in the table, identify the database for which you want to manage the backup files, and navigate to that table row.
Click the database Instance Name.
The database information Details tab displays.
Select the Backup tab.
This action displays backup information for the instance, including the backup policy, and the daily backup time, backup retention periods, and backup files when data protection is enabled.
Locate the Backup Files section of the pane.
Examine the backups listed in the table, identify the backup file that you want to delete, and navigate to that table row.
Click the three dots in the Actions colum, and select Delete from the pop-up menu.
The Delete Backup dialog displays.
If you are certain that you want to delete the backup, click CONFIRM.
Data Management for VMware Tanzu generates a management operation of type DELETE_BACKUP.
Monitor the progress of the task in the Operations tab or in the Database Operations view:
- Locate the DELETE_BACKUP operation type and click it.
- Select the State History tab to view the subtasks of the operation and their status.
- If the operation fails, select the Error Info tab to examine the returned error information.
If the operation completes successfully, the row in the Backup Files table is removed.
