Application Recovery

The following steps can be used to recover an installation or to replicate an existing environment to new hardware for testing.

There are two core activities for recovery:

  • restoring the database repository and software installation
  • disk based files that form part of content or rendered output

Warning: Recovery is only possible with a backed up repository. Ensure the database repository and data files are backed up regularly (nightly at least).

Upgrade Testing

The same technique is recommended when trialling a new version of Pyramid on existing content. This involves an almost identical process to replicate the repository and then install the new version of Pyramid against it using the REUSE option. Any content files needed for testing (especially in-memory database files) should be copied to the new destination servers as well.

Before performing any upgrade to your Pyramid application, you should take a backup of the repository. This will facilitate a recovery if needed.

Note: The repository cannot be downgraded. So the version of Pyramid installed must be the same or higher than the preexisting repository database.

Backup

  • The database server's housing the repository (PostgreSQL, MS SQL server or Oracle) all include accomplished database back-up and restore features. These tools should be used nightly to back-up the database in the event of disaster.
  • For each Pyramid server, a special "data" drive and/or directory is chosen to house rendered file content. The data directory should be likewise backed up on a nightly basis.

Recovery

Database Repository and Settings

  1. Using a backed up version of your database repository, restore it to a new database server machine.
  2. Install Pyramid using the advanced installer.
  3. When prompted for a repository, choose the fourth option: "Reuse Preexisting Repository"
  4. Provide the details of your newly restored database from step 1.
  5. Proceed with the installation as normal.
    1. All details of old server instances in that database will be removed.
    2. All security details, content and settings will be retained.
  6. If adding more servers to the installation (multi-server cluster), choose the third option - "CURRENT" repository - in subsequent installations.

File and Content

  1. Using a backed up copy of the data directory files, restore them to the matching location on the new Pyramid server(s) installation.
    1. The "IRDB" files used as the persistent copy of the in-memory database s should be deployed to the new server housing the in-memory database engine. See details below.
    2. Rendered reports (like PDF, Excel etc) should also be moved to the matching location (although these are typically less critical).

In-Memory Databases

In the event the in-memory database is shifted around in a restore, best practice dictates that all relevant content be re-pointed at the new server using the data source changer tool.

Separately, the "PAGIS.IRDB" database which houses the geospatial lookup tables should be restored as well. Admins should then check if the right details for this database are set in the admin console.