RE: Backup && Restore

[Justin Hahn <jeh@profitlogic.com>]

It depends on your business requirements, but if you can get away with a
snapshot of the server, here's what I'd suggest: Write a script which brings
down slapd, copies the DB files somewhere. Next use slapcat on the DB to
export them to LDIF. This way you have both an LDIF and a DB copy of your
directory. (which can be handy.) Finally bring slapd back up. 

There are a couple of advantages to the above: you don't have to tie slapd
outage to backup timing (which is handy if that's not a facility you can
readily control.) and you can minimize slapd downtime somewhat. (you can
drop the LDIF export if your DB is enormous, or rig up a fake slapd.conf to
slapcat the DB copy.)  On the downside, it means your backup isn't as up to
date as if you tied the slapd outage to your backups. But then again, it
should only be a few hours difference, and since you probably only do daily
backups it's probably not a big deal.

I can provide a rough script if you're interested. send me an email if you
want it. (it's completely trivial though, so you really don't need my help.)

And of course, don't forget to backup the ldap config files.

--jeh

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Joerg Fritsch [mailto:joerg.fritsch@planet-interkom.de]
> Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2002 4:32 PM
> To: openldap-software@OpenLDAP.org
> Subject: Backup && Restore
> 
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I have slapd and a large database going with it. Are there any 
> recommended procedures for backup and restore ? Does only the 
> /var/lib/ldap (the database directory) need to be backed up 
> to tape ? Is 
> it recommended to stop slapd for the time of the backup ?
> 
> Thanks
> --Joerg
>