Advanced Backup technologies for the Linux Environment

Transcription

1 Advanced Backup technologies for the Linux Environment Identifying the unique data protection and business continuity needs of database servers running on open source platform Presented by: Acronis San Francisco Headquarters 395 Oyster Point Blvd. Suite 115 South San Francisco CA USA Telephone: (Corporate Sales, East Coast) Telephone: (Distributors, Resellers & OEMs) Fax: (General Inquiry) (Sales Inquiry) (Distribution, OEM & Reseller Inquiries)

2 Solving the Linux Backup Conundrum with Imaging Technologies Introduction This paper discusses the impact that open source solutions have on backup and disaster recovery technology and how traditional backup technologies fail to meet the needs of today s IT infrastructures. Many organizations are turning to open source solutions to improve the bottom line. Leading the charge to savings is the Linux Operating System, readily available from several vendors offering specialized distributions and bundles of the latest Linux Kernel. The network operating system is just the beginning when it comes to open source, many business are looking to shift database chores over to the open source product, MySQL, which proves to be an affordable alternative to the likes of Oracle and Microsoft SQL server. Calculating the bottom line and overall ROI (return on investment) extends far beyond initial software costs, those shifting to open source solutions need to consider the long term viability of the solution to truly calculate savings, an area often over looked until deep into a transition to the new solution. The true cost of the transition usually rears its ugly head when key elements such as backup, recovery and archiving data for both protection and disaster recovery needs. That situation seems to be magnified by the unique needs of an open source solution, which is often installed as a line-of-business application such as e-commerce or data warehousing solutions. Those applications leave little room for error when it comes to selecting the proper data backup solution, and therein lies the biggest challenge for modern IT departments. The very nature of open source solutions drives complicated customized applications, further impacting the backup process. Simply put, the flexibility offered by open source solutions, impacts the overall efficiency of traditional backup technologies. 34% of companies fail to test their tape backups, and of those that do, 77% have found tape back-up failures. Boston Computing Network 2

3 The Problem in Detail Traditional backup solutions rely on file-based backup events, in other words, each file contained on the system is opened and then copied to alternate media. That process proves to be time consuming and does little to insure that the data is properly backed up and synchronized. The Failings of File-Based Backup Technologies: - Slow Backup and Restore performance - Inability to natively deal with open files - Increased risk of data changing during the backup process, invalidating backups - Typically relies on expensive tape based technology for storage - Complex scripting interferes with ease of use - Data restoration can be tedious - Lack of bare-metal recovery capabilities prevents quick restores - Software is expensive and often requires add-ons to perform needed tasks - Lacks comprehensive rescue media capabilities The Impact on Open Source Solutions Linux users are faced with several options for backup, many of which introduce additional overhead and costs into a company s operating budget. The budgetary impact doesn t end with initial software purchase, additional costs come in the form of time spent backing up, restoring, rotating and maintaining backup sets. That situation is especially evident when using traditional file-by-file level backup solutions. When adding the additional complexity of a SQL based solution, such as MySQL, it becomes evident that traditional backup technologies come up short in the critical task of protecting valuable data. That situation is further amplified by the always open status of data files and indexes associated with SQL-based technologies. At best, that causes the backup process to fail; at worst, the backup saves corrupted data. Usually the only way to overcome open file concerns is to shut down the associated applications, which is not feasible due to the 24x7 nature of most businesses, especially when one considers that SQL solutions are used for ecommerce solutions. This is not to say that traditional filebased backups are useless, just that the capabilities of those products do not offer the flexibility needed by today s applications and operating systems, especially for 24x7 operations. File based backups are still valuable when it comes to archiving data long term or as part of transition process to upgraded hardware. 3

4 93% of companies that lost their data center for 10 days or more due to a disaster filed for bankruptcy within one year of the disaster. 50% of businesses that found themselves without data management for this same time period filed for bankruptcy immediately. - National Archives & Records Administration in Washington Solving the problem: Advanced systems need advanced solutions The evidence shows that file-based backup solutions are no longer an appropriate choice for backup of line of business applications and that file-based solutions come up short when considering the implications of disaster recovery planning. The answer lies with transitioning over to image-based backup solutions. Imaging is rapidly becoming the first choice for comprehensive data backup on both server- and desktop-based systems. The advantages offered by imaging are many. The advantages of imaging technology: - Faster backups: backup speed is limited only by system speed - Flexible storage options: images can be saved to most any medium - Rapid recovery: Systems can be completely restored in a few minutes - Ease of use: Complete partition backups eliminate individual file selections - Bare-metal Recovery: All data and system settings are stored in a portable image - System State Tolerance: Open files and in-use processes don t prevent backups Imaging clearly offers the capability to solve most any backup problem. What s more, the technology lends itself well to disaster recovery planning and archiving capabilities. Today s imaging solutions (such as those available from Acronis) offer the same robust feature set that file-based backup solutions have become known for. Features such as incremental backups, scheduled backups and individual file restoration have been incorporated into Acronis industry-leading imaging solutions. Those features, when combined with the inherent speed and flexibility offered by imaging, proves to be a winning combination that no other backup process can approach. What s more, the cost of hard disk-based backup solutions is rapidly becoming more cost effective than tapebased storage solutions on the market. That helps to spell out increased ROI, while still offering portability and speed. Companies that aren't able to resume operations within ten days (of a disaster hit) are not likely to survive. - Strategic Research Institute 4

5 Another area that imaging shows promise is with ease of use. Imaging products, by their ver y design, are much easier to use and manage than file-based backup systems. Much of that advantage can be attributed to the ability to capture complete data volumes as opposed to being forced to select individual components to backup. 30 percent of small businesses admit they have no formal data backup and storage procedures, or do not implement their procedures consistently.- Imation s Small Business Survey Special Report Leveraging the Imaging Process With the advantages defined, it becomes quite easy to extrapolate where imaging as a backup technology can benefit businesses of any size. Beyond the overall backup strategy, imaging brings additional benefits that promise to improve greatly the backup and recovery process, especially where database protection and rapid recovery are primary concerns. Database servers prove to be troublesome to backup, partially due to open files and indexes and partially due to rapid data changes. Add in high-availability requirements and backups using traditional methods become almost impossible to accomplish. Here is where imaging can achieve its biggest improvement over file-based backup systems. To really appreciate the benefits of an imaging product, one has to understand what would normally be involved in backing up a database server, such as MySQL. The manual process consists of two steps executed in the Linux Environment: - service mysql stop && - scp -r /var/lib/mysql username at dest-pc:/var/lib/mysql An example of what s involved is outlined below: Note: This assumes you have already installed MySQL Admin and set it up so that you can lo g in to the MySQL Database Server either locally or remotely. Refer to the documentation that comes with the installation package of MySQL Admin for your platform for installation instructions. - Open the MySQL Admin client and login as you had previously set up to do - From the icon menu on the left hand side of the client window, select Backup - If you have not already created a Backup Project, do this now by clicking on the "New Project" button at the lower part of the window and type in a name for the Backup Project where prompted - Select one or more databases that you want to Backup (in the MySQL Admin client these are called a "Schema" (pl. "Schemata")). Add them to the Backup Content window on the right using the right-pointing arrow button 5

6 - When you have selected the Schema(ta), you can save the Backup Project. Or you may simply choose to Backup Now using the button on the lower right of the window - A dialogue will come up asking you where to put the Backup. Enter the pathname or browse to the location using the dialogue - Assuming all is correct (and you have write permissions in the directory to which you're writing the Backup), the backup will complete shortly Clearly the backup process has become a complex endeavor that requires a bit of hand holdin g and management intervention. What s more, those processes do nothing for the underly ing operating system, settings, user rights and so on. That makes restoration from a disaster a complex and intimidating process. With Acronis True Image Server for Linux, the process becomes a simple mouse click to backup all of the MySQL data and all of the information on the server. As shown below: The Create Image process brings up a second dialog screen, which allows backup administrators to select drives and partitions to be included in the backup (or imaging process). For those looking to fine tune the backup process, data and applications can be divided up and stored on different partitions, a process that allows additional granularity to be achieved. Note: It is recommended that the database be suspended just before pressing the Proceed button on the last page of the Acronis True Image 8.0 Server for Linux Create Image Wizard. Once the imaging process starts, you can resume server operations. It is not necessary to suspend the applications for the duration of the imaging process. 6

7 For example, all of the MySQL database files could be exclusively stored on the hda10 partition. That would allow the imaging process to only backup MySQL related information and databases. That comes in handy when moving the data to an alternate system, either as part of a hardware upgrade or to a hot spare system defined for disaster recovery use. Note: Automation of backup can be done using the Linux cron service. The following an example. System has /dev/sda1 as root(/) and /dev/sda2 mounted to /backups directory. All database (mysql) data are located on root(/). The first way is to do sequential actions - "stop mysql", do backup and "start mysql". You may schedule a cron job to do this by the following record in /var/spool/cron/root file: 14 4 * * * /bin/bash -c "(/etc/init.d/mysqld stop;/usr/sbin/trueimagecmd --create --partition: filename:/backups/test.tib; /etc/init.d/mysqld start)" To decrease database downtime (because full image creation may take quite long time), create a special /usr/lib/acronis/tils_freeze_hook script. trueimage or trueimagecmd will call this script using the <device-name> <stop> options before and <device-name> <start> options after creating file system snapshot. Having set up this script once, you will not have to run the "mysql stop" or "mysql start" command neither in cron job, nor in GUI mode. tils_freeze_hook will be called automatically and start/stop MySQL itself. The following is an example of the cron record in /var/spool/cron/root file: 14 4 * * * /bin/bash -c "(/usr/sbin/trueimagecmd -- create --partition:1-1 --filename:/backups/test.tib)" is 7

8 And here is an example of tils_freeze_hook. This assumes MySQL database is located on sdb1 partition. #!/bin/bash # Example of tils_ freeze_hook # MYSQLDEV="/dev/sdb1" HOOKLOG="/var/log/tils_freeze_hook.log" MSQLCMD="/etc/init.d/mysqld" function set_fd { # prepare file descriptors to be # closed before launch msql for i in `/usr/bin/seq 3 100` ; do FD="$FD $i>&-" done } function is_msql_running { ${MSQLCMD} status grep "mysqld.* running" \ > /dev/null 2>&1 } function write_log { local prefix="`/bin/ date \ +%Y-%m-%dT%H%M%S%z`:tils_freeze_hook:" echo ${prefix}$* > > $HOOKLOG } DEV=${1} MODE=${2} [ "${MYSQLDEV}"!= "${DEV}" ] && exit 0 # mysql database partition affected if [ "$MODE" == "stop" ] ; then is_msql_running [! $? -eq 0 ] && exit 0 # msql is not running \ #- nothing to do set_fd write_log "Backup ${DEV}. Stopping MySQL..." # launch "msql stop" in synchronous (foreground) # mode because backup must wait # until database stops eval "${ MSQLCMD} stop $FD > /dev/null 2>&1" write_log "MySQL was stopped." fi if [ "$MODE" == "start" ] ; then is_msql_running [ $? -eq 0 ] && exit 0 # msql is running set_fd write_log "Backup ${DEV}. Starting MySQL..." # launch "msql start" 8

9 fi exit 0 # in asynchronous (background) mode # because backup and database start # may run concurrently eval "${MSQLCMD} start $FD > /dev/nill 2>&1 &" # Don't write anything to logs because we don't # know real "msql start" exit status Worldwide sales of IT security and business-continuity products and services will surpass $150 billion by IDC Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Planning While no business wants to experience a disaster or loss of facilities, they still must consider that a possibility. Regardless if the event is due to man-made or natural disasters, businesses still need to protect their data. If disaster strikes, businesses that are ready to perform bare-metal recoveries of their hardware and software are at a distinct advantage. Imaging proves to be a key technology in that situation. Traditional backup technologies fall short in many areas when it comes to business continuity planning. File-based backup systems require administrators to regenerate the operating environment (OS, Hardware, etc.) and go through a lengthy restore process. For larger businesses, that can take several hours and the restored data is only as fresh as the latest recoverable tape cartridge. Imaging products, such as those from Acronis, offer a monumental step forward in the disaster recovery process. Saved images can be restored to new hardware in a matter of minutes with a simple process. Administrators boot off of rescue media (created by the Acronis imaging product) and navigate to the storage device holding the image file and then simply restore the image to the new hardware. There are additional benefits offered by imaging in that scenario. First off, images are usually stored to removable hard disk based media, which is many times faster than tape- based restores. Secondly, images can be redirected or resized to meet any changes in capacity caused by the transition to emergency hardware. Other benefits include the ability to mount the image as a volume and access files directly through an explorer like interface. This is a feature that proves to be both more intuitive and flexible than a file catalog offered by a traditional backup stored on a tape drive. That flexibility allows an organization to recover key documents or records quickly to continue operations while waiting to restore a complete data set. With disaster planning, one can not only consider restoration techniques, but must also look at the base backup procedures. That is another area that Acronis imaging products offer a distinct advantage over file-based backup systems. Acronis products support 9

10 incremental backups via snapshot technology. That capability allows the creation of several backups during the working day, without interrupting any business processes. On the other hand, file-based solutions are slow performers when it comes to incremental backups and usually force the shutdown of database applications and force users to close open files. That proves to be inefficient during business hours. On the restoration side of the equation, Acronis imaging products automatically roll incremental backups together into the base image file that greatly speeds restorations and eliminated the hassles of swapping out various tapes that file-based backups require. Only 38 percent of businesses have any kind of business continuity plan in place to keep them operating in the event of disaster or disruption. Dynamic Markets Ltd. Disaster Recovery Best Practices While data backup is only a single part of the disaster recovery process, it still proves to be the most important element to successfully protect a business. It is a simple fact that all of the planning in the world counts for nothing if there is no company information to restore. One of the leading causes of failing to optimally plan and execute a business continuity process is the inherent complexity of existing backup solutions on the market. The filebased backup systems available from the major vendors are commonly too wieldy or cumbersome to manage. Add to that the requirement for tape rotations, incremental backups, off-site storage and required training; it becomes very clear why a large percentage of businesses fail to accomplish an effective backup and restoration plan. This is an area where drive imaging helps to demystify and simplify the business continuity planning process. By simply leveraging image-based backups and emergency recovery media, a major portion of the disaster recovery plan can be reduced to a single page consisting of just a few steps. What s more, by leveraging the speed and efficiency of image based incremental backups, remote backup storage becomes feasible for even the smallest of businesses. After all, only the most recent data changes need to be moved over the wire to a remote facility. That remote facility can be as simple as a shared hard drive on a broadband connection or as complex as a leased, hardened data center. There are several elements to an effective disaster recovery plan: - Prioritize business processes: Define mission critical, business critical and operationally important processes and classify the impact of each process on business operations - Determine business objectives: Define acceptable margins for recovery time, recovery points (acceptable data loss), and data loss events (type of failure) - Account for data loss scenarios: Human error, data corruption, storage failure, network/server failure, malicious damage and loss of facility 10

11 - Define the backup and recovery process: Location of backups, frequency, backup types, backup device redundancy, key personnel and procedures The combination of those elements will be used to create a disaster recovery plan, and when one considers the inherent complexity of breaking each of those components down into ex ecutable tasks, it becomes readily apparent how imaging products from Acronis streamline the process. Leading Causes of Data Loss (Ontrack Research) Hardware or System Malfunctions (44 percent of all data loss) * Error message stating the device is not recognized * Previously accessible data suddenly gone * Scraping or rattling sound * Hard drive not spinning * Computer hard drive doesn't function Human Error (32 percent of all data loss) * Previously accessible data suddenly gone * Message similar to "File Not Found" Software Corruption (14 percent of all data loss) * System messages relating to memory errors * Software application won't load * Error message stating data is corrupted or inaccessible Computer Viruses (7 percent of all data loss) * Strange and unpredictable behavior * Error message stating * "File Not Found" Message announcing virus appears on screen Natural Disasters (3 percent of all data loss) * Fires * Floods * Brownouts * Severe Weather * Earthquakes It is estimated that as much as 60% to 70% of storage management effort is consumed by management of backup and recovery alone. - StorageTek 11

12 The Acronis Advantage The facts prove the case: Imaging is a vastly superior backup technology. The shortcomings of file-based backup solutions are costing businesses countless dollars in productivity, efficiency and reliability. Add to that the IT management burden, it becomes clear that file based backup solutions are losing the ROI battle against imaging technology. With imaging defined as the leading technology, there is still one hurdle to overcome: What imaging vendor should you select to protect your valuable data? The answer is simple, Acronis. Acronis has been an industry leader in the backup imaging market for several years. The company s ability to identify requirements and come up with advanced solutions is provided by the numerous awards and endorsements by the IT industry. Few vendors have met the challenge of backing up Linux-based systems, and even fewer can boast the ability to seamlessly backup open files and database servers like Acronis True Image Server for Linux. By combining the power of imaging with the availability of Linux and MySQL, Acronis has created a product that brings safety to the open source market. No longer are open source solutions at risk for data loss and open source based solutions can be included in the business continuity and disaster recovery planning and execution process. Acronis True Image Server for Linux offers several unique features not found in any other backup solution: - Fastest restoration time: Create and restore a system from an image of an entire hard drive. Creating and restoring a system from an image is faster than file-based solutions - Policy Management: Define policies for system and non-system files backup events - Incremental Backups: Create image of sectors that have changed since the last backup - No re-installation: Backup image contains everything the system needs to run. The operating system, databases, configuration files, applications, etc. The system is restored from the image without requiring a lengthy reinstallation - Ease of Use: Wizard-driven Graphical User Interface (GUI) - Console Mode: IT staff can create scripts using the cron service - Maximize Existing IT investment: Use existing storage devices for backup - Acronis Secure Zone: Save backup image to a special partition, hidden from the operating system. This is ideal for businesses without a backup infrastructure because storage media is not required for backup - No Reboot: The product can backup servers while they are running, letting business operations continue while ensuring that business can continue in the event of system failure 12

13 The choice is clear: Acronis! Acronis True Image Server for Linux not only boasts a robust feature set, but also provides unprecedented compatibility for the Linux market. Software and device support is comprehensive, making the product an ideal platform for most any Linux based solution. Compatibility includes: - Supports all major Linux operating systems and Linux kernels - Supports current backup technologies: Direct Attached Storage (DAS), Redundant Arrays of Independent Disks (RAID), Network drives (SMB, NFS), USB and FireWire Storage Devices, CD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, DVD-RW, Removable Drives (Floppy, Zip, etc.) - Clustering Support: Backup and restore redundant servers over the network. - Supported Operating Systems : Red Hat 7.3, 8.0, 9.0/Advanced Server 2.1, 3.0, Fedora Core 1/Fedora Core 2, Advanced Server 3.0/Enterprise Server 3.0, SuSE 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 9.0, 9.1, Mandrake 8.0, 9.2, 10.0, 10.1, Slackware 10, Debian stable and unstable (sarge), Gentoo, UnitedLinux 1.0, Linux Kernels 2.4.x or Considering the value of today s corporate data and the increasing economy of diskbased storage, imaging makes both protection and financial sense. Companies large and small can benefit from the leading technology offered by Acronis and can rely on Acronis True Image Server for Linux to effectively protect data, while sill being friendly to the bottom line. That should be of special concern to companies needing to meet legislative requirements set forth by HIPPA and Sarbanes-Oxley legalities. With Acronis, those problems and others are quickly resolved, leaving a business with not only a comprehensive backup solution, but also with all of the underpinnings needed to effectively implement disaster recovery scenarios, while also offering IT technicians a tool to assist in hardware migration and deployment testing. Linux and Acronis: Everybody wins While Linux and open source products such as MySql offer organizations significant savings and an alternative to expensive commercial operating systems and database servers, the true value can not be judged until a product such as Acronis True Image Server for Linux is incorporated. For companies following the path of Linux, backed up by Acronis, savings and reduced overhead will be quickly realized, making everyone happy from the CFO down to the IT technician, all with out compromising ease of use and without impacting the end user. A true win-win solution. 13