5 2 0:SEP sesam Server Cloud-Based Disaster Recovery

Overview

A computer disaster refers to a system failure, disk failure, or other serious event that prevents access to critical data. Disaster recovery (DR) is a set of procedures designed to restore essential technological infrastructures and systems following such an event. Standard backups are not sufficient, for disaster recovery specialized backup is required to recover server data and restore the backup system to a functional state.

SEP sesam disaster recovery feature enables users to effectively prepare for unexpected failures and restore their system with minimal downtime. SEP sesam provides self-backup mechanisms to preserve essential system configurations, database information, and logs. These self-backups are critical for restoring the SEP sesam Server in the event of a failure.

To support disaster recovery, SEP sesam includes a Disaster interface (sm_disaster). When enabling this interface, you need to configure "sesam" email account with a valid SMTP email address and SMTP server settings for email communication. Additionally, SESAM_BACKUP task must be set up, as it triggers the disaster interface. Each time a self-backup of the SEP sesam Server (backup task SESAM_BACKUP) is performed, the disaster interface sends an email containing instructions for the recovery procedure and all necessary data (media label, backup source, barcode or datastore path, and the restore command).

SEP sesam self-backup options

The SEP sesam self-backup procedure involves configuring a dedicated backup task named SESAM_BACKUP to back up SEP sesam’s configuration files, logs, and database, and exporting the bootstrap database that contains all necessary configuration and backup history details required for disaster recovery.

If you are using the Si3 deduplication store, you can back up your SEP sesam Server to S3 or Azure cloud storage. This ensures high resistance against attacks on backups and helps protect your SEP sesam Server. For more information refer to Configuring Si3 Deduplication Store or Configuring Si3 Deduplication Store with Object Lock.

SEP sesam offers two options for self-backup, ensuring flexibility in disaster recovery planning:

• Self-backup with Bootstrap database export: The SESAM_BACKUP task exports the SEP sesam database and backs up SEP sesam configuration files, logs, and database. The bootstrap database is generated, containing SEP sesam configuration details and the backup history of the last 30 days. This file is sent as attachment in an email with recovery instructions. For more information, see SEP sesam Server Disaster Recovery with Bootstrap DB Export.
• Self-backup with cloud-based Si3 storage (recommended): This option enables a full export of the SEP sesam database to a bootstrap file in an Si3 deduplication store, enabling backup to cloud storage solutions such as S3 or Azure. The bootstrap can contain the entire database rather than just a limited part of it, ensuring all necessary recovery data is stored in the cloud. The sesam_dr_info.ini file, sent as an email attachment, contains essential disaster recovery information, while all resources required for disaster recovery are securely stored in the cloud.

	Note
	This article describes the cloud-based self-backup and recovery procedure for the SEP sesam Server, which uses a full database export.

SEP sesam self-backup process

To prepare for a potential failure of the SEP sesam Server, you need to configure self-backup of the SEP sesam installation. At least one backup task named SESAM_BACKUP should be configured to back up the following components:

• SEP sesam configuration files
• the var directory, including all listings
• the daylog files
• the database
• the INI-files

For a consistent recovery process, it is recommended to run self-backups daily in COPY or FULL mode.

The self-backup process consists of the following steps:

• The SESAM_BACKUP task exports the SEP sesam database to <SESAM_ROOT>/var/db_pg/backup. Export files are named using the following convention: sesam_db_<timestamp>.sql.gz.
• Backup of the SEP sesam Server (SEP sesam Server self-backup) is performed to the selected media pool. It is recommended that you configure a SEP sesam DR-dedicated media pool for storing all your SEP disaster recovery savesets.
• A bootstrap database file (e.g., sesam_bootstrap_db_<timestamp>.sql.gz) is generated in <SESAM_ROOT>/var/db_pg/backup.
• The disaster interface is triggered. If using the email-based method, the bootstrap file is sent as an email attachment along with recovery instructions.

  If you are using the cloud storage method allowing for cloud-based disaster recovery, the bootstrap is stored on the Si3 deduplication store in the same media pool that is used for SEP sesam Server self-backup.

Preparing for Disaster Recovery

To ensure a successful disaster recovery process, complete the preparation tasks, described in this section.

1. Configure the 'sesam' email account.

The disaster interface relies on email notifications to send critical recovery information. To configure an email account in SEP sesam, follow the procedure described in Configuring Email Accounts. Make sure to use sesam (must be lowercase) as the account name.

Screenshots

For added security, it is recommended to keep disaster-related emails separate from the corporate environment. You can use a cloud-based email service or regularly back up DR emails to an external storage device.

2. Activate the disaster interface.

The disaster interface (sm_disaster) enables disaster recovery by generating and sending DR-related information. To activate it, follow the procedure described in Configuring SEP sesam Interfaces.

Screenshots

When the disaster interface is triggered, it sends a SEP sesam disaster recovery email containing the information required to recover the SEP sesam server. Additionally, the email includes the sesam_dr_info.ini file, which contains the correct URL addresses for accessing the cloud storage.

3. Prepare storage for DR backups.

For SEP sesam Server self-backup, the local or cloud-based Si3 deduplication store can be used.

Using an Si3 deduplication store, the DR backup can be securely stored in a cloud storage (e.g., S3, Azure). This ensures high resistance against attacks on backups and helps secure your SEP sesam Server.

4. Configure storage for the bootstrap database file.

SEP sesam database is exported to a bootstrap database file, containing all the important data for disaster recovery. The export format is controlled by the global variable key:

sm_conf_bootstrap_format <small|full>

• small (default): Exports only the minimal data required for disaster recovery. This is recommended when sending the bootstrap as an email attachment.
• full: Exports a complete SEP sesam database dump. This option is recommended when storing the bootstrap file in an Si3 deduplication store.

With SEP sesam version 5.2.0 Artemis, the DR functionality enables automatic storage of the SEP sesam bootstrap database in the Si3 deduplication store. The boostrap database is saved to the media pool that is defined in the SESAM_BACKUP task.

To enable this feature, set the following global variable key:

sm_conf_bootstrap_upload_sds=1

For more information on setting the global variables, refer to Configuring System Settings.

5. Configure the SESAM_BACKUP task and schedule regular backups.

The SESAM_BACKUP task is a self-backup task that ensures all necessary disaster recovery data is available. When you install or update the SEP sesam Server, the SESAM_BACKUP task is already preconfigured, and the required directories are included in the source. You can create an exclude list to exclude directories such as work, log, or others as needed, and configure additional settings and options. For detailed descriptions of the available options, see the standard backup procedure.

Screenshots

	Tip
	Disaster recovery is performed with log level 0. If required, you can set a higher log level for the restore in the properties of the backup task SESAM_BACKUP -> Options tab -> Restore options field. For details, see Setting log level on a per-task basis in GUI.

Follow the standard backup procedure to schedule this task. It is recommended to run the backup daily in COPY or FULL mode.

Recovering SEP sesam from disaster

The disaster recovery procedure for SEP sesam Server involves multiple steps. The two key components required for successful recovery are the bootstrap database and the SEP sesam Server self-backup (SESAM_BACKUP). For restore, all backups that contain DISASTER or SESAM in the name should be checked to select and restore the last known good copy of the data.

If the entire system has failed and needs to be recovered, replace the host server system. Set up the new server with the same OS version, hostname, and IP address as the original server. Then, prepare the SEP sesam Server installation package for your OS.

	Note
	Make sure to set up the server with the same hostname and IP address, and use the same SEP sesam version that was installed on the original server.

Starting with SEP sesam version 5.2.0 Artemis, disaster recovery enables storing the SEP sesam Server self-backup and bootstrap database file in an Si3 deduplication store, either local or cloud-based. This feature enables a full export of the SEP sesam database to a bootstrap file, making the recovery process faster, simpler, and more reliable.

SEP sesam Server cloud-based recovery procedure

Before you start the recovery, make sure to meet the following prerequisites:

• Retrieve the SEP sesam disaster recovery email with the sesam_dr_info.ini file that contains the correct URL addresses for accessing the cloud storage, and save it locally on the host for the SEP sesam Server (for example, /tmp/sesam_dr_info.ini on Linux, or C:\Temp\sesam_dr_info.ini on Windows).
• Enable running SEP sesam commands globally from a terminal or command prompt (CMD) by setting up a SEP sesam profile as described in FAQ: How can I set up a profile?
• Perform a clean installation of the SEP sesam Server to provide the required environment for restoring the server configuration and backup data. For detailed instructions, refer to the SEP sesam Quick Install Guide.

The SEP sesam Server disaster recovery process is initiated using the sm_pysesam sesam_recover command, which reads recovery information from the sesam_dr_info.ini file. This file contains the required configuration and URLs to access backup data from the Si3 deduplication store.

To start the recovery, run the following command:

sm_pysesam sesam_recover -f <path to sesam_dr_info.ini>

Replace <path to sesam_dr_info.ini> with the actual location of the file, for example, /tmp/sesam_dr_info.ini on Linux or C:\Temp\sesam_dr_info.ini on Windows.

	Note
	If you only want to download the necessary bootstrap files (DB export and configuration) without starting the recovery, use the -⁠n (no recovery) option: sm_pysesam sesam_recover -f <path_to_sesam_dr_info.ini> -n

During the SEP sesam Server disaster recovery procedure, the following steps are performed automatically:

• The SEP sesam database (DB) export file is downloaded from the Si3 deduplication store.
• The SEP sesam configuration (INI files archive) is downloaded from the Si3 deduplication store.
• The SEP sesam Server is shut down.
• The Queue Manager (QM) and SEP sesam database are started in recovery mode.
• The SEP sesam database structure is recreated.
• The database content is imported from the bootstrap file.
• The configuration files (INI archive) are extracted and applied.
• The SEP sesam Server is started with the restored configuration and database.
• The most recent SESAM_BACKUP is restored to ensure that LIS files, required for selective restore, are available.

This approach ensures that SEP sesam Server is fully operational again with minimal downtime after a disaster.

After the recovery

After completing the recovery process, restart the SEP sesam service.

Once the SEP sesam Server is running again, it is recommended to verify that the hardware is properly connected and perform a test backup and restore on the available devices. If the recovery date does not match the date of the last SESAM_BACKUP, run a NEWDAY event to reinitialize the execution queue.

Some backup results may appear incorrect in the job status views. This is due to the time gap between the last SESAM_BACKUP and the recovery, as the scheduled jobs that were supposed to run during the server downtime were not executed. The number of displayed errors depends on the duration of the server downtime and the number of missed scheduled backup jobs.

See also

SEP sesam Server Disaster Recovery with Bootstrap DB Export — Bare Metal Recovery Linux — SEP sesam BSR Pro for Windows — Configuration Files

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