Back Up and Restore Lasernet Keep

This page provides information and guidance on how to back up a Keep installation and how to restore it in a recovery situation.

It is important to implement an effective backup and recovery strategy to avoid potential data loss in the event of hardware failure or in any other disaster scenario.

Note

This page covers standalone and clustered configurations.

Data Storage in Keep

Keep stores data in the following locations. These must be backed up on a regular basis:

• Database (SQL Server/Oracle): Stores document metadata and configuration data.

• Documents Archive Folder: Stores document files, typically scanned images and PDFs.

• Chunks Folder: Stores Client applications.

Planning

We strongly recommend a frequent backup schedule of both the document data (database) and document files (archive folder), with backup media stored offsite, using a backup rotation scheme that retains backup data for a suitably long period.

Consider the following points when creating your backup and recovery strategy:

• Frequency of backups — how much data can you afford to lose?

• Retention period

• Media rotation scheme

• Automation of the backup schedule, typically using third-party software

Consistent Backups

Document data (database) and archive folder backups must be taken at the same time and kept together to create a complete and consistent backup. This is necessary because the document data correlates directly to the structure of the archive folder.

Database Backups

Both SQL Server and Oracle databases provide options for manual and automated backup. Refer to your database vendor's documentation for the steps required to back up and restore the database. Also, many third-party backup solutions are available for the Windows platform.

File Backups

Document files and application data are stored as files. The location is configurable in the Settings > Server Settings > Archive Paths area.

Under the default configuration, document files and application data are stored in a directory on a file system. However, for Microsoft Azure Cloud deployments, Keep stores document files and application data as Blobs in Azure containers.

The Available Archive Paths area lists available file locations. The Documents Path and Chunks Path settings each use one of these locations to specify the file location they use to store files.

Backup Advice for Keep Systems That Use File Storage

The Documents Path and Chunks Path locations (or the parent directory, if they are nested) should be backed up in their entirety.

Backup Advice for Keep Systems That Use Azure Blob Storage

Although Azure storage offers various data redundancy options, which maintain multiple copies of the data through local or global replication, this is not sufficient as a backup solution. Keep data can be deleted or damaged through human error, malicious intent, software failure, or viruses. As a result, it is essential to back up the Documents Path and Chunks Path data. This could be to a separate Azure Storage account, another Cloud storage solution, or exported to on-premises storage.

Microsoft has tools available for moving data in Azure storage.

• Get started with AzCopy

• Manage blob containers using PowerShell

Relevant third-party software is also available.

Install Properties Backup

To cater for the event of a DR-based new software install, we recommend that the properties file from the install is backed up.

This can be found in the root of the install directory and is named installation-record.properties.

License Backup

The Keep license is stored in the database and not in a license file. Therefore, the database backup will capture the license data without the need for any extra steps.

The license is activated in such a way that it is tied to the database itself and will need to be manually reactivated if the Keep database server host name or database name changes. Ask Formpipe Support for advice on the steps needed for a manual reactivation. When performing a manual reactivation, you can use Keep for up to 30 days by enabling evaluation mode.

Server Configuration and Management Access Users

Changes made to the Keep server configuration (such as altering the database connection details or fine-tuning the connection pool) are captured in a server configuration XML file. It is strongly recommended that this file is also backed up in order to ensure that such configuration changes are restored in a recovery situation.

The following provides the path to the relevant configuration file based on the type of installation:

• Standalone: <installation-path>/wildfly-<version>/standalone/configuration/standalone.xml

• Clustered: (On the PDC) <installation-path>/wildfly-<version>/domain/configuration/domain.xml

Appropriately substitute <installation-path> and <version>.

In addition to these configuration files, it is possible to back up the files that contain the user accounts used to access the Wildfly management console. This may be desirable for easy restoration of these users without having to add them again in a recovery situation. The relevant files are mgmt-users.properties and mgmt-groups.properties. This is the location of these files based on installation type:

• Standalone: <installation-path>/<wildfly-<version>/standalone/configuration

• Clustered: (On the PDC) <installation-path>/wildfly-<version>/domain/configuration

In a recovery scenario, these files should simply be restored to the same location in the new installation before starting the server.

General Backup and Restore Process

Stop and Start the Server

These steps describe how to stop and start the Keep server. You will follow these steps as part of the backup and restore process instructions (Back Up Keep and Restore Keep).

Use the Wildfly management console to control the Keep server. The process differs depending on whether Keep is being run as a standalone or clustered setup.

1. Stop the server.

   • Standalone: Navigate to Runtime > Standalone Server, choose to Suspend the server.

   • Clustered: Navigate to Runtime > Server Groups > dm-server-group, choose to Stop or Suspend the server group.

2. Start the server.

   • Standalone: Navigate to Runtime > Standalone Server, choose to Resume the server.

   • Clustered: Navigate to Runtime > Server Groups > dm-server-group, choose to Start or Resume the server group.

Note

In both cases, attempting to navigate to the front end while the server is inactive will cause a 503 - Service Unavailable message.

If necessary, the Windows service itself can be stopped. For a clustered setup, the services should be stopped in the following order:

• DM role(s)

• Load Balancer role

• PDC role

It must then be restarted in the reverse order.

Back Up Keep

1. Lock down Keep to prevent changes:

   1. Ensure users are logged out (Admin menu > Reports & Info > Sessions).

   2. Select the Lock Server checkbox (Admin menu > Settings > Server Settings > Lock Server).

   3. Add a Server Locked Message as required.

2. Stop the Keep server (see Stop and Start the Server).

3. Back up the database.

4. Back up the file system folders or Blob storage Azure containers.

5. Start the Keep server (see Stop and Start the Server).

6. Unlock Keep when ready:

   1. Clear the Lock Server checkbox.

7. Move the backup media offsite.

Restore Keep

1. Lock down Keep to prevent changes:

   1. Ensure users are logged out (Admin menu > Reports & Info > Sessions).

   2. Select the Lock Server checkbox (Admin menu > Settings > Server Settings > Lock Server).

   3. Add a Server Locked Message as required.

2. Stop the Keep server (see Stop and Start the Server).

3. Restore the database backup.

4. Restore the file system folders or Blob storage Azure containers.

5. Start the Keep server (see Stop and Start the Server).

6. Unlock Keep when ready:

   1. Clear the Lock Server checkbox.

Test your Backup and Restore Process

We recommend testing your process by backing up your live Keep server and restoring it to your Keep test server.