In planning your database maintenance strategy, evaluate the following:
Your data collection policies
Your requirements for producing charts and reports
How you address event activity
You can then use this information to help you establish a schedule for performing regular backups of the AppManager repository.
Also back up the QDB if you move the database server to another computer, or if you upgrade from a 32-bit SQL Server installation to a 64-bit SQL Server installation. If you are moving the 32-bit QDB to a 64-bit SQL Server computer, make sure you have the latest 32-bit hotfixes and modules. After you move the QDB to the 64-bit SQL Server computer, you cannot install the 32-bit hotfixes and modules.
NOTE:The master database holds all of the device configuration information, SQL Server login information, and extended stored procedures. Therefore, periodically back up the master database even if you are not backing up the QDB—especially if you add data devices, databases, or users, or change any configuration options.
You can achieve the following results if you take regular scheduled backups of the QDB:
Ensure the integrity of the data stored in the QDB.
Provide a means for archiving historical information.
Prevent data loss.
Facilitate disaster recovery.
Enable the movement of the QDB from a 32-bit SQL Server computer to another 32-bit or 64-bit SQL Server computer.
Although you can back up the repository manually at any time using SQL Server Management Studio or with the SQL_RunSQL Knowledge Script, both SQL Server Management Studio and the RunSQL script allow you to automate backups by scheduling them to run at set intervals or at specific days and times.
The frequency of your full or incremental backups depends on the nature of your environment, including the size of the data and log files, the number of computers you monitor, the number of Knowledge Scripts you run, how much data you collect, how you use charts and reports, and how quickly you acknowledge and close events.
As a general rule, perform a complete or incremental backup at least once a week.
For more information about preparing the QDB for backup, backing up the QDB, and restoring the QDB, see the Upgrade and Migration Guide for AppManager, available on the AppManager Documentation page. When preparing to back up the QDB, if you are only backing up the QDB and not moving it to another computer, only perform the steps related to the following:
Noting properties for SQL Server logins
Closing open connections
Verifying that there are no open connections