Procedure documentation Backing Up to a Single Backup Medium Locate the document in its SAP Library structure

Use

You can back up the data to a single Structure linkbackup medium. If the capacity of the backup medium selected is too small for the backup, succeeding media have to be used, meaning that when one backup medium is full, it must be automatically or manually replaced by an empty medium when prompted by the Database Manager GUI:

Note

If possible, it is always preferable to back up to a group of parallel backup media rather than backing up to a single medium plus succeeding media. Parallel backup of this kind is not however possible for log backups.

Recommendation

We recommend that you check the logical consistency of the volumes before every complete data backup (Checking the Logical Consistency of the Volumes).

Prerequisites

Only one backup device is available.

You have defined the backup medium to which backup is to take place (Defining a Single Backup Medium).
If you want to perform a backup using an automatic tape loader (Backups to Automatic Tape Loader), or with the help of external backup tools (Backups with External Backup Tools), then you must state this specifically when defining the backup media.

Note

Under normal circumstances, you should backup Structure linkdatabase instances in the ONLINE Structure linkoperational state.
You can also backup database instances in the ADMIN operational state, but only in exceptional circumstances.

Procedure

  1. Choose Instance ® Backup and the required backup type:
    ® Complete Data (    Structure linkcomplete data backup)
    ® Incremental     (    Structure linkincremental data backup)
    ® Log (    Structure linkinteractive log backup)
    ®     Auto Log on/off (    Structure linkautomatic log backup)

    The system displays the list of the media already defined for the selected backup type.
    If no media have been defined so far, they must be defined now. Select the backup medium to be used for the backup.
  2. Check the details of the medium. Change them if required (Changing Backup Media).
  3. Choose the menu entry for the selected backup type in the menu bar at the top of the screen ® Next Step.

    Only for database systems up to version 7.3 (inclusive):
    If you want to perform a     Structure linkdata backup, now choose whether the backup is to be performed for Recovery or Migration.
    Recovery : Data backup for restoring the database instance if errors occur
    Migration: Data backup with checkpoint; that is, to migrate the database instance
    For more information about checkpoints, see the User Manual: SAP DB 7.3.
  4. If you have selected a data backup or interactive log backup, choose the menu entry for the selected backup type ® Start. The backup action now starts.
    If the capacity of the backup medium specified is not large enough for the backup and you are not using an automatic tape loader, the Database Manager GUI asks you to specify and insert a new medium as soon as the previous medium has been filled (see     Backups to Manually Changed Media).
    Once the backup procedure has been successfully completed, you see the message     Backup completed.

    If you want to activated the automatic log backup, choose AutoLog ® Auto Log on.