DB2 Backup and Restore. How to Backup DB2 Database?

A DB2 database secures data in a proverbial fortress: data being, by far, any modern company’s most important resource. Information security is an extremely sensitive topic in the modern world of enterprise data management, which requires creating contingency plans well before a crisis arises. A robust backup strategy should help companies address all kinds of issues, be it ransomware, software corruption, or hardware failure, etc.

Proper backup procedures can actually make a major potential catastrophe no more than a minor hiccup. Disasters and accidents happen all the time and cyberattacks alone happen on a daily basis in modern business environments. As such, improving the security of information in any form is paramount, equally so when it is maintained in an unconventional form, such as in a DB2 database.

The field of DB2 backups is awash with challenging topics and choices: online backups, offline backups, full backups, and incremental backups, with a veritable sea of third-party solutions for each to choose from. The goal of this guide is to simplify as much as is possible the choice among these options by offering insights and recommendations for best securing your DB2 environment.

Potential Options for DB2 Database Backup

Because database backups are never universal in approach, there are many different situations and circumstances that might influence the choice of a backup methodology. Before dlving into the differences among DB2 backups,  it would be wise to review the fundamentals of DB2 backups.  The success of a backup strategy relies on a full  understanding of how each key factor impacts an organization’s Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs).

As for the factors themselves, there are a few important options:

• Total size of the database total size and its recent growth patterns.
• The need to match recovery time requirements to existing Service Level Agreements.
• Regulatory compliance requirements.
• The capabilities and limitations of the storage infrastructure.
• System maintenance time frames.

Now that it is clear how complex each decision about DB2 backups can be, it is time to review some of the important factors and choices that should be considered beforehand.

Full and Incremental Backup in DB2

Full and Incremental backup approaches serve completely different purposes in most environments and DB2 databases are no exception.

Full DB2 backups are tasked with capturing the state of the entire database at once to generate a complete snapshot of the environment. Although it is one of the most storage space-intensive backup methods, it is  usually the easiest from which to achieve a successful restoration.

Incremental DB2 backups, on the other hand, track and store only the changes made in the system since the last backup operation. This approach boasts dramatically shorter backup windows and smaller storage requirements, but also increases the complexity of any recovery operation.

Neither approach is mutually exclusive, either, which is why many businesses have long taken a hybrid approach. A hybrid approach performs full backups periodically, with incremental backups on a much more frequent basis, combining the advantages of each method while mitigating some of their most egregious shortcomings.

Online DB2 Backups

Online backup is one of the most noteworthy features of DB2, enabling the creation of a consistent database copy without turning off the database itself. It is a priceless option for businesses that require 24/7 availability 24/7, even if it has its own performance considerations to track.

Offline DB2 backup is very self-explanatory in this context:  it is a different approach to creating backups that requires powering down the affected databases. Logically speaking, this option is both more secure and less likely to create any issues pre- or post-backup, but it also requires a substantial period of downtime, something with which certain businesses might not be comfortable. As such, offline backups are very rarely used in DB2 backups, considering he advantages of online DB2 backups in most situations.

Database workload patterns play a critical role when working with online backups. For example, read-heavy workloads should perform adequately despite with any performance hits that an online backup process might introduce. On the other hand, the performance of write-intensive applications might be impacted during backups to a certain degree.. Understanding these differences can assist greatly in finding the most optimal backup windows that will not disrupt critical business operations.

Which DB2 Backup Option is the Best?

The choice of an ideal backup approach requires careful evaluation of all the unusual characteristics of your backup environment. Simple full backups during off-hours might be best for smaller analytical databases, while high-volume transactional environments should work best with frequent incremental backups and occasional full backups.

As mentioned before, Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) for the database play a substantial role in the choice of backup software: recovery time dictates everything,  including the choice between full, incremental, and hybrid backup approaches. The option of offline backups would be best for critical recovery scenarios, but those have their fair share of limitations as well, which should be considered beforehand.

Efficient Use of DB2 Backup Commands

With a theoretical understanding of DB2s, the database in question can allow its user to directly control the entire data protection strategy, if they can master the necessary DB2 backup commands. Using a Command Line Interface can seem complex at first, but the automation and flexibility potential of this approach far outweigh the learning curve.

The efficiency of using backup commands relies on several important factors:

• Compression options for backup size management.
• Logging configurations to ensure backup integrity.
• Security and authentication requirements.
• Command parameters that can directly impact the performance of a backup.
• Optimal I/O speed with the necessary storage path considerations.

DB2 Backup Syntax Explanation

The BACKUP DATABASE command is the primary tool for internal DB2 backups, and its  granular customization is one of its most substantial advantages. It should be possible to use the basic syntax alone, such as: BACKUP DATABASE database-name. However, the number of possible options is much higher, as seen in the following example:

Each additional parameter can shape the behavior of a backup process, including its completion time, resource utilization, and more. For example, the COMPRESS option reduces storage requirements, while increasing the CPU usage necessary to compress information before saving it. Alternatively, the PARALLELISM 4 option dramatically improves backup speeds using multi-threading, but it comes at the cost of dramatically higher computing power requirements for each backup process.

DB2 Backup Utility Instructions

The ability to run complex commands is not the only advantage of backup operations that use DB2. A systematic approach is necessary in these cases, including considerations of execution modes and database state verification.

The command db2pd -db database-name -applications verifies the current state of the target database before performing any backup tasks, confirming there are no active transactions capable of compromising the integrity of the backup, while ensuring that the database itself is complete and operational before creating a copy of it.

As for execution modes, these are the ones we discussed earlier:  online and offline backups. Offline backups are easier to set up but can be virtually impossible for some businesses. Online backups, on the other hand, require additional parameters to ensure concurrent access and successful backup completion. Note also that these execution modes also affect both backup and recovery processes in different ways.

Common Challenges for DB2 Backup Commands

Error codes are the easiest way to distinguish one issue from another during a backup or recovery command input. It is not uncommon for obstacles to appear during these operations, even for well-planned ones.

There are two common error codes that we should mention here – SQL2062N and SQL2061N.

Code SQL2062N is the “insufficient disk space” error, which is resolved by freeing up more storage space in the backup target location.

Code SQL2061N is a permission issue that should be easily resolved by adjusting filesystem-level access controls

Neither of these codes represents a complete backup failure, and their resolution is a relatively simple process.

DB2 Backup Automation with Scheduling Tools and Scripts

Like many operations conducted using a CLI, these commands can be automated to a certain degree – whether with the help of scheduling tools or custom scripts.

Scheduling tools tend to vary in quality and granularity from one case to another, making it difficult to recommend a single best option for every situation. Custom scripts are the better alternative, making it possible to fine-tune certain processes specifically for your database environment– such as pre-backup check, post-backup verification, and so on.

Of course, custom scripts are usually much more difficult to develop than just choosing a third-party scheduling tool. The expertise necessary to create them is usually reasonably high, but their versatility will be well worth the effort in most cases.

Troubleshooting During Backup Execution

The actual backup execution processes also tend to encounter their fair share of issues. These issues should not arise often, but knowing the most common issues and having an action plan for them at the ready can be critical.

The general rule of thumb in such situations is to maintain detailed backup logs to simplify troubleshooting, knowing that any system log should give much more context to an issue, compared with a generic classification of error messages.

Speaking of error messages, there is one important error code  to mention here – SQL2048N. This particular code usually implies that there is some sort of underlying storage system issue happening that is not the fault of the database itself, requiring further analysis and resolution before proceeding.

Third-Party DB2 Backup Software

Even though the native capabilities of DB2 meet some business requirements for  backup and recovery operations, third-party solutions can be valuable for their enterprise-grade and beneficial features, be it cross-platform integration, enhanced compression, centralized management, additional security and more. These features, combined with general efficiency improvements and reduced administrative overhead, are usually how such software justifies its cost.

There are several factors for a business to consider when evaluating potential backup solutions, such as:

• Cost-benefit analysis for the current data volume.
• Compatibility with future DB2 versions.
• Integration depth with existing infrastructure.
• Vendor support, including both quality and response times.
• Recovery time improvements over the results of native tools.

Here are a few notable examples of third-party software that support DB2 backups to some degree.

Handy Backup

Although originally designed with SMBs in mind, Handy Backup has successfully evolved to work with enterprise database systems, too. It can provide unified management of different backup types, be they filesystem snapshots, database dumps, and more.

The platform’s DB2 module offers protection using a simplicity-first approach, making it an excellent option in situations in which straightforward operations are prioritized over advanced feature sets. Handy Backup may not match the variety of capabilities of other enterprise-grade solutions, but its usability in mixed environments that require a centralization feature set remainsnotable.

Customer reviews:

• Capterra – 4.3/5 points from 26 customer reviews
• G2 – 4.0/5 points from 19 customer reviews

Pricing (at the time of writing):

• Handy Backup uses a simple licensing model with four main pricing tiers:
  • Standard, starting from $39 for one device, can provide the most basic combination of the features useful only in a personal device.
  • Professional, starting from $89 for one device, offers several additional features on top of the previous offering, including disk imaging, cloud backups, disaster recovery, etc.
  • Small Business, starting from $249 for one device, is a business-oriented pricing tier that expands the previous tier’s feature set with support for different storage types, such as applications and databases.
  • Server Network, starting from $299 for one management panel, offers the entire feature set of Handy Backup with zero limitations whatsoever. However, several additional purchases in the form of Workstation Agents ($39 for one) and Server Agents ($149 for one) are required to create a complete backup infrastructure.

Veeam

Veeam is a well-known name in the virtualization backup market, despite its support for some other data formats,  creating a reasonable enterprise data protection environment.

The application-aware processing that Veeam’s DB2 integration module provides goes beyond some traditional backup functionalities to provide automated integrity testing and a range of granular recovery options to choose from. It is an impressive option for businesses that must run multiple database technologies at once, and its support for DB2 backups offers consistency, even in highly virtualized environments in which traditional backups might not be up to the task.

Customer reviews:

• Capterra – 4.8/5 points based on 75 customer reviews
• TrustRadius – 8.9/10 points based on 1,605 customer reviews
• G2 – 4.6/5 points based on 636 customer reviews
• PeerSpot – 4.3/5 points based on 422 customer reviews
• Gartner – 4.6/5 points based on 1,787 customer reviews

Pricing (at the time of writing):

• The only licensing information available on Veeam’s public website is a pricing calculator page that helps users create a custom form to send to Veeam for a personalized quote.

Bacula Enterprise

Bacula Enterprise is an exceptionally high-security backup and recovery solution that has evolved from its open-source roots to create a comprehensive backup and recovery environment using a modular, highly scalable architecture.

Bacula’s approach to DB2 backups offers high levels of customization with scalability, supporting both full and incremental backups, along with deduplication, encryption, compression, granular reporting, monitoring, and more. The overarching modular architecture of the environment makes it a viable option for an organization of any size, expanding the platform’s capabilities over time.  It is an excellent option for large-scale DB2 environments that have multiple backup targets in mind with complex retention requirements to consider. Its capabilities ensure users are able to meet a broad variety of compliance requirements, and it closely follows the NIST security franwork to make sure users pass the most stringent security regulations. Bacula is the leader on TrustRadius.

Bacula is storage-agnostic, which means users can integrate with any type of storage they choose, whether it be cloud-based, Hybrid cloud, or any specific hardware storage type.

Customer reviews:

• TrustRadius – 9.7/10 points based on 63 customer reviews
• G2 – 4.7/5 points based on 56 customer reviews
• PeerSpot – 4.4/5 points based on 10 customer reviews
• Gartner – 4.7/5 points based on 5 customer reviews

Pricing (at the time of writing):

• Bacula Enterprise’s pricing information is not publicly available on its official website. The only way to obtain such information is by contacting the company directly for a quote. It is notable however, that Bacula does not charge by data volume.
• There is much general licensing information available on Bacula’s website. For example, Bacula Enterprise offers a range  of subscription plans, even though there is no pricing available for any of them:
  • Standard – can cover up to 50 agents and two contracts, adds support response deadlines (from 1 to 4 business days)
  • Bronze – can cover up to 200 agents and two contracts, offers phone support and shorter deadlines for customer support (from 6 hours to 4 days)
  • Silver – can cover up to 500 agents and three contracts, introduces a deduplication plugin and a lower customer support answer deadline (from 4 hours to 2 days)
  • Gold – can cover up to 2,000 agents and five contracts and drastically reduces customer support answer deadlines (from 1 hour to 2 days)
  • Platinum – can cover up to 5,000 agents and five contracts, has PostgreSQL catalog support, and one training seat per year for Administrator courses

Commvault Cloud

Commvault, considered one of the pioneers in enterprise data management, provides a unified solution capable of addressing the entire data lifecycle from backups to analytical processes. It can identify potential backup failures before they occur, thanks to extensive predictive analytics, among many other features.

Robust DB2 backups is a good example of Commvault’s comprehensive data management capabilities,with intelligent scheduling capable of adapting to database workload patterns as its strongest selling point. It integrates seamlessly with DB2 databases, working within the premise of a broader data management framework as a great option for consolidating backup and recovery tasks.

Customer reviews:

• Capterra – 4.6/5 points based on 47 customer reviews
• TrustRadius – 7.6/10 points based on 227 customer reviews
• G2 – 4.4/5 points based on 160 customer reviews
• PeerSpot – 4.3/5 points based on 108 customer reviews
• Gartner – 4.5/5 points based on 570 customer reviews

Pricing (at the time of writing):

• There is no official public pricing information on Commvault’s website.

Cohesity

Cohesity markets itself as the next generation of data management solutions using its hyperconverged secondary storage platform. Cohesity’s extensive search capabilities, among other features, make it a great option for companies that frequently require quick access to historical data versions.

Cohesity’s modern approach to data protection enhances its DB2 integration, eliminating the traditional backup server layer to  reduce the cost and complexity of these processes. Cohesity’s web-scale environment offers cloud-like simplicity to on-premises DB2 backup operations, while also providing reliability on the enterprise level.

Customer reviews:

• Capterra – 4.6/5 points based on 51 customer reviews
• TrustRadius – 8.5/10 points based on 86 customer reviews
• G2 – 4.4/5 points based on 47 customer reviews
• PeerSpot – 4.5/5 points based on 71 customer reviews
• Gartner – 4.8/5 points based on 810 customer reviews

Pricing (at the time of writing):

• There is no public pricing information on Cohesity’s official website

Backup Strategies for DB2 Databases

The creation of an effective backup strategy plan extends beyond scheduling and tool selection. A good understanding of the recovery needs, operational constraints, and regulatory requirements of the organization is also paramount for success. When designed properly, a backup strategy should be able to anticipate future growth while addressing all current challenges.

A comprehensive backup strategy should include RPOs, RTOs, storage capacity planning with growth projections, considerations about network bandwidth, personnel training requirements, and all the testing and documentation procedures that go along with it.

Archive Logging or Circular Logging in DB2 Databases

As mentioned before, documentation plays a key role in any backup and recovery strategy, and that includes logging and reporting processes. However, logging in database environments serves a different purpose than in traditional storage situations. This requires a fundamental choice between archive logging and circular logging, each of which has its own effect on the recovery capabilities of the environment.

Archive logging can maintain a complete history of changes in the database , which minimizes the potential for data loss and makes it possible to conduct point-in-time recovery. The ability to recover at literally any moment in the past is well worth the price in most cases, even if the storage costs of such an approach tend to become extremely high in the long run.

Circular logging is an alternative to archive logging,  because it overwrites older log files after a certain period of time. That reduces storage requirements, but it also reduces the effectiveness of the recovery process as a whole, making it impossible to perform granular recovery outside of full backups. It can be an acceptable balance between resource usage and security for non-critical environments, or in situations in which full backups are already performed frequently.

Comprehensive Database Backup Strategy Creation

Backup strategies are often  custom-fit for each situation, making it difficult to offer general recommendations that fit most cases. Instead, this blog provides a few pieces of general advice that should work well for virtually any business strategy:

• Ensure the alignment with business continuity requirements without becoming technically infeasible.
• Think about staggering backup schedules across different databases to manage resource utilization of the process.
• Think of implementing complex backup verification procedures: testing your recovery framework in its entirety is never a bad call.

Best Practices for Database Administrators in terms of Backup Frequency

Criticality and data change rates should be the biggest driver of any decisions about backup frequency. Relatively static reference databases might need full backups only weekly without compromising security, while high-volume transactional databases require full backups at least daily and incremental backups at least hourly.

At the same time, watching backup durations helps to ensure that no backup process overlaps with peak business hours, adjusting schedules accordingly to avoid performance losses and other business issues.

Encryption and Other Means of Backup Security

Encryption is one of the most well-known security measures in the business industry, helping protect information both during transit and at rest. DB2 has a surprisingly strong native encryption feature set, capable of integrating with key management systems to align backup security measures with overarching organizational standards.

However, it should is paramount to remember that many encryption processes that are performed outside of dedicated hardware introduce a certain degree of performance loss in both backup and recovery sequences, something that should be accounted for planning for any backup or restore process.

Conclusion

DB2 environment protection using proper backup procedures is not the sole responsibility of the IT department:  it is a direct business imperative that can affect the resilience of the total organization. Success lies in matching recovery objectives with a backup strategy, while maintaining a certain degree of operational efficiency, no matter whether using native or third-party backup solutions.

The creation of a backup strategy is an ongoing process that requires regular reviews and adjustments as data landscapes and modern technologies evolve. DB2 backup processes can becomethe cornerstone of an entire business continuity plan with a good understanding of the appropriate procedures and options available. What is recommended here is to perform regular testing, maintain thorough documentation processes, and keep track of all the new capabilities of the industry that can improve the data protection strategy in your business environment.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Does DB2 Differ from Other Database Systems in Terms of Backup Management?

Even though most enterprise databases should support backup concepts that are very similar to DB2’s capabilities, DB2 still distinguishes itself by taking an integrated recovery approach. DB2’s backup architecture can consider all the recovery implications in planning backup sequences, which is in stark contrast to most environment types, which often treat backup and recovery as separate processes.

A good example of such integration is DB2’s High Availability Disaster Recovery feature, which combines real-time replication and backup strategies. The combination of high availability and backup solutions that do not operate independently is very uncommon in this market.

Additionally, DB2’s backup compression tools should be able to produce better compression ratios than regular backup tools,because its compression algorithms are specifically optimized to work with the underlying backup structure.

How Effective Can Third-Party Software be at Managing DB2 Backups?

Proper implementation of any third-party tool plays a significant role in its capability to reliably manage DB2 backups. It would be fair to say that tools capable of leveraging native DB2 commands with a management layer on top often fare better than solutions trying to “reinvent the wheel.”

Direct vendor support for specific DB2 versions is usually a much more important factor than the general capabilities of the solution, making vendor expertise the most  valuable feature of any DB2 version.

Can DB2 Handle Distributed Database Backups?

DB2’s approach to distributed database backups seeks to maintain consistency across nodes without introducing a drastic changes to the system availability. Careful coordination is a necessity for such processes, especially in active-active configurations.

Both logical and physical consistency requirements should be kept in mind when backing up distributed systems, knowing that some companies use rolling backup strategies to reduce contention, throwing a potential proverbial wrench into the consistency plans of DB2 environments. Solutions such as Bacula offer native integration of its backup system directly into DB2, in order to avoid pitfalls such as these.