Remote Data Repository backup without passwordless SSH

Products

• CA Performance Management - Usage and Administration
• DX NetOps

Issue/Introduction

We are following the DR backup procedures to backup DR. The procedure requires creating a dradmin account with ssh/scp passwordless, but we are not allowed to have a passwordless account. Is there any other option?

The Back Up the Data Repository documentation shows how to set up and run a remote backup of the Data Repository database. The documented steps to Create a Data Repository Backup result in a new dradmin user on the remote hosts and passwordless SSH communication from Data Repository database cluster to the remote backup host(s).

The Vertica 10.x documentation also states the same requirement. In the Vertica Configuring Back Hosts and Connections documentation it states:

For vbr to access a backup host, the database superuser must meet two requirements:

• • Have an account on each backup host, with write permissions to the backup directory.
  • Have passwordless SSH access from each database cluster host to the corresponding backup host.

How you fulfill these requirements depends on your platform and infrastructure.

 Are there other backup options if passwordless SSH is not allowed in the environment?

Environment

All supported DX NetOps Performance Management releases

Cause

Environment doesn't allow passwordless SSH for the dradmin user.

Resolution

There are only two options to generate the backups. Using Remote or Local backups.

If the required passwordless SSH for dradmin user is not allowed in the environment, an exception would need to be made or the local backup method would be needed.

Local Backups work with existing installs of Vertica, using the existing dradmin user for node to node communications. No additional server to server communications are needed to set up and run a local backup.

To set up Local Backups follow these steps to Configure the Data Repository Host for a Local Backup.

Ideally we'd recommend that after the local backups run, the data stored is copied to a remote server and disk.

When doing so be sure:

• A new secure disk is mounted to each Vertica cluster node
• The new mount point has sufficient space to back up the database
• Do not use the disk hosting the existing data and/or catalog directories for the backup storage location.
• The new local location that will store the saved data must completely independent from the existing data and/or catalog directories.
• For the best of both worlds set up a process to copy the newly backed up data to a remote host.