Best Practice BARS backups

[dgalati000]

I have CCM 4.1 with a publisher and a subscriber. Is there a link of best practices for backing up and restoring?

[Jaime Valencia]

Cisco IP Telephony Backup and Restore System (BARS) Administration Guide, Version 4.0(12)

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/cucm/bars/4_0_12/ag-4012.html

i don't know of a best practices doc we have on this but i would suggest the following:

configure the backup always to a network drive

configure the scheduler to run once a week during non-business hours

have at least 2 backup files always in the remote drive (configure bars to automatically delete older files)

check every once in a while the backup log to verify it completed successfully

about the restore there is really no best practice, just the guide on how to restore.

always make sure to restore on exactly the same version is the most important thing

do not change hostnames

vefify the server supports the CUCM version if not the same server

HTH

javalenc

if this helps, please rate

[dgalati000]

thanks a bunch. excellent report, and right to the point.

[dgalati000]

Javalenc - can you uncloud my understanding of these items re: BARS methodology...1) Which is the Data Src Server=my CCM Publisher? 2) Which is my Backup Server=my DLT380 where I plan to initiate the BU and Store the CCM Pub data? 3) What is a Backup Target= A seperate srvr (the SAME DLT380??)...thanks in advance.

[Jaime Valencia]

the data source should always be the PUB, as for the definition of target and server:

You get these options while installing:

a. Backup server-This constitutes the default. Use this choice if the server where you are performing the BARS installation will perform the actual backup operation when you back up data.

b. Backup target-Choose this option if you want the server where you are performing the BARS installation to have its data backed up when the BARS backup process runs.

BARS Installation

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/cucm/bars/4_0_12/barsinst.html

the link contains info on how to backup and how to restore

HTH

javalenc

if this helps, please rate

[dgalati000]

Javalenc - I am having no success in tftp'ing the tar backup of my publisher to an ext backup server as configged in Dest Options of the BARS app running on Publisher. Publisher can connect and reach the shared drv on the backup srvr but the BARS log shows "could not build archive successfully" when I tell BARS to go to the backup server. The BARS backup DOES build and deposit a .tar file on the "Local Directory" - that is, the same server that the Publisher resides on. Doc does not expand on this error.

Attaching log file from BARS app. Any ideas? before I go to TAC?

[Jaime Valencia]

there are a lot of things that could fail, i would need to go thru the bars log that contains all the steps and not only the log you attached also look into the server config to verify all the settings and permissions

i'd recommend you to raise the TAC so someone can review the whole set of logs to determine where the issue is

javalenc

[dgalati000]

thanks, I will...