SAP Backup and Restore

What is SAP Backup and Restore Procedure?

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SAP Backup and Restore: The Sap R/3 Backup consists Database (Differential,Incremental) and Transaction Log (Append,   Overwrite)

Database Backup

Database backup is the core of the R/3 system. This backup is essential to recover the system to the current state.

SAP Backup – T.Log (Transaction Logs)

  • Transaction Logs are critical to the database recovery.
  • It contains a record of changes made to the database which is used to Roll/Back operations.
  • It is critical to have a chain of valid log backup.

SAP Backup – OS (Operating Environment)

Operating Environment

  • Registry
  • System and Network configuration

SAP R/3 files

  • Spool files
  • Transport files
  • Other R/3 related files

SAP Backup – Methodology

  • Backup Strategy can be adopted using three dimension matrix combination:
  • What is backed up, How the backup taken and When the Backup taken?

SAP Database – Full Backup

Merits:

The entire database is backed up at once, making the restore of the database easier and faster. There are less logs that need to be applied to bring the database in the current state.

Demerits:

Takes longer to run than an incremental log backup, bcoz of longer backup window there is more impact on the users while the backup is running.

SAP Backup and Restore

SAP Database – Incremental

Merits:

Much faster than a full database backup, bcoz of the smaller window there is less impact to the users.

Demerits:

  • A full backup is needed, as a starting point to restore the database.
  • To restore the database takes significantly longer and is more complicated than restoring a full backup.

SAP Backup and Restore

SAP Database – Differential

Merits:

The exposure to a corrupt log backup is reduced. Each differential backup is backing up all the changes to the database. Since the last full backup.

Demerits:

  • Like incremental log backup, a full backup is needed as the starting point.
  • The backup window for a differential is longer than a transaction log backup. 

Also See: SAP Hardware Overview


SAP Backup – Offline

Merits:

  • An offline backup is faster than an online backup.
  • During the backup, there is no issue with data changing in the database.
  • If the files are backed up at the same time, the related operating system files will be in sync with the R/3 database.

Demerits:

  • R/3 is unavailable during an offline backup
  • Buffers for R/3 and the database are flushed.
  • This process will impact perform until the buffers are populated.

SAP Backup – Online

Merits:

  • R/3 is available to users during a backup.
  • The buffers are not flushed.

Demerits:

  • An online backup is slower than an offline backup
  • Backup time is increased because processes such as R/3 are running and competing of system resources.
  • Online performance is degraded while the backup is running.
  • Data may change in the database while it is being backed up.

Also See: SAP System Monitoring Transaction Codes