In the event of data loss, for whatever reason, it is critical that you have a backup of the APTARE IT Analytics system. This section lists the key files and data associated with APTARE IT Analytics that you need to protect. These should be backed up regularly to mitigate risk of data loss.

At a high level, your backup and recovery strategy will consist of:

Each of these is discussed in detail in subsequent sections.

See Restoring the APTARE IT Analytics System for steps to recover data that has been backed up.

This should be done about once a month. A cold backup is required of the Oracle data file directories; by default, /data01, /data02, /data03, /data04, /data05, and /data06 for Linux and \oradata for Windows. Cold backups require Oracle to be shut down, thereby disrupting the Portal’s availability. Perform a cold backup, then back up (export) the database tables on a more regular basis (nightly is recommended). In addition to monthly cold backups, a cold backup is recommended after a significant software upgrade to capture the updated database schema. See Perform a Cold Backup of the Database.

The reporting database should be exported nightly. Exports do not require Oracle to be shut down. See Backing Up the Oracle Reporting Database.

File system backups are required to protect the APTARE IT Analytics application directories, files, and OS-specific settings, such as the registry and services for Windows. The file system backup should also capture the nightly database export, which resides in the file system.

APTARE recommends that you utilize your company’s backup method of choice to perform the file system backup. While we recommend a full system backup, we have identified the key files created by APTARE IT Analytics.

These symbolic links may vary in your environment. Check the APTARE Certified Configurations Guide for the latest third-party and open source versions.