Index Backup Operations (Indexing Version 2)

The system backs up index action logs and indexes so that the active index can be recreated if it becomes corrupted or is unintentionally deleted. (The active index is recreated by playing backed up action logs to a backed up index.)

Action Log Backup

During the action log backup process, the system creates copies of the action logs and moves them to the same storage library used for the data backup.

A series of cleanup rules determine how action log backups are retained and deleted.

Index Backup

During the index backup process, the system creates a copy of a full index and moves it to the same storage library used for the data backup.

A series of cleanup rules determine how index backups are retained and deleted.

The index backup process, which occurs at the backupset level, was changed in SP11 to better protect a CommCell during disaster recovery events. The system now auto-creates one IndexBackup pseudoclient for each storage policy associated with an Indexing Version 2 client (created in Client Computer Groups > Index Servers in the CommCell console), and backs up the full index per storage policy. This change ensures that the system stores an index backup with its associated data backup on secondary storage, thus providing optimal recoverability of data in disaster recovery situations.

Each IndexBackup pseudoclient backs up full indexes according to its associated storage policy's backup schedule and backup criteria. To modify an index backup schedule, see Modifying an index backup schedule.

In extreme scenarios in which numerous storage policies exist for a backupset, the system could become overloaded with an excessive number of index backups.