FAQs - SAP HANA iDataAgent

Does the Commvault software support SAP HANA backups when the log mode is circular?

You can perform a database backup when the log mode is circular. You can only perform a point-in-time restore when the log mode is normal.

Is there a way to perform a restore when the catalog backup fails and the data backup succeeds?

When the catalog backup fails and the data backup succeeds, you can perform a point-in-time restore with the data backup and without the catalog backup from the SAP HANA Studio.

Are there special entries needed in the param file for a cross-machine restore?

If you perform the restore from the CommCell Console, then the Commvault software automatically creates the required parameters for a cross-machine restore.

If you perform the restore from the SAP HANA studio, then you must set the srcCrossClient environmental variable in the SAP HANA BACKINT parameter file (on the destination client), to the host where you performed the backup. For information on required and optional parameters, see SAP HANA BACKINT Configuration Parameters.

What configuration is required for multi-stream backups?

Set the parallel_data_backup_backint_channels parameter in the SAP HANA Studio. You do not not need to make any modifications to the Commvault subclient.

What configuration is required for SAP HANA multi-stream restores?

Restores run with the same number of streams that were used in the backup.

Set the parallel_data_backup_backint_channels parameter in the SAP HANA Studio, and then enable multi stream backups.

During SAP HANA backup operations, why do some of the streams become idle after some time?

The stream allocation for SAP HANA backup operations depends on multiple factors such as streams per backint and per volume. Additionally, streams are further split into multiple channels based on the parallel_data_backint_channels parameter, and each channel in turn spawns child backints with each backint invoking a new stream.

When a stream completes data transfer, backint exits and does not switch to another idle stream, so some of the streams become idle during the backup operation.

Can we run a selective auxiliary copy operation on a SAP HANA command line backup job?

Yes, SAP HANA command line backups are picked for selective auxiliary copy operation only when the backup is a data (full) backup job. Selective auxiliary copy operation is not supported on SAP HANA log only command line backup jobs. Logs that are backed up as part of the command line full backup job are picked for the selective auxiliary copy operation.

Is High Isolation configuration supported for HANA?

Yes, you can run backup and restore jobs for High Isolation HANA configuration.

In what scenarios do we use the restore options for SAP HANA?

Initialize Log Area Option

When you select the Initialize Log Area option, the software only replays the log entries from the backup when it is required. The following are the most common scenarios when you use the option:

Note

Consider your environment when you choose the option.

When you have a corrupt catalog
When the log area is not usable
When you perform a database copy or a system copy

Data Only Restore

The following are the most common scenarios when you use the option:

When the catalog is corrupted
When you do not want to replay the logs

Point-in-Time Catalog Restore

The following are the most common scenarios when you use the option:

When the most recent catalog backup is corrupted
When you perform multiple restore operations with the Initialize Log Area option

Does the Commvault software support encryption for SAP HANA?

Yes. The Commvault software backups can run with HANA encryption enabled.

You can use the following HANA encryptions:

HANA backup encryption: Backup and restore jobs run with both encryptions enabled. When you enable HANA backup encryption, it disables the ability for Commvault to compress or apply deduplication on data, and negatively impacts throughput on both backup and restore. Therefore, avoid using the HANA backup encryption option with backup, and use a Commvault encryption that does not impact deduplication or compression.
HANA persistent storage encryption: Has no impact on Commvault backup and recovery processes.

Does the Commvault software support HANA 2.0 SPS07?

Yes. Commvault supports HANA 2.0 SPS07 if encryption is not enabled for the HANA SID.

If encryption is enabled for the HANA SID and you want to perform an in-place restore, verify that the the encryption key is same between backup and restore.

If encryption is enabled for the HANA SID and you want to perform an out-of-place restore (database copy), copy the encryption keys from the source to the target SID before restoring the data. It is not needed to copy the encryption keys for subsequent restores unless the key on the source has changed.

To back up and recover encryption keys on SYSTEMDB:

Use hdbsql to log on as the SYSTEMDB user:

hdbsql -i <Instance number> -d SYSTEMDB -u system -p <password>

Back up root key for SYSTEMDB using any one of the following command:

Use hdbsql to run the following command:

hdbsql SYSTEMDB=> ALTER SYSTEM ENCRYPTION CONFIGURATION CONTROLLED BY SYSTEM DATABASE
0 rows affected (overall time 2403.486 msec; server time 2403.314 msec)
hdbsql SYSTEMDB=> ALTER SYSTEM SET ENCRYPTION ROOT KEYS BACKUP PASSWORD Test1234
0 rows affected (overall time 3642.948 msec; server time 3642.758 msec)
hdbsql SYSTEMDB=> BACKUP ENCRYPTION ROOT KEYS USING FILE ('backup001')
0 rows affected (overall time 9620.653 msec; server time 9620.465 msec)

Use hdbnsutil to run the following command:

encadm@sdehana01:/usr/sap/ENC/HDB07/backup/sec/SYSTEMDB> hdbnsutil -backupRootKeys dbid1_rootkeys --database_name=SYSTEMDB

Export root key backup for SYSTEMDB (DBID: 1):

encadm@sdehana01:/usr/sap/ENC/HDB07/backup/sec/SYSTEMDB> ll
total 8
-rw-r----- 1 encadm sapsys 1440 Jun 7 17:40 backup001_rootkeys
-rw-r----- 1 encadm sapsys 1440 Jun 7 17:46 dbid1_rootkeys

By default, the file is saved to the folder: /usr/sap/ENC/HDB07/backup/sec/SYSTEMDB.

Copy the root key from source to target:

encadm@sdehana01:/usr/sap/ENC/HDB07> scp -r /usr/sap/ENC/HDB07/backup/sec/SYSTEMDB/backup001_rootkeys
pncadm@sdehana02:/usr/sap/PNC/HDB03/backup/sec/SYSTEMDB/
pncadm@sdehana02's password:
backup001_rootkeys     100% 1440   9MB/s   0:00

After the root key is copied from source to target system, run the root key recover command:

h07adm@sde-newhana1:/usr/sap/<target-SID>/HDB09/backup/sec/SYSTEMDB> hdbnsutil -recoverRootKeys /usr/sap/<target-SID>/HDB09/backup/sec/SYSTEMDB/backup001_rootkeys --database_name=SYSTEMDB
Please Enter the password:
Importing root keys for DBID: 1 from /hana/shared/<target-SID>/HDB09/backup/sec/SYSTEMDB/backup001_rootkeys
Successfully imported root keys from /hana/shared/<target-SID>/HDB09/backup/sec/SYSTEMDB/backup001_rootkeys
done.

You are ready to submit an out-of-place restore from the CommCell Console or the Command Center.

To back up and recover root keys on a tenant database:

Log on to the tenant database using hdbsql:

hdbsql <tenant DB>=> ALTER SYSTEM ENCRYPTION CONFIGURATION CONTROLLED BY SYSTEM DATABASE
0 rows affected (overall time 2409.361 msec; server time 2409.055 msec)

Log on to hdbsql as SYSTEMDB to set the root key password on the tenant DB.

hdbsql SYSTEMDB=> ALTER DATABASE <tenant DB> SET ENCRYPTION ROOT KEYS BACKUP PASSWORD Test1234
0 rows affected (overall time 2419.350 msec; server time 2419.127 msec)

Back up the root key for tenant DB using any one of the command:

Use hdbsql to run the following command:

hdbsql SYSTEMDB=> BACKUP ENCRYPTION ROOT KEYS FOR NET USING FILE ('backup003')
0 rows affected (overall time 21.353 msec; server time 21.044 msec)
netadm@sdehana02:/usr/sap/NET/HDB01> ll /usr/sap/NET/HDB01/backup/sec/DB_NET/
total 4
-rw-r----- 1 netadm sapsys 1600 Jun 21 23:14 backup003_rootkeys

Use hdbnsutil to run the following command:

netadm@sdehana02:/usr/sap/NET/HDB01> hdbnsutil -backupRootKeys dbid3_rootkeys --database_name=NET
Exporting root key backup for database NET (DBID: 3) to /hana/shared/NET/HDB01/dbid3_rootkeys
done

Copy the root key to the target system as you did for SYSTEMDB.

After you copy the root key from source to target system, run the root key recover command:

Example:

<target-SID>adm@sde-newhana1:/usr/sap/<target-SID>/HDB09/backup/sec/SYSTEMDB> ll
total 8
-rw-r----- 1 <target-SID>adm sapsys 1440 Jul  6 16:33 backup001_rootkeys
-rw-r----- 1 <target-SID>adm sapsys 1440 Jul  7 11:00 dbid3_rootkeys
h07adm@sde-newhana1:/usr/sap/<target-SID>/HDB09/backup/sec/SYSTEMDB> hdbnsutil -recoverRootKeys dbid3_rootkeys --database_name=<target-SID>
Please Enter the password:
Importing root keys for DBID: 3 from /hana/shared/<target-SID>/HDB09/backup/sec/SYSTEMDB/dbid3_rootkeys
Successfully imported root keys from /hana/shared/<target-SID>/HDB09/backup/sec/SYSTEMDB/dbid3_rootkeys
done.

You are ready to submit an out-of-place restore from the CommCell Console or the Command Center.