Configure a Backup Database Item

To backup your database files, ClearSCADA needs to use a Backup database item. This item stores the various settings for the backup, including the location of the backup files and the type and amount of data to be backed up.

 

To create a Backup database item:

1. Run ViewX and log on via a User Account that has the Configure Database feature enabled.
2. Display the Database Bar (see Display an Explorer Bar in the ClearSCADA Guide to ViewX and WebX Clients).
3. Right-click on the System or Group that is to contain the Backup item, and then select Create New > Other > Backup.
   A Backup database item is added. It is selected automatically, ready for you to define its name.
   

   

4. Enter an appropriate name for the Backup item and then press Enter (or select another part of the ViewX interface).

To configure a Backup database item:

1. Display the configuration Form for the Backup item ( see Display a Form in the ClearSCADA Guide to Core Configuration).
2. Configure the Identification, User Methods, Alarm and Redirection settings as required. These are common configuration settings and you can configure them in the same way as on other configuration Forms).

   For more information, see:

   • Defining Identification Details in the ClearSCADA Guide to Core Configuration
   • Using the User Methods Tab to Define Custom Actions in the ClearSCADA Guide to Core Configuration
   • Defining an Item or Group's Alarm Properties in the ClearSCADA Guide to Core Configuration
   • Configure Alarm Redirections for an Item or Group in the ClearSCADA Guide to Alarm Redirection.

3. Display the Backup tab and use the fields at the top of the tab to configure the following settings:

   • In Service—Use to set the Backup item to be active or inactive (see Placing an Item in Service in the ClearSCADA Guide to Core Configuration).
   • Severity—Use the combo box to define the priority of any alarms or events that are associated with the Backup item (seeDefining Severities in the ClearSCADA Guide to Core Configuration).
   • Default Parent Directory—Define the directory that will contain the backup database files. You can use the browse button to choose a location or you can enter the directory manually.
   • Default Destination—Define the name of the folder that will be created to contain the backup database files. This folder will be added to the directory that you specified in the Default Parent Directory.

     You can use Date and Time trip sequence characters in the Default Destination if required. These special characters add the date and/or time to the backup folder.

     For a date trip sequence, you should add:

     _%D<date format>%

     Where <date format> is the format of the date you want to add, for example, dd-MM-yy. Do not include the angle brackets.

     For a time trip sequence, you should add:

     _%T<time format>%

     Where <time format> is the format of the time you want to add, for example, HH-mm. Do not include the angle brackets.

     So a date and time trip sequence could be:

     _%Dyy-MM-dd%_%THH-mm%

   • Trip Sequence Time—Use to specify the start time for the trip sequence (only applicable if you have defined a trip sequence in the Default Destination). For example, if you set the Trip Sequence Time to Second, the trip sequence will begin at the start of the current second. Usually, the default setting of NOW is appropriate.

4. Define the Backup Options settings:

   • Use the check boxes to define whether the backup will include the Database, Historic Data, Event Journal, and Configuration Changes files. If you select the check box, the relevant type of file will be included in the back up; if you clear the check box, the relevant type of file will be excluded from the back up.
   • Use the Start Offset and End Offset fields to specify the time period for which data is to be backed up (these settings do not apply to Database backups). If you leave both of these fields blank, ClearSCADA will back up all of the data regardless of its age.

     Example:

     The Start Offset is set to Week - 10 Weeks and the End Offset is set to Week - 2 Weeks. The backup will contain data that is time-stamped between:

     10 weeks before the start of the current week

     and

     2 weeks before the start of the current week.

     If you select the browse button(s), an Offset window is displayed. You can use the Offset window to define the time periods (see Offset Window in the ClearSCADA Guide to Core Configuration). Alternatively, you can enter the time periods in the fields manually.

     NOTE: We recommend that you consider very carefully what type of backup you should do. For example, if you do a full backup of all of your historic data, this could potentially take a long time and use a large amount of disk space. However, restoring the data is likely to be straightforward. If you do a partial backup of your most recent historic data, this will probably take less time and use less disk space. For example, you might do a weekly backup containing just your previous week's data. However, such a backup may prove more complex to restore. This is because you may have to merge many backup files to fully restore the data. For more information, see Load your Backup Database Files.

5. If you want ClearSCADA to perform a specific action when the backup is complete, use the Completion Method settings:
   • Use the Method Object field to choose the database item that has the method you want ClearSCADA to call upon backup completion.
   • Use the Method field to choose the specific method (of the Method Object) that will be called.

   Example:

   A System Command database item named 'Zip Files' is created in the database. It is configured so that, when executed, it will zip the files in the backup directory. The zip process needs to occur automatically when the database has been successfully backed up, so the following settings are configured for the Backup item:

   • Method Object: Zip Files
   • Method: Execute()

   If you do not want ClearSCADA to perform an action when a backup completes, leave the Completion Method settings clear.

6. Save the Form.
   The Backup item is now configured.

To initiate a backup, the Backup action/method needs to be triggered. It can be triggered manually via the Database Bar, a suitably configured Mimic, a database List, and so on. Alternatively, it can be triggered automatically via a Schedule or Logic program.For more details, see Initiate a Database Backup Manually