Is your IBM I server backup complete? If your server was gone tomorrow would you be able to get a server up and running with your most recent backups?

It is easy to be consumed with daily priorities and not think about the need to keep complete backups that you can count on when things go wrong. A comprehensive backup solution requires planning and testing. It needs to be thorough and dynamic to adapt as time and business processes change. The IBM i OS provides a lot of options for creating a backup solution for your business needs. I recommend a backup of all user data each day at a minimum. This, of course, requires having adequate hardware to support the backups.

To start you should have a current full system save. This is created from option 21 of the Go Save menu. This backup can only be created while the system is in a restricted state, therefore it will need to be performed outside of normal business hours. This is a great reason to have your IBM i console setup for remote access. The full system save should also be performed after every operating system release update or when program temporary fixes (PTFs) are applied. If you have a complete system loss the recovery process starts with the full system save so make sure it is accessible during non-business hours.

A daily save should save everything other than the operating system. Here is an outline of what it should include.

Here is a link to a sample daily backup CL program https://www.inspiretechnologies.net/download/ibm-i-daily-backup-and-restore-cl-programs/

For additional information on backup and recovery options visit the IBM i backup recovery information page.https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/ssw_ibm_i_73/rzarm/rzarmkickoff.htm

Joe Hainey is a former IBM Business partner with over sixteen IBM AS400/iSeries certifications. He has been helping clients with the IBM i platform for over fifteen years. He has performed IBM i recovery of four different IBM servers for clients and provided training and DR testing for other clients. He is the founder of Inspire Technologies, an IT consulting firm that specializes in IBM i, e-commerce, and EDI solutions.

Joe can be reached at jhainey@inspiretechnologies.net