Types of backups

There are four ways to back up Sybase IQ data:

Sybase IQ provides four types of database backups:

All these backup types fully back up the Catalog Store. In most cases, the Catalog Store is much smaller than the IQ Store. If the Catalog Store is larger than (or nearly as large as) the IQ Store, however, incremental backups of IQ are bigger than you may want or expect.

Incremental virtual backup is supported using the BACKUP statement.

Temporary Store data is not backed up. However, the metadata and any other information needed to recreate the Temporary Store structure is backed up.

StepsBacking up the IQ Store and Catalog Store

This procedure summarizes backup steps. Read the rest of this chapter for complete details before you perform a backup.

  1. Connect to the server using an account with DBA privileges. For a multiplex database, you must connect to the write server.

  2. Run the BACKUP command. For complete syntax, see the Sybase IQ Reference Manual.

    It backs up the following files:

    • Catalog Store (SYSTEM dbspace file), typically named dbname.db

    • The transaction log file, which is required for system recovery, typically named dbname.log

    • All dbspace files of the IQ Store

  3. Make a copy of the params.cfg file for each server. BACKUP does not back it up.

  4. Save the lengths of the following files:

    • All dbspace files on the write server

    • IQ Temporary Store