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File-based backups and block integrity check

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SAP recommends combining storage-based snapshot backups with a weekly file-based backup to execute a block integrity check. SnapCenter Service supports the execution of a block integrity check by using a policy in which file-based backup is selected as the backup type.

File-based backups are also used to have secondary backup copies in addition to the snapshot backups on the HANA data volume. You can use these file-based backups for restore and recovery operations in case of a complete loss of the primary data volume.

When scheduling backups using this policy, SnapCenter Service creates a standard SAP HANA file backup for the system and all tenant databases.

SnapCenter Service does not display the file-based backups in the same manner as snapshot-based backups. Instead, only the last file-based backup is listed. Success or failure of file-based backups are visible in the Job Monitor view.

Error: Missing Graphic Image

The SAP HANA backup catalog shows entries for both the system and the tenant databases. The following figure shows a SnapCenter Service block integrity check in the backup catalog of the system database.

Error: Missing Graphic Image

A successful block integrity check creates standard SAP HANA data backup files. SnapCenter Service uses the backup path that has been configured in the HANA database for file-based data backup operations.

vm-pr1:/hanabackup/PR1/file # ls -al *
DB_PR1:
total 1743736
drwxr-xr-- 2 pr1adm sapsys       4096 Jun  6 05:12 .
drwxr-x--- 4 pr1adm sapsys       4096 Jan 31 18:59 ..
-rw-r----- 1 pr1adm sapsys     155648 Jun  6 05:00 SnapCenter_SCS_PR1_BlockIntegrityCheckEverySunday_Weekly_2021_06_06_05_00_00_databackup_0_1
-rw-r----- 1 pr1adm sapsys   83894272 Jun  6 05:01 SnapCenter_SCS_PR1_BlockIntegrityCheckEverySunday_Weekly_2021_06_06_05_00_00_databackup_2_1
-rw-r----- 1 pr1adm sapsys 1694507008 Jun  6 05:02 SnapCenter_SCS_PR1_BlockIntegrityCheckEverySunday_Weekly_2021_06_06_05_00_00_databackup_3_1
SYSTEMDB:
total 1562788
drwxr-xr-- 2 pr1adm sapsys       4096 Jun  6 05:12 .
drwxr-x--- 4 pr1adm sapsys       4096 Jan 31 18:59 ..
-rw-r----- 1 pr1adm sapsys     159744 Jun  6 05:00 SnapCenter_SCS_PR1_BlockIntegrityCheckEverySunday_Weekly_2021_06_06_05_00_00_databackup_0_1
-rw-r----- 1 pr1adm sapsys 1593843712 Jun  6 05:02 SnapCenter_SCS_PR1_BlockIntegrityCheckEverySunday_Weekly_2021_06_06_05_00_00_databackup_1_1

Restore and recovery using file-based backups

You must do a restore and recovery operation of a file-based backup outside of SnapCenter by using the standard HANA recovery operations with HANA Studio or HANA Cockpit.