MaxDB - Issue to recover data to productive system

[Former Member]

Dear all,

Here you find the status of a crash SAP system running on Maxdb :

1. On Septembre 5th, there were a blackout at 07:30.

2. All SAP sytems, except developpment SAP systems, have not been stopped properly.

3. All SAP systems are running using ARCHIVE MODE = OFF.

4. All systems are saved using VM OS Snapshot backup. There is no MaxDB backup.

Letu2019s take the example of the productive ERP system :

1. On June 30th, 2011, P11 (ERP productive system) were stopped normally, for the last time.

2. On June 30th, 2011, P11 (ERP productive system) were restarted normally.

The savepoint is from this date (30.06.2011).

3. P11 is running using ARCHIVE MODE = OFF

4. P11 is not backed up using MaxDB backup, but only VM OS Snapshot backup.

5. P11 has been stopped unormally (aborted) on 05.09.2011 at 07:30.

6. When the external company has restarted P11 on 05.09.2011 at 08:00,

P11 were restared using data from 30.06.2011 (from the last normal MaxDB shutdown).

7. Data file are correctly saved in disks located in /sapdb/P11/sapdata.

This customer only have VM OS Snapshot backup. There is no MaxDB backup.

Question : is there any way to recover data lost from 30.06.2011 until 08.09.2011 ?

Or is there any way to re-create a temporary system using data files saved by the VM OS Snapshot backup ?

Thanks for your feedback.

Best regards

SAP NetWeaver Admin

[JPReyes]

The way it works is simple, to be able to restore a DB you need a consistent backup.

As far as I can see you may be able to restore the Backup for the 30th but having no redologs or a consistent offline backup since then I am afraid you are swimming against the current.

Having said that I'm not 100% familiar with snapshot technology (I prefer to rely on "old school" backups)

Regards

Juan

[Former Member]

Dear Juan,

Yes, you're reason :

- either you have Archive log ON and you can backup your SAP which are up and running.

- either you have Archive log OFF and you plan offline backup.

My question is :

does it exist a tool which is able to recover data from data files to a MaxDB ?

As far as data are physically and normally saved into datafiles on disks, is it possible ?

Best regards

SAP NetWeaverAdmin

[JPReyes]

As far as data are physically and normally saved into datafiles on disks, is it possible ?

Even if you had the datafiles they will be in an inconsistent state as the snapshot was done while the system was running an without archive logs nothing can be rolled back or commited into a consistent state

does it exist a tool which is able to recover data from data files to a MaxDB ?

Not that I know. But you migh want to open an OSS message.

Regards

Juan

[Former Member]

And last question : what about a tool to read these data in datafiles ?

[JPReyes]

And last question : what about a tool to read these data in datafiles ?

I don't get your question, the tool to read the datafiles is your database.... if the files are inconsistent your database won't be of any use.

I think you need to talk to an expert about this. But sounds like the lack of prevention has sent this into an very unhappy ending

Regards

Juan