SAP/MaxDB Backup on Windows Share ?

[volker_borowski2]

Follow up from this thread:

Hi,

when trying to do a Backup to Windows Network Share from a Windows MaxDB database, I'll receive HOST IO Errors when the Backup File is to be opened.

The Basic Problem is, that the DB is running under the "Local System" account in Windows and this account is not able to give valid networkidentification to a Windows Share on a remote(!) server. I found two possible Solutions:

a) Running the DB as a specific Domain account, which has access to a sepecific Share i.e. SAPServiceSID -> Works, but not approved officially by SAP so far.

b) Setting up a Windows NULL-share to take the backup (use google do get details on this) -> Not tried, because beyond security requirements in my environment.

In the thread above, a solution was given, which seems to apply to Linux only, by simply ignoring the Loginidentification, but it seems, that this doese not apply to the situation, where the share is located on a Windows server.

So still no simple way to do backups in the Network is available.

I like to do some 8 to 10 DB-Backups to a remote disks all at once, that should be staged to tape using NTBACKUP at a later time, so this is where this requirement comes from.

Any information, if this will be possible in the near future ?

Thanks for any Information

Volker

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

I just got the answer from SAP Austria that it is supported to have the database running under a different user.

[roland_mallmann]

Hi Volker,

I know I've used the first option (using a user which is known on the other side) myself on an internal SAP system, but I will have to make sure that we officially support it (from the SAP installation side, not the DB side).

I will update the thread as soon as I have the answer.

Regards,

Roland

[volker_borowski2]

Hi Roland,

I used this myself in release 3 and 6 (old Adabas /D days). I mind to remember, that the Installation did in fact install the database service as the service User in the old releases. But security was not that tight in the old NT 3.5 + 4.0 days.

Eric, I'd simply like to use DB13 to do my backup. I think I even tried to map a drive letter, but it did not work for the same reason.

Thanks you both a lot for your efforts.

Volker

[roland_mallmann]

Hi Volker,

I got some more information this time. Currently, as you know, it's mandatory to use the local system account and at the moment there are no immediate/short term plans to change this.

Because of the above, we'll need to find out a way to help you make your backups. Did you try to use remote pipes yet? More on this can be found in note <a href="https://websmp104.sap-ag.de/~form/handler?_APP=01100107900000000342&_EVENT=DISPL_TXT&_NNUM=489615&_NLANG=EN>">489615</a>.

Regards,

Roland

[volker_borowski2]

Thanks Roland,

it looks like it depends on whom you ask

The note suggests to use a specific user. Basicly it appears to me the very same problem. You need UNC access to a File (pipe, whatsoever) opened with a Windows Systemcall that requires to provide network authentication to the remote side.

Funny that this note suggests to change the User allthough it does not seem to bee supported for operation, but this might be the suggestion just to satisfy the copy-situation and needs to be reverted afterwards.

Ok, looks like I need to stay to my script solution, which does a local SAVE followed by an XCOPY job to the tape-machine afterwards. That is just taking terrible long time.

Thanks so far

Volker

[former_member204746]

solution A looks promising. I would try this.

other possibility, create your windows share so that everyone can read/write to it.

[volker_borowski2]

Hi Eric,

well A) works, I have tried this with a non SAP database. But I can not run a productive SAP system with a non SAP supported environment/configuration.

Full Control to everyone on a share does even not work, because the Local System Account does not even provide anonymous login information to the Windows Server. So the solution would be to configure the share an as NULL share on the server.

But my Windows guy is going crazy about this idea.

It can not be that difficult for SAP to decide

"Yes, running the database Service for a SAP-System as the SAPServiceSID User, who is a local admin normaly is a valid solution"

or to add a Userid and password parameter to the database to make the call to open the backup file a correctly authenticated one.

Both solutions would give the desired result for a quit common request I think.

Volker

[former_member204746]

Are you in a SAN environment?

You could ask to add SAN disks on your MaxDB servers. These are viewed as local disks by Widows (and MaxDB)

other possibility, create a script that looks like this:

net use X: /del

net use X:
server\share /user:XXXX PASSWORD

dbmcli -u control,control medium_put completeF X:\backup.LCA FILE DATA 0 8 YES

dbmcli -d LCA -u control,control -uUTL -c backup_start completeF

net use x: /del