Each Backup database item has a Backup action (method) that can be triggered automatically by ClearSCADA or manually by a user. When triggered, the Backup method instructs ClearSCADA to make a copy of the files specified in the Backup item's configuration.
When you change configuration that is stored in the ClearSCADA database, ClearSCADA will not commit these changes to disk immediately. ClearSCADA will first of all store the changes in temporary memory and then periodically save (flush) them to the Main server’s disk. The interval at which ClearSCADA performs this save process is set in the Server Configuration Tool (see Database Save Interval). The default save interval is 1 minute, but this may vary. Therefore, ClearSCADA may not include recent configuration changes in the backup. This is because ClearSCADA may not yet have saved the changes to disk. However, once ClearSCADA has saved these changes, it will include them in any subsequent backups. Before you start a backup, you can check whether or not ClearSCADA has saved any recent configuration changes to disk. To do this, look at the Transactions and File Statistics status entries in the Database folder of the Server Status Tool (see Database Status Information in the ClearSCADA Guide to Server Status).
To trigger the Backup action (method) manually:
- Run ViewX and log on via a User Account that has the System Admin permission.
- Display the Database Bar (see Display an Explorer Bar).
- In the Database Bar, locate the relevant Backup database item and right-click on it to display its context-sensitive menu.
- Select the Backup option.
A backup window is displayed. It has a single field, named Destination Directory.By default, the Destination Directory is set to match the Default Parent Directory and Default Destination that have been set in the Backup item's configuration (see Configure a Backup Database Item).
- Choose to use the default destination or specify a different destination.
If you want to back up to the directory that is shown in the Destination Directory field, select the OK button to proceed with the backup.
If you want to change the destination for the backup you are initiating, enter your choice of location in the Destination Directory field. The location you enter will only be used for this specific backup (later backups will revert to the default location as defined in the Backup item's configuration). Select the OK button to proceed with the backup.
If you want to back up to a location on a network or to a mapped drive, appropriate Backup settings must be in place in the Server Configuration Tool (see Backing up a Database Over a Network)
- When you select the OK button, the backup process begins.
During the backup process, ClearSCADA will continue to write to the database any changes that users make (for example, configuration changes). However, it will not save these changes permanently to disk. Instead, ClearSCADA will store the changes in memory and then save them to disk when the backup is complete.
When a backup is in progress, you can cancel it (if required) by using the Abort Backup method. Aborting a backup does not result in an alarm being raised, as the backup was canceled intentionally.
If the backup process is unable to complete successfully, ClearSCADA will deem the backup to have failed and will raise an alarm. The alarm will be shown in the various alarm displays, including the Alarm Banner and Alarms List.
If a backup is in progress on a multi-server system, and there is a Main-Standby changeover, ClearSCADA stops the backup automatically. The backup is deemed to have failed and an alarm is raised.