Hyperion EPM V11.1.2.4 Backup Mechanism

1.  General

Recently, I found myself indulged into backup of Hyperion EPM V11.1.2.4 environment for multiple clients. I am not sure how clients from different continents were interested in similar implementation or maybe I was pitched in for similar projects. But I enjoyed working for clients from different countries - different domains - to be specific - Oil and Gas company from Dubai, logistic company from France, Courier service leader from Norway, Donuts chain from USA ☺

As said by famous scientist Benjamin Franklin,

“An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.”

That’s my aim here. I am trying to figure out basic backup mechanism for Hyperion EPM V11.1.2.4 environment to prevent the tremendous efforts required in case of failure.

For the smooth functioning of Hyperion EPM V11.1.2.4 environment, as the Hyperion implementer, My Company is required to define Backup procedure at different levels of EPM application.

This article provides general high-level guidelines on backing up and recovering Oracle's Hyperion products used in EPM application of our client company.

A good backup process is mandatory. There are two types of backups:

1. Full server wide backup (while services are stopped) along with the database backups. This protects from a server wide issues.
2. Object level backups including security, reports, applications, and data. This protects from individual object level issues or corruption.

The best approach is to do both, assuming you have the maintenance window to do so. Set a reasonable retention policy and store backups off-site. Restore procedures should be fully documented and tested. Your backup/Recovery and disaster/recovery procedures are only as good as your last full test. They should be tested annually.

2.  EPM V11.1.2.4 Backup Steps

OS Settings Backup

Windows registry settings and specific system variables in Windows environments should be backed up.

As per standards followed in industry, we should backup these settings once every week.

Windows Registry Settings

Windows Registry Settings
Server	All Hyperion servers WebSvr1, WebSvr2, AppSvr1, AppSvr2, EssSvr
Backup Frequency	Weekly
No of Backups before purging	5

This is the initial plan of backup. We will keep comparing backup versions for couple of months and if there are no changes in backup versions, we can reduce the frequency of backup.

Restoring Registry Setting

In case of modified registry, we need to replace registry from backup.

System Variable Backup

System Variable Backup Settings
Server	All Hyperion servers WebSvr1, WebSvr2, AppSvr1, AppSvr2, EssSvr
Backup Frequency	Weekly
No of Backups before purging	5

This is the initial plan of backup. We will keep comparing backup versions for couple of months and if there are no changes in backup versions, we can reduce the frequency of backup.

• ARBORPATH
• ESSBASEPATH
• HYPERION_HOME
• EPM_ORACLE_HOME
• Path

Restoring System Variable

In case of modified system variable, when we require to restore system variable, we need to just replace value of system variable from backup taken.

File System Backup

File system Backup Settings
Server	All Hyperion servers WebSvr1, WebSvr2, AppSvr1, AppSvr2, EssSvr File Share Server
Frequency	Weekly full and daily incremental
No of Backups before purging	5

Regular file system backups are recommended for following EPM System products:

• Oracle Hyperion Foundation Services
• Planning
• Essbase
• Reporting and Analysis
• HFM
• HSF
• FDMEE

To back up the file system for EPM V11.1.2.4 application:

1.       Copy following folder from all Hyperion Servers to a storage device or another network location after we install or reconfigure EPM system
   MIDDLEWARE_HOME=“D:\Oracle\Middleware\”

2.       Perform a weekly full and daily incremental backup of following folder on all Hyperion Servers
 MIDDLEWARE_HOME=“D:\Oracle\Middleware\”

3.       Perform a weekly full and daily incremental backup of following folders on File Share Server
 LCM=“ E:\EPM_QA\LCM”
RAF=“ E:\EPM_QA\RAF”
FDMEE=“ E:\EPM_QA\FDMEE”

Restoring File System Backup

To restore a database, replace the files on disk with the corresponding files from the backup.

The application should be stopped unless you are restoring from an export file

Database Backup

Regular backups of database content are recommended for these EPM System components:

• Foundation Services
• Oracle Hyperion Planning
• Oracle Hyperion Essbase
• Oracle Hyperion Reporting and Analysis
• HFM
• HSF
• FDMEE
• Calc Manager

These products do not use repository databases:

• Oracle Hyperion Smart View for Office
• Oracle Hyperion Provider Services

Foundation Services

Foundation Services Database Backup
Server	Oracle DB server
DB/Schema	ORADB – HYP_HSS
Frequency	Weekly full and daily incremental
No of Backups before purging	5

To back up the database for EPM Workspace and Shared Services:

·         Back up the Shared Services and EPM Workspace schema if in Oracle RDBMS

Essbase Administration Services

EAS Database Backup
Server	Oracle DB server
DB/Schema	ORADB – HYP_EAS
Frequency	Weekly full and daily incremental
No of Backups before purging	5

To back up the database for EAS:

·         Back up the EAS schema if in Oracle RDBMS

Essbase Studio Server

EAS Database Backup
Server	Oracle DB server
DB/Schema	ORADB – HYP_ESS
Frequency	Weekly full and daily incremental
No of Backups before purging	5

To back up the database for ESS:

·         Back up the ESS schema if in Oracle RDBMS

Reporting and Analysis Framework

RAF Database Backup
Server	Oracle DB server
DB/Schema	ORADB – HYP_RAF
Frequency	Weekly full and daily incremental
No of Backups before purging	5

To back up the database for RAF:

·         Back up the RAF schema if in Oracle RDBMS

Planning Application

Planning Application Database Backup
Server	Oracle DB server
	ORADB – HYP_PLN ORADB – HYP_PLNAPP1 ORADB – HYP_PLNAPP2 ORADB – HYP_PLNAPP3
Frequency	Weekly full and daily incremental
No of Backups before purging	5

To back up the database for Planning Applications:

·         Back up the Planning applications schemas if in Oracle RDBMS

HFM

EAS Database Backup
Server	Oracle DB server
DB/Schema	ORADB – HYP_HFM
Frequency	Weekly full and daily incremental
No of Backups before purging	5

To back up the database for HFM:

·         Back up the HFM schema if in Oracle RDBMS

FDMEE

EAS Database Backup
Server	Oracle DB server
DB/Schema	ORADB – HYP_FDMEE
Frequency	Weekly full and daily incremental
No of Backups before purging	5

To back up the database for FDMEE:

·         Back up the FDMEE schema if in Oracle RDBMS

CALC Manager

EAS Database Backup
Server	Oracle DB server
DB/Schema	ORADB – HYP_CALC
Frequency	Weekly full and daily incremental
No of Backups before purging	5

To back up the database for CALC:

·         Back up the CALC schema if in Oracle RDBMS

Application Backup

PLANNING

Planning application Backup
Server	http://Server:port/workspace/index.jsp
Frequency	Weekly
No of Backups before purging	5

We need to take backup of following artifacts of EPM PLANNING application from QA.

So, we are using couple of technologies to backup EPM PLANNING application.

Go to shared services URL as given below:

http://server:port/workspace/index.jsp

Navigate à Administer à Shared Services Console

Go to application groups à Planning à APPNAME

Select all artifacts

Click on Define Migration

Confirm source application. Click next.

 Execute the migration à Launch Migration report

Execute the migration à Launch Migration report

Once the migration is successful, go to following directory of LCM Backup on File Share Server

E:\EPM_QA\LCM

Copy the directory of migrated artifacts to the backup directory.

Restoring Planning Backup

Restore the planning application from backup using LCM using same procedure.

HFM

Planning application Backup
Server	AppSvr1, AppSvr2 – HFM Server
Frequency	Weekly
No of Backups before purging	5

We need to take backup of following artifacts of HFM application from QA and we are going to use CopyApp Utility or Import Application utility for the same.

CopyApp utility is located on HFM server at following location and need to run it separately.

Import application utility is available from workspace.

Essbase

Essbase Database Backup
Server	EssSvr –Essbase Server
Frequency	Weekly full and daily incremental
No of Backups before purging	5

Posten uses Block Storage Database cube. So we are going to follow procedure to backup BSO.

BSO Backup

Restore

Recover

Recover refers to the process of returning a database to a post-backup state that includes transactions that occurred after the backup was performed.

Restore refers to the process of returning a database to the state it was in when a backup was performed.

We are going to implement Backup and Restore for ESSBASE.

Backing up Block Storage Databases

1.       Places the database in read-only mode, protecting the database from updates during the archive process while allowing requests to query the database.

2.       Writes a copy of the database files to an archive file that resides on the Essbase Server computer.
To back up a database, we can use either EAS or MaxL and here we have specified the MaxL method.
alter database appname.dbname [force] archive to file BACKUP-FILE;
e.g. alter database Gefco.Gefco archive to file '/Oracle/Gefco19Aug16.arc';

3.       Returns the database to read-write mode.

Following Essbase database files that are backed up automatically using above process.

File

essxxxxx.pag

essxxxxx.ind

dbname.esm

dbname.tct

dbname.ind

dbname.otl

dbname.otl.keep

dbname.otn

dbname.db

dbname.ddb

dbname.ocl

essxxxx.chg

dbname.alg

dbname.atx

Apart from above files, following files are also required to be backed up. In our approach, we are backing up these files in File System Backup.

File

essbase.sec1

essbase_timestamp.bak

essbase.cfg

dbname.app

.otl .csc .rul .rep .eqd .sel

Restoring Essbase Application

alter database appname.dbname [force] restore from file BACKUP-FILE

[replace disk volume VOL];

Data Backup

Essbase Data Backup
Server	EssSvr – Essbase Server
Frequency	Weekly
No of Backups before purging	5

This data backup takes care of data for Planning and Essbase applications.

HFM application data is already backed up using during application backup by selection data option.

Login to Essbase server and go to Start MAXL: Start > All Programs > Oracle  EPM > Essbase > Client >MAXL Client and type following commands with actual username and password.
- login username password;
- display session all;
- alter application APPNAME disable connects;
- alter system logout session on database APPNAME.DBNAME;

Start Essbase Export:
Type following 2 command:

Export database APPNAME.DBNAME all data to data_file 'F:\\0322s.txt';

After completion of Export:

After completion of export execute following command

alter application APPNAME enable connects;

Restoring Data

When you reload data that has been exported, it is marked as input data. If you reload data exported from level-0 blocks or input blocks, you must recalculate the database after reloading.

When Essbase recalculates the database, it recalculates every data block.

If you export all data in a database and then reload, Essbase marks all blocks in the database as input blocks. Consequently, you cannot clear data, because the database does not contain no input blocks.

MAXL = Import data