Backing up, Restoring, and Cloning the SmartServer (Release 3.5)
The CMS IMPORT/EXPORT button is available with SmartServer 3.5 and higher. For SmartServer releases with 2.7 update 1 and higher and prior to 3.5, the CMS Import/Export feature is available with the CMS Settings button.
For SmartServer 3.6 and higher, see Backing up and Restoring a SmartServer to Multiple Sites.
For SmartServer 3.4, see Backing Up, Restoring, and Cloning the SmartServer (Release 3.4).
For SmartServer 3.3 and prior releases, see Backing Up, Restoring, and Cloning the SmartServer (Release 3.3 and Prior).
Backup and restore operations are dependent on SmartServer hardware versions
Restore operations are dependent on the SmartServer software and hardware versions for the backup and restore SmartServers. Consequently, you cannot restore a system image on all new SmartServers.
Example: If you backup a SmartServer 3.26 on a dual core SmartServer, then you cannot restore it on a new quad core that uses a Dialog PMIC, which is only supported with SmartServer 3.3 and higher. Doing so could result in the new SmartServer becoming unusable and possibly unrecoverable.
Therefore, you should backup only the settings and database (not the system) on the old SmartServer, and then on the new Dialog PMIC hardware, install SmartServer 3.3 or higher, and then restore the settings and database.
This section consists of the following:
Overview
The SmartServer ships with an SD Card inserted into the appropriate slot on the device (as shown in the figure below). The CMS database is located on the SD Card.This SD Card must remain inserted in the SmartServer whenever power is applied to the SmartServer.
The SmartServer system and database information that is backed up or stored can be used to configure another SmartServer.
Depending on whether you do a full restore or clone restore, various SmartServer settings are overwritten and changed. Review the descriptions of these methods below before proceeding with the restore operations to ensure that the SmartServer information that is being overwritten is intentionally changed.
Backing up and Restoring/Replacing a SmartServer – the backup/replace method (full restore) can use a backup image for the same SmartServer only (or a replacement SmartServer). This method overwrites the new SmartServer's serial number, host name, MAC addresses, install code, segment ID (SID), and apollo password. For a full restore, you should use the Import/Export () button → IMPORT tab → Full System Backup Contents option → Restore Original Segment ID option set to Yes.
Backing Up and Cloning a SmartServer to Multiple Sites – the backup/clone method (clone restore) backs up the SmartServer configuration and data. This method preserves the new SmartServer's serial number, host name, MAC addresses, and install code, but changes the apollo password to the old SmartServer's password and the SID, which is defined from the source. In most cases, when you restore a database backup onto a new SmartServer, you will use the cloning method. For a clone restore, you should use the Import/Export () button → IMPORT tab → Full System Backup Contents option → Restore Original Segment ID option set to No.
Exporting and Importing SmartServer Configuration Files – the export/import method saves the SmartServer configuration for deploying to multiple SmartServers. This method is typically used when building up your network.
With SmartServer 4.0, the Ready LED () may initially flash red (instead of blue) during an export/import of the SmartServer database or settings. Once the export/import is finished, the CMS will restart resulting in a flashing blue Ready LED. A solid blue Ready LED indicates normal operations.
The table below summarizes the different types of backups/restores that can be performed.
Backup / Restores Content | Description |
|---|---|
Database | Backs up / restores the databases in the SmartServer Manager and the SmartServer platform. |
Settings | Backs up / restores all of the configurations that are exported / imported. Example of settings files that are exported |
Database and Settings | Backs up / restores the databases in the SmartServer Manager and the SmartServer platform, as well as all of the configurations that are exported / imported. |
Full System | Backs up / restores the entire SmartServer platform, including the Linux operating system SmartServer platform software, and SmartServer Manager. A full system restore can be a full restore or a clone restore. |
Remote CMS (SmartSupervisor) | Backs up / restores the SmartSupervisor database (available for SmartSupervisor only). You can backup and restore multiple SmartServers simultaneously using SmartSupervisor. SmartSupervisor keeps files obtained from SmartServers during backups and allows you to upload them back to SmartServers for restore operations. |
Backing Up the Database and/or Settings, or System
You can back up the contents of the flash memory in your SmartServer in order to recover from a hardware failure of your SmartServer should it occur.
To backup SmartServer database and/or settings, or system, follow these steps:
Save the apollo password for any backed-up SmartServer system image. If you restore a system image onto a new SmartServer, then the new SmartServer will have its password changed to the old SmartServer's password (from the backup image file).
Click the Import/Export button (
) located on the SmartServer app bar.
The Import/Export dialog appears.Click the EXPORT tab.
The EXPORT view appears.Verify the SmartServer from which the contents are to be backed up.
If you have multiple SmartServers, then select the SmartServers from which the contents are to be backed up using the checkmarks (yellow indicates selected, blue indicates not selected), or use the Select All button () to select all SmartServers.
Single SmartServer – selected by default for SmartServer Manager
Multiple SmartServers – select using checkmarks
All SmartServers – selected by default for SmartSupervisorSelect the Export Destination using the pulldown menu.
Download – saves the SmartServer backup file to your PC
Local Storage – saves the SmartServer backup file to a specified SmartServer directory
If you selected Local Storage as the Export Destination, then verify or define the backup location in the Export Directory field.
For SmartServer Manager and backing up to Local Storage, do not change the default /media/sdcard/backups directory setting. Files in this directory do not get backed up to prevent backups of backups from being created.If you selected Local Storage as the Export Destination, then then verify or define the backup filename in the Export Filename field.
For SmartServer Manager and backing up to Local Storage, do not specify an Export Filename.
With Export Filename specified
Without Export Filename specifiedSelect the Export Contents:
Database and Settings (default)
Database
Settings
Full System
Remote CMS – for SmartSupervisor, you can also backup the SmartSupervisor database by selecting the Remote CMS option. You can backup the SmartSupervisor database in the following configurations:
SmartSupervisor database only
SmartSupervisor database, local database, and settings
SmartSupervisor database and local database
SmartSupervisor database and full system
SmartServer Manager Export Contents
SmartSupervisor Export Contents
Click EXPORT.
If you selected the Settings option only, then the Status column will indicate that the backup is in progress. You will not be able to use the CMS for a few moments until the settings backup is completed.
If you selected the Database option, or the Database and Settings option, then the Status column will indicate that the backup is in progress and a message will appear stating that the database backup has started. You will not be able to use the CMS until the database backup is completed (about 10 minutes).
If you selected the Full System option, the Status column will indicate that the backup is in progress and a message will appear stating that the system backup has started. You will not be able to use the CMS until the system backup is completed (about 30 minutes).