U.s.oo.o/Planning/Site/DR

UCV Disaster Recovery Plan

I would think there are two main categories here:

Where are we going to store the backup files?

• A storage space, inention being that the files would be used to restore another server at Hamburg, so no plan exists to host the site, if needed for a period of time, at the backup site.
  :Drew 01:20, 11 September 2007 (CEST) Could be any one of the servers offered for use here, could be disk space on another computer in SUN or anywhere else.
• A BR site, the server is capable of hosting the site for a period time.
  :Drew 01:20, 11 September 2007 (CEST)For example if we followed up with United Layer and they would supply a DR, perhaps / DEV services.

TerryE 02:28, 15 September 2007 (CEST) I think that we should go firm and take up UnitedLayers offer of hosting support for the DR site. This could also act as pre-prod, or what Drew calls Test 2. Also as this is an Open Source forum, both the System build, plus any database unloads should be downloadable by any Volunteer. Ideally we should have a VMware Appliance build to allow any volunteer to spin up a private copy of the site for testing / playpen issues. I say VMware because its still the best cross platform VM available. (This is segue into another thought -- should we register the public certificates of Volunteers so that they can have access to this data?) Hence the Test 1 environments can run anywhere the admins want e.g. on their local dev box.

Steps taken together with and in support of hosting providers network support staff

Live backups

database

backup run by Sun staff, files transfered by UCV utility.

other active content

backup run by Sun staff, files transfered by UCV utility. UCV would be able to run some small services on a regular basis. ie vcs, minimal site presence capability

TerryE 02:28, 15 September 2007 (CEST) -- We should stick to two types of object for site data and meta-data: the database and [piecewise constant] file objects. All file objects should be URL addressable on a read basis. One of the tables in the database is a log of all file changes. The utility should be based on a monthly base + daily delta extract dump. Alternatively the base could be a rolling extract so that the last N bases enable the reconstruction of the full D/B. One wrinkle is personal fields will not be extracted to the main dumps. All Volunteers should have certified HTTPS read access to the dumps repository except the personal data dumps which are only accessible to the sysadmins.

Steps taken directly by UCV site Administrators

Live backups

Develop scripts / procedures to maintain a copy of the backup files sufficient to fully restore the site'.

Maintain Platform backup

Create / apply backup scripts for all AMP files with mods, forum package, addon mods, site mod customizations, version control system. This is the full set of installable applications used to provide the services, exclusive of OS supplied application, and any modifications made for this site.
This can be a combination of a baseline backup of the amp files and the backup of the version control system.

Service Administrator

TBD

Content Manager

TBD

Setting up / Testing

TerryE 02:28, 15 September 2007 (CEST) -- This section is to do with Release Management not DR. It needs to be moved.

We should install dual installations of the forum package on the server.

• The first installation will be the dev/test installation.

This would be installed into a directory ( location ) with limited access from the net.

It would include a separate installation of tables in the database, using a test_ prefix.

Install any third party mods if any.

No customization done to any of the packages at this point.

At this point the whole directory structure should be placed in a version control system.

Develop a script or scripts to generate a baseline backup bkup_dev_system - dev/test directories, VCS files. Develop a script to transfer automatically to DR server.

TEST I - at this point restore only the dev/test directories from the backup - overwriting all files. The system should be working at this point.

TEST II - Create the live forum install directory. Extract all files from the VC system into this directory. Alter the install script with live table prefix and create database tables. The live site should be functioning at this point.

Work flow for updates.

• All modifications are performed on source files in the dev/test installation.
• Files are placed into VC
• testing is performed on dev/test
  • upon acceptance
• Updated files are checked out into the live installation

Author: DR wiki page
Drew 17:57, 11 September 2007 (CEST)
Please do not change the logical content of this site without acknowledge of the author or the UCV Contact list.