Backing up your data

Taking periodic backups of Rational® Common Reporting data is a good practice. Taking backups is essential if you are upgrading your version of Rational Common Reporting. You can back up the custom settings, and the files, databases, projects, and catalogs.

About this task

You can back up the custom settings for the IBM® Cognos® configuration, XML data configuration files, Rational Common Reporting skin, and, if you are using Rational Common Reporting the servlet parameters of the data service portal. You can also back up your data warehouse and content store.

Taking backups is essential if you are upgrading to a newer version of Rational Common Reporting because after you upgrade, you cannot roll back your installation to the previous version.

To back up your data:

Procedure

  1. Back up the custom settings for Cognos configuration.
    1. Start the Cognos Configuration tool (click Start > All Programs > IBM Rational Insight > IBM Cognos 8 > IBM Cognos Configuration).
    2. Write down any custom settings, including the information in Data Access > Content Manager > Content Store.

      Copy all the settings to an XML file. To do so, click File > Export as and save the settings as an XML file.

    3. Close the Cognos Configuration tool.
  2. If you have customized your XML data configuration files, back up the files. Copy all the files in the rational_common_reporting_installation_directory\dataconfig\configs\ directory to a directory outside the installation directory of Rational Common Reporting.
  3. Back up the custom settings to the Rational Common Reporting skin.
    Copy the contents of the following directories to a temporary location outside the installation directory of Rational Common Reporting.
    • rational_common_reporting_installation_directory\cognos\templates\
    • rational_common_reporting_installation_directory\cognos\webapps\p2pd\
    • rational_common_reporting_installation_directory\cognos\webcontent\
  4. If you are using Rational Common Reporting, write down the servlet parameter settings.
    1. Open the WebSphere® Administrative Console (http://localhost:9060/ibm/console).
    2. In the navigator, expand the Applications node and click Enterprise Applications > DataServices application > Initialize parameters for servlets.
    3. When you reach the page where all the servlet parameters are defined, write down the parameters.
  5. Back up your data warehouse. See the documentation for the relational database management system that hosts your data warehouse.
  6. Back up your content store.
    1. Copy all the contents of the rational_common_reporting_installation_directory\reportal\contentstore directory to a directory other than the installation directory of Rational Common Reporting.
    2. Export the entire report package to a directory outside the installation directory of Rational Common Reporting. See the related links at the bottom of this page.

What to do next

If you are upgrading to a newer version of Rational Common Reporting, after you have installed the upgrade, you must restore the backed up files to their original locations and apply your custom settings. For instructions on how to upgrade and how to restore the backups, see the related links at the bottom of this page.

Feedback