Backup of Decisions Database and File System
  • 25 Jun 2024
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Backup of Decisions Database and File System

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Article summary

Overview

In instances that involve any update or alteration to an installation, it is important to backup all Flows, Forms, Portal settings, etc that are stored within the Decisions Databasto avoid data loss. Doing so ensures that all files can be accessed in the event of potential errors that may occur during installation, such as a database overwrite, and offers a point of restoration for the database.

The following document demonstrates how to back up an MS SQL-based Decisions Database, as well as any applicable or desired Settings, Modules, and Encryption Files

Warning!
This backup process can only be performed on Microsoft SQL (MS SQL) databases. 

Backing up Decisions Database

  1. From the Local File System, Open Microsoft SQL Server Management.
  2. Enter the Login and Password for the Server and click Connect
  3. From the Object Explorer on the left, navigate to Databases > [NAME OF DATABASE]. Then, right-click the Database and select Tasks > Back Up.
  4. From the Back Up Database window, under Source, select a Backup type from the dropdown menu. Then, under Destination, click Add and select the desired location for the Backup, and click OK. 

Important Files to Backup

In addition to the Decisions Database, users should also back up the following to ensure that a machine could be rebuilt entirely from Backups

Installer Archiving
In addition to backing up the suggest files below. as well as the database, the Decisions Installer used to set up the machine should be archived to allow for easy reinstallation in the event of Disaster Recovery.


NameLocationDescription
File Storage FilesC:\Program Files\Decisions\FileStorage\*This contains any files that have been added to the portal such as File References (FileData is stored in the Database). If File References were not created, then
this folder may be empty.
"Keys.dat"  FileC:\Program Files\Decisions\Decisions Server\Instances\Control\Keys.datThis file contains the encryption keys to decrypt any encrypted database values. This file will not exist if users have not created any encrypted data
"Settings.xml" FileC:\Program Files\Decisions\Decisions Server\Settings.xmlThis file contains low-level settings about the server like connection string to the database, base URL to the portal, enabled logging levels.
Modules FilesC:\Program Files\Decisions\Decisions Server\modules\*This folder should be backed up if users have created any custom modules but do not need to be if users are only using built-in modules from Decisions.

For further information on Administration, visit the Decisions Forum.

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