Protect the SAP production environment against data loss, errors, and corruption
SAP HANA is one of the most popular enterprise databases in the world. It's unique because it runs in-memory, so it can return query results very quickly. Many enterprises use SAP HANA for their mission critical applications. As can happen with any database, SAP HANA is susceptible to corruption, accidental deletion, or even security threats such as ransomware attacks. Therefore, enterprises use traditional backup solutions to help them with their data management and protection needs.
Backup and DR Service lets you capture data from production systems, manage it in the most efficient way possible, and use virtual copies of the data for business requirements like backup, test and development, analytics, and AI.
Protection methods
Backup and DR efficiently and securely manages SAP HANA database copies in Google Cloud. Backup and DR supports two methods to backup SAP HANA:
SAP HANA
savepoint
API (volume-level backup) (recommended method)SAP
backint
API (Full+Incremental backup)
Both methods support protection of SAP HANA log files as well as the databases. For details, see Set up the log mode and log backup in HANA studio. Use this method if the savepoint method is unavailable.
SAP HANA savepoint
API (volume-level backup) (recommended method)
This recommended method leverages an SAP HANA database internal snapshot based on savepoint stored in the data volumes area and in Linux change block tracking to take an efficient, space saving, incremental forever backup.
SAP HANA data is captured in application first format, according to a specified backup plan. A golden copy of that data is created and stored once, and is then updated incrementally with only the changed blocks of data in an incremental forever model. This provides the advantage of instantaneous mount and recovery of SAP HANA databases. Virtual copies of the data can be made available instantly for use, without proliferating physical copies and taking up additional storage infrastructure.
SAP Backint
API (Full+Incremental backup)
The traditional way of backing up SAP HANA is using the Backint API using hdbsql. The Backint API sends backups to a staging disk mapped to the SAP HANA host over iSCSI or NFS. In both approaches, there is a periodic full backup and the data captured is in a proprietary backup format and not in block format.
Backup and DR supportability of different SAP HANA configurations
Backup and DR can virtualize and protect the following:
Single container system (HANA 1.0 or 2.0) dedicated: In a single-container system the system database and tenant database are seen as a single unit and are administered as one.
Multiple-container systems (HANA 2.0): Multiple isolated databases in a single SAP HANA system. These are referred to as multi-tenant database containers. A multiple-container system always has exactly one system database used for central system administration, and any number of multi-tenant databases (including zero), also called tenant databases.
This table lists all the supported HANA configurations and the backup methods that apply with each one.
HANA
SavePoint
API method is the preferred method when available, for all HANA configurations except for scale-out with shared storage.The
backint
method is available for all HANA configurations.HANA log backups are always handled automatically for all configurations and options.
Configuration | SAP HANA savepoint API |
SAP HANA backint |
---|---|---|
SAP HANA 2.0 standalone or HA (1+1) | Yes | Yes |
Scale-out HANA 2.0, non-shared storage | Yes, requires SPS 04 or higher | Yes |
Scale-out HANA 2.0, shared storage | No | Yes |
Single container system (HANA 1.0) | Yes, requires SPS 04 or higher | Yes |
What's next
Prepare the database for Backup and DR
The Backup and DR Service SAP HANA DBA guide
This page is one in a series of pages specific to protecting and recovering SAP HANA databases with Backup and DR Service. You can find additional information in the following pages:
- Backup and DR for SAP HANA
- Prepare SAP HANA databases for backup
- Add an SAP HANA database host, and discover and protect its databases
- Configure staging disk format and backup method for SAP HANA databases
- Set application details and settings for SAP HANA databases
- Back up a discovered HANA database
- Back up HANA 1+n and HANA scale-out databases
- Restore and recover SAP HANA databases
- Mount an SAP HANA backup image as a standard mount
- Mount an SAP HANA backup image as a virtual database
- Mount and migrate an SAP HANA backup image for instant recovery to any target