FAQ about SAP HANA backup

What is SAP HANA backup?

Cloud Backup uses the SAP-certified Backint API to back up and restore SAP HANA databases on Alibaba Cloud ECS. It supports automated backup and restore operations, streaming data directly to cloud storage. Overview of the SAP HANA backup feature.

Cloud Backup also protects on-premises files, VMware VMs, ECS files, Oracle/MS SQL Server databases, NAS, and OSS. What is Cloud Backup?.

Deployment requirements and compatibility

• Deploy the Cloud Backup client on your SAP HANA instances running on Alibaba Cloud ECS.

• The solution supports multi-database containers (MDCs) in SAP HANA 1.0 SPS 09+ and 2.0 SPS 01+. Single-container systems in SAP HANA 1.0 are not supported.

How do I check Cloud Backup client status and logs after registering an SAP HANA instance?

After registering an SAP HANA instance, it enters the state. The default log path is /opt/alibabacloud/hbrclient/logs. Run ps axu|grep hybrid to verify the Cloud Backup client is running:

root     11472  0.0  0.0   9288  1552 pts/2    S+   16:11   0:00 grep --color=auto hybrid
root     30480  0.0  0.2  56296 17028 ?        Ssl  13:26   0:04 /opt/alibabacloud/hbr/client/hybridbackup -p 0

Backup log paths

Log paths for troubleshooting:

SAP HANA automatically manages log records. To query log backup records, connect to HANA Studio and run:

select CAT.* from SYS_DATABASES.M_BACKUP_CATALOG CAT JOIN SYS_DATABASES.M_BACKUP_CATALOG_FILES FILS on CAT.BACKUP_ID = FILS.BACKUP_ID where CAT.entry_type_name = 'log backup' and CAT.state_name = 'successful' and FILS.DESTINATION_TYPE_NAME = 'backint' and CAT.database_name = 'SYSTEMDB' order by sys_end_time

What do I do if the SAP HANA client installation fails with the error "multiple /usr/sap/<SID>/SYS/global/hdb/opt paths exist"?

1. Connect to the target ECS instance.

2. For SAP HANA instances that do not require backups, rename /usr/sap/<SID>/SYS/global/hdb/opt to /usr/sap/<SID>/SYS/global/hdb/opt_backup.

3. Return to the Cloud Backup console and reinstall the Cloud Backup client for the SAP HANA instance.

What do I do if the database cannot be connected during a same-instance restore?

If a restore job fails to connect when restoring a database to its source instance:

1. Check whether the HANA database is running.

2. Check whether the SSL certificate has expired. If it has, choose one of the following:

   • Replace the certificate.

     

   • Configure the console to skip SSL certificate validation.

What do I do if no data is retrieved during a same-instance restore?

If a restore job finds no data when restoring to the source instance, check the client status.

What do I do if I cannot find the backup record during a restore

• Issue

  After reinstalling the OS, rolling back a snapshot, or uninstalling and reinstalling the SAP HANA database on an ECS instance, you may not find the backup record when creating a restore job.

  

• Root cause

  During same-instance restore, Cloud Backup searches for records in the preconfigured backup path. If the OS is reinstalled, a snapshot is rolled back, or HANA is reinstalled, these records may be cleared.

• Solution

  • If the backup was created with the option enabled, restore the database using these steps:

    1. Go to the source SAP HANA instance and delete the ECS instance node.

       

    2. Register a new HANA instance with the same parameters as before. Install the backup client and add the deleted ECS instance node.

       

    3. Create a restore job and select the newly registered HANA instance. This starts a cross-instance restore from the source instance.

       

  • After the restore completes, delete the source SAP HANA instance if its backup data is no longer needed. If was not enabled, backup records cannot be found, but the backup data still exists. See Restore a database to an SAP HANA instance by specifying a prefix.

What do I do if an SQL statement fails to run in HANA?

Insufficient HANA log space prevents SQL execution. Free up disk space and retry.

How do I manually delete backup records?

Cloud Backup does not support manual deletion of SAP HANA backup data. Data expires automatically based on retention settings.

To delete backup records from the SAP HANA catalog, use SAP HANA Studio.

Instance activated: internal error on the database page

If this error appears on the SAP HANA backup page, check the HANA license. Connect to SYSTEMDB and run:

SELECT * FROM M_LICENSE

An empty result indicates a missing license. See https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2619291 for resolution steps.

Why does SAP HANA backup fail, and how do I fix it?

Match your error message to the entries below.

• InvalidTimeStamp.Expired — local time drift

  If /opt/alibabacloud/hbr/logs/hybridbackup.log contains:

  time="2021-11-04T16:24:17+08:00" level=info msg="InvalidTimeStamp.Expired retry, retryDelay: 5000 ms, retry times: 14" file=client.go line=377

  The local time differs from server time. Correct the local time and enable NTP synchronization.

• No space left on device — disk full

  If a backup job fails or all backup jobs are canceled without manual intervention, and backup.log contains No space left on device, the local disk is full. Clear disk space before retrying.

• SQL Error 447 — conflicting scheduled backup

  If /opt/alibabacloud/hbr/logs/hybridbackup.log contains:

  time="2021-08-29T01:10:00+08:00" level=error msg="Execute hana backup failed : hbr: client returned error: ErrorCode=HanaSqlError, ErrorMessage=SQL Error 447 - backup could not be completed: [110122] A data backup cannot be created because another data backup is running or a storage snapshot has been prepared., Data=, values=map[]" file=hanabackupjob.go line=98

  Another scheduled backup job is conflicting with the SAP HANA backup job. Check for overlapping backup schedules.

• Backup failure alert with no console record — MQTT timeout

  If you receive a backup failure alert but see no completed backup record in the backup history, the cause may be an MQTT request timeout. Check /opt/alibabacloud/hbr/logs/hybridbackup.log at the time the alert was triggered.

• The user account is in unknown status — expired password

  If /opt/alibabacloud/hbr/logs/hybridbackup.log contains:

  time="2023-11-26T00:00:08+08:00" level=error msg="SAP Error: SQL Error 447 - backup could not be completed: [110203] Not all data could be written: Expected 4096 but transferred 0, [110507] Backint exited with exit code 1 instead of 0. console output: Internal Error: The user account is in unknown status. " file=errorwrapper.go line=28

  The backup user password has expired. Update the password.

• InvalidSecurityToken.Expired — inaccurate timestamp

  If /opt/alibabacloud/hbr/logs/hybridbackup.log contains:

  time="2024-06-23T01:36:46+08:00" level=error msg="HBR DescribeUserBusinessStatus returns hbr: service returned error: StatusCode=400, Code=InvalidSecurityToken.Expired, Message=Specified SecurityToken is expired., RequestId=A6CDF56F-CA56-53E8-9342-24E19F768D40" file=client.go line=428

  The server rejected the request due to an inaccurate timestamp. Check system time drift:

  • Run sudo chronyc tracking and check System time in the output. This value shows the difference between the system time and NTP time. A drift of a few milliseconds is normal.

    sudo chronyc tracking

  • Run ntpd -q and check offset in the output. This value shows the difference between the system time and NTP time. A drift of a few milliseconds is normal.

    ntpd -q

• SQL Error 447 — no console failure record

  If the console shows no failure but /opt/alibabacloud/hbr/logs/hybridbackup.log contains:

  SQL Error 447 - backup could not be completed: [110122] A data backup cannot be created because another data backup is running or a storage snapshot has been prepared.

  Check this as follows:

  • Whether other backup software is performing a HANA backup at the same time.

  • Ensure you have a data backup before restarting the HANA instance. SAP HANA Knowledge Base.

• Allocation failed — out-of-memory (OOM)

  If /opt/alibabacloud/hbr/logs/hybridbackup.log contains:

  [447] backup could not be completed, [1000002] Allocation failed ; $size$=16777216; $name$=DataPage; $type$=pool; $inuse_count$=6; $allocated_size$=17104896; $failure_type$=GLOBAL_ALLOCATION_LIMIT; $failure_flag$= (early exit)

  And there is a failure record in the console.

  • SAP HANA cannot allocate sufficient memory, triggering an OOM error. SAP HANA BACKUP Failing Due to Out of Memory.

  • Solution: SAP HANA Solutions.

  • OOM root causes: SAP HANA Service Support.

• SQL Error 3584 — key store password read failure

  If /opt/alibabacloud/hbr/logs/hybridbackup.log contains:

  "SQL Error 3584 - distributed SQL error:  [2617] executor: plan operation execution failed with an exception.exception:exception 30160: Failed to read password from key store. $name=$M_BACKUP_CONFIGURATION. $col=$IS_ROOT_KEY_BACKUP_PASSWORD_SET. $ci=$23\n,Exception in executor plan00468@$spdr-db:31001 while executing pop 1, Data=[], values=[]map[]"

  And the backup job status is "Failed" in the console.

  SAP HANA returned SQL error 3584 when reading the password from the key store. This is usually an issue with SAP HANA components. Contact your SAP HANA O&M engineer or vendor for assistance.

• InstanceRAMRoleNotFound — RAM role revoked

  If /opt/alibabacloud/hbr/logs/hybridbackup.log contains InstanceRAMRoleNotFound or:

  Failed to get client credential from Instance RAM role. hbr: client returned error: ErrorCode=InstanceRAMRoleNotFound, ErrorMessage=InstanceRAMRoleNotFound

  And the restore job status is stuck at "Running" in the console and cannot be stopped.

  The AliyunECSAccessingHBRRole on the ECS instance has been revoked. Reattach the role in the ECS console and restart the Cloud Backup client. Why is the AliyunECSAccessingHBRRole role attached to an ECS instance? Can the role be revoked?

Why is the AliyunECSAccessingHBRRole role attached to an ECS instance? Can this role be revoked?

The AliyunECSAccessingHBRRole is required for SAP HANA backup operations. Revoking it causes backup and restore to fail.

To restore functionality:

1. Log on to the ECS console and reattach the AliyunECSAccessingHBRRole role to the ECS instance. See Attach the RAM role to an ECS instance.

2. Run systemctl restart hybridbackup to restart the Cloud Backup client, or uninstall and reinstall the client.

What do I do if an error occurs when I view a backup job?

• Issue

  The following error occurs when viewing a backup job:

  

  And /opt/alibabacloud/hbr/logs/hybridbackup.log contains:

  time="2023-12-01T14:38:23+08:00" level=error msg="prepare stmt SELECT count(*) FROM sys_databases.M_BACKUP_PROGRESS error : SQL Error 437 - only commands for license handling are allowed in current state" file=db.go line=220

• Solution

  HANA 2.0 requires multi-user mode for license registration.

What do I do if a restore job fails?

If consecutive restores from different backup points fail, use the specified backup method and select a specific backup point for each restore job.

Can Cloud Backup back up an SAP HANA instance deployed in an on-premises data center?

No. Cloud Backup supports only SAP HANA instances running on Alibaba Cloud ECS. For on-premises databases, use local file backup to store database files in the cloud. See Back up local files.

Do I need to purchase other cloud storage products to back up SAP HANA?

No. Cloud Backup uses the Backint API to stream backup data directly to cloud storage without consuming ECS instance storage space.

Can I use the SAP HANA backup feature of Cloud Backup for a single-container SAP HANA instance?

No. The SAP HANA backup feature in the Cloud Backup console uses the Backint API, which requires a multi-database container (MDC) system. Two alternatives are available:

• Option 1: Back up the SAP HANA database to the ECS instance disk, then use the local file backup feature of Cloud Backup to protect those files. See Back up local files.

• Option 2: Convert the SAP HANA instance from single-container to multi-container. Follow the official SAP documentation or contact your SAP partner.

Can backups for different SAP HANA environments be stored in different backup vaults?

Yes. When registering a SAP HANA instance in the Cloud Backup console, create a new backup vault or select an existing one. The following restore methods are supported:

• Same-instance recovery in the original region

• Restore to another instance in the same region

• Cross-region instance recovery

• Restore a database to another database in the source SAP HANA instance

• Restore a database to an SAP HANA instance by specifying a prefix

Does SAP HANA backup support cross-region or cross-account backup?

Yes, both are supported:

• Cross-region backup: Use the cross-region backup feature.

• Cross-account backup: Use the Backup Vault Cross-account Replication or Cross-account Backup feature.

What should I note when I configure an SAP HANA backup?

• For HA deployments, set the host address to the HAVIP when registering the SAP HANA instance. This ensures backups continue after a cluster switchover.

• By default, Backint log and catalog backup parameters are disabled. Enable them for the System DB and each Tenant DB to ensure successful restores.

How do I set the data retention period for SAP HANA backups?

1. Log on to the Cloud Backup console and select the instance.

   

2. On the Databases tab, select a System DB or Tenant DB and click More > .

   

3. The backup retention period defaults to Permanent. Change this value as needed.

   

   Parameter	Note
   Retention policy	Custom Set a custom retention job schedule and retention period for backup data. Permanent Cloud Backup permanently retains your backup data.
   Retention job interval	Required only when Retention policy is set to Custom. Select the daily retention job execution time, accurate to the second. Note Avoid periods when backup jobs or other business operations are active.
   Retention period	Required only when Retention period setting is set to Custom. Select the retention period for backup data. Unit: days, weeks, months, or years. Minimum: 1 day. Maximum: 10 years. Note When the retention period expires, Cloud Backup automatically deletes catalog records and data associated with expired BACKINT and File Backup. This data cannot be recovered after deletion. Configure the retention period carefully. Changes apply to historical backups. The retention job runs daily, but vault statistics may be delayed 12–24 hours. After a change, vault data volume may take up to 3 days to update. For large reductions (e.g., 2 years to 2 months), Cloud Backup controls execution speed, so the reduction may take time.

Why do I receive a failure alert when the backup job shows as successful?

• Symptoms

  You receive an alert: "Backup of database XXX in SAP HANA instance XXX (ID: cl-xxxxxxxx) failed. Backup ID is 0. Log on to console to check." But the Cloud Backup console shows the job completed successfully.

• Cause

  Concurrent backup software or a SAP HANA exception triggered the alert. Check /opt/alibabacloud/hbrclient/logs/hybridbackup.log for entries like:

  time="2024-08-29T01:35:01+08:00" level=error msg="Execute sql `BACKUP DATA FOR PRD USING BACKINT ('/usr/sap/XXX/SYS/global/hdb/backint/DB_HHH/COMPLETE_DATA_BACKUP_2024_08_29_01_30') ASYNCHRONOUS` failed : SQL Error 447 - backup could not be completed: [110122] A data backup cannot be created because another data backup is running or a storage snapshot has been prepared." file=db.go line=163
  time="2024-08-29T01:35:01+08:00" level=error msg="SAP Error: SQL Error 447 - backup could not be completed: [110122] A data backup cannot be created because another data backup is running or a storage snapshot has been prepared." file=errorwrapper.go line=28

  The Cloud Backup client executed the backup SQL and SAP HANA returned error 447, but the backup may have completed correctly in the backend. SAP Knowledge Base.

• Solution

  Ignore occasional alerts when backup jobs confirm success. For frequent occurrences, restart HANA during off-peak hours after ensuring business continuity.

Why is the time I receive an alert different from the actual time the error occurred?

Text alerts are suppressed during nighttime hours (8:00 PM to 8:00 AM) and sent after 8:00 AM. Email alerts are sent immediately.

Why does source data volume increase abnormally after SAP HANA backup?

• Cause

  Cloud Backup periodically queries HANA for historical Backint backup records, including records from other backup software. These statistics do not affect billing, which is based on total vault usage.

• Solution

  Delete unnecessary non-Cloud Backup records using HANA SQL statements. Verify retention requirements before deleting.

What do duplicate database names mean when creating a restore job?

Multiple databases may share the same name but have different services. Select any of them for the restore.

Steps to migrate an SAP HANA instance from an old backup vault to a new one

To migrate two HANA instances (e1 and e2) from backup vault v1 to a new vault v2:

1. Remove the HANA nodes from the old backup vault.

   Important

   Do not delete the instance directly, because this also deletes the existing backup data. Before deleting an instance, make sure you no longer need its backup data.

   Remove e1 and e2 from the node list of v1 to prepare for adding v2:

   1. Click the instance ID to view the node information.

      

   2. On the node information page, delete the node.

      

   3. After deletion, the Status of e1 and e2 changes to Initialization failed.

      

2. Migrate the HANA nodes to the new backup vault.

   Take HANA instance e1 as an example. The procedure for e2 is the same. (Note: In the procedure for e2, replace the information for HANA instance e1 with the information for e2 in step b).

   1. Click Register HANA instance.

      

   2. In the panel, configure the connection information and install the client:

      1. On the Edit connection information page, select v2 as the backup vault and give the new HANA instance a name. Keep the host address, instance number, username, and password identical to e1. Complete the remaining configuration and click Next.

         

      2. On the Install backup client page, select HANA instance e1 and click .

3. After configuring both e1 and e2, verify the new instances in v2. Click each instance ID to confirm the node information is correct and the database connection is active.

   

   After confirming the information is correct, run a manual full backup immediately to ensure data security and retain at least one complete backup point.

   Note

   Backup data from an instance in one backup vault cannot be restored to an instance in a different backup vault. After migrating to v2, the backup data from the original instances in v1 cannot be restored to the new HANA instances in v2.

How do I limit the CPU usage of the backup client?

Create hbr.config in /opt/alibabacloud/hbr/client/ with cpu_max_procs=1 to limit each backup process to one CPU core.

References

• SAP HANA Service Support

• SAP HANA FAQ