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How to backup IMG 2020 and EMS server

Introduction   

This article provides an overview of the considerations customers should take into account when designing their backup strategy for the Dialogic® IMG 2020 Integrated Media Gateway (IMG 2020), formerly referred to as Dialogic® BorderNet™ 2020 Session Border Controller. It is highly recommended to have a current backup of the EMS server and configuration at all times.

What to back up   

Broadly speaking, there are two choices when deciding what to back up: Either create a backup image of the whole server hard drive (only on IMG 2020 installations with EMS server), or back up the IMG 2020 configuration and licences only. A combination of both of these can also be considered.

1. Back up the server hard drive (only on IMG 2020 installations with EMS server)

If you decide to generate an image of the whole hard drive as your backup, make sure you take new configuration backups each time you make a configuration change. When you need to restore a backup, restore the complete image first, then re-import the configuration database from your latest configuration backup in the IMG 2020 WebUI. You may want to repeat the complete backup after each EMS software upgrade.

2. Back up the IMG 2020 configuration database

The minimum you should back up are the following:

• IMG 2020 configuration: save the configuration in the WebUI (File tab -> Save) then back up the saved database file.
• On a standalone IMG 2020 without EMS server, this file will be located in the root folder of the SD card in the IMG 2020.
• On a multi-node IMG 2020 system with EMS server, this file will be located in the /opt/dialogic/export folder on the EMS server.
• IMG 2020 licence files
• On a standalone IMG 2020 without EMS server, the licence file will be located in the root folder of the SD card in the IMG 2020
• On a multi-node IMG 2020 system with EMS server, the licence file(s) will be located where the IMG 2020 gets its firmware file from - either the SD card root folder or in the /home/dialogic/ftpBuilds folder on the EMS server.

After backing up the licence files, further backups are not necessary unless a license upgrade is purchased. Note that there are no licences associated with the EMS server. The licences apply only to the IMG 2020 devices controlled by that particular EMS.

Other considerations (only applicable to IMG 2020 systems with EMS server)

1. If a complete hard drive backup is not taken, it is recommended to back up any Linux system files that may have been modified, including dhcpd.conf, ntpd.conf and /etc/hosts. Alternatively, keep a record of the information entered in these files (IMG MAC and IP addresses, host names,etc) so that  the files can be modified quickly if the need arises.

2. If you are running third party services such as RADIUS on the EMS server, back up the data related to these applications too.

3. If only the configuration has been backed up, and you have to reinstall the whole server in case of a failure, you will need the installation media (CDs or DVD) of the Linux Operating System (these are not provided by Dialogic), or the VMware virtual machine image purchased from Dialogic. In addition, you will need the IMG 2020 software (EMS software and IMG 2020 firmware files), the license files and the configuration database backup file. Ensure that all of these are available before any failure occurs.

4. The folders /opt/dialogic/backup and /opt/dialogic/zipfiles on the EMS server are NOT full backups and should not be used as a backup of your system. These folders contain archived log files, and logs of configuration changes that Dialogic Support can use to investigate problems.

Product List:

Dialogic® IMG 2020 Integrated Media Gateway (IMG 2020), formerly referred to as Dialogic® BorderNet™ 2020 Session Border Controller