Backup and replication
The following describes the content of the different folders in the INTERFORMNG2_HOME folder and the recommendations for backup and replication of each folder.
Note that all “database” folders are typically not used when InterformNG2 is configured to use an external database.
Terminology:
Online backup: Copying files while InterformNG2 is running.
Offline backup: Copying files while InterformNG2 is shut down. This is needed for files that are locked by the application due to frequent changes.
Replication: Real-time backup where changes to files are copied every time they change, for instance with MIMIX for IBM i. Some files are not suitable for replication, so this should be combined with offline backup.
Folder / Files | Description | Backup | Replication |
inbox | Any inbox folder used by “read from file” workflows are only used for input. The names of these folders are defined in workflows, so more can exist. | No | No |
outbox | Any outbox folder used by “To filesystem” workflow components. The names of these folders are defined in workflows, so more can exist. | Optional, online | Optional |
resources/** | Resource files uploaded to the library and workflow files. | Yes, online | Yes |
resources/moduleFile | Template thumbnails displayed on the dashboard and in the library. | Optional, online | Optional |
routes_ng2 | Temporary workflow files. | No | No |
temp | Temporary files. | No | No |
profiles/default/inputforms | State information database used by Webforms workflows. Effect of data loss: In-progress (awaiting user input) forms and Webforms workflow instances will be lost. | Yes, offline | No |
profiles/default/logs/*.gz | Archived system log files. | Optional, online | Optional |
profiles/default/logs/*.log | Current system log file and audit log files. Effect of data loss: The current system log will be lost. | Optional, offline | No |
profiles/default/logs/ng2LogDB | Job log, e-mail log, usage tracking and statistics database. Effect of data loss: Job logs are lost. E-mail logs and held/queued e-mails are lost. Some dashboard and system monitor statistics are reset. Usage tracking statistics are lost. | Yes, offline | No |
profiles/default/logs/trackingLog | Usage tracking archives (required by some licenses). | Yes, online | Yes |
profiles/default/plugins | Maintains a copy of some plugin modules. | No | No |
profiles/default/printerQueue | Database for storing printer queue items. Effect of data loss: Print jobs queued for printing are lost. Some completed workflows will need to be re-run to regenerate the prints. Information about earlier prints are lost and reprinting of earlier jobs will be unavailable. | Yes, offline | No |
profiles/default/queues | Queued items for the deprecated e-mail queue system. | Yes, online | Yes |
profiles/default/remote | Stores items that are queued for remote output. Restoring this folder from a backup can result in unwanted reprints. Effect of data loss: Pending remote output items will be lost. Some completed workflows will need to be re-run to regenerate the outputs. | Optional, online | Yes |
profiles/default/replication | Change journal used by the Primary instance in a Primary-Replica setup. Effect of data loss: Changes that have not yet replicated to all replicas will have to be re-applied on the primary. Replication counter first needs to be set to the highest value found in Replica settings. | Yes, online | Yes |
profiles/default/settings | Tenant/system settings. Effect of data loss: Tenant and system settings will be reset to defaults. Refer to (1) below. | Yes, online | Yes |
profiles/default/usersettings | User-specific settings such as enabled dashboard widgets and recent templates / workflows. Effect of data loss: User settings will be reset to defaults. Refer to (1) below. | Yes, online | Yes |
profiles/default/valuestores | Database for Time-Limited Stores. Effect of data loss: Data stored in time-limited stores will be lost. | Yes, offline | No |
profiles/default/db_backups | Embedded database backup copies, when backup has been enabled in the system settings. | Yes, online | No |
profiles/default/users.json | User information. Effect of data loss: Usernames, passwords and user roles will be lost and reset to defaults. Refer to (1) below. | Yes, online | Yes |
Profiles/default/coredbs | Settings and user information if that is stored in the internal database. Refer to (1) below. | Yes, online | Yes |
C:\Program Files\InterFormNG2\application-default.properties (Windows) or /iformng2/InterFormNG-shell/Core/application-default.properties (IBM i) | Configuration file for InterformNG2 | Yes, online | Yes |
(1) In version 4.4.0 and future versions the settings and user data can be stored either as files or in an internal database. The way the data is stored depends on the contents of the application-default.properties file. If the settings and user data is stored in a database, then that database is stored inside sub-directories of /profiles/default/coredbs.
These lines in the application-default.properties file triggers the settings and user data to be stored in the internal database:
ng2db.useDefaultCoreDb=true
userRepository=database
settings=database
userRepository=database
settings=database
The folders marked Yes, offline above hold the embedded database. You do not have to shut down InterformNG2 to protect them: you can enable a scheduled backup of these databases in the system settings, and InterformNG2 will then write them to profiles/default/db_backups while the service is running. Please notice, that each backup overwrites the previous one, so the db_backups folder itself should not be replicated. Copy it to your own backup system instead. This is described in the section, Backup and restore of embedded database.