Disaster Recovery Approach for Active-Active HA Deployment

SaurabhUpadhyaya

Hello Friends,

As part of our disaster recovery (DR) strategy for our ArcGIS Server in an Active-Active HA Deployment, we need your input on the following points:

1. What needs to be backed up, and what is most important during recovery? Should we focus on ArcGIS Pro Project Files (.aprx), or is it crucial to export ArcGIS sites (.ags) as well?
2. Is there an automatic mechanism to implement this? How much time would it typically take to recover?
3. Regarding EC2 instance backups—since these are already implemented—how should we handle ESRI licensing during restoration? Will the existing license work, or do we need to release the applied license from the old instance, generate a new license, and apply it?
4. If a complete EC2 instance backup is scheduled weekly, are any additional backups needed, such as for the Configuration Store (D:\arcgisserver) or GPService toolboxes?

I appreciate your suggestions and look forward to your feedback.

 

DennisSmith

Hello there @SaurabhUpadhyaya lets see what we can do to answer your questions here. 

 

1. What needs to be backed up, and what is most important during recovery? Should we focus on ArcGIS Pro Project Files (.aprx), or is it crucial to export ArcGIS sites (.ags) as well?

Backing up ArcGIS is important to perform to be able to restore as needed. As we can see the ArcGIS Server has the backup.py utility that can be sued for this. Here is what is and isn't included in the backup.py:

Information included in the backup Information not included

Service configurations and service properties Service webhooks Server object extensions (SOEs) Server object interceptors (SOIs) Registered data store item locations Registered relational data store types User and role information List of machines in the site Log settings Statistics reports Scene tile cache configuration files under arcgiscache/Hosted

Cache tiles and tiling schemes Data used by services (unless it was copied to a folder on the server automatically at publish time) Dynamically generated map images and other temporary output Log messages (including geoprocessing job statuses and messages) Primary site administrator name and password Statistics data ArcGIS Web Adaptor configurations

 

Here is the link that discusses the backup utility:

https://enterprise.arcgis.com/en/server/latest/develop/windows/backup-utility.htm

Here is the link that goes into more details regarding the backing up and restoring your ArcGIS Server:

https://enterprise.arcgis.com/en/server/latest/administer/windows/back-up-and-restore-your-arcgis-server-site-configuration.htm 

 

2. Is there an automatic mechanism to implement this? How much time would it typically take to recover?

This should be covered with the links above

 

3. Regarding EC2 instance backups—since these are already implemented—how should we handle ESRI licensing during restoration? Will the existing license work, or do we need to release the applied license from the old instance, generate a new license, and apply it?

When restoring a backup, this should not impact the licensing within the environment for the ArcGIS Server. If for some reason there is a licensing issue after a restore then we would suggest calling into the Support number at 888-377-4575 to report this and to speak with the next available analyst that can assist you.

 

4. If a complete EC2 instance backup is scheduled weekly, are any additional backups needed, such as for the Configuration Store (D:\arcgisserver) or GPService toolboxes?

As long as you are utilizing the backup.py backup utility this should back up these items:

• Service configurations and service properties
• Service webhooks
• Server object extensions (SOEs)
• Server object interceptors (SOIs)
• Registered data store item locations
• Registered relational data store types
• User and role information
• List of machines in the site
• Log settings
• Statistics reports
• Scene tile cache configuration files under arcgiscache/Hosted

 

These items are not included so you can schedule this stuff to be backed up:

 

• Cache tiles and tiling schemes
• Data used by services (unless it was copied to a folder on the server automatically at publish time)
• Dynamically generated map images and other temporary output
• Log messages (including geoprocessing job statuses and messages)
• Primary site administrator name and password
• Statistics data
• ArcGIS Web Adaptor configurations

Please let me know if there are any more questions.