Schedule a Backup of an Active Data Set from a Primary SMA to a Secondary SMA

Introduction

This document describes how to back up data from a Cisco Security Management Appliance (SMA) to another SMA.

Schedule the Backup

The CLI command backupconfig on the SMA allows an administrator to copy the active data sets (tracking, reporting, and ISQ database) from a source SMA to a target SMA.

Note: Review the SMA User Guide, "Backing Up Security Management Appliance Data", for complete information.

You can choose to back up all data or any combination of this data:

• Spam quarantine, which includes messages and meta data
• Centralized policy, virus, and outbreak quarantines, which includes messages and meta data
• Email tracking (message tracking), which includes messages and meta data
• Web tracking
• Reporting (Email and Web)
• Safelist/blocklist

After the data transfer is finished, the data on the two appliances is identical.

Configurations and logs are not backed up using this process. In order to back up those items, see the SMA User Guide, "Other Important Backup Tasks".

Each backup after the first backup copies only the information generated since the last backup.

Schedule Single or Recurring Backups

Warning: The backupconfig command process overwrites the target SMA databases. This means the data that is currently on the target SMA is overwritten with the data that is on the source SMA. 

1. Log in to the SMA CLI.
2. Enter backupconfig.
3. Choose Schedule.
4. Enter the IP address of a machine to transfer the data to.
5. The "source" SMA verifies the existence of the "target" SMA and makes sure the target SMA has enough space to accept the data.
6. Choose 1 (Setup Repeating Backup Schedule).
7. Choose the preferred time frame, either 1 (daily), 2 (weekly), or 3 (monthly).
8. Enter the name of the backup process, Weekly_data_backup.
9. Enter view in order to verify that the backup was successfully scheduled.
10. Choose Status in order to view the backup process on Phase 1 and Phase 2.

Start an Immediate Backup

Warning: The backupconfig command process overwrites the target SMA databases. This means the data that is currently on the target SMA is overwritten with the data that is on the source SMA.

1. Log in to the SMA CLI.
2. Enter backupconfig.
3. Choose Schedule.
4. Enter the IP address of a machine to transfer the data to.
5. The "source" SMA verifies the existence of the "target" SMA and makes sure the target SMA has enough space to accept the data.
6. Choose 3 (Start a Single Backup Now).
7. Enter view or status in order to verify that the backup was successfully scheduled.

Additionally, if you try to schedule a report and forget that a backup is in progress, you can choose Management Appliance > Centralized Services at the GUI (via HTTP/HTTPS) in order to check the system status. From this window, you can see the warning that a system backup is in progress.

Related Information

• Cisco Content Security Management End User Guides
• Cisco Content Security Management Release Notes
• Technical Support & Documentation - Cisco Systems