Ever wanted an easy way to backup your AuthAnvil configuration data along with your audit logs? That is a very simple task using the AuthAnvil Backup Agent (aabackup.exe). Using a tasked schedule, you can configure it to routinely backup the data and make it available to your normal server backup sets. Below is a step by step guide on how to do that:
Step 1 - Create a new Scheduled Task
Open the Scheduled Task folder in Control Panel and select "Add Scheduled Task".
Step 2 - Browse for aabackup.exe
When asked which program to run select "Browse" and browse to aabackup.exe, which is normally stored in the C:\Program Files\Scorpion Software\AuthAnvil Database Management folder.
Step 3 - Configure Schedule
You will need to decide when you want to schedule the task. It is recommended you backup daily or weekly to ensure synchronization data and audit logs are securely stowed away on a regular basis. You might also want to give the task a more friendly name, such as "AuthAnvil Backup".
Once you schedule the frequency and hit next, you will be asked what time of day you want to start the task. It only takes a few moments to run, but should be done at the end of the day, or just before your daily server backup is done to tape or harddisk.
Step 4 - Select the account with privileges to execute the backup
Select the account you would like to use to run the backup. This should be an account with enough pivileges to access and read the AuthAnvil data on the SQL Server.
Step 5 - Select to Save and Open Advanced properties
Although normally a scheduled task is now complete, we need to make a slight change to the task. To do so, check the box that says "Open advanced properties for this task when I click Finish".
Step 6 - Update the run line to target your SQL Server
The AuthAnvil Backup Agent takes as a parameter the SQL instance name where the AuthAnvil database resides.
ie: aabackup.exe SOMESQLSERVER\SQLEXPRESS.
If you are targeting a standard SQL Server (not express), and are not sure what the instance name is, ask your database administrator. Usually it is just the server name. But you need to confirm with your DB admin.
Below is a screenshot of it configured to our main office's SQL 2008 server. Notice the SQL-HQ appended to the end.
Once you have made this change in the run field, make sure you hit "Apply". You will be prompted to re-enter the credentials.
Step 7 - Configure your backup software to backup the AuthAnvil BUP
At this point, the scheduled task will be creating a *.bup file in the base directory of where aabackup.exe resides. You should configure your backup software to include that folder in the nightly backup set, to ensure you properly back it up.
NOTE: A BUP file stores all AuthAnvil configuration and audit data, and should be properly secured. You may wish to copy the aabackup.exe file to a secure location and further tighten NTFS ACLs so permissions will only allow the backup account privileges to read and access the .bup files created, along with the administrative account which needs to execute the aabackup tool. All other access should be explicitly denied.
You will also want to remember to routinely purge the .bup files out of that directory. Over time, this could fill up your harddrive, especially if you have a lot of audit log items being recorded.
So there you have. That is how easy it is to backup the AuthAnvil configuration and audit logs on a routine basis. Doing so makes it extremely easy to recover (using aarestore.exe) from failure or to migrate off to different SQL servers if your infrastructure changes.
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