Backup question on Qlik Sense Repository Database

[user467341]

Hi. I am doing a backup to my Qlik Sense and one of the instructions in Qlik Sense website is to not stop the Qlik Sense Repository Database during the backup.

I found that in my services, the Qlik Sense Repository Database is not running. When I start the service, it will immediately stop running again.

My Qlik Sense is still working fine despite this.

What is going on here? Is this the expected behaviour? Should I go ahead and just backup my Qlik Sense after I stop the other services manually?

Thanks.

[Eugene_Sleator]

Hi @user467341 Can you please provide the version of Qlik Sense, and also the version of postgres being used? 

[user467341]

Hi Eugene,

Thanks for your reply. The version I am using is "Qlik Sense May 2022 Patch 2 - 14.67.11".

As for the PostgreSQL, I am unsure which exact PostgreSQL is being run. In my "...\Qlik\Sense\Repository\PostgreSQL", I have two folders of PostgreSQL (9.6 and 12.5).

If I look into my server Services (Local), "Qlik Sense Repository Database" is not running and is in manual mode. There is another service called "PostgreSQL-x64-12" which is running.

[Jay_Brown · Accepted solution]

This should be the correct command:
"C:\Program Files\Qlik\Sense\Repository\PostgreSQL\12.5\bin\"pg_dump.exe -h localhost -p 4432 -U postgres -b -F t -f "c:\backup\QSR_backup_date.tar" QSR

To answer the original question, yes, this would be expected if the installation was originally 9.6 and was upgraded to 12.5 through this process: https://community.qlik.com/t5/Official-Support-Articles/Upgrading-Qlik-Sense-Repository-Database-fro... 

Note that postgresql-x64-12 is the new service name.  You can find this info about halfway down the site page.

Hope that helps, 
Jay

[user467341]

Thank you Jay. May I know if I should keep postgresql-x64-12 running or stop this service during the backup (all other Qlik Services stopped)?

[Eugene_Sleator]

 Hi @user467341  yes you should keep the postgresql-x64-12 service running while backing up the DB. 

[Benoit_C · Accepted solution]

Hi @user467341,

If you have Qlik Sense working despite the Qlik sense Repository Database service is stopped, that you mean you have migrated your Postgres version with our Tool named "Qlik PostgreSQL Installer" (QPI):

https://community.qlik.com/t5/Knowledge/Upgrading-Qlik-Sense-Repository-Database-from-PostgreSQL-9-6...

Then you have a new service named "PostgreSQL-x64-12".

Please note that you need to perform the final step of the above article before migrate the Qlik Sense version, otherwise you'll have some issue during the migration:

No further steps are needed unless you plan to upgrade Qlik Sense Enterprise on Windows to the next major release. If you plan to upgrade to, for example, November 2022, the old Qlik Sense Repository Database service must be removed from the server.

Perform the following steps to delete the Qlik Sense Repository Database Service:

1. Open a command prompt and run the command:
cd "C:\ProgramData\Package Cache"
2. From there, run:
c:\ProgramData\Package Cache\dir /s PostgreSQL.msi
3. The folder containing PostgreSQL.msi will be revealed.
4. Right-click on the PostgreSQL.msi file and select uninstall from the menu.

So to answer your question about the Postgres backup, all instruction remains the same appart of the service name as now it is not anymore "Qlik Sense repository Database".

Regards,
Benoit
 

[user467341]

Hi Benoit,

Sorry for the late reply.

May I confirm that I should perform last step to delete Qlik Sense Repository Database before conducting any backup (certificates, Qlik Sense Site)?

[Benoit_C]

Hi @user467341,

If you want to recover it's better to take a snapshopt of the environment. Because if you delete the service it's when you are sure all is working as expected.

Regards,
Benoit

[user467341]

Hi Benoit,

Could you share the instructions to save the snapshot?

If I understand correctly, the procedures to do the backup will be:

1. Save the snapshot

2. Perform the last step to delete Qlik Sense Repository Database

3. Perform backup to the certificates, Qlik Sense Site as per https://help.qlik.com/en-US/sense-admin/February2023/Subsystems/DeployAdministerQSE/Content/Sense_De...

4. Restore the backup in the new Qlik Sense server (latest Qlik Sense version)

An additional information, I am planning a migration for my Qlik Sense server into another location and will be downloading the latest version during this new install. Therefore, I suppose it is 100% necessary to complete the database upgrade?

Much appreciated.