SAP MaxDB Data Agent Best Practices

Use Software Compression for Backups for Default PIPE

SAP MaxDB does not support deduplication on default PIPE of 8K BLOCK SIZE, so we recommend that you use software compression for backups (Instance Properties dialog box, Storage Device tab, Data Transfer Option tab, Software Compression).

Optimizing Performance

To optimize your performance, create a minimum of 2 pipe mediums.

Optimizing PIPE to Achieve Deduplication

If you use a PIPE of 128K BLOCK SIZE with 4 PIPES for FULL Data backup and 4 PIPES for incremental data backup, you can achieve deduplication (Instance Properties dialog box, Storage Device tab, Deduplication Option tab, Enable Deduplication on Client or Media Agent).

The ratio of deduplication might vary. Log backups will not achieve deduplication.

Examples

Verify if the numstreams Value is Set to the Minimum Value 4 in the SapMaxDbAgent Parameter File

[root@sde-bigsap ~]# cat /opt/commvault/SapMaxDbAgent/param
numstreams
4
CvInstanceName
Instance001
CvClientName
sde-bigsap

Set the Minimum Value 4 for MAXBACKUPDEVS

This example sets the minimum value 4 for MAXBACKUPDEVS.

dbmcli on testdb>param_extget MAXBACKUPDEVS
OK
MAXBACKUPDEVS int 4

If the minimum value for MAXBACKUPDEVS is not set to 4, run the following commands:

dbmcli on testdb>param_put MAXBACKUPDEVS 4
OK
dbmcli on testdb >db_stop
OK
dbmcli on testdb >db_online
OK

Create PIPE Mediums for Deduplication On a Unix Computer

This example creates PIPE mediums for dedupData2, dedupPages2, and dedupLog.

dbmcli -d testdb -u dbm,dbm
dbmcli on testdb> backup_template_create dedupData2 TO BACKUPTOOL BACKINT PIPE /sapdb/testdb/files/ddm0 NAMED ddm0 PIPE [/sapdb/testdb/files/ddm1 NAMED ddm1 PIPE /sapdb/testdb/files/ddm2 NAMED ddm2 PIPE /sapdb/testdb/files/ddm3 NAMED ddm3 CONTENT DATA BLOCKSIZE 128
dbmcli on testdb> backup_template_create dedupPages2 TO BACKUPTOOL BACKINT PIPE /sapdb/testdb/files/ddm4 NAMED ddm4 PIPE /sapdb/testdb/files/ddm5 NAMED ddm5 PIPE /sapdb/testdb/files/ddm6 NAMED ddm6 PIPE /sapdb/testdb/files/ddm7 NAMED ddm7 CONTENT INCREMENTAL BLOCKSIZE 128
dbmcli on testdb> backup_template_create dedupLog TO BACKUPTOOL BACKINT PIPE /sapdb/testdb/files/ddm8 NAMED ddm8 CONTENT LOG BLOCKSIZE 128

SAP MaxDB Agent Backup and Restore

You must use root user instead of SIDadm user for SAP MaxDB agent backup and restore.

Full Data Backup in SAP MaxDB

When running a full data backup in SAP MaxDB, the system can consume up to 100% disk IOPS. Use the following best practices to optimize performance and avoid resource bottlenecks.

1. Ensure Sufficient Infrastructure Resources

   Provision sufficient storage performance for the MaxDB server:

   • Use high-performance storage such as Premium SSDs in cloud environments like Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, or Google Cloud Platform.

2. Configure Backup Pipes with Optimal Block Size

   Create two backup pipes with a block size of 128 KB to improve data transfer efficiency.

   Use the following dbmcli command to configure the backup template:

   dbmcli -d <database_name> -u <user>,<password> \backup_template_create <template_name> \TO BACKUPTOOL BACKINT PIPE /sapdb/<db_path>/pipe_mem \NAMED mem CONTENT DATA BLOCKSIZE 128
   

   Note

   • Use two pipes (2 IPE) for parallel processing.

   • Set the block size to 128 KB for optimal performance.

3. Configure Streams

   In Commvault, set the number of streams to 2.

   Update the parameter file:

   /opt/commvault/SapMaxDbAgent/param
   

   Set:

   numstreams
   2
   

4. Enable Single-Threaded SDT Setting

   Apply the following additional setting in Commvault:

   • Section Name: SapMaxDbAgent

   • Key Name: UseSingleThreadedSDT

   • Type: String

   • Value: Y

   How to configure:

   1. Open the CommCell Console.

   2. Fo to Manage > Servers > [server_name] > Configuration

   3. Add or update the setting.

5. Configure Pipeline Buffers

   Set the nNumPipelineBuffer parameter:

   Parameter: nNumPipelineBuffer
   Recommended Value: 30
   

   For more information, see additional setting Data transfer pipeline buffers.