Before you can begin replicating with OpenEdge, you must complete the following prerequisites.

  • Understand source and target architecture requirements
  • Identify a database that you want to replicate
  • Create a database backup plan
  • Back up your source database

Source and target architecture requirements

Before OpenEdge Replication starts, the source and target databases are automatically checked to ensure that the databases are identical in the following ways:

  • The logical structure—but not necessarily the physical structure—of the databases. (All user-defined areas must be identical except the AI areas.)
  • The versions of the databases.
  • The supported platform.
  • The database block sizes.
  • If large file support is enabled, it must be enabled on both databases.
  • Before-Image (BI) block sizes.
In addition, the values on the target database must be greater than or equal to the values on the source for the following database startup parameters:
  • Lock Table Entries (-L)
  • Number of Users (-n)
  • Maximum JTA Transactions (-Maxxids)
  • The sum of Number of Users (-n) and Maximum Servers (-Mn)
If the values for the target are less than the source, the agent will not start. Ideally the values of -L, -n, -Maxsids, and -Mn should be equal on for the source and target databases.

For added protection against data loss, locate the target database on a different machine from the source.

Create a database backup plan

It is important for you to develop a database backup plan that you can follow consistently and effectively. Your database backup plan may focus solely on backing up your databases or may be integrated with backing up your enterprise systems as part of a corporate backup, replication, and recovery strategy.

To create an effective database backup plan, you need to:
  • Identify database files to back up.
  • Determine whether to use a full-only or full-and-incremental backup strategy.
  • Determine whether to perform online or offline backups. This guide covers online backup only.
  • Determine which backup tools to use.

In addition, you need to choose which type of backup media to use (disk, tape or both). As a best practice, make sure that your backup file and directory names include date and, if required, time information.

This guide discusses the procedure to back up your database online in the Set Up OpenEdge Replication databases section.