Re: How to Monitor backups

Checking the size of log file will also trigger a mail even if there are no
errors, and just a normal stdout message. If you specifically want to mail
DBAs only when there is an error, you could pipe it with grep, or just use
an if/else block after redirecting stderr to a separate file and mail it,
like:

00 19 * * * /backup_scripts/db_backup.sh > /cron/db_backup.out
2>/../error_file.err | if [ -s /../err_file.err ] then mailx...

OR

00 19 * * * /backup_scripts/db_backup.sh 2>&1 >> /cron/db_backup.out |
grep 'ERROR' >&2

The grep method assumes that any error generated by a job in crontab will
be emailed.

Also, please test the above commands in a test script manually before
scheduling them.

Payal Singh,
OmniTi Computer Consulting Inc.
Junior Database Architect,
Phone: 240.646.0770 x 253

On Mon, Oct 14, 2013 at 11:58 AM, Birchall, Austen <
austen(dot)birchall(at)metoffice(dot)gov(dot)uk> wrote:

> Payal****
>
> ** **
>
> Thanks for this:****
>
> schedule email to DBA if there is any error in the backup creation script
> itself (mail if there is anything in the stderr)****
>
> ** **
>
> will the 2>&1 part of the crontab direct the stderr into the
> /cron/db_backup.out file ?****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> 00 19 * * * /backup_scripts/db_backup.sh > /cron/db_backup.out 2>&1****
>
> ** **
>
> If so I could check by cron if this file > 0 bytes and if so mail to DBA?*
> ***
>
> ** **
>
> Austen
>
> ****
>
> ** **
>
> Austen Birchall Senior Database Administrator
> *
> Met Office* FitzRoy Road Exeter EX1 3PB United Kingdom
> Tel: +44 (0)1392 884481 Fax: +44 (0)1392 885681
> E-mail: austen(dot)birchall(at)metoffice(dot)gov(dot)uk Website:
> http://www.metoffice.gov.uk ****
>
> ** **
>
> *From:* Payal Singh [mailto:payal(at)omniti(dot)com]
> *Sent:* 14 October 2013 16:19
> *To:* Birchall, Austen
> *Cc:* pgsql-novice(at)postgresql(dot)org
> *Subject:* Re: [NOVICE] How to Monitor backups****
>
> ** **
>
> Hey,****
>
> ** **
>
> Any automated monitoring job is based on the assumption that the tool
> automating it will work fine. With this assumption in mind, option 1 seems
> like the simplest and most efficient way. ****
>
> ** **
>
> Of course, yet another precaution you can take is to schedule email to DBA
> if there is any error in the backup creation script itself (mail if there
> is anything in the stderr), which will also take into account any error
> generated by pg_dump/dumpall commands.****
>
>
> ****
>
> Payal Singh,
> OmniTi Computer Consulting Inc.
> Junior Database Architect,
> Phone: 240.646.0770 x 253****
>
> ** **
>
> On Mon, Oct 14, 2013 at 11:08 AM, Birchall, Austen <
> austen(dot)birchall(at)metoffice(dot)gov(dot)uk> wrote:****
>
> Hi again
>
> 9.2.4 on RHEL 6
>
> I have a backup that runs by cronjob every day which is basically this:
>
> 00 19 * * * /backup_scripts/locsng_backup.sh > /cron/locsng_backup.out
> 2>&1
>
> View /backup_scripts/locsng_backup.sh:
>
> # carry out schema only backup of the db database
> /pg_dumpall -l db -U postgres -s >
> /backups/pg_db_schema_backups/db_ci_schema_dump$date_of_backup.sql 2>&1
>
> # carry out backup of db database
> /pg_dump -Fc db -U postgres >
> /backups/pg_db_db_backups/db_ci_backup$date_of_backup
>
> # carry out cluster wide metadata backup
> /pg_dumpall -g >
> /backups/pg_cluster_dump/cluster_ci_medadata$date_of_backup.sql
>
>
> Is there a best practise way of how to monitor this sort of backup?
>
> - my initial ideas are:
>
> 1. Check by cron if /cron/locsng_backup.out > 24 hours old (of course this
> will not work if cron fails) and if so notify the DBA by email?
>
> 2. As part of the script check if cron/locsng_backup.out > 0 bytes in size
> (of course this will not work if cron fails) and if so notify the DBA by
> email?
>
> 3. Does pg_dump, pg_dumpall return an error code if it is unsuccessful
> and can be trapped in same way and then used to notify the DBA by email?
>
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> Austen
>
>
> Austen Birchall Senior Database Administrator
> Met Office
>
>
> --
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> ** **
>