Backing up a Horizon Connection Server
The information required to restore a Horizon Connection Server is stored in two different databases:
- Horizon Connection Server AD LDS database
- vCenter Server database
Horizon Composer, described in Chapter 3, Implementing Horizon Composer, also uses a database that contains critical Horizon configuration information. Horizon installations that utilize Horizon Composer will also need to back up the Composer database as part of their backup and recovery plan.
Backing up the vCenter Server database
The vCenter Server database should be backed up using whatever method is available within your environment. This includes options such as:
- Native backups based on the capabilities of the database platform, such as Microsoft SQL Server backup or Oracle Recovery Manager (RMAN) backup
- Third-party database backup solutions
There are no specific requirements with regard to database backup methodologies, so long as you can recover the database to a previous state; either to the same database server or an alternative. Consult with your database server or backup software documentation if additional information about performing database backups is required.
Consult the VMware vSphere Installation and Setup Guide (https://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/vsphere-esxi-vcenter-server-6-pubs.html) for additional information about how to back up the components of a vSphere installation.
Backing up the Horizon AD LDS database
The VMware Horizon Connection Server AD LDS database contains key Horizon configuration information and should be backed up on a regular basis. By default, a Horizon Standard Connection Server or Replica Connection Server will perform a nightly backup of the AD LDS database at midnight (12:00 AM).
A limited number of changes to the Horizon Connection Server backup policy can be made within the Horizon Administrator console. These changes include:
- Backup frequency
- Number of backups to retain
- Data recovery password
These options can be configured using the following steps in the Horizon Administrator console:
- Navigate to View Configuration | Servers | Connection Servers.
- Highlight the targeted Horizon Connection Server and click on Edit… to open the Edit Connection Server Settings window.
- Click on the Backup tab and make any desired changes; refer to the following screenshot for an example. Note that setting the data recovery password on this page will update it for all Connection Servers in the Pod.
