OpenEdge Database Replication Configuration

 

Below is the step-by-step guide to setting up OpenEdge Replication:

Requirements:

1. OpenEdge Database: We must have OpenEdge installed and a functioning database you want to replicate.
2. Licensing: We must have the correct OpenEdge Replication license.
3. Access and Permissions: Must have administrative privileges to configure replication on both the primary and secondary databases.

 

Setting Up OpenEdge Replication:

 Prepare the Primary Database

Before configuring replication, ensure that the primary database is set up correctly and is operational.

• Backup the Primary Database: It’s important to back up the primary database before starting the replication configuration.

 

proserve <primary_db> -C backup

 

• Enable Replication on the Primary Database: To set up replication, you need to start the Replication Agent on the primary database. This agent captures data changes.

 

Set Up the Secondary Database

• Create a Secondary Database: The secondary database should be identical to the primary database. We can either:

• Create an empty database and restore a backup from the primary.
• Or, initialize it as a copy of the primary database.

To create a secondary database, you can use the dbtool utility or dbtool options for replication:

 

protool <secondary_db> -C create

 

Then, you can restore the primary database’s backup onto the secondary database:

 

protool <secondary_db> -C restore <primary_db_backup_location>

 

• Initialize the Secondary Database: After the secondary database is created or restored, you need to initialize it for replication. This step enables the secondary database to communicate with the primary database and start receiving replicated data.

 

proutil <secondary_db> -C enable replication

 

Start the Replication Process

Once the databases are prepared, the next step is to enable the replication process.

• Configure the Replication Agent on the Primary Database: On the primary database, you need to start the Replication Agent process that captures all changes made to the database and sends them to the secondary database.

 

proutil <primary_db> -C replication agent start

 

• Configure the Replication Receiver on the Secondary Database: On the secondary database, you need to start the Replication Receiver process, which listens for changes sent by the primary database and applies them to the secondary.

 

proutil <secondary_db> -C replication receiver start

 

• Verify the Replication Status: You can check the replication status to ensure that the agent and receiver are running properly and that data is being replicated correctly.

To verify replication status:

 

proutil <primary_db> -C replication status

 

This command will show the status of the replication agent, including any errors or issues.

Monitoring and Managing Replication

• Monitor the Replication Process: Regularly check the replication status to ensure that both the primary and secondary databases are synchronized and there are no errors.

proutil <primary_db> -C replication status

 

You can also use the OpenEdge Management tool for monitoring replication activities across databases in real time.

• Handle Replication Failures: If replication stops due to any reason (such as network failure, database crash, etc.), you will need to restart the replication agent and receiver processes on both databases.

 

proutil <primary_db> -C replication agent start

 

proutil <secondary_db> -C replication receiver start

 

• Test Failover: It’s important to regularly test the failover process, where the secondary database can be promoted to the primary role in case of a failure in the primary database. This ensures high availability.

You can simulate a failover by stopping the primary database and checking if the secondary database takes over and starts serving client requests. In production environments, failover procedures should be automated as part of disaster recovery plans.

Additional Replication Configuration 

• Configure Bi-directional Replication: You can set up bi-directional replication if you want both databases to be able to process changes. This is useful in geographically distributed systems where changes may occur on both the primary and secondary databases.

 

proutil <primary_db> -C replication agent start

 

proutil <secondary_db> -C replication agent start

 

• Configure Multiple Secondary Databases: You can replicate data from one primary database to multiple secondary databases for load balancing or disaster recovery. You will need to set up replication agents on the primary database for each secondary database.
• Replication Performance Tuning: OpenEdge Replication can be fine-tuned for performance based on the network, database size, and replication frequency. Configuration parameters can be adjusted for optimal performance.

For more details, refer to Progress OpenEdge Documentation.