Backing Up

In This Section: Gaia Backup Gaia Snapshot Image Management

Before you upgrade, back up the Security Management Servers and Security Gateways.

Use the snapshot mechanism if it is available.

Gaia Backup

Back up the configuration of the Gaia operating system and of the Security Management Server database. You can restore a previously saved configuration. The configuration is saved to a .tgz file. You can store backups locally, or remotely to a TFTP, SCP or FTP server. You can run the backup manually or on a schedule.

Before you use snapshot image management, see sk91400 and sk98068.

Backing Up the System - Portal

To add a backup:

1. In the tree view, click Maintenance > System Backup
2. Click Add Backup.

   The New Backup window opens.

3. Select the location of the backup file:
   • This appliance
   • TFTP server. Specify the IP address.
   • SCP server. Specify the IP address, user name and password.
   • FTP server. Specify the IP address, user name and password.

Backing Up the System - CLI (Backup)

Backing Up a Configuration

Description	Use these commands to create and save the system's configuration
Syntax	To create and save a backup locally: add backup local   To create and save a backup on a remote server using FTP: add backup ftp ip VALUE username VALUE password plain   To create and save a backup on a remote server using TFTP: add backup tftp ip VALUE   To save a backup on a remote server using SCP: add backup scp ip VALUE username VALUE password plain
Parameter		Description
ip VALUE		The IP address of the remote server.
username VALUE		User name required to log in to the remote server.
password plain		At the prompt, enter the password for the remote server.

Example

add backup local

Output

gw> add backup local Creating backup package. Use the command 'show backups' to monitor creation progress.   gw> show backup status Performing local backup   gw> show backups backup_gw-8b0891_22_7_2012_14_29.tgz Sun, Jul 22, 2012 109.73 MB

Comments

Backup configurations are stored in: /var/CPbackup/backups/

Monitoring Backup Status

To monitor the creation of a backup:

show backup status

To show the status of the last backup performed:

show backups

Gaia Snapshot Image Management

A snapshot is a backup of the system settings and products. It includes:

• File system, with customized files
• System configuration (interfaces, routing, hostname, and similar)
• Software Blades
• Management database (on a Security Management Server or a Multi-Domain Server)

A snapshot is very large. A snapshot includes the entire root partition and some of the /var/log partition and other important files. For this reason, snapshots cannot be scheduled the same way that Backups can. Backup and Restore is the preferred method of recovery.

Notes:

• When Gaia creates a snapshot, all system processes and services continue to run. Policy enforcement is not interrupted.
• You can import a snapshot created on a different release or on this release. You must import it to the same appliance or open server hardware model.
• After importing the snapshot, you must activate the device license from the Gaia Portal or the User Center.

Snapshot options:

• Revert to a user created image.
• Revert to a factory default image, which is automatically created on Check Point appliances by the installation or upgrade procedure.
• Delete an image from the local system.
• Export an existing image. This creates a compressed version of the image. You can download the exported image to a different computer and delete the exported image from the Gaia computer. This saves disk space. You must not rename the exported image. If you rename a snapshot image, it is not possible to revert to it.
• Import an exported image.
• View a list of images that are stored locally.

IMPORTANT: Before using Snapshot image management, see the known limitations.

Best Practice for creating snapshots:

• Immediately after Gaia installation and first-time configuration.
• Before making a major system change, such as installing a Jumbo Hotfix or route changes.

Configuring Snapshot Management - Gaia Portal

Before you create a snapshot image, make sure the storage computer or appliance fulfills the prerequisites.

To create a snapshot:

1. In the tree view, click Maintenance > Image Management.
2. Below available images, click New Image. The Create New Image window opens.
3. In the Name field, enter a name for the image.
4. Optional: In the Description field, enter a description for the image.
5. Click OK.

To restore a snapshot:

1. In the tree view, click Maintenance > Image Management.
2. Select an image.
3. Click Revert. The Revert window opens.

   Note - Pay close attention to the warnings about overwriting settings, the credentials, and the reboot and the image details.

4. Click OK.

To delete a snapshot:

1. In the tree view, click Maintenance > Image Management.
2. Select an image.
3. Click Delete. The Delete Image window opens.
4. Click Ok.

To export a snapshot:

1. Make sure that there is enough disk space in: /var/log
2. In the tree view, click Maintenance > Image Management.
3. Select an image.
4. Click Export. The Export Image (name) window.
5. Click Start Export.

To import an image:

1. In the tree view, click Maintenance > Image Management.
2. Select an image.
3. Click Import. The Import Image window opens.
4. Click Browse to select the import file for upload.
5. Click Upload.
6. Click OK.

   Note - You must not rename the exported image. If you rename a snapshot image, it is not possible to revert to it.

Configuring Snapshot Management - Gaia Clish (snapshot)

Description	Manage system images (also known as snapshots)
Syntax	To make a new image: add snapshot VALUE desc VALUE To delete an image delete snapshot VALUE To export or import an image, or to revert to an image: set snapshot export VALUE path VALUE name VALUE set snapshot import VALUE path VALUE name VALUE set snapshot revert VALUE To show image information show snapshot VALUE all show snapshot VALUE date show snapshot VALUE desc show snapshot VALUE size show snapshots
Parameters	Parameter Description snapshot VALUE Name of the image desc VALUE Description of the image snapshot export VALUE The name of the image to export snapshot import VALUE The name of the image to import path VALUE The storage location for the exported image. For example: /var/log name VALUE The name of the exported image (not the original image). all All image details
Comments	To create the snapshot image requires free space on the Backup partition. The required free disk space is the actual size of the root partition, multiplied by 1.15. The available space required in the export file storage location is the size of the snapshot multiplied by two. The minimum size of a snapshot is 2.5G. Therefore, the minimum available space necessary in the export file storage location is 5G. You must not rename the exported image. If you rename a snapshot image, it is not possible to revert to it.

Factory default images are created automatically when you install or upgrade an appliance to another release. You can restore your Check Point appliance to the factory default image for a specified release.

Note - This procedure overwrites all current configuration settings. We recommend that you create a backup image before you restore a factory default image.

To restore a factory default image:

1. From your appliance command line, run:

   set fcd revert <default_image_name>

2. Follow the instructions on the screen.
3. Restart the appliance.