Backing Up and Restoring

Best Practices:

Step	Instructions
1	Before the upgrade: Save a snapshot of your source system. This backs up the entire configuration. Save a backup of your source system. This file lets you extract the most important configuration easily. Collect the CPinfo file from your source system (see sk92739). This file lets you see the most important configuration easily with the DiagnosticsView tool (see sk125092).
2	Immediately after the Pre-Upgrade Verifier (PUV) finishes successfully and does not show you further suggestions: Save a second snapshot of your source system. Save a second backup of your source system. Collect a second CPinfo file from your source system.
3	Transfer the CPinfo file, snapshot, backup files, and exported database files to external storage devices. Make sure to transfer the files in the binary mode.

Step

Instructions

1

Before the upgrade:

Save a snapshot of your source system.

This backs up the entire configuration.
Save a backup of your source system.

This file lets you extract the most important configuration easily.
Collect the CPinfo file from your source system (see sk92739).

This file lets you see the most important configuration easily with the DiagnosticsView tool (see sk125092).

2

Immediately after the Pre-Upgrade Verifier (PUV) finishes successfully and does not show you further suggestions:

Save a second snapshot of your source system.
Save a second backup of your source system.
Collect a second CPinfo file from your source system.

3

Transfer the CPinfo file, snapshot, backup files, and exported database files to external storage devices. Make sure to transfer the files in the binary mode.

Backing up and restoring in Management High Availability environment:

To back up and restore a consistent Management High Availability environment, make sure to collect and restore the backups and snapshots from all Security Management Servers or Multi-Domain Security Management Servers at the same time. (This does not apply to Multi-Domain Log Servers.)
Make sure other administrators do not make changes in SmartConsole Check Point GUI application used to manage a Check Point environment - configure Security Policies, configure devices, monitor products and events, install updates, and so on. until the backup operation is completed.

To back up a Security Management Server:

Operating System	Backup Recommendations
Gaia Check Point security operating system that combines the strengths of both SecurePlatform and IPSO operating systems.	Take the Gaia snapshot. Collect the backup with the "`migrate_server export`" command. Collect the Log Exporter configuration (see sk127653).
Linux	Collect the backup with the "`migrate_server export`" command. Collect the Log Exporter configuration (see sk127653).

To back up a Multi-Domain Server:

Operating System	Backup Recommendations
Gaia	Take the Gaia snapshot. Collect the full backup with the `mds_backup` command. Collect the Log Exporter configuration (see sk127653).
Linux	Collect the full backup with the `mds_backup` command. Collect the Log Exporter configuration (see sk127653).

Operating System	Backup Recommendations
Gaia	Take the Gaia snapshot.

To back up a VSX environment:

Follow sk100395: How to backup and restore VSX Gateway.

To back up a Virtual Machine environment:

See the vendor documentation for your virtual platform.

For more information, see:

sk108902: Best Practices - Backup on Gaia OS
Gaia Administration Guide (see the Documentation section in the Home Page SK for your current version)
Multi-Domain Security ManagementAdministration Guide (see the Documentation section in the Home Page SK for your current version) - Chapter Command Line Reference - Section mds_backup
Command Line Interface Reference Guide - the "migrate_server" command.
sk110173: How to migrate the events database from SmartEvent server R7x to SmartEvent Server R80 and above.
sk100395: How to backup and restore VSX Gateway.
sk127653: How to back up and restore Log Exporter configuration.