Restoring a backup dist

A backup dist includes not only the entire station folder, but all other Niagara configuration that may be customized for that platform. This allows for a complete replication from the one backup file. You can do a backup from the Platform Administration view—for details, see Backup.

More typically, backups are done from Workbench station connections (must be a station running, that has the BackupService). In the Nav tree, right-click the opened station, and select Backup Station.

To restore a backup, in the Distribution File Installer click the Backups button for the !/backups folder (if not already there), or if needed, click the Choose Directory button to point to another backup dist file location.

Depending on NiagaraAX release of the host with the station backup, these restore considerations apply:

If an AX-3.7u1 (update release) backup .dist, installation to a host other than the original host may first require manual editing. See Security update 1 changes to backup dist usage.
If an AX-3.8 host station backup, it is unnecessary to first edit the backup .dist file. However, be aware that the handling of JACE platform credentials has changed in AX-3.8 station backups. See AX-3.8 changes to backup dist usage

For complete details, refer to the NiagaraAX 2013 Security Updates engineering notes document.

The Installer parses through the available dist files, and makes selectable only those files available that are compatible with the opened JACE platform. When done parsing, available backup dists appear listed, as shown in Figure 21.

Figure 21. Backup dist files listed in Distribution File Installer

Double-click any .dist for more details in a popup dialog. To restore the backup, click Install to continue. If the host is already running a station, a dialog appears telling you that it must be stopped, as previously shown in Figure 16.

If the .dist file contains software modules different from (or in addition to) those already installed in the remote host, another dialog appears to inform you, as shown in Figure 22. Click Next to continue.

Figure 22. Software dependencies dialog in Distribution File Installer

As shown in Figure 23, whenever restoring a backup, another dialog always asks if you wish to restore the TCP/IP settings stored in the dist file (as displayed) into the remote host.

Figure 23. Restore TCP/IP settings in remote host from dist file

TCP/IP settings contained in the dist file are listed, and by default, the checkbox “Update the remote host’s TCP/IP settings” is cleared.

If you leave this cleared, after the dist file installs and host reboots, it retains its current TCP/IP settings. This allows you to use the same dist file on differently addressed hosts, if needed.
If you check (select) this checkbox, after the dist file installs (and host reboots), it will use the TCP/IP settings stored in the dist file—meaning the same ones shown in this dialog.

When you click Finish, the distribution file install process begins.