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Backing UP and Restoring OLTs

Panorama PON serves as the master of all provisioning data for Ethernet OLTs. Provisioning changes are performed from Panorama PON, and Panorama PON sends provisioning data to the OLT. Existing information at the OLT is overwritten with Panorama PON data.

Backup Overview

For Ethernet OLTs, an OLT backup file can be created from the database and subsequently restored to the OLT from a backup file. When an OLT is restored, the process overwrites the OLT data in the Panorama PON database and sends the new information to the OLT.

The system generates a backup file name based on the OLT TID, followed by _Backup, date, and time:

<TID>_Backup_<MMDDYY>_<HHMMSS>. For example, OLT-1150-128_Backup_021718_213216.

The user can change the date and time part of the generated backup file name (it must always begin with <TID_Backup>) and append additional characters to the end of the file name (up to a total filename length of 60 characters) before starting the procedure.

By default, Panorama PON saves up to 15 backup files, and one restore file. (These defaults can be edited in FastBackupRestoreSubsystem.properties file.)

The OLT backup file includes:

The administrative state of all GbE lines.
The line type, administrative state, sealing current selection, and profile name of all subscriber lines and the provisioning database.
Connection parameters and administrative state of all provisioned cross-connections.
All profiles associated with cross-connections.
All parameters are provided during the Add OLT process (except the OLT IP address).
All provisioned shelf information.
Software auto download flag as set for the OLT.
Threshold Crossing Alert (TCA) configuration parameters.
The network element security database.

Note: Existing OLT backup files cannot be overwritten.

During the OLT backup process, Panorama PON displays the updated progress and status messages. When the process is completed, Panorama PON indicates the final backup status (Success or Failure), and provides detailed error messages for any conditions encountered. Multiple OLTs can be backed up at the same time.

Restore Overview

The Restore process provides the ability to restore an OLT from the database or from an OLT backup file. Performing a restore is service-affecting to all subscribers on the network element. When restoring from the database, the system retrieves all data associated with the OLT from the database. When restoring from an OLT backup file:

Create a backup file or select an available OLT backup file.
The restore process overwrites the OLT data in the database and then sends the new information to the OLT.

At both Panorama PON and the OLT, the restore from an OLT backup file:

Overwrites the administrative state of all GbE lines.
Overwrites the line type, administrative state, sealing current selection, and profile name of all subscriber lines.

Replaces all existing connections with the connection parameters and administrative state of all connections in the OLT backup file.

Note: Voice connections with valid F1 and F2 connection end-points are restored to the OLT. Connections with invalid F1 or F2 connection end-points (also referred to as dangling cross-connections) are deleted from the OLT.

Overwrites all parameters provided during the Add OLT process (except the IP address).

Overwrites the HTTP configuration.
Overwrites the OLT security database.
Overwrites the software autodownload flag.
Overwrites the threshold crossing alert (TCA) configuration information.
Overwrites craft user account data for all locally administered craft users.

At Panorama PON, the restore from an OLT backup file creates profiles if they do not already exist in the database.

At the OLT, the restore process overwrites all profiles in the OLT.

During the Restore process, Panorama PON performs the following actions:

Locks the OLT.
Generates an Extensible Markup Language (XML) file with the OLT data.
Sends the XML file to the OLT, using HTTP.
Unlocks the OLT.
Obtains alarms from the OLT and updates Panorama PON with alarm changes.
Obtains inventory data from the OLT and updates Panorama PON with inventory changes.

During the Restore process, Panorama PON displays updated progress and status messages. When the process is completed, Panorama PON indicates the final status (Success or Failure), and provides detailed error messages for any conditions encountered. OLT data can be viewed during a restore; however, any activity that could potentially change the OLT data cannot be performed. Panorama PON records an event in the alarm/event log, indicating when the restore started and when the restore completed or failed.

Backup File Validation

Whenever a backup or restore operation is executed (refer to "Automated Backup (Ethernet OLTs)", validation of the backup file is performed.

During a backup operation, the backup file is validated as it is received from the OLT. During a restore operation, the backup file is validated before it is sent to the OLT.

The validation process checks for the following situations:

Empty strings
Spaces within certain text strings
Incomplete backup files
Corrupted backup files
Duplicate cross-connections using the same subscriber endpoint. The validation process corrects the following situations:
Empty strings
Spaces within certain text strings

If there are any errors encountered during the backup operation, these errors appear in the Status Message area.

Additionally, when executing an automatic backup/restore utility (refer to "Automated Backup (Ethernet OLTs)" ), the following events occur:

If the auto backup utility creates a valid backup file, the utility returns an error code of 0 and, if errors were encountered, and they were fixed, an entry to the stderr containing:
<Date> <Time> <Filename> FIXED - <TID> <IP>

Where TID is the target identifier of the OLT to back up, and IP is the Internet Protocol address of the OLT.

If the auto backup utility cannot create a valid backup file, the utility returns an error code of 1 and returns an entry to stderr containing:
<Date> <Time> <Filename> CORRUPTED - <TID> <IP>

Where TID is the target identifier of the OLT that a backup of was attempted, and IP is the Internet protocol address of the OLT.

Backup/Restore Procedures: