What is the NFM-P main database?

Description

This section describes the NFM-P main database, and how to manage the associated data integrity and security functions.

An NFM-P main database stores classic mediation network data that includes object configurations, device backups, and statistics: The NFM-P uses the data to create a network model for use by NFM-P management functions.

An NFM-P system requires a central, Oracle-based database for persistent storage. The database can be on the same station as the main server, or on a separate station. A redundant NFM-P deployment has two identical main database instances in a synchronized primary/standby configuration to limit data loss in the event of a failure.

You can manage the following database functions and parameters:

  • security

  • statistics data retention

  • data synchronization

  • backups and restores

  • historical record retention

  • object ageout

  • log storage

  • error monitoring

  • alarm handling

See “NFM-P Oracle database” in the NSP Planning Guide for more information about licensing and support for the Oracle 19c Enterprise Edition embedded with the NFM-P main database installation.

Backups and restores

It is strongly recommended that you schedule regular NFM-P main database backups through the NFM-P client UI. You can also initiate a backup operation manually on demand either through the UI or via CLI.

An NFM-P main database backup operation is performed on the standalone or active main database station. In a redundant NFM-P system, the NFM-P automatically copies the database backup files to the standby database station if database backup file synchronization is enabled. The following information is saved in the backup operation:

  • device inventory

  • infrastructure configurations

  • service configurations

  • STM configurations

  • alarms

  • performance statistics (if configured for database storage and if retention policy set appropriately)

  • accounting statistics (if configured for database storage and if retention policy set appropriately); note that accounting statistics are excluded if you select partial backup

  • file-based statistics (if configured for database storage; file-based statistics configured as “file only” are not included)

  • user and role data

  • system settings configured from the NFM-P client UI

The following information is not stored in the NFM-P main database and is therefore not saved during the backup operation:

  • server or database custom configurations, such as customizations made in the nms-server.xml file

  • installation binaries and images

  • license records

  • raw log archives

  • external directory data

  • NE configuration backup files, which are saved to the main server file system; see How do I back up and restore NE configuration files?

  • non-NFM-P data such as workflows, analytics, real-time telemetry counters, reference tables, and audit logs

An NFM-P main database backup can be restored as described in How do I restore and reinstantiate the NFM-P main database?.

Main database safeguards

In addition to the protection of system redundancy, the NFM-P has mechanisms that raise alarms for the following:

  • database disk and tablespace capacity issues

  • redundancy events, misconfiguration, and failures

  • database backup misconfiguration and failures

  • archive log management actions and failures

  • internal errors that may represent a security risk

  • size constraint and ageout constraint policy violations

References

See the following for more information:

  • NSP Planning Guide—main database platform and network requirements

  • NSP Installation and Upgrade Guide—main database deployment

  • NSP Troubleshooting Guide—main database troubleshooting

  • NSP NFM-P Alarm Search Tool—alarm descriptions, raising and clearing conditions, and remedial actions