Tuesday, January 22, 2013

How to make scheduled backup of a QC project

The Quality Center's site admin supports backing up and restoring the projects as following the below screenshot procedure.
The output file will be a .qcp extension file.


Restoring a .qcp file that is smaller than 2GB is a straight forward process. As below screenshot just selecting Create Project and then checking the last option will be enough. In the next entry i am going to describe how to restore a qcp project file that is bigger than 4GB.


If you are managing an important QC project, making this backup process as a scheduled job is a good option rather than backing up database scheme and file system. You can use following VB code and define a scheduled job on Windows Task Manager that triggers this script. To make sure that this code runs on your host first you have to open the siteadmin and qc application to install the client components like OTAClient and SAClient.

By using this script you can define the domains and projects those you want to back up. Before starting the backup process the script opens a defect on a different project (SUPPORT:QC_BackupProject). When the job completes the defect will be Fixed and Closed and then the alarm mail will be sent. The script must be copied on the backup server and a scheduled task must be defined by using Windows Task Manager. 


Dim v_qcURL, sa, v_username, v_pasword
Dim v_domain, v_project, v_date, v_fileName, bugId, v_summary
Dim v_projectList, v_domainProject, v_domainProjectArray

v_qcURL = "http://<hostname>:8080/qcbin"
v_projectList = "DOMAIN:PROJECT_I;DOMAIN:PROJECT_II;DOMAIN:PROJECT_III"

v_username = "site_admin_user"
v_password = "site_admin_password"

For each v_domainProject in split(v_projectList,";")

 v_domainProjectArray = split(v_domainProject,":")
 v_domain = v_domainProjectArray(0)
 v_project = v_domainProjectArray(1)

 v_year = Year(Now)
 v_month = Month(Now)
 v_day = Day(Now) 
 v_hour = Hour(Now)
 v_minute = Minute(Now) 
 v_second = Second(Now)

 If v_month<10 Then
  v_month = "0" & v_month
 End If
 If v_day<10 Then
  v_day = "0" & v_day
 End If
 If v_hour<10 Then
  v_hour = "0" & v_hour
 End If
 If v_minute<10 Then
  v_minute = "0" & v_minute
 End If
 If v_second<10 Then
  v_second = "0" & v_second
 End If

 v_date = v_year & v_month & v_day  & v_hour & v_minute & v_second
 v_fileName = "D:\DO_NOT_REMOVE\QCBACKUPS\" & v_date & "_" & v_project & ".qcp"

 v_summary = "For project <" & v_domainProject & "> backup started: " & v_date

 bugId = openDefect (v_summary)

 Set sa = CreateObject("SAClient.SaApi")
 sa.Login v_qcURL, v_username, v_password
 
 sa.SendAllQualifiedNow "SUPPORT","QC_BackupProject"
 sa.SendMessageToProjectConnectedUsers v_domain, v_project, "This project is going to be deactivated due to maintenence."
 sa.DisconnectProject  v_domain, v_project
 sa.DeactivateProject v_domain, v_project
 sa.ExportProject v_domain, v_project, v_fileName
 sa.ActivateProject v_domain, v_project

 Set fs = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
 Set f = fs.GetFile(v_fileName)

 fixAndCloseDefect bugId, v_fileName & ": " & round((f.Size/1024)/1024,2) & " MB"
 sa.SendAllQualifiedNow "SUPPORT","QC_BackupProject"
Next
sa.Logout


Function  openDefect(p_summary)
 v_detectionDate = Day(Now) & "." & Month(Now) & "." & Year(Now)
 If Day(Now)<10  Then
  v_detectionDate = "0" & Day(Now) & "." & Month(Now) & "." & Year(Now)
 End If
 If Month(Now)<10  Then
  v_detectionDate = Day(Now) & ".0" & Month(Now) & "." & Year(Now)
 End If
 If Month(Now)<10 And Day(Now)<10  Then
  v_detectionDate = "0" & Day(Now) & ".0" & Month(Now) & "." & Year(Now)
 End If

 set tdc = createobject("TDApiOle80.TDConnection")
 tdc.InitConnectionEx "http://<hostname>:8080/qcbin"
 tdc.Login "mehmet.kahraman","pass"
 tdc.Connect "SUPPORT","QC_BackupProject"
 
 Set bfact = tdc.BugFactory
 
 Set mybug = bfact.AddItem (null)
 mybug.Summary = p_summary
 mybug.Status = "Open"
 mybug.Field("BG_SEVERITY") = "2-Medium"
 mybug.DetectedBy = "mehmet.kahraman"
 mybug.Field("BG_DETECTION_DATE") = v_detectionDate
 mybug.Post()
 bugId = mybug.ID
 tdc.Logout
 tdc.Disconnect
 openDefect = bugId
End Function

Function fixAndCloseDefect(p_bugId, p_comment)
 set tdc = createobject("TDApiOle80.TDConnection")
 tdc.InitConnectionEx "http://<hostname>:8080/qcbin"
 tdc.Login "mehmet.kahraman","pass"
 tdc.Connect "SUPPORT","QC_BackupProject"
 
 Set bfact = tdc.BugFactory
    Set bgfilter = bfact.Filter

    bgfilter.Filter("BG_BUG_ID") = p_bugId
    Set bglist = bgfilter.NewList

 For Each theBug In bglist
  Set bg = bfact.Item(theBug.ID)
  bg.Field("BG_STATUS") = "Closed"
  bg.Field("BG_DEV_COMMENTS") = "Backup completed on <backup_host>: " & p_comment
  bg.Post()
 Next

 tdc.Logout
 tdc.Disconnect
End Function

To manage the old backup files you can define another job for the following script (deletes qcp files those are older than 10 days). To accomplish this you have to put this piece of code in a batch file and define another scheduled job that calls this batch file. forfiles.exe executable file must be in the same directory with the batch file.

Sometimes the qcp file may not be downloaded to the client that runs siteadmin panel. For this case you've to check the QC app server for the qcp file. It should be located on this path: <<<InstallationPath>>>\HP\ALM\repository\export\export<<<timestamp>>>.qcp


forfiles.exe /p D:\DO_NOT_REMOVE\QCBACKUPS /m *.qcp /d -10 /c "cmd /c del @file"

9 comments:

Unknown said...

I have tried to run the code suggested in the blog after necessary changes but it gives error on line 42

Error: ActiveX component can't create object: "SAClient.SaApi"

Code: 800A01AD

Mehmet said...

Hi,
This VB code uses the dll files and componenets (like OTAClient and SAClient) that are installed while you open the QC application.
Can you try to open the QC application and Siteadmin page with the Internet Explorer to make sure that client components and dll files installed?

http://serveradres:port/qcbin/SiteAdmin.jsp

http://serveradres:port/qcbin/start_a.jsp

Harashita said...

hi

is this a default functionality or company needs to have this included in the contract as a feature

Mehmet said...

Hello,

This is just a workaround solution for making backups scheduled and put the backup files on another server. Incase of any emergency server problem you can restore from these backup files easier than restoring the filesystem and database.
HP advises you to backup your filesystem and DB server separetely.

Regards.

kiran said...

Hi,
I tried to run the code but facing the following issue

Error: Invalid Server response[ERR_SEP]
Code: 80040482
Source: SAClient.SAapi.9

Error coming at line ... sa.ExportProject v_domain, v_project, v_fileName

Could you help me with this ?

Regards
Kiran

Mehmet said...

Hi Kiran

What is the size of the project you want to export?
Can you check this post:
http://qualitesting.blogspot.com.tr/2013/06/exporting-qc-projects-bigger-than-4gb.html

srinu said...

HI Kahraman

I am exporting one Project in HPALM, it says Project export failed. The exported project size exceed 2048 mb. please suggest how can i export project and restore in another system. Thanks

Mehmet said...

Hello Srinu,

Please check this post:
http://qualitesting.blogspot.com.tr/2013/06/exporting-qc-projects-bigger-than-4gb.html

To reduce the project size first you've to move the repository files to somewhere else while project is deactivated.

Then you can export the project.

Be carefull not to activate the project until you put the repository files to its original directory.

Regards.

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