! Note: Do NOT modify the NPrinting Database for any reason using PG Admin postres query or any other execution tools as this will damage your NPrinting Deployment and prevent successful NPrinting Database backup and restore operations.
! Note: Do NOT restore an older version of an NPrinting Database to a New NPrinting server or restore a newer version of the NPrinting database to an older version of NPrinting Server.
Examples:
NP 21.0.0.0 to NP 21.0.0.0 This is OK
NP 20.29.7.0 to NP 20.39.6.0 NOT OK This will compromise your deployment of NPrinting
NP 20.39.6.0 to NP 20.29.7.0 NOT OK This will compromise your deployment of NPrinting
These rules apply to general releases and service releases: The point version of the NPrinting Database being restored must match the point version of NPrinting Server being restored to (see Backup and restore Qlik NPrinting).
! Note: From NPrinting February 2020 and later versions, it is NOT necessary to enter a superuser database password
! Note: If you are making a backup for the Qlik Support team, please add the following NPrinting user information so that we can log onto the NPrinting Web Console following the local restore of the database (also ensure that NPrinting Authentication is enabled. Go to Admin > Settings > Authentication
This procedure is meant to backup and restore (partial backup and restore of these individual items is not possible*):
NP Web Console Items:
NPrinting apps
Tasks
Connections
Filters
Schedules
*Reports (can separately be exportable/importable however only and exclusively between identical versions of NPrinting. See Related Content section link below)
Conditions and most settings applied to an existing system
NP Backup zip File Contents (do NOT open and modify the contents of this file):
A dump of the NPrinting database repository
All files used by report templates
All files related to reports published on the NewsStand
All files related to On Demand reports
The backup file size can be 'roughly' estimated by enumerating the size of the folder "c:\programdata\nprinting\apps"
NOTE: Settings that are not backed up or restored are documented below.
Resolution:
NOTE:
Do not unzip the backup file (np_backup.zip), simply copy it to
c:\nprintingbackups
Before Proceeding: Please log on as the NPrinting service account used to run the NPrinting Web Engine and Scheduler services before proceeding
The video below makes no mention of the Qlik NPrinting License Service which was included on newer versions. It also needs to be stopped as documented below.
If restoring to a different NPrinting server environment, see step 7 below for additional consideration not covered in the video below.
1. Stop only the following Qlik NPrinting services (do NOT stop any other services)
Open the Windows Service Manager (services.msc), and stop the following services (by right-clicking them, and then clicking Stop). This will ensure any manual or scheduled NPrinting Publish Tasks are not executed during the backup or restore process:
Qlik NPrinting Engine Service (NOTE: Stop all NP Engines connected to your NP server before proceeding)
Qlik NPrinting Scheduler Service
Qlik NPrinting WebEngine Service
Qlik NPrinting Audit Service
Qlik NPrinting License Service
2. Create a folder for the backup in:
C:\NPrintingBackups
3. Open Command prompt and change directory path
Do NOT modify any syntax or add any additional unnecessary spaces Open the command prompt making sure to run cmd.exe as Administrator and change directory as follows:
cd C:\Program Files\NPrintingServer\Tools\Manager
4. Backup
Copy and paste the following backup syntax to the command prompt console. Replace superuserDBpassword with your password first used when installing NPrinting.
Copy and paste the following backup syntax to the command prompt console. Replace superuserDBpassword with your password first used when installing NPrinting.
Keep in mind: You may safely ignore any restore 'error' messages found in the nprinting_manager.log file as seen below.
File C:\Users\domainuser\AppData\Local\Temp\2\nprintingrestore_20201203082300\files\xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx does not exist in the source backup package.
These are references to NPrinting Apps/Connections/Reports that once existed and have been subsequently deleted from the NPrinting Web Console.
For example, A report/connection/NP App may have been deemed retired, then manually deleted by a user with appropriate NP role permissions since it no longer served any specific purpose.
6. Start all NPrinting server services that were stopped earlier.
Restoring to a Different Environment
! Note: If re-installing on existing or restoring to a different NPrinting server environment, ensure that the destination NPrinting server license is enabled/activated before restoring the NP database.
If restoring to a different NPrinting server environment (same NP database version as the NP server version that you have restored to),
Note that once the restore to the Target/Destination server is complete you will need to update the following applicable settings in the NP Web Console on the Target/destination server that the NP database has been restored to:
NPrinting Engine:
Sept 2019 and earlier NPrinting versions: Update the NP Engine in the Engine Manager via the NPrinting Web Console. Add the name of the new NP Engine Computer name here and disable or delete the original NP Engine entry.
QlikView NP Connection paths if local QVW or QVP connection paths have changed
Sense connections: if the Sense IDs, Proxy address and NP Identity (NP service account used on the target NP server) has changed at the time of the NP database restore
Qlik Sense Certificates (if using NPrinting Qlik Sense connections)
April 2019 and earlier NPrinting versions: you will need to re-import the Qlik Sense certificates to the new NPrinting server
If June 2019 and later NPrinting versions: you may simply copy the previously exported client.pfx file to the following folder and Restart all NPrinting server services
Other helpful information about the NP Backup and Restore tool and process:
NPrinting Manual Backups creates (the following is also true for the programmatic backups performed during the NPrinting Upgrade process)
a temp file and folder backup that uses up c:drive space
This temp backup folder is removedonce the manual backup is completed
Note: The temp folder backup location cannot be modified
NPrinting performs Three Automated Backups of the NPrinting Database during the upgrade process only. The c:\drive where NPrinting Server is installed must have sufficient space to allow the upgrade process to proceed without failure. The upgrade process creates:
a pre-upgrade backup of the NP database (pre-upgrade backup of the NP Database)
a post upgrade backup (upgraded version of the NP database).
a temp file and folder backup (which is removed once the upgrade is completed)
The pre and post upgrade backup files can be found here:
C:\ProgramData\NPrinting
Note:The pre and post upgrade backup files are appended with the NP version number and backup date
