Backing up Horizon Composer

The information required to restore Horizon Composer is stored in two different locations:

• Horizon Composer database
• Horizon Composer SSL certificates or RSA key container

The Horizon Composer database should be backed up as part of a larger backup plan that includes the vCenter database, the Horizon Connection Server AD LDS database, and the Horizon Event database. By default, each Horizon Connection Server backs up both the AD LDS database and the Composer database to a folder on the Connection Server.

Backing up the Horizon Composer database

The Horizon Connection Server backs up the Horizon Composer database as part of its own native backup process. This is the preferred method of backing up the Horizon Composer database as it will be backed up at the same time as the Horizon Connection Server ADAM database. As these databases contain related information, it is critical that they are backed up at the same time.

The default location for the Horizon Connection Server database backups is on any Horizon Connection Server in the C:\ProgramData\VMware\VDM\backups folder. The Horizon Composer database backups will have an SVI extension and include the name of the Horizon Composer host server in the filename. In our example, the most recent Horizon Composer database backup file is named Backup-2015-1223101427-viewcomp01_vjason_local.SVI. Viewcomp01 and is the name of the dedicated Horizon Composer host server in our sample environment.

The Horizon Composer database may also be backed up using native database backup tools. This includes options such as:

• Native backups based on the capabilities of the database platform, such as Microsoft SQL Server backup or Oracle RMAN backup
• Third-party database backup solutions

Tip

Remember that, while native database backups will work, they may not be usable for restore purposes if they were not performed at the same time as the Horizon Connection Server AD LDS database backup. It is recommended you use the backups performed by the Horizon Connection Server, if you need to restore the Horizon Composer database.

Refer to your database server or backup software documentation if additional information about performing database backups is required.

Backing up the Horizon Composer SSL certificates

The process used to back up the default Horizon Composer SSL certificate requires Microsoft .NET Framework to be installed on the Horizon Composer host server.

The following steps explain how to back up the SSL certificates:

1. From the command prompt on the Horizon Composer host server, navigate to the c:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.xxxxx directory.
2. Execute the following command to export the Horizon Composer RSA key container to a local file named keys.xml:

        aspnet_regiis -px "SviKeyContainer" "keys.xml" -pri 

The following screenshot shows the expected output if the command was successful:

The keys.xml file should be backed up to an alternative location to be used in the event that the Horizon Composer software needs to be installed on a new server.

Chapter 14 , Managing H orizon SSL Certificates, outlines the process by which you can obtain new certificates for all Horizon components. During this process, you obtain a copy of the SSL certificate that can be used when restoring a Horizon Connection server from backups. If you choose to use a custom SSL certificate, you do not need to use the aspnet_regiis command to export the Horizon Composer RSA key container. During the creation of your custom SSL certificate, you should have been given a copy of it with the private key intact, which is what is required to perform a restore.