---
title: Planning the DBMS backup
description: Gather information to prepare the PingDataMetrics server DBMS backup.
component: pingdirectory
version: 9.3
page_id: pingdirectory:pingdatametrics_server_administration_guide:pd_met_plan_dbms_backup
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingdirectory/9.3/pingdatametrics_server_administration_guide/pd_met_plan_dbms_backup.html
revdate: September 13, 2023
section_ids:
  about-this-task: About this task
  steps: Steps
---

# Planning the DBMS backup

Gather information to prepare the PingDataMetrics server DBMS backup.

## About this task

To prepare for backing up the PingDataMetrics DBMS, pick a time to backup, ensure you have enough space, and review additional data from sample deployments.

## Steps

1. Choose a time window during which the PingDataMetrics server can be offline.

2. Ensure there is enough disk space to hold the new image.

   The exact size of a DBMS table and its corresponding backup depends on the number of monitored servers, the number of tracked applications, the collected metrics, and the retention duration for each of the aggregation levels.

   The following table provides values from installations used during testing.

   | Data                            | 25 monitored servers   | 50 monitored servers   |
   | ------------------------------- | ---------------------- | ---------------------- |
   | 1 minute data retention         | 14 days                | 14 days                |
   | 1 hour data retention           | 52 weeks               | 52 weeks               |
   | 1 day data retention            | 20 years               | 20 years               |
   | 1 second table size             | 22 G                   | 42 G                   |
   | 1 minute table size             | 8 G                    | 18 G                   |
   | 1 hour table size               | 4 G (estimated)        | 9 G (estimated)        |
   | 1 day data retention            | 4 G (estimated)        | 7 G (estimated)        |
   | time to backup                  | 15 minutes (estimated) | 30 minutes (estimated) |
   | time for import catchup         | 10 minutes             | 42 minutes             |
   | size of compressed backup image | 3 G (estimated)        | Step 5.5 G (estimated) |
   | time to restore                 | 1 hour (estimated)     | 2 h (estimated)        |

   |   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
   | - | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
   |   | If no backups are performed and the DBMS is completely lost, reinitialize the DBMS, restart the PingDataMetrics server, and start collecting data again. All collected metric and event data are lost, but the configuration required to start collecting data again is retained. |