Online Oracle backup with business copy.

[Insu Kim]

Hello,

To make a backup of Oracle database while it's online, we do "Begin Backup" first, back up database files and finally "End backup".

This is what I do all the time for online Oracle backup but with the implementation of business copy on XP512,
I wonder if there's any other way of making a backup of Oracle database in use without doing "Begin & End backup".

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[T G Manikandan]

The inbuilt backup and recovery utility of oracle
i.e.RMAN is a excellent utility for backup and restoration.

There is no need to give begin and end backup statements.

IT creates a snapshot of the tablespace and takes a backup online.
check the chapter 4 here.

It can support lot of features

check this link(chap 4)
http://www.csee.umbc.edu/help/oracle8/server.815/a67773/toc.htm

Thanks

[Ian Vaughan]

Howdy,
Here is a rough 'n ready overview of implementing a backup solution using BCV's a.k.a 3rd mirror copies ( should work for any UX based db that uses filesystem rather than raw disk ) :
1) Create an equivalent mountpoint for each mounted filesystem that makes up your database set ie if your fs's are /u01, /u02 etc call them /BC01, /BC02 etc.
2) Create the same number of BCV volumes as you have mirrored pairs of disks (luns) in your db volume group. Associate these BCV's with the mirrored pairs.
3) Using your Time-Finder / Business copy software synchronize the 3rd mirrors with the std mirrored disks. ( can be scripted)
4) If you have a "hot" backup mode and the ability to freeze I/O while the db is still up put your tablespaces into "hot" backup mode and apply "alter database suspend" to freeze writes to disk. If you don't have the above utilities best shut down for 2 mins and sync sync sync !
5) Issue command to split off the third mirrors - these will now become addressable targets & luns on your designated controller.
6) Once the split is complete ( you will be able to monitor this through your software and script for them all being completed - takes seconds ) put the database back into normal I/O mode "alter database resume" or equiv command and take the tablespaces out of "hot" backup mode. Alternatively - re-start your database.
6) As you have set up your BCV copies in such a way that you know the target & lun info - all you need do now is mknod a new volume group & vgimport the disks into it. This will give you a set of logical volumes that look like dead ringers for your database. Mount these on your alternative mountpoints as described above.
7) Backup the /BC* filesystems using your favourite backup software.
8) vgexport the volume group when u are done with it so that it can be re-sync'd with the live data disks.

I leave the coding of the scripts as an exercise for the reader..

Have fun
Ian

[Ashwani Kashyap]

Here is what I do .
I create BC/BCV Volumes of exactly the same structure as production volumes and assign it to a different server .

I have script which then establishes the BC/BCV volumes as a third mirror od the production volumes . Once the production and BC/BCV volumes are synchronised , it shutdowns the database and app for 5 min , does sync;sync;sync ,umounts all user filesystems on production server, splits the BC/BCV volumes from the production volumes , mounts all the umounted FS back and starts up the DB and apps.

Now on the server where the BC/BCV volumes are assigned , VG's are created exactly like production , vgchgid is applied on the BC/BCV raw volumes and imported in the respective volume groups just like production . THen fsck all the logical volumes and mount them on designated mount points and then back them off to tapes .

[Brian Crabtree]

To answer your question, no. If you want to do offline backups, the database can be shutdown, and the BC run normally. For online backups with Oracle to work correctly, the database does need to be placed in the special BACKUP state.

Brian