Run your virtualized Oracle database as a service with Zerto

[ToddPrice]

Discover the advantages of using Zerto in a VMware environment for Oracle databases. Learn how Zerto provides data replication and replication checkpoints with application-consistent checkpoint tagging – with retention both locally and remotely to HPE StoreOnce or the public cloud.

Database environments in today’s ecosystems require not only quick access to data but the ability to move the data just as quickly for use in fast moving dev/test environments. In these environments, Oracle databases are becoming more common in VMware. Here, I’m discussing the solution from HPE Zerto that is simple to implement, elegantly architected, and ideal for your Oracle environment. 

Disaster recovery as a service: Zerto is ready for Oracle

HPE GreenLake chose Zerto to be an edge-to-cloud platform for data mobility and protection. A comprehensive set of GreenLake cloud services can enable businesses to modernize data protection. HPE GreenLake for Disaster Recovery delivers Zerto’s disaster recovery as a service. Zerto is already the vendor of choice for more than 9000 customers. Read the HPE press release on Zerto for more details on the Zerto acquisition.

Oracle is one of many databases that can be replicated using Zerto. In fact, any application workload running in a VMware environment can be replicated with other workloads and data consistency can be achieved using Zerto Virtual Protection Groups (VPGs). It is even possible to define an entire solution (including webserver, database, and more) into a single VPG and maintain data consistency. The planning and sizing of replication links is key to an optimized replication environment and Zerto Analytics has the tools to be successful.

Main Zerto dashboard

In a VMware VCenter environment, from one VMware cluster to another, each VMware environment has its own Zerto-customized virtual machine (VM) called a Virtual Replication Appliance (VRA). The VRA is responsible for managing the replication process and the remote VRA on the target side is keeping a journal of checkpoints. Zerto also has a Zerto Virtual Manager (ZVM) browser-based BUI for managing the Zerto services. The ZVM can also link to Zerto’s Analytics platform which can give you a view of all Zerto implementations in your entire organization. This allows for global monitoring of VPG’s, VMs and storage. You'll also find a planning tab for monitoring throughput.

Thanks to Zerto’s Continuous Data Protection (CDP) capabilities and journaling of checkpoints every five seconds, you get a virtual environment that uses a replication solution with the ability to provide a recovery point objective (RPO) for individual workloads within seconds. Zerto also provides Commandlets to create custom tagging of checkpoints, allowing for application consistent checkpointing orchestration with a database hot backup routine.

The replicated copy created in Zerto can be used for disaster recovery purposes, continuous data protection, or replication to DevOps environments for testing. Not only can databases be replicated but also offline Oracle ASM groups and tablespaces can be replicated with a VM to move data from one area of the VMware cluster to another. Oracle replication also can be accomplished if the database is on standard filesystems.

In a VMware environment, Oracle ASM disk groups can be implemented using VMFS, RDM, or vVols where they can be replicated to a remote datastore with Zerto. The Oracle server operating system, database, and all ASM groups can be put into a VPG where the data is being continuously replicated with proper write ordering and data consistency. The VPG is constantly being monitored by Zerto to ensure the protection group is meeting the defined recovery point objective (RPO) and service level agreement (SLA).

What’s more, Zerto has command buttons to orchestrate live fail-over or even a test fail-over on a test network. HPE StoreOnce VSA can be integrated into Zerto’s long-term retention capabilities as well. Individual VPGs can be attached to a target repository using StoreOnce. Other options are AWS Storage Gateway, Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure Storage, and network shares. This gives you the ultimate in flexibility and choice.

Ready to learn more on how Zerto protects Oracle databases on VMware?

I recently wrote a technical brief, Protecting Oracle Databases on VMware with Zerto, offering details on modes of operation and a sample solution setup for Oracle database using Automatic Storage Manage (ASM). The brief also covers the use of HPE Alletra and Data Services Cloud Console. The tech brief highlights an example for implementing Zerto Checkpoint tagging to orchestrate application consistent recoveries.

And this short demo video on Oracle database replication using HPE Zerto takes you on a tour through the Zerto Virtual Manager (ZVM) in context with configuring an Oracle database for replication. The ZVM provides all the controls and views needed to manage Zerto. Watch the demo here:

Together, the demo video and technical brief give you greater insights into the capabilities that come with using the Zerto CDP solution with your Oracle databases. HPE provides numerous options for Disaster Recovery Replication and Data Protection. Zerto is one option that provides CDP in virtual environments. That’s a good reason why many customers choose this approach – along with the convenient integration into HPE GreenLake for edge-to-cloud disaster recovery as a service.

For more general information about HPE data protection as a service, see this blog on the next generation of data protection services: HPE Backup and Recovery Service.

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Todd Price
Hewlett Packard Enterprise

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