Splitting an Oracle Database "Hot" with EMC TimeFinder/BCV "symioctl" command ?

[Stuart Abramson_2]

We currently shut down our Oracle Database to do a BCV split. We want to move to "hot" BCV split. I found the "symioctl" command in EMC TimeFinder/BCV manuals, and I have a few questions:

1. I must set environmnet variables:

export SYMCLI_RDB_CONNECT="username/password@service"
export SYMCLI_RDB_TYPE=Oracle
export ORACLE_HOME=/u1001/app/oracle/product/9.2.0
export PATH=$PATH:$ORACLE_HOME/bin

What username do I use? "sys", "system", what? What "service" do I use? (This is the 9.2.0 Oracle.) (I can ask my Oracle DBA this question.)

2. Do I really need to "freeze" and "thaw" the database? If I'm in Backup Mode, all transactions are going to the Archive Logs anyway...

symioctl begin backup -type oracle
symioct freeze -type oracle
symmir -g dgname split -instant -noprompt symioctl thaw -type oracle symioctl end backup -type oracle

3. The "symioctl begin backup" has an "object" argument. But I want the whole database (every tablespace) to go into backup mode. Can I leave off the arguments and have the whole DB go into Backup Mode (every tablespace).

4. Does anyone have example scripts for splitting an Oracle Database "live" with symioctl?

[Ashwani Kashyap · Accepted solution]

You can also use the timefinder consistent splits to achieve the same . But that requires the use of power path and also requires microcode to be atleas 5568 on the symmetrix frame . This way you don't have to use symioctl .

Now to answer your questions :
1. Yes you must set those environment variables . The dba is the person to ask . Serivce name is the TNS or TNS alias name of your instance . YOu use it if you plan to run the script remotley over the network.

2. Yes you need to freeze and thaw the databse if using symioctl . The other way is to use consistent splits with powerpath .

3.yes if the object name is skipped the entire database goes in backup mode .

4. We used consistent splits and symioctl . But the other side of consistent split is that when the split BCV is brought back up on the secondary host ,it had no record of a clean shutdown or backup , so the database will go into recovery mode . My DBA didn't like that so we moved to back to regular , stop databse and then split , type of thing .

[Al Rusnak]

We would like to use symioctl to backup our databases. On our 8.1.7.2 we use sys as the user. On our 9i database this fails so we created a user and granted dba role to this user. The backups work but I would rather only grant the privs needed to accomplish the backup. Does anyone know these privs??

Thanks

Al

[Stuart Abramson_2]

Al,

We use Oracle 8.1.7.4, and ID system to do the split, so I can't answer your question.

However, I do know that the ID priviledge scheme changed at Oracle 9, so you have to do something different. Our testing didn't get that far.

If you find out what to do, please let me know.

Also, the "alter database backup controlfile to trace;" changed too. It produces a "double" "trace" file. You have to pick out what you want.

[Steven E. Protter]

We are currently testing something different.

WE have three lv's set up.

Down database

mount -F vxfs -o snapof=/dev/vg02/lvol4 /dev/vg02/lvol16 /oraback

three times to different containers for the three oracle fs's

Database back up.

Looks like we can get a good cold backup image in 45 seconds.

Thats pretty nice and cold always beats hot.

SEP

[Camel_1]

In the latest Widesky version, you can use consistent split option to perform a "hot" oracle split. (symmir -g dg_name -consistent split) When you bring up the Oracle on BCV volumes it will auto recovery. We have this setup running for almost a year.

Simon