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Re: setting up a backup server

 
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Danny Pogi
Advisor

setting up a backup server

hi guys,

i'm planning to setup a backup server and here's what i have.

for my production:
k-class server
external storage is disk array 12h with autoraid.

for my backup server:
d-class server
hvd10 external storage

here's my plan:

i would like to make my d-class sever as backup to my k-class production server and i'm planning to restore everything from the production server(k-class) to d-class via oracle import and frestore.

i'm just wondering if this plan that i have will work or you guys maybe have a simpler approach, that is without installing all the applications(oracle) in my d-class. will frestore(full) from an fbackup(full) of k-class work in d-class.

please advise. thanks in advance.

dan
7 REPLIES 7
Patrick Wallek
Honored Contributor
Solution

Re: setting up a backup server

If you must do an frecover of your stuff from the K onto the D, then make sure that you ONLY restore your applications and data, do NOT restore any of the OS stuff.

Get the same version of the OS installed on both machines and patch them however you please, but preferably with the latest patch set on both. When you install oracle, make sure it is in it's own VG and make sure that all your database files are in their own VG.

That way when you do have to restore, you just select the Oracle stuff and that's it.

The reason to leave the OS alone is because the K and the D are different architectures. The K has HP-PB and HSC slots, the D has some EISA slots. If you recovered EVERYTHING (including /stand/vmunix) then it is very doubtful that your D would boot.

The one thing you absolutely MUST do is TEST. Do a test before to make sure this will work. Test it on your terms so that you KNOW what steps you have to take and what you have to do before something happens and you have to do this for real. You don't want your K to crash and you have to fly by the seat of your pants to get this working.
Steven E. Protter
Exalted Contributor

Re: setting up a backup server

Suggestion:

1) You can purchase and use MC/Service Guard and the D class server will take over whenever the K is down. You'll need to take about 10 grand in classes and its complex.

Better Suggestion:

Set up both HP-UX's machines as Ignite Servers. You can store images of the production server on the K class server and the D class.

The Ignite Golden Image on the K is what you download to your D to bring it current and ready to take over for your K class production server.

You keep a copy of the image on the D box to take over if the K just decides to take a long holiday.

Problem with the better suggestion is there is downtime during the switchover.

Another suggesion(jury is out):

Maintain the same OS and applications totally on the D class server. Make sure all applications, relavent patches and copies of the data are always on the D box.

To take over for the K box you will then have a nice two step process.

Get the current data onto the D box or switch control of the K's disk array and change the hostname and IP address of the D class box. If you maintain a hot copy of your data the switch can be done with a script in about 10 seconds, proably less.

Give me time, my twisted mind can come up with more scenarios.

Probably the best idea for real professoinal backup is the Service Guard idea. It just might be too expensive.

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Steven E Protter
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Khalid A. Al-Tayaran
Valued Contributor

Re: setting up a backup server

Hi,
// No points //
Patrick: Good detailed and informative answer.
monasingh_1
Trusted Contributor

Re: setting up a backup server

It seems that you are trying to do what service guard does very good but with higher cost involved.
I think If you make the D class a standby oracle DB server that may serve your purpose with lot less money. I am not sure if oracle standby DB will be free but give a thought to this.
You still need to work on making your dependent oracle client to look upon the new server in case K server fails..

good luck...
Indira Aramandla
Honored Contributor

Re: setting up a backup server

Are the two servers in the same building. We have the production server and the backup (DR) server is a different building. On the production server we perform the backup of all the oracle data and other applications into two tapes drives (copy1 and copy2). Then the next day the opeartors take the second copy of the tapes to the backup server for DR in case we need.
Never give up, Keep Trying
Rothery Harris
Trusted Contributor

Re: setting up a backup server

Dear Danni,

I would not consider any sophisticated software for this hardware. K and D-class servers are obsololete. If you perform and Oracle rman backup on your K you can restore to another location. Rman can perform online backups of the database. Your Oracle database must be in archivelog mode for online backups to occur. Keep a copy of the control file on the othere server.


Rothery
R. Allan Hicks
Trusted Contributor

Re: setting up a backup server

I have two k class servers. Next month, I plan to use Oracle's Dataguard product to use one as a primary server and the other as a hot backup. The following applies to Oracle 9i only.

Dataguard has been around for years, but it has only been formally named in about the last year. The system is simple.

The primary server writes its redo log files as it normally would. Dataguard allows you to have the primary server send the completed archive log files to the standby server. The standby is an Oracle server that has been booted to recovery mode. As it receives the archive log files, it applies them to the database. In the event of a failure, you simplely bring the standby database on-line. You can also configure standby redo logfiles on the secondary server. As lgwr writes the log files to its space, it can also write the redo information on to the standby server. Once again, if the standby server is needed, the redos are applied and you are in business.

As far as getting started...

There is a Dataguard utility that will copy your database to the secondary server across the network. You only need to install the Oracle software on the target machine. People have copied $ORACLE_HOME/bin, /etc/oratab and /usr/local/bin/oraenv /usr/local/bin/dbhome /usr/local/bin/coraenv /var/opt/oracle just to name a few. I really suggest that you go through the standard install on the secondary, just don't allow the installer to create a database. Then, use Dataguard, a cold backup of the oracle datafiles or a hot backup of the oracle datafiles to move the data to the secondary machine.

There is a really nice 3 day Oracle University class on Dataguard that I highly recommend.
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