Want to learn on how to do backup for a database

[Deanna Tran_1]

Can some1 help me to do backup for a databasa?

[Pete Randall]

What kind of database? Oracle? Informix? Sybase? Each of them have their own utilities and methods.

Pete

[Nick Wickens]

You will need to specify what sort of database - Informix, oracle, DB2 etc.

Normally the backup routines for databases are provided by the backup supplier - Ie Informix databases are backed up with Informix's ontape or onbar processes possibly using Omniback as the Backup storage manager.

[Deanna Tran_1]

Database type is Oracle

[A. Clay Stephenson]

At your level of knowledge the only method I would suggest is a cold backup. Simply shutdown the database; backup using OB2, fbackup, . If any of your datafiles exceed 2GB you cannot use tar or cpio. After backing up, you restart the database.

You really need to be far better versed in Oracle before trying any other methods.

[Sanjay_6 · Accepted solution]

Hi Deanna,

You can do a cold backup of the database by shutting down the database completely or you can do a hot backup of the database, by putting the database in archive mode. to do a hot backup you don't have to shutdown the database.

Try this link from Oracle site. It would be good if you already have an ID on this site, else create one and look for solutions to oracle problems on this site,

http://otn.oracle.com/doc/server.815/a67773/backupst.htm

Hope htis helps.

Regds

[R. Allan Hicks]

I recommend Oracle's Database Backup and Recovery workshop. It was a week long class that covers backing up, but more important than backuping is being able to restore what you have backed up. Otherwise, you have write only memory.

If you have had the DBA course, the backup and recovery course will help a lot. Without that DBA foundation, I agree with the other respondents, the cold backup is your safest bet.

[steven Burgess_2]

Hi Deanne

Have at looked at the attached document

Getting started with Server-Managed Recovery (SMR)and Recovery Manager (RMAN)

Hope this helps

Steve

[Volker Borowski]

HI,
there is a special book on Oracle Recovery from Oracle-Press.
You can search http://www.amazoon.com for Oracle and Recovery and will get tons of stuff.

.. but the one from Oracle Press is best.

Volker

[Jeanine Kone]

I know you already got our answer, but nobody mentioned just doing an export. This is a very simple method of saving your database structures and data if you are not concerned with being able to "roll forward" to current time. It is a point in time (i.e. you get all data from the time you execute the command, but nothing after that point). You use the oracle supplied utiltity "exp" to create the export and "imp" to bring the data back in )if needed).

An exampe would be:
"$ORACLE_HOME/bin/exp system/password file=expfilename.dmp log=logfilename.log full=y direct=y"