make_tape_recovery

[Adrian Sobers2]

I would like to make a backup using the make_tape_recovery. It is a production server running Oracle 8.1.7.4 on HP-UX 11i. I would like to know if I have to do this after hours as in wait til users gone, shut-down DB then do the backup or is this something that can be done during normal operating hours?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks

[Sundar_7 · Accepted solution]

You dont have to shutdown the database neither you need to kick the users out.

You can run make_tape_recovery in multi-user mode itself. Just make sure you use the -A option. -A option will include everything in /dev/vg00 (or whatever your root VG is)

[Sanjay_6]

Hi Adrian,

you can do this during regular hours itself. make_tape_recovery is used to create a ignite archive for the system OS and not for the data on the system. This ignite archive is used to recover the system if there is a system crash and the root disk is unrecoverable.

hope this helps.

Regds

[Sanjay_6]

However you may want to take a look at this suggestion in case it is of any concern,

http://www.software.hp.com/products/IUX/faq.html#d0e2248

Hope this helps.

regds

[Steven E. Protter]

make_tape_recovery can be run during the day.

The database backup will be included and completely useless for recovery purposes.

If you want the database included and usable in the make_tape_recovery you need to bring it down first.

This tool is not oracle aware and can not do hot backups.

I've used to for system replication and have successfully replicated oracle databases that were down at the time of running the make_tape_recovery command.

SEP

[Deoncia Grayson_1]

You don't have to wait till after hours to run your make_tape_ recovery command, it can be ran in multi user mode. I'm not sure if your database is sitting on your root volumne group or not but this doesn't affect backing up your root disk, but it will not be a complete recovery tape for your Oracle database while running.

[Victor BERRIDGE]

Hi Adrian,
I would suggest you to write a script that for this task since I dont know how your server is configured, is vg00 in mirror? What is your alternate boot?
most of my configs have tape as alternate so in such case a little script is quite handy if you are not in front of the console or next to the box to see how thing are going:
I should
checks you have a tape loaded
make_tape_recovery of entire vg00
mt -t offl /dev/
# this will eject the tape so in case of reboot , will not go and restore if cannot boot from disk... Not necessary if tape is not alternate...
----
As I dont remember if after make_tape_recovery it rewinds, if it doesnt, instead of offl type rew in the previous command if needed...

The idea is mainly that you can now either watch the output or redirect the stdout and stderr in a file you can look at later or save or...


All the best
Victor
Off to install loads of new solaris boxes...

[Adrian Sobers2]

Thanks all for the responses!