Networker

Re: [Networker] Some questions on Oracle backups using RMAN?

2006-10-20 09:56:28
Subject: Re: [Networker] Some questions on Oracle backups using RMAN?
From: Conrad Macina <conrad.macina AT PFIZER DOT COM>
To: NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU
Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2006 09:50:54 -0400
Wow! Another great RMAN tutorial! Thanks, Lancy!

I'd just like to point out that while Lancy is right that there's no special
provision for RMAN/NMO in the NetWorker scheduler, you can use it. You can
set up your RMAN script on the client and then run it with savepnpc. That
way you can use the NetWorker scheduler to run your RMAN backups.

Conrad


On Thu, 19 Oct 2006 10:55:59 -0500, Lancy Quadros <Lancy.Quadros AT ROTARY DOT 
ORG>
wrote:

>I am sorry to jump in on this thread so late. I will try to answer your
>questions based on my experience with Networker, rman and NMO. Being a
>UNIX admin and an Oracle/SQL Server DBA gives me a unique perspective on
>database backups. I am assuming you have NMO installed.
>
>1. How does NetWorker's schedule work with RMAN or does it?
>
>The Networker Schedule does not work with NMO. The way we have
>configured our backups is to create two schedules:
>'Every Sunday' - Set to run fulls every Sunday and skip the rest of the
>days.
>'Every Weekday' - Set to run full from Monday thru Saturday and skip on
>Sundays.
>
>2. Do you have to write a separate script for each part of the database
>you want to recover?
>
>The recover aspect is entirely handled by the DBA. RMAN gives you a lot
>of flexibility in scripting recoveries. You could write standard scripts
>to copy databases or recover entire databases over to a different
>server.
>
>3. Can you do a traditional incremental like NetWorker does with regular
>
>data backups?
>
>Yes - you can, the level has to be indicated in the rman script.
>
>4. How do you recover from a particular NetWorker backup or point in
>time?
>
>The point in time has to be indicated in the rman recovery script. RMAN
>will then consult the recovery catalog to find out what savesets are to
>be recovered from the media. Provided the recovery is done within the
>limits set by the retention policy on the client, networker will load
>the volumes required for the recovery.
>
>5. Does it matter that the bootstrap is not automatically backed up
>during an Oracle backup?
>
>As long as you have another backup job scheduled after the Oracle jobs
>to backup the bootstrap, it should be fine.
>
>About backup levels, here is the explanation from the Oracle's docs:
>==== Start of extract from Oracle Docs =====
>"Copies only those data blocks that have changed since the last
>incremental integer backup, where integer is any integer from 0 to 4.
>For example, in a level 2 backup RMAN backs up all blocks used since the
>most recent level 2, level 1, or level 0 backup. This type of
>incremental backup is also called a differential backup to distinguish
>it from a cumulative backup.
>
>A level 0 backup must exist as the base backup for an incremental
>strategy. An incremental backup at level 0 is identical in content to a
>full backup, but unlike a full backup the level 0 backup is considered a
>part of the incremental strategy. If no level 0 backup exists when you
>run a level 1 or higher backup, then RMAN makes a level 0 backup
>automatically.
>
>Oracle performs checks when attempting to create an incremental backup
>at a level greater than 0. These checks ensure that the incremental
>backup is usable by a subsequent RECOVER command. Among the checks
>performed are:
>
>A level 0 backup set must exist, or level 0 datafile copies must exist
>for each datafile in the BACKUP command. These backup sets must not be
>marked UNAVAILABLE. If no level 0 backup exists, then RMAN automatically
>generates one.
>Sufficient incremental backups taken since the level 0 must exist and be
>available such that the incremental backup to be created is usable."
>==== End of extract from Oracle Docs =====
>
>Again, to recover the data, you cannot tell Networker directly how to
>recover the data, your rman script should indicate what should be
>recovered and from what date and time.
>
>On the scripts you have posted, you will have to tweak it more if the
>databases are in archivelog mode. So, your script for a database running
>archivelog mode would look like this ( the tweaks are in CAPS ):
>
>==== start of snippet =====
>backup incremental level 4
>   format 'INCR_%d_%U'
>   (database) INCLUDING ARCHIVELOG
>   FORMAT 'INCR_ARCH_%U' <=== Like you have format for database file,
>you could have one for archive log files too.
>   DELETE INPUT ; <=== This keyword will delete the log files from disk
>after the statement above has backed up the archivelogs and the
>database. This is optional, you could have chosen to delete the logfiles
>later on or had a separate job to backup only archive log files.
>==== end of snippet =====
>
>I hope this helps.
>
>Lancy
>-----Original Message-----
>From: EMC NetWorker discussion [mailto:NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU] On
>Behalf Of George Sinclair
>Sent: Monday, 16 October, 2006 6:23 PM
>To: NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU
>Subject: [Networker] Some questions on Oracle backups using RMAN?
>
>Hi,
>
>1. How does NetWorker's schedule work with RMAN or does it?
>
>2. Do you have to write a separate script for each part of the database
>you want to recover?
>
>3. Can you do a traditional incremental like NetWorker does with regular
>
>data backups?
>
>4. How do you recover from a particular NetWorker backup or point in
>time?
>
>5. Does it matter that the bootstrap is not automatically backed up
>during an Oracle backup?
>
>I know very little about Oracle, but working with our DBA , and we're
>trying to test backing up/recovering an Oracle 10g test database using
>NetWorker 7.2.2 on Unix. We're using RMAN. So far, we've been  able to
>run backups using two RMAN scripts (see below), but it seems that it
>always reports a level full for the saveset (RMAN:/script name)
>regardless of the level specified, and it's unclear how the schedule on
>the NetWorker side affects this, or if it's moot since the level is
>specified in the RMAN script, anyway? Also, it appears that Oracle only
>allows backup levels 0-4, so am I correct in thinking that to run the
>equivalent of a traditional Legato incremental we would need to run the
>same level again, like a level 4 and then another level 4 or a level 3
>and then another 3 or something like that?
>
>Another thing I was reading in the documentation is that the server's
>bootstrap is supposed to get backed up following a scheduled Oracle
>backup, but I've not seen that happen. The group runs with no
>errors and completes, but no bootstrap ever gets saved. I even tried a
>scheduled backup (no manual start). Ditto. I don't see why the server's
>bootstrap should need to get backed up just because an
>Oracle backup ran, though. If the server's group runs later anyway,
>you're still going to get a bootstrap backup, right?
>
>Finally, I'm unclear on how exactly you recover the darn data, and how
>to tell NetWorker that you want it from a certain time or date?
>
>We have a custom pool (oracle) and two NSR client resources, each
>specifies one of the two different RMAN scripts below so we can have
>fulls or incrementals. Each client is in a different group, and both
>groups are members of the pool. I've read through so much NetWorker
>Oracle documentation my head is spinning [sigh].
>
>Any help would be much appreciated.
>
>George
>
><<< script to run incrementals >>
>
>connect line goes here
>
>run {
>   allocate channel t1 type 'SBT_TAPE';
>
>   backup incremental level 4
>   format 'INCR_%d_%U'
>   (database);
>
>   release channel t1;
>
>}
>
>
><<< script to handle level fulls >>>
>
>connect line goes here
>
>run {
>   allocate channel t1 type 'SBT_TAPE';
>
>   backup full filesperset 4
>   format 'FULL_%d_%U'
>   (database);
>
>   release channel t1;
>
>}
>
>--
>George Sinclair - NOAA/NESDIS/National Oceanographic Data Center
>SSMC3 4th Floor Rm 4145       | Voice: (301) 713-3284 x210
>1315 East West Highway        | Fax:   (301) 713-3301
>Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282  | Web Site:  http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/
>- Any opinions expressed in this message are NOT those of the US Govt. -
>
>
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