Oracle-L: Re: Using Soft Links for Datafiles

From: <Dale_at_DataBee.com>
Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2003 23:53:38 -0800
Message-ID: <F001.00548197.20030209235338@fatcity.com>

> We are in the process of creating a 9.2 RAC database. And we are being
> forced to follow a standard whereby, all files are to be in a directory
> structure, say /local. No standards have yet been defined, if one were
> using raw volumes. And since we will be using raw volumes for the
> datafiles, to enforce the standards, we are being asked to create symbolic
> links from /local datafiles to the raw volumes. To convince them
otherwise,
> I have seemed to dug up two issues.

[... stuff snipped]

One word of warning about using symlinks to point to datafiles is that you have to make sure your datafiles get backed up. Since you are using raw disk this probably isn't an issue and have arranged appropriate backups.

However, I have seen it done where a DBA wanted to move a datafile and rather than doing it properly just shutdown the DB and moved the datafile and then put a symlink to the new location in the original spot. The database will start and operate just fine -but- most backup sofware will go trolling down DBA_DATA_FILES and backup up only the symlink (its really a tiny little file on UNIX) rather than the database itself. In other words the backup software doesn't follow the link. At restore time you find you've simply restored the link and the target file has never been backed up.

Regards
Dale

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Received on Mon Feb 10 2003 - 01:53:38 CST