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what is the advantage to using RMAN in Oracle 11g Standard Edition [message #582198]

Mon, 15 April 2013 11:51

bettyp106
Messages: 2
Registered: April 2013

Junior Member

Hi all,

We are upgrading from oracle 9.2.0.8 to 11g r2, and both are Standard Edition database. The database is part of a product that runs on a customer site, and won't get bigger than 50 GB. It runs in archive mode, and our backup script does a hot backup every night, plus copying the archive logs, redos, controlfiles, etc. We save 2 entire backups - from the last night plus the night before last. Then there's a tape backup that saves the backed-up files to an off-server location.

This architecture has allowed us to recover our customer's data from many odd occurrences at customer sites (power loss during a hot backup, corrupt controlfiles/datafiles/archivelogs). My question is, given that we are running the Standard Edition database, which doesn't have most of the helpful RMAN features, is it worth it to switch to RMAN?

I took an Oracle Backup and Recovery class and posed this question to the instructor, and the response was, it would be better to use RMAN over a manual user backup script. Our backup script is pretty battle-hardened - is that the best reason?

Also having trouble finding documentation that tells exactly what the standard edition DOES allow me to do.

Sorry so long-winded - trying to include everything in the first shot at this. Any help is VERY appreciated!

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Re: what is the advantage to using RMAN in Oracle 11g Standard Edition [message #582202 is a reply to message #582198]

Mon, 15 April 2013 12:30

Michel Cadot
Messages: 68733
Registered: March 2007
Location: Saint-Maur, France, https...

Senior Member
Account Moderator

1/ Yes, it is better you have not to take care which backup you must have, where to start the restore and what has to be applied...

2/ See Compatibility matrices and differences between editions

Regards
Michel

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Re: what is the advantage to using RMAN in Oracle 11g Standard Edition [message #582211 is a reply to message #582202]

Mon, 15 April 2013 17:12

DbvisitKelly
Messages: 1
Registered: April 2013
Location: New Zealand

Junior Member

Hi, for a good overview of your options with Standard Edition, particularly in relation to your DR setup have a look on youtube and search under 'Why Oracle Standard Edition should still be on the menu'. Sorry I can't post a link as I'm a new user.

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Re: what is the advantage to using RMAN in Oracle 11g Standard Edition [message #582504 is a reply to message #582198]

Thu, 18 April 2013 22:12

hkchital
Messages: 128
Registered: September 2008
Location: Singapore

Senior Member

You'll find that when you hire new DBAs they would more likely know RMAN than User Managed Backups. Your User-Managed Backup scripts are site-specific -- a new DBA would have to be "trained" on them (learning the limitations, the edge-cases, the recovery scenarios).

I used to use scripted backups till 8i and 9i. Switched to RMAN in 10g. I am still familiar with User Managed Backups.

RMAN tracks your BackupSets, BackupPieces, Checkpoint SCNs, ArchivedLog and Controlfile backups for you. RMAN may result in smaller ArchiveLog volumes when backups are running.

Hemant K Chitale

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Re: what is the advantage to using RMAN in Oracle 11g Standard Edition [message #595787 is a reply to message #582198]

Fri, 13 September 2013 10:06

bettyp106
Messages: 2
Registered: April 2013

Junior Member

Thank you all for the valuable info. We've completed the upgrade and I wanted to post the outcome.

I went with the best of both worlds. We have Oracle-managed backups plus have defined a FRA, and we are training our support people on RMAN recovery. We have also kept the user-managed backup script running, which gives the added security of backup redundancy and familiarity (at least until everyone is up to speed with RMAN, and comfortable with it). The larger disk space and increased memory on the new server make this possible - there is plenty of space for storage and the backups are VERY fast.

Cheers!
Betty

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