Re: How to move a databse from Solaris to Llinux

I don't know if the method of moving data files will work or not. Since you are on Oracle 8.0.x, transportable tablespaces aren't an option. However, there are several other options that I have used. None are particularly "easy" though!

One is to export/import via a named pipe - running multiple jobs of several tables each in parallel with indexes=N and constraints=N on the export, then building the indexes and constraints on the target as the exports finish. This is, in my experience, a lot faster that full export/import and significantly faster that table-level export/import with indexes & constraints. It is a lot more work to set up to optimize the process though - users, roles, grants, indexes, constraints, stored code, views, sequences, etc. all have to be handled outside the table exports/imports that just move the data.

Another is to use the SQL copy command - again running multiple jobs in parallel and building indexes and constraints as tables are completed on the target. This involves the same kind of considerations as above.

Both are much more labor-intensive than "normal" exports (with indexes and constraints), but are also significantly faster. I have moved several 120-200+ GB databases concurrently from Oracle7 in one data center to Oracle8i in a new data center 200 miles away using these techniques and all were completed and back up in under 12 hours. Timing, coordination and practice are critical. In our case, I had over a month (part-time) to rehearse, refine and tune the migration.

"Staging", if possible is very beneficial. Sometimes the largest tables are static except during specific batch activity. If so, you might be able to schedule the migration so that these can start during a batch window and well before others - reducing the downtime for the move. In one such case, a 250 GB database with about 75% historical data updated only in batch, total migration time was over 16 hours but downtime was less than an hour.

-Don Granaman
[OraSaurus - Honk if you remember UFI!]

• Original Message ----- To: "Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L" <ORACLE-L_at_fatcity.com> Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2001 11:46 AM

> Hi all,
>
> we have to move a 135 GB Oracle 8.0.6 database from Solaris 7 to Linux.
> We tried a simple restore of the database files from the last offline
> backup (tape) as we did it many times between equal systems.
>
> After creating the new control file on the target system the database
> could not be started, becaue Oracle thinks that the system data file
> isn't really a data file!
>
> This means i have to do an export/import! I assume an export time of
> round about 10 hrs. Is there any easier way?
>
> TIA
>
> Reinhold Wagner
>
> --
> Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com
> --
> Author: Reinhold Wagner
> INET: rwagner_at_zeunastaerker.de
>
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-- 
Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com
-- 
Author: Don Granaman
  INET: granaman_at_home.com

Fat City Network Services    -- (858) 538-5051  FAX: (858) 538-5051
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