RE: Oracle DB Backups on SAN with ALTER SYSTEM SUSPEND

We want true server-less backups. I know that RMAN's overhead is [much] lower than that of the ALTER TABLESPACE BEGIN/END BACKUP but the Snapshot method in a SAN [akin to splitting and resilivering a mirror, in some ways]
should be much faster. The database is in BACKUP mode only for the time it takes the SAN to create the Snapshot which, I've been told, is seconds or minutes,
irrespective of the size of the database. [Of course, there will be some time lag
between the first ALTER TABLESPACE <tbs> BEGIN BACKUP and the ALTER SYSTEM SUSPEND command when the database will be doing a Checkpoint at each Tablespace, and writing more Redo for transactions upto the ALTER SYSTEM SUSPEND and will the END BACKUPs are still being issued.]

And I cannot use RMAN with the Snapshot method. I must SUSPEND the database and RMAN does not support that.

See
http://download-west.oracle.com/docs/cd/A87860_01/doc/server.817/a76993/osbackup.htm#4233 "Making Backups in Suspend Mode" in Chapter 4 "Performing Operating System Backups"
of the 8i Backup and Recovery Guide.

Hemant

At 05:38 AM 26-03-03 -0800, you wrote:
>Hemant - If you've got to rework your backup script anyway (and retest it),
>why not consider switching to RMAN at this time? In my experience,
>negligible interference with production during a hot backup.
>
>Dennis Williams
>DBA, 40%OCP, 100% DBA
>Lifetouch, Inc.
>dwilliams_at_lifetouch.com
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2003 10:49 PM
>To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L
>
>
>
>Some of my databases will be migrating to a SAN.
>Currently, I run hot backups to disk using the
>ALTER TABLESPACE <tbs> BEGIN BACKUP ;
>host cp <file> <target>;
>ALTER TABLESPACE <tbs> END BACKUP
>
>On a SAN, where the vendor promises server-less backups
>using Snapshots, I guess I would have to issue the
>commands :
>ALTER TABLESPACE <tbs1> BEGIN BACKUP
>..
>..
>ALTER TABLESPACE <tbsN> BEGIN BACKUP
>
>ALTER SYSTEM SUSPEND
>....> take a "snapshot"
>ALTER SYSTEM RESUME
>
>ALTER TABLESPACE <tbs1> END BACKUP
>..
>..
>ALTER TABLESPACE <tbsN> END BACKUP
>
>
>Would that be right ? What are real-world experiences
>[bugs / time required for the SUSPEND/RESUME, actually
>flushing all I/O to the disks] ?
>
>The SAN will be a Hitachi 9970 sold by Sun.
>The databases will be 8.1.7 32-bit / 64-bit on Solaris 8.
>
>Hemant K Chitale
>http://hkchital.tripod.com
>--
>Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.net
>--
>Author: Hemant K Chitale
> INET: hkchital_at_singnet.com.sg
>
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Hemant K Chitale
My personal web site is : http://hkchital.tripod.com

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-- 
Author: Hemant K Chitale
  INET: hkchital_at_singnet.com.sg

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