Re: NetApp flier - based snapshots and db backups -- CAVEATS

1. A Snapshot taken without BEGIN BACKUP is restartable _if_ the Online Redo Logs and ControlFiles are in the same snapshot with the datafiles. If Online Redo Logs in a seperate Filer Volume (QTree) and get snapshotted at a different point in time, then your database is NOT restartable. Snapshotting the RedoLogs and ControlFiles and DataFiles together is the same as "pulling" the plug.
2. What I would recommend and what NetApps recommends are Snapshots of DataFile volumes when in BEGIN BACKUP mode, followed by END BACKUP and a few SWITCH LOGFILE, ARCHIVELOG CURRENT commands, and _then_ a seperate snapshot of the ArchiveLog volumes. _THAT_ provides a Recoverable backup. That is what I do on NetApp, EMC (except that CXs require SUSPEND/RESUME) , Hitachi ShadowImage and IBM FlashCopy backups.

See documents TR3369.pdf http://www.netapp.com/library/tr/3369.pdf (funnily the version onsite is of Mar-06 while I can see on my desktop that I had, in Jan07, downloaded a Dec-06 version of the same document)

and MORE IMPORTANTLY
: TR3130.pdf at http://www.netapp.com/library/tr/3130.pdf

Hemant K Chitale

At 05:21 AM Saturday, amit poddar wrote:
>It would be like a shutdown abort copy right ?
>
>i.e when started oracle would do a crash recovery since the snapshot
>includes online logs.
>
>We can shutdown the database and then roll it forward
>
>where am I going wrong ?
>
>Closson, Kevin A wrote:
>>be aware that a database in a filesystem snaphot looks EXACTLY like
>>it would if you pulled the electricity from the database server
>>when Oracle was up and running. You cannot roll forward from such
>>an image. NetApp documents all this quite well...just be aware that
>>there is no magic ...
>>
>>
>>
>>----------
>>From:
>><mailto:oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org>oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org
>>[mailto:oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org] On Behalf Of Vasu Balla
>>Sent: Friday, July 20, 2007 10:24 AM
>>To: <mailto:vbarac_at_Alghanim.com>vbarac_at_Alghanim.com;
>><mailto:oracle-l_at_freelists.org>oracle-l_at_freelists.org
>>Subject: RE: NetApp flier - based snapshots and db backups
>>
>>Oracle OnDemand, which hosts more than 1000 databases on netapp
>>filers, uses this snapshot functionality for backup. you are not alone :)
>>
>>vasu

Hemant K Chitale
http://web.singnet.com.sg/~hkchital
and
http://hemantscribbles.blogspot.com
and
http://hemantoracledba.blogspot.com

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