Re: is there any way i can avoid rebuild physical standby database after every PROD to UAT database refresh ?

Also, why is the refresh taking 2 days? Storage snapshot is a known and tried technology which shouldn't be a problem to script. I know of several backup products which can directly utilize storage snapshots (Delphix, Commvault, Veeam, Rubrik). Even the dinosaurs like NetBackup or DD Boost can be scripted to utilize storage snapshots. It takes 7 days to create and populate a whole planet and database refresh should take less than 2 days, even if you encounter a talking snake.

On 11/14/19 7:55 AM, Clay Jackson (cjackson) wrote:
> So, as I understand the problem statement; you have a UAT database,
> protected by DataGuard, that gets periodically refreshed from a
> Production database, and the refresh takes 2 days.
>
> So, when you do your refresh, why not stop DataGuard before the
> refresh; and refresh both the primary and “standby” at the same time.
>  More work; but shouldn’t take significantly more time.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
> Clay Jackson
>
>
>> On Nov 14, 2019, at 4:56 AM, Noveljic Nenad
>> <nenad.noveljic_at_vontobel.com> wrote:
>>
>> 
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>> That's true - also non-production databases can have stricter
>> recovery point and time objectives. However, copy-on-write snapshots
>> seem like a better fit for the case you described - especially for
>> large databases.
>>
>> Best regards,
>>
>> Nenad
>>
>> https://nenadnoveljic.com/blog/
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>> *From:*Mark W. Farnham <mwf_at_rsiz.com>
>> *Sent:* Donnerstag, 14. November 2019 00:01
>> *To:* howard.latham_at_gmail.com; Noveljic Nenad
>> <nenad.noveljic_at_vontobel.com>
>> *Cc:* rjgoulet_at_comcast.net; oracle-l_at_freelists.org
>> *Subject:* RE: is there any way i can avoid rebuild physical standby
>> database after every PROD to UAT database refresh ?
>>
>> Also hang on a minute about whether the standby of UAT is needed.
>>
>> Can the UAT be reinstantiated from PROD? Yes. So recovery to the
>> point of a fresh refresh from PROD does not require a backup.
>>
>> However before you run off shouting a standby is not needed you need
>> to know how UAT is used.
>>
>> For example, it could be refreshed once a week or month and used to
>> test development that has been passed out from engineering.  The
>> first step after the refresh might be complicated changes to the
>> structure of the data that may require hours or days. Let’s say that
>> is cleverly scheduled for the weekend, and then the UAT test team
>> commences work on the clean update massaged from PROD to use the
>> improved application suite.
>>
>> Bam! the primary UAT server bites it. Do the thousands of dollars per
>> hour expert user new functionality testers (often including
>> consultants) twiddle their thumbs for a couple days while UAT is
>> restored from PROD and then re-updated to be ready to test the
>> software revision? NO, because you bring up the standby and fork them
>> over there until you can fail back.
>>
>> Now, given the exact purpose and use of the UAT database at a
>> particular department of a particular company, perhaps we can
>> streamline something.
>>
>> The large majority of UAT databases I have seen are used for three
>> things:
>>
>> 1)the scenario above, testing new application functionality
>>
>> 2)vendor updates (Oracle RDBMS, operating system, or both) where you
>> refresh from PROD, run the updates (or patches), and then run your
>> regression test. The updates and patches can be too long to repeat
>> cost effectively.
>>
>> 3)experimenting on the PROD data’s copy on UAT to investigate User
>> reported bugs.
>>
>> Having this functionality unavailable during whatever prime time is
>> while a new refresh is done is often not acceptable. In 24 by 7
>> nearly flat loads, it may require 2 UAT databases, each with a
>> standby, so that while one is being refreshed the other is still
>> available for anything that does not require newer data.
>>
>> Question it? Sure. But there is a very good chance it IS needed.
>>
>> mwf
>>
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Mladen Gogala
Database Consultant
Tel: (347) 321-1217


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