Using Windows' SUBST to avoid ALTER DATABASE RENAME FILEs?

From: Jacob Share <jacobshare_at_yahoo.com>
Date: 6 May 2004 03:28:15 -0700
Message-ID: <9d4c10f3.0405060228.4f479528@posting.google.com>

Our local deployment strategy uses a standard directory structure for each db instance : <Volume:>/Oracle/<SID>/etc. We need a remote site to send us backups that we'll validate after local restoration. The problem is that they weren't careful and didn't use a standard directory structure. In addition, their .DBFs are spread over many more logical disk partitions than necessary. We're unwilling to replicate this bad practice locally but we want restorations to be as quick and easy as possible (who doesn't?).  

To get around the need to do many ALTER DATABASE RENAME FILEs at every restoration, we're exploring the idea of using the Windows SUBST command to create virtual drives locally, and then using symbolic links (Win2k's 'junctions') to fill out the structure required by the restored dbs. This way the restored databases would find their pieces where they expect, but in reality they'll be nicely arranged according to our standard.  

My questions -

1) Will this work?
2) If so, will there be a performance hit?
3) If so, on what order? The local installation is in a development

environment, so we'd be willing to accept a certain performance hit if it will save time and keep things clean.  

We're using Oracle 8.1.7 on Windows 2000 SP3.  

Thanks

Jacob Share Received on Thu May 06 2004 - 05:28:15 CDT