Re: Backup Tool Alternative to RMAN and BMC's SQL Backtrack

cdavis10717_at_comcast.net wrote:
> Thank you for your helpful reply, I appreciate it.
>
> May I ask you more about using RMAN, since I have concerns about
using
> and maintaining it.
>
> Oracle Metalink seems to regularly issue patches/fixes for RMAN.
Since
> RMAN is within $ORACLE_HOME do you need to shutdown Oracle in order
to
> applyand relink software fixes? How often do you do apply fixes and
> how much work/time does it take you to review the patches and stage
> them through your system landscape? How many separate installs of
> Oracle do you need to maintain for RMAN?

Yes, but not because of RMAN. Almost never, since I wait for a more mature release. Don't need any separate Oracle for RMAN.

>
> How many Catalog databases (RCAT) do you use? Where are they hosted,
> on the same or on different server from the target database? Do the
> Catalogs ever get corrupt or have other problems that complicate the
> use of RMAN.

None. Merely use scripted maintenace to keep the control file up to date.
About four simple commands, one of which is alter system archivelog current.

>
> Do you need to have separate Catalogs for separate version of Oracle?
> Do you use a naming convention to distinguish these to make then
easier
> to manage?

nocatalog. I would use a catalog if I had dozens of databases to back up.

>
> If RMAN aborts for any reason do you have to deal with manually
> cleaning up processes, enqueues, etc? How are you notified of an
RMAN
> failure.

Look at logs. I wrote a prototype script to ignore "usual" errors in logs, but don't use it because I have so little reason to look at the logs I would quickly forget what to look for, so I need the practice. I also have email notification if other things go wrong. Typically, the things are: tape didn't work (I do RMAN to disk, then copy to tape, because tape drives are pos. They ocassionally become disassociated with their device, but that's not RMAN's fault.), out of disk space (someone ignored warnings), and there were a few ORA-4030's or whatever when first bringing it into use, quickly resolved searching metalink.

>
> How often do you use RMAN to restore a database to another server and
> rename the SID? Have you done a PITR using RMAN and many archives?
> How did you manage the disk space requires of the archive directory
> during that process?

Every few months (using RMAN to generate standby or new clone). That was easy to script, too, cookbooks on metalink. Haven't got around to a PITR with RMAN yet, but I put effort into avoiding situations where I have to use it (besides,
http://www.dizwell.com/html/pitr_alternatives.html ). After many years of home-grown and Velpuri scripts, and I once saw a real screwup with Omniback/DLT's, I must say, RMAN is the way to go. After all, recovery is more important than backup.

http://metalink.oracle.com/metalink/plsql/ml2_documents.showDocument?p_id=50875.1&p_database_id=NOT

>
> And lastly, thank you for not making some asshole assumption that I
> would spend my company's money because I can't or won't open OEM.

I don't use OEM with RMAN, since I'm a unix/command line scripting bigot for repetitive production procedures. I reserve the right to make any asshole assumption that does not conflict with postings.

jg

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