NetVault Plug-in for Oracle 7.1 - User Guide

Use Oracle Password File Authentication – Oracle supports two methods to authenticate DBAs or SYSDBA users: OS authentication and password-file authentication. Select this option to enable the password file as the authentication method. Oracle’s OS authentication takes precedence over password-file authentication; that is, if the requirements for OS authentication are met, even if you use a password file, the user is authenticated by OS authentication.

Flash Recovery Area Enabled – Select this option when FRA has been enabled for all the databases that reside on the Oracle Database Server where the plug-in has been installed. When this option is selected, Flash Recovery Area Backups and Backup Destination options are available. For more information on available FRA features, see Reviewing the other backup types and Defining a Backup Destination strategy.

Oracle SYSDBA User Name – Specify the default Oracle user with SYSDBA privileges that will be used by the plug-in to connect to the database.

NLS_LANG – Select the character set that matches the National Language Support (NLS) Language or NLS_LANGUAGE parameter for the databases residing on this Oracle Database Server. The NLS_LANGUAGE parameter specifies the default language of the database. This language is used for messages, day and month names, symbols for AD, BC, a.m., and p.m., and the default sorting mechanism.

Incomplete backup of ALL items selected – When multiple items are included in a backup, and the plug-in is unable to back up all the items selected even if RMAN has successfully cataloged some of the selected items, the plug-in lets you specify what action the backup should take. For example, if a job includes multiple tablespaces and archived redo logs, and the backup of archive logs is unsuccessful while the tablespaces are backed up successfully, you can specify what action the backup job should take in this situation.

Complete with Warnings - Saveset Retained – The job returns a status of “Backup Completed with warnings,” and a backup saveset is created that includes the items that were successfully backed up.

Complete without Warnings - Saveset Retained – The job completes and returns a status of “Backup Completed.” While errors are logged in the NetVault Backup binary logs, the errors are essentially ignored in the Job Status page, and a backup saveset is created that includes the items that were successfully backed up.

Fail - Saveset Retained – The job returns a status of “Backup Failed.” However, a backup saveset is generated that includes the items that were successfully backed up.

Fail - No Saveset Retained – The job returns a status of “Backup Failed,” and no saveset of backed-up objects is kept. That is, even if some of the selected items were successfully backed up, the saveset is discarded.

Use Catalog for RMAN Based Backups – Select this option to specify that a Recovery Catalog database will be used for maintaining a record of all RMAN backup operations performed with this plug-in.

Catalog Instance Name – Enter the Oracle Instance name (which might differ from the Oracle Net Service name) for the default Recovery Catalog database. This instance name must be defined in the “tnsnames.ora” file on the Oracle Database Server so that the plug-in can connect to the Recovery Catalog database.

Catalog Owner – Specify the user that was defined as the owner of the Catalog and was granted the RECOVERY_CATALOG_OWNER role.

User Managed Raw Devices Blocking Factor (KB) – For User Managed backups only, use this field to set the Block Read units for quicker User Managed backups of raw devices. The value can be between 1 kilobyte (KB) and 64KB; for example, if you enter 8 in this field, the plug-in would read 8KB chunks of data at a time while taking backups.

NetVault Backup Server (required for RMAN Backups) – Specify the name of the NetVault Backup Server where the Oracle Database Server was added as a NetVault Backup Client.

Do Restore from NetVault Backup Server (required for RMAN Backups) – Specify the name of the NetVault Backup Server where the Oracle Database Server was added as a NetVault Backup Client.

Restore Backup taken from NetVault Backup Client – When a restore is performed by the plug-in from a terminal session, this field indicates the NetVault Backup Client from which the original backup was performed. If no client name is entered, the restore command will default to the local NetVault Backup Machine Name performing the restore. For a complete description of this functionality, see CLI-based RMAN backups and restores – an overview.

CLI Backup/Autobackup Advanced Options Set – This option requires that you first create a set of desired options on the Advanced Options tab, and then save it with a specific name. To have all CLI-based RMAN backups automatically use the Advanced Options specified in this set, enter the name of this set in the text box. If a set name is not specified, all CLI-based RMAN backups will use the default Advanced Options.

CLI Backup/Autobackup Target Set (required for RMAN Backups) – Specify the name of the Target Set that was created in Configuring a default Target Set for RMAN backups.

Slave Connection Timeout (minutes - 0 = Never) – Use this option to set an amount of time (in minutes) that will serve as an inoperability timeout between the plug-in and the Oracle database. If the plug-in senses no activity for this length of time during a backup, it will timeout and disconnect from the backup. The default entry of zero (“0”) indicates that no timeout exists.

Generate Script Default Directory – Enter the full path name of the default directory where RMAN-generated scripts will be stored. This directory is used as the default directory for the Generate RMAN Script feature available on all Backup Options and Restore Options tabs of the respective NetVault Backup Backup and NetVault Backup Restore windows.

Generate Sbt trace to Oracle Dump Directory – Select this option to send the System Backup to Tape (SBT) trace information to the Oracle dump directory. You can then review the log file to see the sequence of trace commands that were run by the Oracle Server.

CLI will not check Dell NetVault Backup Server name – Select this option if you do not want the RMAN CLI to verify that the specified NetVault Backup Server is available and can be contacted. Do not select this option if you want to ensure that backup jobs do not time out while trying to process a job for an unknown NetVault Backup Server.

Preferred Phase for Restores (0 = default) – The Advanced Options section of the Create Backup Job page lets you create a Secondary Copy of a backup using either the Duplicate or Data Copy option. When you restore an RMAN backup, use this field to indicate which backup phase you prefer to use to complete the restore if the applicable backupset from the phase is available. The default entry of 0 indicates that NetVault Backup automatically chooses the copy to which it has easier access (phase 1 or phase 2). To instruct NetVault Backup to use the original (phase 1) backup if it is available, enter a 1. To instruct NetVault Backup to use the Secondary Copy (phase 2) for a Data Copy backup if it is available, enter a 2.

Oracle SID – Enter the SID for the target Oracle database. For help on determining the Oracle SID, see Determining the Oracle SID and Home directory in a non-RAC environment.

Oracle Home – Enter the complete path to the installation directory of the target database. For help on determining the Oracle Home, see Determining the Oracle SID and Home directory in a non-RAC environment.

Oracle SYSDBA User Name – Specify an Oracle user with SYSDBA privileges that will be used by the plug-in to connect to the database.

Oracle SYSDBA Password – Enter the password associated with the user name specified in the preceding field.

For Linux/UNIX-based Systems only – On Linux/UNIX-based systems, two additional parameters are available — Oracle Software Owner and Oracle Software Group. Configure these parameters:

Oracle Software Owner – Specify the name of the Linux/UNIX OS user that owns all the Oracle software. This user must have the Oracle Inventory group as its primary group and the OSDBA and OSOPER groups as secondary groups. The usual name chosen for this user is oracle.

Oracle Software Group – Specify the name of the Linux/UNIX group that owns the Oracle inventory, which is a catalog of all Oracle software installed on the system. The usual name chosen for this group is oinstall.

NLS_LANG – Select the character set that matches the NLS Language or NLS_LANGUAGE parameter for the databases residing on this Oracle Database Server. The NLS_LANGUAGE specifies the default language of the database. This language is used for messages, day and month names, symbols for AD, BC, a.m., and p.m., and the default sorting mechanism.

Parameter File(s) Path – When an Oracle Instance is started, the characteristics of the Instance are established by parameters specified within the initialization parameter file. These initialization parameters are either stored in the PFILE or SPFILE.

Enabling Control File Autobackups, which include Autobackups of the SPFILE by selecting the Control File Autobackup Enabled option on the RMAN Details tab.

Disabling Control File Autobackups and using RMAN commands to back up the SPFILE when the Use RMAN Commands to Backup SPFILE option on the RMAN Details tab is selected.

Disabling Control File Autobackups and using File System-based commands to back up the SPFILE by entering the path for the SPFILE in the Parameter File(s) Path field.

Auto Discover – To complete the remaining database-configuration fields automatically, click this button after you have completed the Oracle SID, Oracle Home, Oracle SYSDBA User Name, and Oracle SYSDBA Password fields.

Control File Autobackup Enabled (Disables Manual Control File and SPFILE Backups) – Select this option if the Control File Autobackups have been enabled for this database. Control File Autobackups are required for disaster recovery and multi-instance RAC environments. When this option is selected, Manual Control File backups are disabled and the Control File node is not available on the NetVault Backup Selections page. For more information on Control File Autobackups in a multi-instance RAC environment, see Enabling Control File Autobackups in a RAC environment.

Use RMAN Commands to Backup SPFILE – Available only when Control File Autobackup Enabled is not selected. When this option is selected, the RMAN commands are used to back up the SPFILE. When this option is not selected, a File System-based backup of the SPFILE is performed of the SPFILE that is specified in the Parameter File(s) Path field on the Instance Details tab.

Use Catalog for RMAN Based Backups – Select this option if the RMAN repository for this database will be stored in a Recovery Catalog database, and then configure the following parameters:

Catalog Instance Name – Enter the Oracle Instance name (which might differ from the Oracle Net Service name) for the Recovery Catalog database. This instance name must be defined in the “tnsnames.ora” file on the Oracle Database Server so that the plug-in can connect to the Recovery Catalog database.

Catalog Owner – Specify the user that was specified as the owner of the Catalog and was granted the RECOVERY_CATALOG_OWNER role.

Catalog Password – Provide the password associated with the Catalog owner name specified in the preceding field.

Control File Save Filename (Full Path) – When the plug-in uses the User Managed backup method, backups and restores of the Control File are not performed using the active Control File. A snapshot of the Control File is created in the file named by the Control File Save Filename (Full Path), and the snapshot or copy of the Control File is backed up. This ensures that a consistent copy of the Control File is protected.

Archive Log Destination Directory – Enter the complete path to the archive log directory as set in the LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST or LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_n parameters in the parameter file. If you archive the redo logs to multiple locations, specify only the primary destination directory in this field.

Archive Log Format – Specify the extension of the archive log files. The archive file pattern will depend on what is established for the LOG_ARCHIVE_FORMAT setting in the parameter file. The following list provides some examples:

Directory Path – If you enter a directory path, the plug-in scans the directory for file names that might correspond to an Oracle Network Configuration File or an Oracle Password File. The rest of the files in the directory are ignored.

Fully Qualified Path to a File – The path includes directory and file name.

Oracle Network Configuration Directory or File(s) Path – Enter the directory where the Oracle Network Configuration files reside, or the list of Oracle Network Configuration files.

Oracle Password Directory or File(s) Path – Enter the directory where the Oracle Password files reside, or the list of Oracle Password files.

Windows Administrator User Name – Enter the Windows Administrator user name for the account under which the plug-in should run. The user name specified in this field must have been already created in the Windows OS.

Password – Enter the password associated with the user name specified in the preceding field.

Windows Domain – Specify the domain to which the user belongs. If it is the Local domain, leave this field blank.