NetVault Plug-in for Oracle 7.1

Oracle Data Guard environment in place – You must have a properly configured Data Guard environment. The version of Oracle is listed as a Supported Data Guard environment in the Dell NetVault Backup Plug-in Compatibility Guide.

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Oracle RAC environment in place – For Data Guard environments that include multi-instance Primary or Standby Database Servers, you must meet the Oracle RAC-required configuration that is specified in RAC configuration requirements.

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Separate NetVault Backup Server machine – The machine that is to serve as the NetVault Backup Server must be properly configured and it must exist outside the Data Guard environment, but have network connectivity to the nodes/hosts within the Data Guard environment.

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Separate Recovery Catalog Server – Dell strongly recommends that you store the RMAN repository in a Recovery Catalog database on a server outside the Data Guard environment. Only the primary database can be registered with the Recovery Catalog. For more information, see Creating the RMAN repository.

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Control File Autobackups are enabled – Automatic backups of the Control File and SPFILE must be enabled on the databases that meet the following criteria:

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Back up from Primary Only strategy – Enable Autobackups of the Control File and SPFILE on the Primary Database Server.

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Back up from both Primary and Standby strategy –

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Oracle 10.2.x – Disable Autobackups of the Control File and SPFILE on both the Primary and all the Standby Database Servers where backups are performed. Manual Control File and SPFILE backups are performed on the Primary Database Server.

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Oracle 11.x – Enable Autobackups of the Control File and SPFILE on all the database servers where backups are performed. For example, if Incremental Level 0 Backups are taken from Standby Database Server while Incremental Level 1 Backups are taken from the Primary Database Server, enable Autobackups on both the Primary and Standby Database Server.

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Back up from Standby Only strategy – Enable Autobackups of the Control File and SPFILE on the Standby Database Servers where backups are being performed.

For more information, see Enabling Control File Autobackups.

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Flash Recovery Area recommended – Enabling FRA is recommended for Data Guard environments. For more information, refer to Configuring the Flash Recovery Area in the Oracle Database Backup and Recovery User’s Guide.

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Flashback Database recommended – Enabling the Flashback Database is recommended on Data Guard Standby Database Servers. For more information, see Enabling Flashback Database and the Using Flashback Database After a Role Transition section in Oracle Data Guard Concepts and Administration.

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Additional prerequisites – In addition to the preceding Data Guard-specific requirements, you must meet the non-Data Guard-specific requirements that are specified in Prerequisites.

Optional RMAN configuration settings

The following settings are optional in a Data Guard environment.

Retention Policy

RMAN’s Retention Policy specifies a persistent, ongoing policy for backup sets and copies those that RMAN marks as obsolete, that is, not needed and eligible for deletion. As time passes, RMAN marks backup sets and copies as obsolete according to the criteria specified in the retention policy. RMAN automatically deletes obsolete backup sets and copies in the FRA when space is needed. RMAN does not automatically delete obsolete files outside the FRA, such as on NetVault Backup backup media.

Primary Database Configuration

After making sure that the Recovery Catalog database is open, connect RMAN to the primary target database and to the Recovery Catalog database.

For example, issue the following commands to connect to the catalog database:

> rman TARGET / CATALOG rman/<password>@<connect_identifier for catalog>

Configure the retention policy:

CONFIGURE RETENTION POLICY TO RECOVERY WINDOW OF <n> DAYS

Archive Log Deletion Policy

RMAN’s Archive Log Deletion Policy specifies that archived redo logs are eligible for deletion if both of the following conditions are met:

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The archived redo logs have been applied to the required standby databases.

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The logs are not needed by the BACKED UP … TIMES TO DEVICE TYPE deletion policy. If the BACKED UP policy is not set, this condition is always met.

When backups of archived redo log files are taken on a standby database:

Primary database configuration

After making sure that the Recovery Catalog database is open, connect RMAN to the primary target database and to the Recovery Catalog database.

For example, issue the following commands to connect to the catalog database:

> rman TARGET / CATALOG rman/<password>@<connect_identifier for catalog>

Configure the deletion policy:

CONFIGURE ARCHIVELOG DELETION POLICY TO APPLIED ON STANDBY

Configuration for Standby Database where backups are performed

After making sure that the Recovery Catalog database is open, connect RMAN to the standby target database performing backups and to the Recovery Catalog database.

Configure the deletion policy:

CONFIGURE ARCHIVELOG DELETION POLICY TO NONE

Configuration for Standby Database where backups are not performed

After making sure that the Recovery Catalog database is open, connect RMAN to the standby target database where backups will not be performed and to the Recovery Catalog database.

Configure the deletion policy:

CONFIGURE ARCHIVELOG DELETION POLICY TO APPLIED ON ALL STANDBY

When backups of archived redo log files are taken on the primary database:

Primary Database configuration

After making sure that the Recovery Catalog database is open, connect RMAN to the primary target database performing backups and to the Recovery Catalog database.

Configure the deletion policy

CONFIGURE ARCHIVELOG DELETION POLICY TO NONE

Standby Database configuration

After making sure that the Recovery Catalog database is open, connect RMAN to the standby target database and to the Recovery Catalog database.

Configure the deletion policy:

CONFIGURE ARCHIVELOG DELETION POLICY TO APPLIED ON STANDBY

Backup optimization

RMAN Backup Optimization prevents RMAN from backing up a file to a device type if the identical file is already backed up on the backup media. However, RMAN does not signal an error if backup optimization causes all files to be skipped during a backup.

Configuration for Standby Database performing backups

After making sure that the Recovery Catalog database is open, connect RMAN to the standby target database performing backups and to the Recovery Catalog database.

For example, issue the following commands to connect to the catalog database:

> rman TARGET / CATALOG rman/<password>@<connect_identifier for catalog>

Configure the backup optimization:

CONFIGURE BACKUP OPTIMIZATION ON


	IMPORTANT: In the event of a switchover or failover where the databases change roles, the corresponding CONFIGURE commands must be re-executed on the new primary and standby databases.

Installing the plug-in

Installing Plug‑in for Oracle in a Data Guard environment requires installing the plug-in on the Primary Database Server and optionally installing the plug-in on one or more Physical Standby Database Servers. For more information on the supported Data Guard deployments, see Deployment.

Install the NetVault Backup Client software.

Install the NetVault Backup Client software on each Oracle Database Server where the plug-in will be installed.

Add the NetVault Backup Clients to the NetVault Backup Server.

From the NetVault Backup WebUI on the NetVault Backup Server, open the Manage Clients page, and add the NetVault Backup Clients installed on the primary and standby databases to the NetVault Backup Clients list.

Install Plug‑in for Oracle.

With the NetVault Backup Client software installed on each required system of the Data Guard environment, install the plug-in on each system as well. The process is identical to installing the plug-in for a non-Data Guard single or multi-instance database environment.