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1. Information Means The World. Information Means The World.

Introduction

Oracle-based Methods:Hot backup, RMAN, Data Guard, Export / Import, Data Pump, Flashback

Snapshots :Enterprise Backup and Recovery

Snapshots :Development and testing for cloning

Enterprise Backup and Recovery :

Disk-to-disk, enhanced data recovery, and VTL

Disaster Recovery :storage-based replication

Cost savings :tiered architecture / ILM

Performance and high-availability :RAID-DP and aggregates

Storage security / encryption

De-duplication

Pros and Cons :Oracle and non-Oracle enterprise solutions

Ive always focused on the Oracle side due to implementing RAC. Every company Ive worked with has had their storage team take care of that side of the house.

One of Americas top Oracle RAC specialists

The WinterCorp survey found that the worlds largest databases have posted an annual compounded growth rate of approximately 75% since 1995.

Backup issues

Scalability:it can take a long time to physically copy 2 TB of data to tape or disk

Cost:it costs a lot to purchase 200 TB of storage so you can perform physical image backups of 200 TB databases. It is costly to even purchase hardware to test backups.

Performance:keeping large databases in hot backup mode negatively affects the performance of high-transaction systems (inserts, updates, deletes)

Complexityof systems: multiple databases, interlinked systems, different database versions, RMAN/non-RMAN, RAC, ASM, etc.

Manageability:it is often difficult to setup, manage, and test backups

Recovery issues

Manageability:human errors, lost data, inconsistent data, physical failures, corruption can require restores. It can be a manual and scary process to recover to a consistent point-in-time

Performance:how in the world do you recover a 2 TB database in 15 minutes?

Disaster Recovery / Replication

How do you architect your database and surrounding environment for DR? With no data loss? With a 15-minute failover timeframe?

Data growth

Cost:DBAs tend to put storage on single class of storage without archiving or tiering considerations

Performance:system response time is 5 seconds now. What happens when my data triples in size?

Manageability:it is often a political process to get additional storage from non-DBA groups

Development and testing

Cost:it costs a lot to purchase 20 TB of storage to get several image copies of production to test and development!

Scalability:it is too much to provide 5, 10, 15 or more copies to development and testing teams

Manageability:it can take 25% or more of a DBAs time to manage the cloning process

Snapshots: Enterprise Backup and Recovery

Online backup of the database

Can be used with other backup methods

Can be prohibitively lengthy

Only backs up some of the Oracle files not customized code or non-Oracle systems such as Exchange, applications, and SQL

Performance degradation

Need an automated script that looks at Oracles configuration on the fly

RECOVERY MANAGER

Block-level backups - datafile compression

Parallel streams

Many companies see a 10x + performance depending on the amount of updates that were made between backups

Use of arecovery catalogfor multiple databases

Significantly reduces RTO

Significantly less storage space for incremental backups (only changed blocks)

Parallel streams/channels

Works well with snapshots, SnapMirror, SMO, Decru, future de-duplication

RMAN only backs up the database, not code or non-Oracle systems

Replicates Oracle databases from one data center to another

Performs backups from the standby database instead of the production database

Both physical and logical versions

Synchronous mode

Logical mode

Not supported by earlier versions of Oracle

Only supports Oracle databases, not source code or non-Oracle systems

Disables NOLOGGING mode

Extra Oracle license

Standby database must be online

Logical backups of tables (rather than copying the physical blocks of data, it copies the series of commands used to recreate the tables)

Can recover on a table-by-table basis instead of the entire database

Good for complementing other backup methods

Can take a LONG time versus snapshot methods

All data since the export was made is lost

A database must be running to perform either an export or import

Export files shouldnt be edited and can only be used by Oracle

Additional Features:

Using the SELECT clause (compared to FlexClone)

Logical copy of tables or the entire database

Defragmenting

Moving tables / data among schemas

Moving tables / data among databases

Recreating CREATE statements

imp full=y show=y log=cr_db.sql (its ugly)

Migrate among Oracle versions

Note: some OSs have a 2G file-size limit so DBAs use the split and/or compress / tar commands

Export/Imports replacement with significant improvements

15-45 times faster than Export/Import

Parallel streams

Suspend and restart data transfers

Self-tuning

Like the Export/Import utilities

All data since the Data Pump started is lost

Still can take a long time to back up and recover versus methods such as snapshots

A database must be running to perform either an export or import

Data Pump does NOT yet work with XML schemas and XML schema-based tables

When you are importing data into an existing table using either APPEND or TRUNCATE, if any row violates an active constraint, the load is discontinued and no data is loaded

Situations where external tables is used and Direct Path Load is not

there is an active trigger

a unique index exists

the table is partitioned

a referential integrity constraint exists

fine-grained access control is enabled in insert mode

the table has encrypted columns, table is in a cluster

a global index on multi-partition tables exists during a single-partition load

a domain index exists for an LOB column

a table contains BFILE columns or columns of opaque types

a table contains VARRAY columns with an embedded opaque type

supplemental logging is enabled and the table has an LOB column

Oracles flashback area allows for recovering a table (or database) to any point-in-time in the past by storing images of data online

Flashback Database:

Recover to point-in-time from Flash Recovery Area

Flashback Table:

FLASHBACK TABLE LAOUG_audience,

free_gift_list TO TIMESTAMP

(06-FEB-2007, 13:25:00);

Flashback Drop

DROP command puts object into a recycle bin for quick recovery

This method provides online backup and recovery, eliminating the need to recover from tape and saving valuable recovery time and management effort

Extremely fast recovery of tables with simple commands

Requires a significant amount of flashback area online, taking up lots of storage

Cant recover from media failure

Cant undo operations such asshrink datafile

Can only flashback to the oldest SCN in the FRA

Only works with newer releases of Oracle

Non-Oracle Storage Backup Solutions

Non-Oracle solutions are sometimes undiscovered in the world of DBAs

Can solve issues that simply cannot be done with Oracle-only technology

May already be deployed in a company to support Oracle/non-Oracle applications but the database staff is unaware of its HUGE benefits to database environments

Copies the data in real time to three sets of redundant disks

Its possible to slice the mirror instantaneously and back up from the slices, thereby eliminating performance hits of being in hot backup mode for extended periods of time

Expensive: 50% more storage costs to keep a set of production-sized disks

Companies still may not be able to meet backup windows, especially if backing up from the mirror takes more than 24 hours

Replication between two storage arrays that sends storage layer blocks to a standby site whenever there is a storage change at the primary site

Fills the gaps of Data Guard by replicating non-Oracle systems and source code as well as tables in NOLOGGING mode

Works best in conjunction with Data Guard by jointly reducing replication traffic and reducing or eliminating single points of failure

Significantly improves RTO and RPO

Source and target may need to be the same vendor, unless using heterogeneous replication such as Topio

There is a cost associated with purchasing and maintaining a third-party array-based replication solution. An ROI analysis will demonstrate that this cost can be justified. The point at which it is recouped will depend on the value of the data

All of these should be backed up!

Datafiles data, index, temporary, rollback, system

Online and archived redo logs

Control files

Oracle executables and patches

Export, Data Pump dump, RMAN files

Auditing files

Parameter files (init.ora, sqlnet.ora, listener.ora, tnsnames.ora)

SPfiles

Alert logs, bdumps, cdumps, udumps

Password files

Single sign-on files

LOB or BFILE or library storage structures

External tables

Home-grown scripts

Instant backup and recovery of large data sets using a sophisticated, scalable, and fail-safe pointer system of storage blocks. Snapshots represent a frozen view of data taken at a specific point-in-time. Data and entire environments can be restored to a known stable point prior to the event that caused the disruption or corruption.

Snapshots

Point-in-time copy

Created in a few seconds

No performance penalty

TPC-C Published with 5 active snapshots

GUI that uses Snapshots for database backups, recoveries, and cloning. Easy to install and integrates with Oracle RMAN, Oracle RAC, Oracle ASM. Oracle 9i and 10g

Greatly improves DBA efficiency in setting up test and dev environments

Automates DBA tasks and reduces risks for:

Error-free backups and recoveries

Restores

Clones

Initiate and manage backups

Minimize the risk of data loss and corruption with increased backup frequency

Near instantaneous restores of data when its most critically needed

There is a cost associated with purchasing non-Oracle solutions. As with the other storage-based methods, an ROI analysis will demonstrate that this cost can be quickly justified. The point at which it is recouped will depend on the value of the data and the value of the speed of backup or recovery, improvements in manageability, etc.

Snapshots: Development and testing for Cloning

Quickly reconfigure multiple test, development, QA, DW, auditing, staging environments

Rapid restore from online Snapshot copies

Allows multiple test environments

Accelerates test cycles

Helps deliver new Oracle applications quickly

Use Oracle cloning procedures to clone application environments

Challenges

Copies consume lots of disk

< 10% data differences for each instance

Copies take a lotof time

Slower time to market

Solution

Instantaneous copies

Low storage overhead

Faster TTM

Higher quality

Lower cost

Refresh about 100 classes with 11 databases each weekend

Entire operation now complete in 45 minutes!

GUI that uses snapshots for database backups, recoveries, and cloning

Easy to install and integrates with Oracle RMAN, Oracle RAC, Oracle ASM, Oracle 9i and 10g

Greatly improves DBA efficiency in setting up test and dev environments

Automates DBA tasks and enables error-free backups and recoveries, restores and clones

Initiates and manages backups

Minimizes the risk of data loss and corruption with increased backup frequency

Provides near instantaneous restores

Cost associated with purchasing non-Oracle products

ROI analysis will demonstrate that this cost can be justified

Disk-to-disk, enhanced data recovery and VTL

Rising downtime costs

Pressure to reduce recovery time (RTO)

Pressure to minimize data loss (RPO)

Increasing data sizes / shrinking backup window

Tape backup & restore is unreliable

Media costs & media management complexity getting out of control

A backup and restore architecture that adds a disk based storage array to a traditional tape only solution.

Enables concept of Backup to disk, Archive to tape

Enabled by falling disk prices (ATA & SATA)

Leverages random access capability of disk

Augments tape capabilities

VTL emulates industry standard tape libraries

Time to restore is improved with online and near-line backups

Consolidated backups: integrates as appliance!

Replace tape backups with VTL backups

Faster than tape

Non-sequential recovery

Rapid failover supported when a server fails you can remount the database volumes to another server

Disaster Recovery: Storage-based Replication

Replication between two storage arrays that sends storage layer blocks to a standby site whenever there is a storage change at the primary site

Reduces the number of copies of data backed up

Reduces IP network traffic for backup data

More frequent backups with more copies kept online

Reduces tape media and automation resources

Fast file & full restores

Shortest RPO & RTO

Centralization of remote backup

Replication to off-site location lowers tape media management costs for off-site tape rotation

Replicates Oracle databases from one data center to another

Performs backups from the standby database instead of the production database

Both physical and logical versions

Synchronous mode

Logical mode

Not supported by earlier versions of Oracle

Only supports Oracle databases, not source code or non-Oracle systems

Disables NOLOGGING mode

Extra Oracle license

Standby database must be online

Oracle DB volumes on primary and standby site are SnapMirrored

Remote sites Oracle DB is kept in recovery mode

When disaster strikes primary site, its a matter of breaking the SnapMirror and bringing up the remote standby sites Oracle DB in query/update mode

Fills the gaps of Data Guard by replicating non-Oracle systems and source code as well as tables inNOLOGGINGmode

Works best in conjunction with Data Guard by jointly reducing replication traffic and reducing or eliminating single points of failure

Significantly improves RTO and RPO

Source and target may need to be the same vendor, unless using heterogeneous replication such as Topio

There is a cost associated with purchasing and maintaining a third-party array-based replication solution. An ROI analysis will demonstrate that this cost can be justified. The point at which it is recouped will depend on the value of the data

Cost savings: tiered architecture / ILM

Scalable everything: performance, availability, capacity, etc.

Single view; single point of control

Oracle options for tiering data

Tablespaces on specific tiers of disks

Table and index partitioning tiers of disk relate to specific partitions

Triggers, procedures, packages for migrating data

ILM solutions from Oracle or third-parties

Oracle ILM Assistant

Define the Data Classes

Create Storage Tiers for the Data Classes

Create Data Access and Migration Policies

Define and Enforce Compliance Policies

Third-party solution integration with Oracle

Oracle options for tiering data

Tablespaces on specific tiers of disks

Table and index partitioning tiers of disk relate to specific partitions

Triggers, procedures, packages for migrating data

ILM solutions from Oracle or third-parties

Oracle ILM Assistant

Define the Data Classes

Create Storage Tiers for the Data Classes

Create Data Access and Migration Policies

Define and Enforce Compliance Policies

Performance and high-availability: RAID-DP

RAID-DP is an advanced, cost-effective disk failure/error protection solution protecting information in the event of a double disk or media failure within a single RAID group

RAID-DP is based on RAID4 adding a diagonal parity calculation to enhance overall performance versus competitive double parity adaptations based on RAID6

Protection

Traditional single-parity-drive RAID group no longer provides enough protection

Reasonably-sized RAID groups (e.g. 8 drives) are exposed to data loss during reconstruction

RAID-DPs double disk-failure protection does what RAID5 and RAID1/0 cannot:

Reduces RISK:limits exposure to same RAID group second disk failure or non-recoverable media error

RAID 1 is too costly for widespread use

Mirroring doubles the cost of storage

Not affordable for all data

RAID-DP exceeds RAID1/0 protection levels without the associated doubling of capacity and cost

RAID-DP has a comparable operational cost to RAID 4

Performance

Optimized for Performance

Reduces RAID group rebuild time

>10,000 times more secure than single-parity RAID

More reliable than mirroring for double-disk failure

13% Parity Overhead vs50% Overhead w/ Mirror (*)

75% more usable capacity than competitive offerings (*)

* Comparing 14d + 2p vs. 8+8 mirror

De-duplication

De-duplication works with VTLs by detecting redundant data streams during the backup process and sending pointers to that data (versus actual streams of blocks of data) when duplicate streams are detected

Can dramatically reduce the backup stream sizetypically 10-20 timesand bandwidth required for backup

10-40% lower acquisition cost than tape

When set up properly, de-duplication can work well with multiple Oracle RMAN channels

Initial costs

Storage security

Unencrypted data opens up the company to several vulnerabilitieswhether its a disgruntled employee or consultant stealing the tape or the tape being lost in the warehouse or while being transported off-site.

Oracle solutions

Database Encryption:

Store data encrypted within database tables and, thus, also encrypted on tape

Data may be unencrypted in indexes, temp tablespace, flashback, audit, and elsewhere

Oracle Secure Backup:

Encrypt Oracles RMAN backups before they are written to tape

By encrypting at the database level, an organization reduces much of itsexposure. This method is also free (for one direct-attached storage device)

Typically, the DBA is solely responsible for retaining the key and there areinherent weaknesses with this strategy

2)Storage vendor encryption

Encryption at the storage level

Multi-master key management that prevents single points-of-failure for key loss

No auto-destruct capabilities

By using a hardware and software appliance, backup streams can be encrypted with negligible impact on performance

An untested or undocumented backup and recovery plan is no plan at all

Ari Kaplan

[email_address]

312-399-0079

Independent information storage architect specializing in solutions & services spanning:

Data availability

Data recovery

Storage management

Focused on information storage solutions and services since 1987

Headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, with operations throughout the U.S.

Publicly traded company (NASDAQ: DTLK)

Independence

Unbiased guidance

Business needs drive recommendations

Storage focus & expertise

Insiders view of manufacturer R&D roadmaps

Extensive experience with complex, multi-vendor, multi-platform infrastructures

Alignment of people, processes and technologies

Track record of excellence

Long-term partnerships

Business value

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Technology

oracle backup methods

backup window database

tb of data

tb of storage

oracle files

oracle corp

online backup

nonoracle systems