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RE: RMAN - Disk vs Tape backups

From: <Jared.Still_at_radisys.com>
Date: Mon, 03 Jun 2002 12:23:31 -0800
Message-ID: <F001.00472B5D.20020603122331@fatcity.com> 





Dennis,



Which MML and how much $$?



The Oracle client for Veritas is about $3500.  Small change
for a piece of a backup system.



Jared








DENNIS WILLIAMS <DWILLIAMS_at_LIFETOUCH.COM>
Sent by: root_at_fatcity.com


06/03/2002 12:33 PM


Please respond to ORACLE-L

 

        To:     Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L <ORACLE-L_at_fatcity.com>
        cc: 
        Subject:        RE: RMAN - Disk vs Tape backups






Steve, Pat


  In our experiments so far, we had enough space to leave the level 0 
backup


on disk. The other incremental backups are so small compared with the 
level


0, that they aren't a problem. We keep a couple of weeks of archives on
another disk anyway. All these can be backed up to tape nightly. And the
tape is taken off-site daily.


  The MML vendors seem to charge a healthy price for the "Oracle client". 
I


don't know how much that is, but my sys admin indicated that it would buy
quite a bit of disk.


  Generally, under true disaster circumstances, losing a few days of data
wouldn't be the end of the world. Not being able to get the data back at 
all


because we started using some slick tool like RMAN and there is some sort 
of


gotcha or some file on the server didn't get considered, well . . . Not
being able to recover for a few days would be understandable. If those
critera aren't acceptable they need to start building that backup computer
room.


Dennis Williams


DBA



Lifetouch, Inc.


dwilliams_at_lifetouch.com




-----Original Message-----


Sent: Monday, June 03, 2002 1:49 PM


To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L




You mentioned "disk management" issues... A problem with disk is that you
are probably limited to only doing level 0 backups. If your recovery spans
multiple RMAN backups then it could be a real bear trying get everything 
you need to recover if you're staging from disk to tape. You'd have to be
very careful about keep track of your tapes.





-----Original Message-----


Sent: Monday, June 03, 2002 11:43 AM


To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L




Dennis ;



You are absolutely right - the DISK option has a big down side that I did 
not catch :


In a disaster (computer room fire) the daily archive logs would be lost 
leaving you without the ability to roll forward your database - and thus 
the



loss of data.  Therefore if you were to go with the DISK option - you 
would 


need to manually implement an remote disk or tape backup procedure for 
your 


daily archive logs (not an easy task) - that is if your clients could not 
live with the loss of any data.



The RMAN tape management option (as long as they are promptly stored in a 
fire resistant safe) definitely has its advantages.



Good point !






As a side note on disaster recovery ; We perform a 'disaster recovery' 
test 


here every 6 months.


This is a great sanity check - as it tests out our procedures and ability 
to



recover from a disaster.


In our last test we simulated a loss of a production server (computer room 



lost due to fire) - and together with the SA's we rebuilt the box from the 



ground up using the backups that we had in the fireproof safe.  This 
exercise also made it very clear to our clients that given our current 
backup configuration - they would loose at most one days worth of 
transactions (the archive logs).


It also confirmed the 'assumptions' that both the DBAs and SAs were making 



about 'who was backing up and responsible for what'.
I highly recommend going thru this procedure at least once a year.






Your comment about implemented RMAN on disk first before implementing RMAN 



with a MML - We took the following approach ;
If you plan on routing your backups directly to tape - take one step back 
and begin by configuring RMAN to backup to disk first.  Thus you will 
eliminate the (major) problems associated with configuring the tape 
interface.  Once you have RMAN up and running on disk then implement the 
tape interface.   ie; Don't bite off to much at a time.



Thanks and good luck in your RMAN rollout!





Patrick J. Howe


Oracle DBA


Illuminet.  A Verisign Company.


4501 Intelco Loop SE


Olympia, WA 98507


Email  : phowe_at_verisign.com





-----Original Message-----



Sent: Monday, June 03, 2002 8:48 AM


To: 'ORACLE-L_at_fatcity.com'


Cc: 'howe_at_Illuminet.com'




Pat

                 Excellent summary. I have only a few points to add. I 


must point out


that I am an RMAN novice, just getting brief spurts of time between other
people's priorities.




Dennis Williams


DBA



Lifetouch, Inc.


dwilliams_at_lifetouch.com




-----Original Message-----


Sent: Friday, May 31, 2002 4:05 PM


To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L




I am currently wrestling with whether to implement 'rman disk backups' or
'rman tape backups'.


I have put together the following PRO's and CON's list so that I can weigh
my options.


I am putting this out to those on the list that are working with RMAN and
care to add to the points i have made.


It is open for discussion - I look forward to reading your responses.



PS : Either CC me on all question responses or I will get back to you on
Monday  - I am currently in Oracle-L digest mode.



Thanks




TAPE



With this option rman directs the rman backup directly to tape.



PROs






CONs






DISK


With this option rman directs the rman backup directly to disk.
All of the Disk Pro's and Con's that I came up with were just the mirror
image of the Tape Con's and Pro's.



The catch with this option is you probably do not have enough disk space 
to


store all of your backups on disk, therefore you will need to put into 
place


a procedure that backs up your rman backup files to tape and then deletes
them from disk.  Note that rman will still think that all of these backups
still reside on disk therefore it will become the dba's job to manage the
"backup-to-disk", "delete-from-disk" and the "recovery-from-tape" of these
rman backup datasets.




PROs






CONs






Patrick J. Howe


Oracle DBA


Illuminet.  A Verisign Company.


4501 Intelco Loop SE


Olympia, WA 98507


Email  : phowe_at_verisign.com






Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com


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  INET: Jared.Still_at_radisys.com

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Received on Mon Jun 03 2002 - 15:23:31 CDT












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