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Home -> Community -> Mailing Lists -> Oracle-L -> Re: Oracle Database Backups using Legato
Sam,
I just went through an installation/configuration of Legato Networker's Oracle module. In the Legato Administration or Installation guide there is an example of "scheduling" the execution of "RMAN" commands in a script. I have always used RMAN with Networker and it is important to understand what all of these pieces are for. RMAN is both an executable with its own language and a catalog which stores the history of your backups. The Oracle target database, the objects backed up, what backupsets they are in and when the backups occurred. The RMAN catalog is basically a repository or metadata about your backups whether or not you write to tape (and use a Media management layer like Networker) or disk. You can do backups without using the catalog and you can run backups with using RMAN commands. However, I have never done so. To me there are numerous advantages to keeping my information about my backups organized through RMAN.
Oracle is linked with some Media Management software to enable backups to be written to tape. The Media Management software does not take care of hot backups. It allows the backups to be written to tape. You still need the appropriate "Oracle" but not necessarily "RMAN" commands to run your backups including hot backups. However, you can schedule a script with these commands through Legato's Networker or through a crontab job.
Regardless of what method you use, it is always wise to periodically test your backups by doing a restore/recovery in an environment that will not impact your current environments.
Hope this helps.
Paula ;)
Sam Bootsma <sbootsma_at_gbrownc.on.ca> wrote:
One of our user departments has an Oracle 10g database running on a Windows 2003 box. The ITS department performs the backups using Legato and the Legato Oracle Module. To the best of my knowledge, RMAN is not used for this particular database. I think it is a hot backup directly to tape, or maybe SAN storage.
I know a plain and simple hot backups creates a worthless backup unless the tablespaces are put in backup mode or RMAN is used. The backup people believe the Legato Oracle Module will ensure the hot backup is good … but I am not so sure. I thought the Legato Oracle Module just provided an interface for the Oracle database (eg. RMAN) to use Legato Backup and still write directly to tape. I don’t think the Legato Oracle Module ensures the backup is good. Can somebody confirm, and even better, clarify, my understanding of how Legato Oracle Module works with Oracle to perform backups? Also, is RMAN still needed for the backup to be good? I expect they are backing up both data files (open of course) and archived log files.
This entire situation is more political than it is anything else. I have suggested a test recovery be performed to validate the backup, but I didn’t get feedback to make me believe that is going to happen. Also, the political nature of this issue means they don’t me involved.
Thanks for your responses!
Sam Bootsma
Oracle Database Administrator
Information Technology Services
George Brown College
Phone: 416-415-5000 x4933
Fax: 416-415-4836
E-mail: sbootsma_at_gbrownc.on.ca
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