Hello Howard and Jake,
You are right that I don't know that much about backups, but I think
you didn't understand my question.
We are backing up data from a system that uses Oracle for archiving
electronic documents and images (MS Office files, large TIFF
images, ...).
When a document is checked in, Oracle is updated with metadata for the
document. The file(s) that make up the document are also moved to a
secure volume and there is a column in an Oracle table that has a
reference to this location. The document file(s) are not stored as
blobs in the DB -- they reside outside the DB.
When we do an incremental backup, we are backing up the Oracle
Metadata, but we'd also like to be able to backup the document files on
the volume referenced in the Oracle table. Right now, a backup of
these files is being done based on file timestamps.
If we can parse out the path information from the table in the
incremental backup data, then we can backup these "extra files".
I will try to find out more information about Log Miner.
Thanks
Dick
In article <3a132bb2_at_news.iprimus.com.au>,
"Howard J. Rogers" <howardjr_at_www.com> wrote:
> Hi jake: good questions. No, I think RMAN is an excellent utility.
But I'd
> be using it because (a) the scripting language means that what works
can be
> preserved, and protected behind the usual Oracle security mechanisms,
(b)
> the fact that hot backups don't generate block-level backups, and
thus the
> redo sub-system is not overly stressed, (c) recoveries become
relatively
> simple affairs 'restore database - recover database' -I've seen too
many
> restores stuffed up by failure to remember precisely what gets
restored etc
> etc and (d)the fact that it's an Oracle utilitiy means it understands
the
> concept of an Oracle block -and can report on any corruptions
straight away
> (no need to remember to dbverify the results). You've only got to
recall
> some of the posts here a few weeks back about 'three weeks of backup
turns
> out to have included corrupt data files' to realise how important that
> little feature is.
>
> I think the incremental possibilities come in around point (e). It
can make
> all the difference between achieving a backup in the available
maintenance
> window, and not.
>
> I confess to having been utterly intimidated by the syntax from Hell
with
> which RMAN is blessed (cursed?) in my early days with it. But that's
just
> another language to learn, and given enough time, it's not *that*
bad, with
> hindsight. I therefore recommend RMAN with conviction these days.
Indeed,
> just last month, for the first time, one of my students did the entire
> Backup and Recovery workshop using nothing but RMAN. I was somewhat
> gobsmacked, but also deeply impressed, and persuaded that this (or
something
> like it) ought to be the way of the future as regards backup and
recovery.
>
> Regards
> HJR
> --
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Opinions expressed are my own, and not those of Oracle Corporation
> Oracle DBA Resources:
http://www.geocities.com/howardjr2000
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> "Jake" <jjstrauss_at_yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:T%wQ5.13583$3u4.67355_at_e420r-sjo2.usenetserver.com...
> > > I mentioned earlier. Unless you are talking huge amounts of
data, the
> > > incremental backup feature is not the first one that springs to
mind as
a
> > > reason for moving to RMAN, however.
> >
> > Howard, what is your first reason for moving to RMAN, or are you
saying
you
> > prefer not to use RMAN?
> >
> > --
> > Jake
> > "Howard J. Rogers" <howardjr_at_www.com> wrote in message
> > news:3a111d39$1_at_news.iprimus.com.au...
> > > I'm slightly confused about what you are after, but here goes for
> > > nothing....
> > >
> > > 1. How can we best backup data associated with a hot backup?
> > >
> > > I *really* don't understand this question. A hot backup is a
backup of
the
> > > data files associated with a database. You want to backup a
backup? If
you
> > > mean, 'how do you do hot backups', the short answer is: do it a
tablespace
> > > at a time, issue the command 'alter tablespace blah begin backup;
take a
> > > host copy of the data files associated with that tablespace; when
the
copy
> > > has finished, issue the command 'alter tablespace blah end
backup'. You
> > > then move on to the next tablespace and so on, until all
tablespaces
have
> > > been processed. Full instructions are contained (amongst other
places)
in
> > > my backup and recovery document, available on my website.
> > >
> > > 2. I think you then ask how (or whether) you can just backup the
extra
> > > column that has been added to a table. Short answer is, you
can't.
Even
> > > using RMAN's incremental backup feature, since that is row-level
sensitive
> > > to data changes, not column-sensitive.
> > >
> > > 3. Yes, you can 'parse the data' from your archives, provided
you have
> > > 8.1.5 or above -the feature is called Log Miner (also 'parses
data' from
> > > on-line archive logs). Anything earlier than 8.1.5, and you'll
have to
find
> > > a third-party product that does the deed (and I don't know of any
off
hand).
> > >
> > > 4. 'Can we read incremental RMAN data'? No, but (rather
fortunately)
RMAN
> > > can. If you mean, 'can RMAN do incremental backups', the answer
is yes,
as
> > > I mentioned earlier. Unless you are talking huge amounts of
data, the
> > > incremental backup feature is not the first one that springs to
mind as
a
> > > reason for moving to RMAN, however.
> > >
> > > Not sure whether you are entirely familiar with backup and
recovery
concepts
> > > and techniques. L=ike Isay, go to my site, find the Backup and
Recovery
> > > course page, and download my small document there -and then get
back to
me
> > > with any questions you may have.
> > >
> > > Regards
> > > HJR
> > > --
> >
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------
> > -
> > > Opinions expressed are my own, and not those of Oracle Corporation
> > > Oracle DBA Resources:
http://www.geocities.com/howardjr2000
> >
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------
> > -
> > >
> > >
> > > <dickweisinger_at_my-deja.com> wrote in message
> > > news:8uqq5f$e1p$1_at_nnrp1.deja.com...
> > > > Hi,
> > > > Can you please help me?
> > > > How can we best backup data associated with a hot
> > > > backup?
> > > > We have a table that references volume and file
> > > > data. As part of the hot backup, we want to do
> > > > an incremental backup of all files that are newly
> > > > referenced in the incremental hot database backup.
> > > > (Someone added a column to the table with path to
> > > > a file.)
> > > > How can we best do this? If we keep an
> > > > ARCHIVELOG, can we parse the data from that
> > > > file? We may move to RMan in the near future --
> > > > can we read incremental RMan data?
> > > > Thanks
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> > > > Before you buy.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Received on Mon Nov 20 2000 - 02:25:07 CST
