Re: archive logs

Answers embedded
"Jason Seeley" <me_at_127.0.0.1> wrote in message news:Ki%k6.785$02M1.26804358_at_news.xtra.co.nz...
> I keep each backup for a week, i.e. one for each day of the week. This
 also
> includes the volume where the archive logs are stored. so at any given
 point
> I have full backups and associated archive logs for the last six days.
 Also
> I have 3 monthly tapes, also full system backups. I have always thought
 this
> would be enough, but then I am new to Oracle so I now have a touch of
> paranoia creeping in after your last post 8-).

Hey paranoia is good for you - how else would I know that they're all out to get me <g>. I guess what I was getting at is if you actually delete the archive logs that are older than 1 day (using an os script or whatever) in order to preserve space, then if last nights backup didn't work or the tape is unreadable the fact that you have tapes for the previous week is irrelevant. On our system I have to have three bad tapes before I'm in trouble.

>
> I like the idea of exporting the database but how long does the export
 take,
> and how big is your database? (rough approximation)

We're not as large as you, but a direct export takes somewhere between 30 minutes and an hour to produce a roughly 3.5Gb dump file.This is on a 3 year old NT box. Of course compressing and then copying this file across a WAN link for DR takes some time. Suck it and see would be my advice.
>
> Sorry if my questions are annoying and basic, but I'm still waiting for
 the
> "guys with the checkbooks" (finance managers) to approve my Oracle
> raining - glad I'm not holding my breath ;-)

Not at all, they are sensible questions from someone who obviously undertsands the kind of things he needs to consider. Annoying questions are of the 'What are the default Oracle passwords - I can't be bothered to read the manual' variety.

As far as the guys with the checkbooks go ask them to consider what the cost of a days downtime for the entire system is if you have to spend that long working out how to restore and what data they will have and what if any they have lost during downtime. Then consider the cost of Oracle training.

--
Niall Litchfield
Oracle DBA
Audit Commission UK