Re: Oracle in a HP Storage Area Network

Johan wrote:

> Has anyone experience with Oracle databases in a Storage Area Network (SAN)
> .
> We want to use snapshots to make fast copies of the LUN on a VA7400.
> What do i have to think about on the Oracle side?
> Backup using "BEGIN BACKUP" and "END BACKUP" etc.?
>
> thanks
>
>
>

Newer Oracle versions (did you say?) has the ALTER SYSTEM SUSPEND, that will suspend all i/o, untill ALTER SYSTEM RESUME. This can be used to break mirror systems, using the offline mirror part for creating backups. When done, resilver the mirror. Check the backup and recovery guide, performing operating system backups pages in the manual.
Dooing journalized snapshot backups using storage manager you have to have all tablespaces in begin backup, or you have to do the snapshot sequentialy on tablespace/datafiles basis with begin/end backup. I have used the first way and tested a recovery with success, but never tried a shapshot way. I'd rather stick with 'old', known ways. There is quite a value in keeping the data (consistent).

If I had a system that could take a real fast snapshot (< 5 min.) I would try setting all tablespaces in begin backup, suspend io, take the snapshot, resume and end backup. Hot backup in a flash.

/Svend Jensen Received on Fri May 24 2002 - 14:24:17 CDT