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Re: Oracle Backup for dummies?

From: Howard J. Rogers <hjr_at_dizwell.com>
Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 07:51:42 +1100
Message-Id: <4195222f$0$24376$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au>


tpcolson wrote:

> I've set up an Oracle 9i (9.0.2) database to serve as a spatial repository
> for ArcSDE GIS data (www.esri.com). Now....I am by no means a db
> admin...or a SQL programmer. This DB is for storage of GIS data related to
> a PhD project...and in a university setting....users are their own IT
> shop. The challenge is...I need to figure how to configure enterprise
> manager console to do backup/recovery. SO far, I've configure the
> dataspace holding the spatial data to be in "Archive Log Mode" and it runs
> fine...etc...I can even do online or offline backups. The problem
> is...I've been testing to see if I
> can do a recovery from the backups I've made...using the wizard in
> enterprise manager console. The recovery never works, and the database
> never starts up again, due to any number of what seems like a 100 errors.
> Now..one would think, that if you click the "recover button", it would
> perform a recovery, right? Is there anything I'm missing here? I really
> can't get into all that SQL stuff for performing recoveries. I'm trying to
> set this up so even the dumbest user (myself) can click a button or two
> and execute a recovery after they delete two weeks of project data. Thanks
> for any advice.

Use SQL Server.

I know it's not advice you will like, but it's the right advice for you. You show no ability to work out what is an appropriate message for a newsgroup, so you blast your post to all of them 'just in case'. You "can't get into SQL", yet seek to use a relational database. You think that protecting and recovering data is something you can trust to "the dumbest user". You complain about a recover button not working, yet provide no details about the errors you received.... In all seriousness, SQL Server would be perfect for you (and I speak as one who thinks highly of SQL Server).

If you wish to continue using Oracle, and you actually want anyone here to provide meaningful help, then (a) stop crossposting (b) drop the attitude that this Oracle product is slightly iffy (c) grow up and be prepared to actually do some real work and (d) start providing some real, meaningful error message for people to diagnose.

And I will finish by pointing out that the GUI backup and recovery tool is merely a nice front-end to RMAN; that you will only truly understand RMAN when you learn how to use it from the command line; that once you have done that, the GUI will make sense, and you can set up the GUI for your dumbest users to use in perpetuity thereafter. But this requires work on your part. Not much, but some...

You might try opening up a command line, and doing the following:

rman target /
backup database;

You would then be able to break your database (by shutting it down and then deleting a file, for example), at which point recovery would be:

rman target /
restore database;
recover database;

It isn't difficult. But it requires a little bit more than the seemingly surly refusal to do more than click a 'Recover' button.

HJR Received on Fri Nov 12 2004 - 14:51:42 CST

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