Best practices for doing a backup of/from standby database

I am using using Oracle 9.2.0.6 on HP UNIX 11i. I will be using data guard
And setting up a primary database and a standby database. I plan to do backup of database using standby database to reduce load on primary server.
I have read Oracle's rman and data guard manuals as well as searched Metalink. I still have not found a document which describes how to backup
and restore in this configuration.

I will be backing up on tape using RMAN and Netbackup. I will also be using a recovery catalog.

The way I understand the backup process: 1. One can do backup of database and archivelog on standby database using
RMAN commands.
2. One cannot backup standby control file using RMAN. One will have to use Oracle's sql commands for backing up control file. 3. One will/should backup primary database controlfile using RMAN (in case all controlfiles get deleted, one will need this for primary database restore..)
4. One should also backup archivelogs of primary database using RMAN. While backing up archivelogs, One can delete archivelogs older than a day (for example), so there is no disruption in transfer of archive logs from primary to secondary.

When doing restore on primary database (in case some database file or primary database gets corrected):
1. One will use RMAN's restore/recover command ( using Netbackup's alternate restore), restore datafile, archived on primary database (instead of standby database). Will RMAN restore archive logs from standby database backup even if these logs exist on primary? 2. Do recover of primary database
What is not clear to me is that since archived logs are backed up on both standby and primary - how will one know which ones to restore from - In Netbackup one has to use alternate restore to get archived logs from
Standby database and normal restore to get archived logs from primary database backup ...

I am not yet clear on how backup changes if there is a switchover and standby database becomes primary.

I am looking for some best practices and thing to avoid in doing backup in such as configuration. Information provided in Oracle's manuals is only sketchy.

Any pointers will be appreciat Received on Fri Jul 22 2005 - 08:49:18 CDT