Re: Backup flashback logs to tape

On Jul 2, 3:00 pm, zigzag..._at_yahoo.com wrote:
> On Jul 2, 3:38 pm, "fitzjarr..._at_cox.net" <fitzjarr..._at_cox.net> wrote:
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> > Comments embedded.
> > On Jul 2, 12:11 pm, zigzag..._at_yahoo.com wrote:
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> > > On Jul 2, 12:49 pm, "Vladimir M. Zakharychev"
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> > > <vladimir.zakharyc..._at_gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > On Jul 2, 6:43 pm, zigzag..._at_yahoo.com wrote:
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> > > > > On Jul 2, 10:20 am, Ganesh <ganesh.tam..._at_gmail.com> wrote:> I would like to know if there is any way I can backup my flashback
> > > > > > logs to tape.
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> > > > > > I want to do this to provide additional level of backup and I have a
> > > > > > business need where I need to preserve older copies of Flashback logs.
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> > > > > > According to all the documents I have referred, there is no RMAN
> > > > > > command available that would do this for me.
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> > > > > > Kindly let me know if anyone has tried this sort of operation.
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> > > > > > Thanks & Regards,
> > > > > > Ganesh
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> > > > > You can alwys use OS command to backup flashback logs to taoe. As
> > > > > along you do not delete logs you will be fine.
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> > > > Always? Really? Even if FRA is configured on an ASM volume? Which OS
> > > > command does that and of which OS? And assuming FRA is on a
> > > > conventional file system, what will you get on tape when Oracle writes
> > > > flashback logs while you tar them? And why would you want to backup
> > > > flashback logs to tape in the first place? What's their worth being
> > > > there?
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> > > > Regards,
> > > > Vladimir M. Zakharychev
> > > > N-Networks, makers of Dynamic PSP(tm)
> > > > http://www.dynamicpsp.com-Hidequotedtext -
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> > > > - Show quoted text -
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> > > I work with UNIX. You can always use dd to backup anything.
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> > Certainly you *can* use dd to *copy* just about anything, but copying
> > a live file in the process of a write operation doesn't make it a
> > backup. I think you have your terms confused.
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> > > Never
> > > tried ASM.
> > > It has been pointed by Oracle that there is no need to backup
> > > flashback logs, but OP is not asking that. OP's question was how to
> > > back them up and not why to back them up.
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> > And our question *is* "why do you feel the need to backup these
> > logs?" Had Oracle thought them important enough to database operation
> > to preserve old copies then Oracle would have provided a tool or
> > utility to do so. That none exists speaks volumes against the OPs
> > desires.
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> > > I thnk there is something wrong in Oracle's design.
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> > Then you're welcome to bitch and moan at Larry and tell him where he's
> > gone horribly wrong. Go ahead, we'll wait.
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> > > What hapens if
> > > disk crashes and flashbac logs get deleted or become corrupted. Then
> > > you cannot flashback database or flashabck db only to some point in
> > > time.
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> > And this adversely impacts your database ... how?
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> > > You may hvave to turn flashback feature off and then turn the
> > > feature on. I recently had a stuation where somehow flashback logs
> > > were corrupted, it brought Oracle Database down.
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> > Then this is a bug which should be addressed by a patchset or an
> > upgrade. Gee, it is. Upgrade to 10.2.0 and that problem will go
> > away.
> > > Then I had to turn
> > > flashback off and then on. Oracle said it is a bug in Oracle 10.1.0.4
> > > and is fixed in 10.2.0.x.- Hide quoted text -
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> > > - Show quoted text -
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> > David Fitzjarrell- Hide quoted text -
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> > - Show quoted text -
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> ============================================================
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> What hapens if
> disk crashes and flashbac logs get deleted or become corrupted. Then
> you cannot flashback database or flashabck db only to some point in
> time.
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> > And this adversely impacts your database ... how?
>
> I do not know about you but I see this as a real issue. If I am using
> flashback database feature hoping that I can flashback to some point
> in tme back (e.g. last 7 days) and then find because of disk crash or
> corruption I cannot flashback at all then what is the point of using
> flashback database. Oracle is just hoping that disk will not crash,
> someone accdiently will not delete flahsback logs. We all know these
> things happen.- Hide quoted text -
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> - Show quoted text -

Who could delete the flashback logs? Someone with DBA privilege, I expect, or access to the 'oracle' O/S account. If your security model is this lax then you deserve what you get.

Hardware failures happen, however it appears that you're concentrating on an area which cannot adversely impact your day-to-day performance and database operation. Yes, it's *nice* to be able to use the flashback database feature, but it's a FEATURE, not a necessity. Redo logs are a necessity, UNDO tablespaces are a necessity, the SYSTEM tablespace is a necessity. Flashback database is not.

David Fitzjarrell Received on Mon Jul 02 2007 - 16:09:04 CDT