Re: How best to move oracle9 db and binaries between similiar unix servers?

On Thu, 10 Jul 2003, Ian wrote:

> Hi - we need to move a 9.2.0.3 database from one AIX server to
> another. Both servers have similiar hardware and are at the same O/S
> level (AIX4.3.3).
> Does anyone have experience with this approach? Is this method
> supported? And is there any documentation available specifically
> describing the files and directories the rdbms accesses outside of
> $ORACLE_BASE such as the ones in /etc/ and /usr/local/ .

You might try it this way:

1. Transfer everything in your ORACLE_BASE except for:
   • datafiles
   • control files
   • redo logs
   • archived logs
2. Using sqlplus, do an O7-style hotbackup; i.e. "alter tablespace x begin backup;" Copy all the datafiles in this way. You might do an 'alter database backup controlfile to trace;' so you are sure that you know where everything is.
3. At your window, shut down your database, and transfer a copy of the control file, a copy of a member of each of the redologs, and all of the archived logs produced since you first issued you "alter tablespace begin backup;"
4. On the target machine, do a startup mount and issue a recover database, then alter database open.

O7-style hot backups seem to be the best approach to me. You might also consider setting up the secondary as a standby server - your window might then become (nearly) instantaneous.

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