Veritas NetBackup™ for Oracle Administrator's Guide

Last Published:
Product(s): NetBackup (8.1.2)
  1. Introduction
    1.  
      What's new about NetBackup for Oracle
    2.  
      About NetBackup for Oracle
    3.  
      NetBackup for Oracle features
    4.  
      NetBackup for Oracle terminology
    5.  
      NetBackup for Oracle operation using the Oracle Intelligent Policy
    6.  
      Logging the RMAN input and output on a client
    7.  
      NetBackup for Oracle operation using a script- or template-based policy
    8.  
      About Oracle RMAN
    9.  
      About the Oracle recovery catalog
  2. NetBackup for Oracle QuickStart
    1.  
      Installing NetBackup for Oracle
    2.  
      Registering Oracle database instances
    3.  
      Creating an Oracle database instance group
    4.  
      Creating an Oracle policy
  3. Installing NetBackup for Oracle
    1.  
      Verifying the operating system and platform compatibility
    2.  
      NetBackup server and client requirements
    3.  
      Requirements for using NetBackup for Oracle in a NetBackup cluster
    4.  
      About the license for NetBackup for Oracle
    5. About linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup for UNIX
      1.  
        Verifying environment variables and shutting down Oracle
      2. Linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup on UNIX platforms
        1.  
          Manually linking AIX (64-bit)
        2.  
          Manually linking HP Itanium (64-bit)
        3.  
          Manually linking Linux x86 (64-bit)
        4.  
          Manually linking IBM pSeries or zSeries
        5.  
          Manually linking Solaris x86 (64-bit)
        6.  
          Manually linking Solaris SPARC (64-bit)
  4. Oracle policy configuration
    1. Preparing for NetBackup for Oracle configuration
      1.  
        About Oracle policy configuration
      2. Permissions for NetBackup for Oracle log directories
        1.  
          Oracle Home User permissions when NetBackup SAN Client is used
      3.  
        NetBackup for Oracle backup policy types
      4.  
        Configuring the Maximum jobs per client for NetBackup for Oracle
    2. Instance management for an Oracle Intelligent Policy
      1.  
        About the NetBackup Discovery Service
      2.  
        Viewing the Oracle database instance repository
      3.  
        Manually adding an Oracle database instance to the repository
      4.  
        Registering an Oracle database instance
      5.  
        About Oracle database instance groups
      6.  
        Adding an instance to an instance group
      7.  
        Automatic Registration of an instance group
      8.  
        About instance actions
    3. About Oracle Intelligent Policies (OIP)
      1.  
        Creating an Oracle Intelligent Policy (OIP)
      2.  
        Oracle database upgrade effect on Oracle Intelligent Policies
      3.  
        Configuring NetBackup for Oracle automatic backup schedules
      4.  
        About NetBackup for Oracle schedule properties using Oracle Intelligent Policy
      5.  
        Oracle Intelligent Policy - Storage and Retention
      6.  
        About Oracle Intelligent Policy master server behavior
      7.  
        Instances and Databases tab
      8.  
        Backup Selections tab
      9.  
        Oracle tab
      10.  
        About using a NetBackup appliance share for Oracle backups (Copilot)
      11.  
        Configuring an OIP using a share on the NetBackup appliance (Copilot)
    4. About script- or template-based Oracle policies
      1.  
        Adding a new script- or template-based Oracle policy
      2.  
        About policy attributes
      3.  
        About backup schedules, templates, and scripts
      4.  
        About schedule properties
      5.  
        Script- or template-based policy - Storage and Retention
      6.  
        Adding clients to a policy
      7. About adding backup selections to an Oracle policy
        1.  
          Adding a template to the backup selections list in the NetBackup Administration Console
        2.  
          Adding a script to the backup selections list in the NetBackup Administration Console
      8. About configuring the run-time environment
        1.  
          About the Oracle RMAN environment
        2.  
          About the environment variables set by NetBackup for Oracle
        3.  
          About the RMAN SEND command variables
        4.  
          About the bp.conf file on UNIX systems
      9. About creating templates and shell scripts
        1.  
          Starting the NetBackup Backup, Archive, and Restore interface
        2.  
          RMAN templates and shell scripts
        3.  
          Creating RMAN templates using the NetBackup for Oracle RMAN template generation wizard
        4.  
          Creating an RMAN script from a template
        5. About creating RMAN scripts manually
          1.  
            About the NetBackup for Oracle sample scripts
          2.  
            Using the NetBackup for Oracle sample scripts
          3.  
            About the set duplex command
        6.  
          About storing templates
        7.  
          About storing shell scripts
    5.  
      Configuring the logon account for the NetBackup Client Service for NetBackup for Oracle
    6.  
      Testing configuration settings for NetBackup for Oracle
  5. Performing backups and restores of Oracle
    1.  
      Overview of using NetBackup for Oracle
    2.  
      Maintaining the RMAN repository
    3.  
      Querying the RMAN repository
    4. About NetBackup for Oracle backups
      1.  
        Running NetBackup for Oracle templates
      2.  
        Using bpdbsbora to run a backup template
      3.  
        Running the NetBackup for Oracle shell script
      4.  
        Running RMAN
    5.  
      Browsing backups using the bplist command
    6.  
      Managing expired backup images
    7. About NetBackup for Oracle restores
      1.  
        Starting the recovery wizard
      2.  
        Using the recovery wizard
      3.  
        Using bpdbsbora to run a recovery template
      4.  
        About an Oracle recovery shell script on the client
      5.  
        Running RMAN on the client
      6.  
        About Oracle multistream restore for proxy backup
      7. Redirecting a restore to a different client
        1.  
          Preparing the master server for an alternate restore
        2.  
          About performing a redirected restore with RMAN
        3.  
          Example - Performing a redirected restore of Oracle
    8. Using NetBackup for Oracle in a Microsoft Windows cluster environment
      1.  
        About backups of an Oracle clustered database on Windows
      2.  
        Bringing the database instance offline on Windows
      3.  
        Bringing the database instance online on Windows
      4.  
        User-directed backup or restore from the Windows client
    9.  
      Creating an instant recovery point from an Oracle Copilot image
    10.  
      Deleting an instant recovery point for Oracle Copilot instant recovery
    11.  
      Cleaning up the Copilot share after point in time restore of database
    12.  
      Single-step restore to ASM storage from a Copilot recovery point
    13.  
      About restoring from a data file copy to ASM storage using RMAN
  6. Guided Recovery
    1.  
      About OpsCenter Guided Recovery
    2.  
      Setting up for Guided Recovery cloning
    3.  
      Guided Recovery cloning pre-operation checks
    4.  
      Performing a Guided Recovery cloning operation
    5.  
      Select a Master Server dialog
    6.  
      Select Source Database panel
    7.  
      Select Control File Backup panel
    8.  
      Destination host and login panel
    9.  
      Destination Parameters panel
    10.  
      Selection summary panel
    11.  
      Pre-clone check panel
    12.  
      Job Details panel
    13.  
      Guided Recovery post-clone operations
    14. Troubleshooting Guided Recovery
      1.  
        Troubleshooting files for metadata collection operations at the time of the backup
      2.  
        Troubleshooting files for Guided Recovery validation operations
      3.  
        Troubleshooting files for Guided Recovery cloning operations
  7. NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client
    1. About NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client
      1.  
        Proxy copy
      2.  
        NetBackup for Oracle stream-based operations
      3.  
        NetBackup for Oracle file-based operations
    2. How NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client works
      1.  
        About the NetBackup for Oracle backup and restore operations
      2.  
        Database objects supported by advanced backup methods
      3.  
        About NetBackup multistreaming
      4.  
        RMAN multiple channels
      5.  
        Restoring data files to a new location
      6.  
        Redirecting a restore to a different client
      7.  
        Symbolic links and raw data files (UNIX)
      8.  
        Quick I/O data files (UNIX)
      9.  
        RMAN incremental backups
      10.  
        Proxy backup examples
    3. About configuring Snapshot Client with NetBackup for Oracle
      1.  
        Configuration requirements for snapshot backups with NetBackup for Oracle
      2.  
        Configuring a snapshot policy for NetBackup for Oracle
      3.  
        Configuring a snapshot policy using a share on the NetBackup appliance (Copilot)
    4. Restoring NetBackup for Oracle from a snapshot backup
      1.  
        About restoring individual files from a NetBackup for Oracle snapshot backup
      2. About NetBackup for Oracle restores of volumes and file systems using snapshot rollback
        1.  
          Performing a snapshot rollback restore from the Java or Windows interface
        2.  
          Performing a snapshot rollback restore using a script or RMAN command
        3.  
          Performing a NetBackup for Oracle point-in-time rollback restore from a SnapVault backup (UNIX)
    5. About configuring NetBackup for Oracle block-level incremental backups on UNIX
      1.  
        How BLI works with NetBackup for Oracle (UNIX)
      2.  
        About the Storage Checkpoint facility and NetBackup for Oracle
      3.  
        Configuration requirements for BLI backups with NetBackup for Oracle
      4. Configuring policies for BLI backups with NetBackup for Oracle
        1.  
          About the types of NetBackup for Oracle BLI backups
    6. About Snapshot Client effects
      1.  
        How Snapshot Client software affects backup types
      2.  
        How Snapshot Client software affects schedule properties
      3.  
        How Snapshot Client software affects templates and scripts
      4.  
        NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client environment variables
    7. About Oracle support for Replication Director
      1.  
        Configuring an Oracle Intelligent Policy using Replication Director
      2.  
        Configuring a script- or template-based Oracle policy
  8. Troubleshooting
    1.  
      About troubleshooting NetBackup for Oracle
    2.  
      About NetBackup for Oracle troubleshooting steps
    3.  
      NetBackup debug logs and reports
    4.  
      Enabling the debug logs manually (Windows)
    5.  
      Enabling the debug logs manually (UNIX)
    6.  
      About the NetBackup for Oracle log files
    7.  
      Setting the debug level on a Windows client
    8.  
      Setting the debug level on a UNIX client
    9.  
      About RMAN utility logs
    10. Troubleshooting RMAN backup or restore errors
      1.  
        Verifying the RMAN script on UNIX
      2.  
        Troubleshooting each stage of the backup or restore
    11.  
      Troubleshooting the UNIX browser interface and wizards
    12.  
      Troubleshooting NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client
    13.  
      Minimizing timeout failures on large database restores
    14.  
      Minimizing the loading and unloading of tapes for database backups
    15.  
      Delays in backup job transfer and completion
  9. Appendix A. Real Application Clusters
    1.  
      About Real Application Clusters
    2.  
      About virtual names and NetBackup for Oracle
    3.  
      About RAC archiving schemes
    4.  
      About backing up a database
    5.  
      Example of restoring a database
    6.  
      Troubleshooting database restores (UNIX and Windows)
    7.  
      About restoring archive logs
  10. Appendix B. Best practices for protecting Oracle RAC with NetBackup
    1.  
      Oracle RAC with NetBackup best practices
    2.  
      About using Templates and Oracle Intelligent Policy (OIP) with RAC
    3.  
      About NetBackup for Oracle operations
    4.  
      Example RAC configuration: Failover name exists and backup is not load balanced
    5.  
      Example RAC configuration: Failover name exists and backup is load balanced
    6.  
      Example RAC configuration: Failover name is not available and backup is not load balanced
    7.  
      Example RAC configuration: Failover name is not available, and backup is load balanced, one policy with custom script
    8.  
      Example RAC configuration: Failover name is not available and backup is load balanced, simple script with manual policy failover
    9.  
      Image catalog configuration for RAC
    10.  
      Configuring the appliance within a RAC environment
  11. Appendix C. Deduplication best practices
    1.  
      Optimizing and deduplicating stream-based and proxy copy Oracle backups
    2.  
      Configuring a stream-based Oracle backup
    3.  
      Example RMAN script for a stream-based backup
    4.  
      Editing the RMAN script and configuring NetBackup for Oracle for a proxy copy backup
    5.  
      Example RMAN script for a proxy copy backup
  12. Appendix D. Snapshot Client support of SFRAC
    1.  
      About Snapshot Client support of SFRAC
    2.  
      NetBackup configuration for an SFRAC environment
    3.  
      Configuring the SFRAC environment for a backup operation
    4.  
      Performing a rollback restore in an SFRAC environment
    5.  
      Troubleshooting NetBackup in an SFRAC environment
  13. Appendix E. Script-based block-level incremental (BLI) backups without RMAN on UNIX and Linux systems
    1.  
      About script-based block-level incremental (BLI) backups without RMAN
    2.  
      About BLI backup and restore operations
    3. Verifying installation requirements for BLI backups without RMAN
      1.  
        File system and Storage Checkpoint space management
    4. Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup
      1.  
        Number of policies required for BLI backup
      2.  
        About BLI policy attributes
      3.  
        About the BLI client list
      4.  
        Backup selections list for BLI backups
      5.  
        About schedules for BLI backup policies
      6.  
        Example Oracle BLI backup policy
      7.  
        Setting the maximum jobs per client global attribute
      8.  
        About BLI backup methods
      9. Creating notify scripts for BLI backups
        1.  
          Identify the POLICY_IN_CONTROL for BLI backups
        2.  
          Oracle environment variables for BLI scripts
        3.  
          About BLI notify scripts for other policies
        4.  
          Sample setup_bli_scripts session
    5. Performing backups and restores
      1.  
        About NetBackup for Oracle agent automatic backups
      2.  
        About NetBackup for Oracle manual backups
      3.  
        Backing up Quick I/O files
      4.  
        Restoring BLI backup images
      5.  
        About NetBackup backup and restore logs
    6. About troubleshooting backup or restore errors
      1.  
        Troubleshooting stages of backup and restore operations
      2.  
        NetBackup restore and backup status codes
      3.  
        Improving NetBackup backup performance
      4.  
        About BLI backup and database recovery
  14. Appendix F. XML Archiver
    1. NetBackup for Oracle XML export and XML import
      1.  
        NetBackup for Oracle XML export and import archiving features
      2.  
        XML export archive process
      3.  
        Sequence of operation: XML export archive
      4.  
        XML import restore process
      5.  
        Sequence of operation: XML import restore
    2.  
      About the environment variables set by a user in the XML export parameter file
    3. About XML export templates and shell scripts
      1.  
        Creating XML export templates using the NetBackup for Oracle wizard (UNIX)
      2.  
        Creating XML export templates using the NetBackup for Oracle wizard (Windows)
      3.  
        Creating an XML export script from a template
      4.  
        Creating XML export scripts manually
    4. Performing an XML export archive
      1.  
        Running NetBackup for Oracle XML export templates
      2.  
        Using bpdbsbora to run an XML export template
      3.  
        Running the NetBackup for Oracle XML export script on the client
      4.  
        Running bporaexp on the client as an Oracle user
      5.  
        Writing to a directory versus writing to a storage unit
      6.  
        About bporaexp parameters
    5.  
      Browsing XML export archives using bporaimp parameters
    6.  
      Browsing XML export archives using bplist
    7. Restoring an XML export archive
      1.  
        Running the XML import wizard on the client
      2.  
        Using bpdbsbora to run an XML import template
      3.  
        Running an XML import script on the client
      4.  
        Running bporaimp on the client
      5.  
        About bporaimp parameters
      6. About redirecting a restore of an XML export archive to a different client
        1.  
          Redirecting a restore of an XML export archive to a new client using bporaimp
        2.  
          Example - Using bporaimp for a redirected restore
    8. Troubleshooting XML export or XML import errors
      1.  
        Checking the logs to determine the source of an error
      2.  
        Troubleshooting each stage of the XML export or XML import
    9.  
      Additional XML export and import logs
  15. Appendix G. Register authorized locations
    1.  
      Registering authorized locations used by a NetBackup database script-based policy

NetBackup for Oracle features

The following table shows the NetBackup for Oracle main features:

Table: NetBackup for Oracle features

Feature

Description

Media and device management

All devices that the Media Manager supports are available to NetBackup for Oracle.

Scheduling facilities

NetBackup scheduling facilities on the master server can be used to schedule automatic and unattended Oracle backups.

This feature also lets you choose the times when these operations can occur. For example, to prevent interference with normal daytime operations, you can schedule your database backups to occur only at night.

Multiplexed backups and restores

NetBackup for Oracle lets you take advantage of NetBackup's multiplexing capabilities. Multiplexing directs multiple data streams to one backup device, thereby reducing the time necessary to complete the operation.

Transparent Oracle and regular file system backup and restore operations

All backups and restores run simultaneously and transparently without any action from the NetBackup administrator. The database administrator can run database backup and restore operations through NetBackup. An administrator or any other authorized user can use NetBackup to run database backups and restores.

If you use the command line interface, templates, or scripts, you must use script- or template-based Oracle policies. These policies use Oracle's Recovery Manager (RMAN) as if NetBackup were not present.

Oracle Instance management

An Oracle instance discovery service automatically polls the clients throughout the NetBackup environment every five minutes. The service collects the discovered instances in an instance repository. The user can view the instances on the NetBackup Administration Console or by using the nboraadm command.

You can create the instance groups that each contain a set of instances that are registered with a common set of credentials. A default instance group can be created for the newly discovered instances that are then automatically registered into this group.

You select Oracle instances and instance groups to be part of an Oracle backup policy. You can create the policy for the default instance group to make sure that all newly created instances are automatically protected.

Oracle DBAs can use the nboraadm command on the NetBackup client to manage instances, instance groups, and their credentials. This command is very useful in environments where the Oracle credentials are known only by the DBAs and not by the NetBackup administrators.

Sharing the same storage units that are used for other file backups

You can share the same devices and media that are used for other backups or give Oracle exclusive use of certain devices and media. NetBackup for Oracle can use the Media Manager, disk, PureDisk storage units, etc.

Centralized and networked backup operations

From the NetBackup master server, you can schedule database backups or start them manually for any client or instance. The Oracle databases can also reside on the hosts that are different from the devices on which NetBackup stores the backups.

Graphical user interfaces

NetBackup provides the following graphical user interfaces for client users and administrators:

  • Backup, Archive, and Restore user interface

  • NetBackup Administration Console for Java

  • NetBackup OpsCenter

NetBackup OpsCenter is the web-based graphical user interface that is used to perform an Oracle Guided Recovery cloning operation.

See About OpsCenter Guided Recovery.

A database administrator or NetBackup administrator can start backup or restore operations for Oracle from the NetBackup graphical user interface on the master server.

Templates

The NetBackup for Oracle database wizards can create backup and recovery templates for script- or template-based Oracle policies. You can launch the backup wizard and the recovery wizard from the Backup, Archive, and Restore (BAR) interface. The wizards generate platform-independent templates containing the configuration information that the software uses when it performs backups and restores.

The wizard-generated templates do not support all the features native to Oracle. You may want to write a customized backup or restore script in a scripting language that the operating system defines. You can use a template as the base for a script.

Oracle Guided Recovery cloning

Guided Recovery clones an Oracle database from a backup, and simplifies the process of creating a new database from backups of an existing database. Guided Recovery uses an Oracle cloning wizard that executes on the OpsCenter graphical user interface.

Parallel backup and restore operations

NetBackup for Oracle supports the parallel backup and restore RMAN capabilities. For example, you can run more than one tape device at a time for a single Oracle backup or restore. This capability reduces the time necessary to complete the operation.

Compression

Compression increases backup performance over the network and reduces the size of the backup image that NetBackup writes to the storage unit.

Support for Replication Director

Replication director can be used to create snapshots of the Oracle database. The snapshots can then be replicated to other NetApp disk arrays or backup the snapshot to a storage unit. To use Replication Director, the Oracle database must exist on a NetApp NAS disk array. Replication Director is not supported on SAN storage at this time.

Oracle snapshot backups that use Replication Director are supported on UNIX and Linux platforms only.

Support on a NetBackup appliance for backup to an appliance share (Copilot)

Note:

This feature requires a NetBackup appliance running software version 2.7.1 or later.

This feature enhances the Oracle Intelligent Policy by giving you options for protecting an Oracle database using a share on a NetBackup appliance. This feature gives you better control of backups when an Oracle database backup is placed in a database share by the DBA. This feature also lets you choose a database share as the destination for the first backup copy. The backup copy is a full set of database data file copies created, incrementally updated, and protected by NetBackup. You must create a share on the appliance for this option using the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu.

Oracle backups only work on an NFS share on the NetBackup appliance.

For more information about how to set up the share, see Creating a share from the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu in the Veritas NetBackup 52xx and 5330 Appliance Administrator's Guide.

Immediate backup for Oracle DBA

The Oracle DBA can start an immediate backup from the client using the nboraadm -immediate command. The Oracle DBA can start the backup instead of waiting for the backup to be initiated based on the NetBackup schedule. This command option is useful if the Oracle DBA wants to perform a backup before maintenance. The command must be initiated from the client where the instance resides.

Support for Container and Pluggable databases

Oracle 12c introduced the container databases (CDB) and pluggable databases (PDB). The Oracle Intelligent Policy is enhanced and allows a backup to include single or multiple PDBs.

This feature also lets you select one or more Oracle 12c instances along with non-Oracle 12c instances in OIP.