Multiple RAW Device backup restoration on multiple devices.

[Anish]

HI All,

            I am trying RAW Device backup restoration for multiple devices.   

That is One of the file system is created using SAM-QFS where few oracle data base files are present i.e. .dbf files. Which is made up of multiple Luns?

Following which I tested for single LUN is jotted out for your ref.

For Exp.

 # cat /etc/opt/SUNWsamfs/mcf|grep test-fs --------- SAM-QFS filesytem

test-fs       4006      ms      test-fs  -       shared

/dev/dsk/c6t60060E8005455F000000455F0000059Bd0s0    4106      md      test-fs  -

 # ls -ld /dev/dsk/c6t60060E8005455F000000455F0000059Bd0s0 ----- Device which is associated to LUN. 

lrwxrwxrwx   1 root     root          63 Nov  6  2009 /dev/dsk/c6t60060E8005455F000000455F0000059Bd0s0 -> ../../devices/scsi_vhci/ssd@g60060e8005455f000000455f0000059b:a

I created Standard Backup Policy using backup selection as device path :/devices/scsi_vhci/ssd@g60060e8005455f000000455f0000059b:a

Only During restoration I selected RAW Partition Backups. Restoration ends up in successful status. And when i mount the filesystem i can see .dbf files.

I can take backup and even restore if the only single Lun used but confused how to archive if multiple LUNS are involved I think Backup is possible (Not tried ) but for restoration how we can provide multiple LUNS.

But when I am trying restoration of multiple RAW Device on multiple devices it becomes complex

For Exp.

# cat /etc/opt/SUNWsamfs/mcf|grep test1-fs

test1-fs       4007      ma      test 1-fs   -       shared

/dev/dsk/c6t60060E8005455F000000455F0000055Fd0s0    4107      mm      test1-fs   -

/dev/dsk/c6t60060E8005455F000000455F000005DBd0s0    4108      mr      test1-fs -

/dev/dsk/c6t60060E8005455F000000455F000005DCd0s0    4109      mr      test1 -fs   -

I can take backup of above LUNS using there device path but what if have to restore them to different device paths. How i can mention multiple device names during restoration? That is how to mention multiple devices in destination filed of restoration window.

If anybody ever tried for Multiple Luns or any input how it can be done is really appreciated.

[Marianne]

Please use the Oracle database agent to do Oracle backups rather than trying raw backups.
We have a number of customers doing rman backups with the NBU agent with great success. That way you are guaranteed of database consistency when doing backups.

If I have no other choice, I would do the following:

Specify all device names in the Backup Selection  e.g.

/devices/scsi_vhci/ssd@g60060e8005455f000000455f0000059b:a
/devices/scsi_vhci/ssd@g60060e8005455f000000455f0000055f:a
/devices/scsi_vhci/ssd@g60060e8005455f000000455f000005db:a
/devices/scsi_vhci/ssd@g60060e8005455f000000455f000005dc:a

To restore, you will have select one device, start the restore; select the next device, start the restore.
In other words, start a restore job for each device.

As a matter of interest - are you using bpstart_notify scripts to ensure that database is put in backup mode before you start the raw filesytem backups?

[Anish]

HI Marianne,

   Thanks for your reply.

No i am not doing bpstart_notify since we are having offline backup solution. And LUNS will be from shadow copy so there is no question of Database and begin and end backup script.

Now why I am carrying this exercise?

I am exploring this to find a way if we need to migrate from SAM-QFS file system to RAW devices in that case this option may help (not sure is right way or not).

Regarding Oracle RMAN agent i have tested (Evaluation Lic) this and it works properly. But unfortunately we do not have Oracle RMAN agent License.

As you explained this will really help me doing this but i have one more question in my mind

For example if i backed up 50GB LUN (Single LUN ) and what if want to restore this 50GB LUN in to two 25GB luns then is there anything we can do?

[Marianne · Accepted solution]

You cannot restore a 50 GB Lun to two separate 25 GB Luns. The destination device needs to have the same size (amount of blocks) or bigger than the source device.

If you have logical Volume management software such as Storage Foundation, you can concatenate 2 Luns into a new logical volume and restore to the new volume (/dev/vx/rdsk/diskgroup/volume).