What are the alternatives to backup oracle databases/archives except agent!

[Arshad_Khateeb]

It's been couple of months since we are noticing that the database backups are getting hung. Its intruppting the archive log backup as well. This issue is intermittent and doen't look to be from backup side. We are trying to understand about the failure along with other options like to have ZFS snapshot backups instead of the oracle agent.

Unfortunately i don't have the logs of hung DB/Archive backups. The DB backups is scheduled to run on every saturday and i will get the logs once it runs.

Just want to know if there are any thoughts and/or recommendations?

Configuration Details:

Oracle agent is installed on .........

SunOS 5.9  UNIX Client.

SunOS 5.10  UNIX Media Server

SunOS 5.9  UNIX Master Server

[Nicolai]

RMAM backup/archives  to disk, you then bacup the dump file via file system backup. Does not scale very well and you may need a lot of disk.

[Arshad_Khateeb]

Thanks for reverting back.

Yes. We do have that plan but its at the bottom. You rightly said that we need to provide lot of space to dump the RMAN DB/archive files and thats what we can't offer at the moment.

[Marianne · Accepted solution]

3 Choices:

1. Use NBU agent
2. Use rman to backup to disk and then backup to NBU.
3. Stop Oracle and take filesystem backup.

I cannot see any other options.

You will need to troubleshoot hung backups. 
I guess you no longer have support with Oracle or Symantec since Solaris 9 ran out of support with both vendors long time ago....
 

If you want to go the ZFS snapshot route - you will have to ask Oracle if that is supported with Oracle db.

[Arshad_Khateeb]

Thanks Marriane for having your thoughts!

You're right that we don't have Symantec support. We have 6.5.6 environment. We are upgrading it to 7.6 in September this year.

Reg troubleshooting, i have created dbclient log directory to capture the logs when the schedule DB backup runs Sat 9AM ET.

I'm not sure whether the backups will success or hung but i will post the logs tomorrow.

[Marianne]

Please remember to change permission on dbclient folder to 777.

Best to start a new discussion for hanging Oracle backups. I believe your query about alternative backup methods in this discussion has been answered.

[jim_dalton]

zfs snapshot works, I can tell you. If you want to be sure sure, you could stop the db so theres nothing in flight, snap the filesystems and theres your cold db backup.Start up, wont be down for more than a few minutes, or you can do it hot live with a bit of thinking.Jim

[Arshad_Khateeb]

Yes. My query is answered.

I'm openig a new discussion right away for the hung oracle backup. I just got information that yesterday my colleague ran Oracle DB Incremental backups as a test and it's hung. I'll copy the logs in other discussion.

Possible to let me know what part of logs you need ?

Thanks Nicolai & Marianne for your thoughts!

-Arshad