rman backup to tape when you don’t have a tape
Something I already knew for a couple of years, but recently rediscovered it: rman has the possibility to mimic a backup to tape.
You can do this by specifying the oracle test disk api when allocating the channel:
[oracle@ragna oracle]$ cd /opt/oracle
[oracle@ragna oracle]$ mkdir tape_backup
[oracle@ragna oracle]$ export ORACLE_SID=LOKI
[oracle@ragna oracle]$ rman target / nocatalog
Recovery Manager: Release 10.2.0.3.0 - Production on Mon Feb 4 21:04:33 2008
Copyright (c) 1982, 2005, Oracle. All rights reserved.
connected to target database: LOKI (DBID=2591136617)
using target database control file instead of recovery catalog
RMAN> run {
allocate channel ch00 device type ‘SBT_TAPE’
PARMS=”SBT_LIBRARY=oracle.disksbt,
ENV=(BACKUP_DIR=/opt/oracle/tape_backup)”;
backup datafile 1 format=’%U’;
}
2> 3> 4> 5> 6>
allocated channel: ch00
channel ch00: sid=140 devtype=SBT_TAPE
channel ch00: WARNING: Oracle Test Disk API
Starting backup at 04-FEB-08
channel ch00: starting full datafile backupset
channel ch00: specifying datafile(s) in backupset
input datafile fno=00001 name=/opt/oracle/oradata/LOKI/system01.dbf
channel ch00: starting piece 1 at 04-FEB-08
channel ch00: finished piece 1 at 04-FEB-08
piece handle=1dj7t4rb_1_1 tag=TAG20080204T210443 comment=API Version 2.0,MMS Version 8.1.3.0
channel ch00: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:00:25
channel ch00: starting full datafile backupset
channel ch00: specifying datafile(s) in backupset
including current control file in backupset
including current SPFILE in backupset
channel ch00: starting piece 1 at 04-FEB-08
channel ch00: finished piece 1 at 04-FEB-08
piece handle=1ej7t4s4_1_1 tag=TAG20080204T210443 comment=API Version 2.0,MMS Version 8.1.3.0
channel ch00: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:00:06
Finished backup at 04-FEB-08
released channel: ch00
RMAN> list backup;
List of Backup Sets
===================
BS Key Type LV Size Device Type Elapsed Time Completion Time
——- —- — ———- ———– ———— —————
36 Full 346.25M SBT_TAPE 00:00:23 04-FEB-08
BP Key: 36 Status: AVAILABLE Compressed: NO Tag: TAG20080204T210443
Handle: 1dj7t4rb_1_1 Media:
List of Datafiles in backup set 36
File LV Type Ckp SCN Ckp Time Name
—- — —- ———- ——— —-
1 Full 2854789 04-FEB-08 /opt/oracle/oradata/LOKI/system01.dbf
BS Key Type LV Size Device Type Elapsed Time Completion Time
——- —- — ———- ———– ———— —————
37 Full 8.75M SBT_TAPE 00:00:04 04-FEB-08
BP Key: 37 Status: AVAILABLE Compressed: NO Tag: TAG20080204T210443
Handle: 1ej7t4s4_1_1 Media:
Control File Included: Ckp SCN: 2854804 Ckp time: 04-FEB-08
SPFILE Included: Modification time: 04-FEB-08
RMAN> exit
Recovery Manager complete.
[oracle@ragna oracle]$ ls -lhd tape_backup/
drwxr-xr-x 2 oracle oinstall 4.0K Feb 4 21:05 tape_backup/
[oracle@ragna oracle]$ ls -lh tape_backup/
total 356M
-rw-rw-rw- 1 oracle oinstall 347M Feb 4 21:05 1dj7t4rb_1_1
-rw-rw-rw- 1 oracle oinstall 8.8M Feb 4 21:05 1ej7t4s4_1_1
-rw-r–r– 1 oracle oinstall 2.0K Feb 4 21:05 Oracle_Disk_SBT_Catalog
Neat isn’t it?
But what can you use it for, I hear you say?
Well, euh….. Testing I suppose or maybe for learning purposes. I’m sure someone might know a good use for it.
Hi,
I have been working on an Oracle DBA/Sysadmin Dashboard. What do you think are the key ingredients of a DBA dashboard?
Your opinion is highly regarded
Regards
Nilesh
Dashboards
Comment by njethwa — 14 February 2008 @ 21:19
Goal
Backup Flash Recovery Area to Disk Location
Solution
The ‘backup recovery area’ command only works with SBT channels. There is a planned fix to allow DISK channels to be supported.
The RMAN disksbt library, which emulates a SBT library (but writes backups to disk location), can be used as a supported workaround to backup the FRA to a disk location:
run {
allocate channel dev1 type sbt parms=’SBT_LIBRARY=oracle.disksbt, ENV=(BACKUP_DIR=/backup)’;
backup recovery area;
}
Comment by Yogesh — 7 April 2008 @ 18:02
yogesh,
I did not know that, thanks for the tip
Comment by dhoogfr — 9 April 2008 @ 17:58