NetBackup™ for Oracle

Administrator's Guide

Release 10.3
Last updated: 2023-10-23

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 Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction .......................................................................... 13

About NetBackup for Oracle ........................................................... 13
NetBackup for Oracle features ........................................................ 14

Chapter 2 NetBackup for Oracle QuickStart ................................. 18

Install NetBackup for Oracle ........................................................... 18

Register Oracle database instances ................................................. 19
Add an Oracle database instance group ............................................ 20
Create an Oracle policy ................................................................. 21

Chapter 3 Installing NetBackup for Oracle .................................... 24

Verifying the operating system and platform compatibility ...................... 24

NetBackup server and client requirements for NetBackup for Oracle
........................................................................................... 25
Requirements for using NetBackup for Oracle in a NetBackup cluster
........................................................................................... 25
License for NetBackup for Oracle .................................................... 26
About accurate licensing for Oracle .................................................. 26
About linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup for UNIX .......................... 27
Verifying environment variables and shutting down Oracle .............. 28
Linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup on UNIX platforms ............... 29

Chapter 4 Configuring RBAC for the Oracle administrator

........................................................................................... 35

RBAC roles for the Oracle administrator ............................................ 35

Chapter 5 Managing Oracle instances and databases .............. 37

About Oracle discovery .................................................................. 37
Configure discovery of Oracle clients .......................................... 38
Managing Oracle instances ............................................................ 39
Viewing the Oracle repository ................................................... 39
Register an Oracle database instance ........................................ 41
Manually add an Oracle instance ............................................... 42
 Contents 5

Manually discover instances ..................................................... 43

Edit Oracle instance details ...................................................... 43
Automatically register new instances with an instance group ........... 43
Remove an Oracle instance ...................................................... 44
Manage Oracle databases and pluggable databases ........................... 44
View Oracle database details .................................................... 44
View pluggable database details ................................................ 45
About Oracle database instance groups ............................................ 45
Add an instance to an instance group ......................................... 46
Clean up Oracle instance and databases .......................................... 46
Authorizing a DBA to register instances or instance groups with the
nboraadm command ................................................................ 47

Chapter 6 Managing Oracle credentials ......................................... 48

About Oracle credentials ................................................................ 48

Oracle credential types in the NetBackup Credential Management
(CMS) .................................................................................. 49
Add a credential to use for cloning an Oracle database ........................ 50
Edit or delete a named credential ..................................................... 51
Manage credentials for an instance or an Oracle RAC database ............ 52

Chapter 7 Configuring Oracle policies ............................................ 54

Preparing for NetBackup for Oracle configuration ................................ 54

About Oracle policy configuration ............................................... 54
Oracle Home User permissions when NetBackup SAN Client is
used .............................................................................. 56
Oracle backup policy types ....................................................... 56
Configuring the Maximum jobs per client ..................................... 60
About Oracle Intelligent Policies (OIP) .............................................. 61
Creating an Oracle Intelligent Policy (OIP) ................................... 63
Oracle database upgrade effect on Oracle Intelligent Policies
..................................................................................... 65
Configuring NetBackup for Oracle automatic backup schedules
..................................................................................... 66
About NetBackup for Oracle schedule properties using Oracle
Intelligent Policy ............................................................... 67
Oracle Intelligent Policy - Storage and Retention ........................... 68
About Oracle Intelligent Policy primary server behavior .................. 70
Instances and databases tab .................................................... 70
Backup Selections tab ............................................................. 72
Oracle tab ............................................................................. 74
Logging the RMAN input and output on a client ............................ 80
 Contents 6

About script-based Oracle policies ................................................... 81

Adding a new script-based Oracle policy ..................................... 82
About policy attributes ............................................................. 83
About schedule properties ....................................................... 84
Script-based policy - Storage and Retention ................................. 85
Adding clients to a policy .......................................................... 88
About adding backup selections to an Oracle policy ....................... 88
About configuring the run-time environment ................................. 90
About creating shell scripts ....................................................... 97
Configuring the logon account for the NetBackup Client Service for
NetBackup for Oracle ............................................................ 102
Testing configuration settings for NetBackup for Oracle ...................... 102

Chapter 8 Managing Oracle RAC ................................................... 104

Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC) ........................................... 104

Add an Oracle Real Application Cluster (RAC) .................................. 104
Edit or delete an Oracle RAC database ........................................... 106

Chapter 9 Performing backups and restores of Oracle ............ 107

Overview of using NetBackup for Oracle .......................................... 107
Maintaining the RMAN repository ................................................... 108
Querying the RMAN repository ...................................................... 112
About NetBackup for Oracle backups .............................................. 113
Running the NetBackup for Oracle shell script ............................ 114
Running RMAN .................................................................... 115
Browsing backups using the bplist command .................................... 115
Managing expired backup images .................................................. 116
About preventing the direct expiration of backup images ............... 117
About NetBackup for Oracle restores .............................................. 118
About an Oracle recovery shell script on the client ....................... 118
About catalog names with RAC and Data Guard aware intelligent
policies ......................................................................... 119
Running RMAN on the client ................................................... 121
About Oracle multistream restore for proxy backup ...................... 121
Redirecting a restore to a different client .................................... 123
Using NetBackup for Oracle in a Windows Server Failover Cluster
(WSFC) .............................................................................. 128
About backups of an Oracle clustered database on Windows
.................................................................................... 128
Bringing the database instance offline on Windows ...................... 129
Bringing the database instance online on Windows ...................... 130
User-directed backup or restore from the Windows client .............. 130
 Contents 7

Chapter 10 Oracle cloning ................................................................... 132

About cloning an Oracle database or a pluggable database ................. 132
Create a custom RBAC role for Oracle cloning .................................. 135
Clone an Oracle database ............................................................ 137
Clone a pluggable database ......................................................... 138
Cloning a database from an Oracle Intelligent Policy (OIP) that is Data
Guard aware ........................................................................ 140
Additional functionality in NetBackup APIs ....................................... 140

Chapter 11 NetBackup Copilot for Oracle ...................................... 142

About Oracle Copilot ................................................................... 142

Configuring an OIP using a share on the NetBackup appliance (Oracle
Copilot) ............................................................................... 144
Creating an instant recovery point from an Oracle Copilot image
(NetBackup Appliance share) .................................................. 146
Deleting an instant recovery point for Oracle Copilot instant recovery
.......................................................................................... 149
Configuring an OIP using universal shares (Oracle Copilot) ................. 150
Recommendations when you configure an Oracle Copilot with
universal shares ............................................................. 152
Troubleshooting issues related to Oracle Copilot with universal
shares .......................................................................... 153
Managing an instant access mount from an Oracle Copilot universal
share image ........................................................................ 156
Cleaning up the Oracle Copilot share after point in time restore of
database ............................................................................ 156
Single-step restore to ASM storage from an Oracle Copilot recovery
point or instant access mount .................................................. 163
About restoring from a data file copy to ASM storage using RMAN
.......................................................................................... 167

Chapter 12 Oracle Copilot with instant access ............................. 169

Prerequisites when you configure an instant access Oracle database

.......................................................................................... 169
Hardware configuration requirement of instant access .................. 171
Things to consider before you configure an instant access mount point
.......................................................................................... 171
Backing up an Oracle database using Oracle Copilot policy with a
universal share .................................................................... 172
Configure an instant access mount ................................................. 172
View the livemount details of an instant access mount ........................ 174
 Contents 8

Configuring Auto Image Replication for Oracle instant access backups

.......................................................................................... 175
Delete an instant access mount ..................................................... 176
NetBackup for Oracle terms .......................................................... 176
Frequently asked questions .......................................................... 178

Chapter 13 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client ............ 181

About NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client ............................. 181

Proxy copy .......................................................................... 183
NetBackup for Oracle stream-based operations .......................... 184
NetBackup for Oracle file-based operations ................................ 185
How NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client works ....................... 186
About the NetBackup for Oracle backup and restore operations
.................................................................................... 187
Database objects supported by advanced backup methods ........... 187
About NetBackup multistreaming ............................................. 188
RMAN multiple channels ........................................................ 188
Restoring data files to a new location ........................................ 189
Redirecting a restore to a different client .................................... 189
Symbolic links and raw data files (UNIX) .................................... 190
Quick I/O data files (UNIX) ...................................................... 190
RMAN incremental backups .................................................... 190
Proxy backup examples ......................................................... 191
About configuring Snapshot Client with NetBackup for Oracle .............. 194
Configuration requirements for snapshot backups with NetBackup
for Oracle ...................................................................... 194
Configuring a snapshot policy for NetBackup for Oracle ................ 195
Configuring a snapshot policy using a share on the NetBackup
appliance (Oracle Copilot) ................................................ 198
Restoring NetBackup for Oracle from a snapshot backup .................... 200
About restoring individual files from a NetBackup for Oracle
snapshot backup ............................................................ 200
About NetBackup for Oracle restores of volumes and file systems
using snapshot rollback ................................................... 201
About configuring NetBackup for Oracle block-level incremental
backups on UNIX .................................................................. 203
How BLI works with NetBackup for Oracle (UNIX) ....................... 204
About the Storage Checkpoint facility and NetBackup for Oracle
.................................................................................... 205
Configuration requirements for BLI backups with NetBackup for
Oracle .......................................................................... 206
 Contents 9

Configuring policies for BLI backups with NetBackup for Oracle

.................................................................................... 206
About Snapshot Client effects ....................................................... 208
How Snapshot Client software affects backup types ..................... 208
How Snapshot Client software affects schedule properties ............ 208
How Snapshot Client software affects scripts .............................. 209
Oracle with Snapshot Client environment variables ...................... 209
About Oracle support for Replication Director ................................... 211
Configuring an Oracle Intelligent Policy using Replication Director
.................................................................................... 212
Configuring a script-based Oracle policy .................................... 216

Chapter 14 NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle ........................ 219

About NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in ............................ 219

Verifying the operating system and platform compatibility .................... 220
Before you install NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in ............. 220
Installing NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in on the Oracle
database server ................................................................... 221
Using NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in ............................ 222
Configuring the NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in ......... 223
NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle rman.cfg file parameters
.................................................................................... 223
Configuring External Certificate Authority (ECA) .......................... 225
ECA msdp_app.cfg file parameters .......................................... 225
Configuring Oracle RAC ......................................................... 226
Disabling Oracle stream handler .............................................. 227
Performing the RMAN backup directly to MSDP server ................. 227
Performing the RMAN restore directly from the MSDP storage
server ........................................................................... 228
Creating an SLP to import the Oracle backups to NetBackup on
Flex WORM .................................................................. 229
Uninstalling the NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in ............... 229

Chapter 15 Other Oracle configuration ............................................ 230

Load balance Oracle RAC instances ............................................... 230
Configure an Oracle Wallet with RAC within NetBackup ...................... 231

Chapter 16 Troubleshooting ................................................................ 234

About troubleshooting NetBackup for Oracle .................................... 235
About NetBackup for Oracle troubleshooting steps ............................ 235
NetBackup debug logs and reports ................................................. 237
 Contents 10

Enabling the debug logs manually (Windows) ................................... 237

Enabling the debug logs manually (UNIX) ........................................ 239
About the NetBackup for Oracle log files .......................................... 240
Setting the debug level on a Windows client ..................................... 242
Setting the debug level on a UNIX client .......................................... 242
About RMAN utility logs ............................................................... 243
Troubleshooting RMAN backup or restore errors ............................... 243
Verifying the RMAN script on UNIX ........................................... 243
Troubleshooting each stage of the backup or restore ................... 244
Troubleshooting NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client ................ 246
Error: Unable to re-create online log ............................................... 247
Minimizing timeout failures on large database restores ....................... 248
Minimizing the loading and unloading of tapes for database backups
.......................................................................................... 248
Enabling the debug logs manually for NetBackup Dedupe Direct for
Oracle plug-in ...................................................................... 249

Appendix A Deduplication best practices ........................................ 251

Optimizing and deduplicating stream-based and proxy copy Oracle

backups .............................................................................. 251
Oracle stream handler ................................................................. 253
Configuring a stream-based Oracle backup ...................................... 256
Example RMAN script for a stream-based backup ............................. 258
Editing the RMAN script and configuring NetBackup for Oracle for a
proxy copy backup ................................................................ 259
Example RMAN script for a proxy copy backup ................................. 260

Appendix B Snapshot Client support of SFRAC ............................ 263

About Snapshot Client support of SFRAC ........................................ 263
NetBackup configuration for an SFRAC environment ......................... 264
Configuring the SFRAC environment for a backup operation ................ 264
Performing a rollback restore in an SFRAC environment ..................... 266
Troubleshooting NetBackup in an SFRAC environment ...................... 267

Appendix C Script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI)

Backups without RMAN on UNIX and Linux
systems ......................................................................... 270
About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without
RMAN ................................................................................ 270
About BLI backup and restore operations ........................................ 271
 Contents 11

Verifying installation requirements for BLI backups without RMAN

.......................................................................................... 271
File system and Storage Checkpoint space management .............. 272
Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup .................... 274
Number of policies required for BLI backup ................................ 274
About BLI policy attributes ...................................................... 276
About the BLI client list .......................................................... 277
Backup selections list for BLI backups ....................................... 277
About schedules for BLI backup policies .................................... 278
Example Oracle BLI backup policy ........................................... 279
Setting the maximum jobs per client global attribute ..................... 281
About BLI backup methods ..................................................... 281
Creating notify scripts for BLI backups ...................................... 283
Performing backups and restores ................................................... 288
About NetBackup for Oracle agent automatic backups ................. 288
About NetBackup for Oracle manual backups ............................. 289
Backing up Quick I/O files ....................................................... 290
Restoring BLI backup images .................................................. 290
About NetBackup backup and restore logs ................................. 292
About troubleshooting backup or restore errors ................................. 293
Troubleshooting stages of backup and restore operations ............. 293
NetBackup restore and backup status codes .............................. 294
Improving NetBackup backup performance ................................ 296
About BLI backup and database recovery .................................. 296

Appendix D XML Archiver .................................................................... 297

NetBackup for Oracle XML export and XML import ............................ 297
NetBackup for Oracle XML export and import archiving features
.................................................................................... 298
XML export archive process .................................................... 299
Sequence of operation: XML export archive ............................... 300
XML import restore process .................................................... 302
Sequence of operation: XML import restore ................................ 303
About the environment variables set by a user in the XML export
parameter file ....................................................................... 305
About XML export shell scripts ...................................................... 306
Creating XML export scripts manually ....................................... 306
Performing an XML export archive ................................................. 308
Running the NetBackup for Oracle XML export script on the client
.................................................................................... 308
Running bporaexp on the client as an Oracle user ....................... 309
Writing to a directory versus writing to a storage unit .................... 310
 Contents 12

About bporaexp parameters .................................................... 311

Browsing XML export archives using bporaimp parameters ................. 314
Browsing XML export archives using bplist ....................................... 315
Restoring an XML export archive ................................................... 317
Running an XML import script on the client ................................ 317
Running bporaimp on the client in NetBackup for Oracle ............... 318
About bporaimp parameters .................................................... 318
About redirecting a restore of an XML export archive to a different
client ............................................................................ 322
Troubleshooting XML export or XML import errors ............................. 324
Checking the logs to determine the source of an error .................. 325
Troubleshooting each stage of the XML export or XML import
.................................................................................... 326
Additional XML export and import logs ............................................ 329

Appendix E Register authorized locations ....................................... 330

Registering authorized locations used by a NetBackup database
script-based policy ................................................................ 330
 Chapter 1
Introduction
This chapter includes the following topics:

■ About NetBackup for Oracle

■ NetBackup for Oracle features

About NetBackup for Oracle

NetBackup integrates the database backup and recovery capabilities of the Oracle
Recovery Manager (RMAN) with the backup and recovery management capabilities
of NetBackup.
Figure 1-1 shows the major components in a NetBackup configuration. The server
that hosts the Oracle database must be a NetBackup client. The primary server
must also have NetBackup for Oracle licensed.
 Introduction 14
NetBackup for Oracle features

Figure 1-1 NetBackup for Oracle on a sample network

System containing Oracle System hosting the Oracle database

database Recovery Catalog NetBackup for Oracle supplies:
- Sample configuration
Oracle database
program
to back up or
- Sample script files
restore
- NetBackup I/O library
(libobk)
- bporaimp and bporaexp
Oracle database software supplies: Additional NetBackup
– Oracle Recovery Manager (RMAN) software:
– Oracle Call Interface (OCI) - NetBackup client (required)

Network (TCP/IP)

NetBackup master server or

remote media server Storage unit

NetBackup software:
– NetBackup master server
– NetBackup media server

NetBackup for Oracle features

The following table shows the NetBackup for Oracle main features:

Table 1-1 NetBackup for Oracle features

Feature Description

Integration with NetBackup The NetBackup web UI provides RBAC capability to control
role-based access control which NetBackup users can manage Oracle clone operations
(RBAC) in NetBackup. The user does not need to be a NetBackup
administrator to manage Oracle clone operations.
 Introduction 15
NetBackup for Oracle features

Table 1-1 NetBackup for Oracle features (continued)

Feature Description

Oracle instance NetBackup automatically discovers Oracle instances in the

management environment. You can also perform manual discovery.

After instances are registered, the Oracle administrator can

create a policy to protect Oracle assets.

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.

Oracle Intelligent Policies The Oracle Intelligent Policy (OIP) protects multiple Oracle
instances that are spread over multiple clients. You select
instances for a policy from a list of instances that are
automatically discovered in the NetBackup environment. OIP
does not require you to know how RMAN functions or how to
use scripts. The feature is instance-based and not scripting
based.

Scheduling facilities NetBackup scheduling facilities on the primary 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.

Transparent Oracle and All backups and restores run simultaneously and transparently
regular file system backup without any action from the NetBackup administrator. The
and restore operations 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 or scripts, you must use
script-based Oracle policies. These policies use Oracle’s
Recovery Manager (RMAN) as if NetBackup were not present.

Centralized and networked From the NetBackup primary server, you can schedule
backup operations 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.
 Introduction 16
NetBackup for Oracle features

Table 1-1 NetBackup for Oracle features (continued)

Feature Description

Recovery points The web UI provides recovery points from which you can easily
create a clone from a database or pluggable database. If instant
access is configured, you can also create an instant access
database from a recovery point.

Sharing the same storage You can share the same devices and media that are used for
units that are used for other other backups or give Oracle exclusive use of certain devices
file backups and media. NetBackup for Oracle can use the Media Manager,
disk, or Media Server Deduplication Pool (MSDP) storage units.

Compression Compression increases backup performance over the network

and reduces the size of the backup image that NetBackup
writes to the storage unit.

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

Parallel backup and restore NetBackup for Oracle supports the parallel backup and restore
operations 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.

Support on a NetBackup
Note: This feature requires a NetBackup appliance that runs
appliance for backup to an
software version 2.7.1 or later.
appliance share
(NetBackup Copilot for Oracle Copilot enhances the Oracle Intelligent Policy by giving
Oracle) 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 NetBackup 52xx and 5330 Appliance Administrator’s Guide.
 Introduction 17
NetBackup for Oracle features

Table 1-1 NetBackup for Oracle features (continued)

Feature Description

Immediate backup for The Oracle DBA can start an immediate backup from the client
Oracle DBA 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 Oracle 12c introduced the container databases (CDB) and
Pluggable databases 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.

Full Oracle Real Application In the NetBackup web UI you can create an Oracle policy to
Clusters (RAC) support in support Oracle RAC. (The NetBackup Administration Console
Oracle Intelligent Policies does not support an Oracle RAC policy.)

Oracle RAC load balanced NetBackup can be set up to load balance the Oracle instances.
backups Use this feature to distribute the backup load across all of the
instances and to exclude specific Oracle instances from
backups. This feature is not available in the NetBackup
Administration Console.

NetBackup Dedupe Direct NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle offers a lightweight plug-in
for Oracle for RMAN backups to MSDP storage.

The Oracle database administrator can control the whole

protection and life-cycle stages without NetBackup client. It
also enables client-side deduplication to minimize network
traffic and improves overall backup speed.

Support for Replication Replication director can be used to create snapshots of the
Director 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.
 Chapter 2
NetBackup for Oracle
QuickStart
This chapter includes the following topics:

■ Install NetBackup for Oracle

■ Register Oracle database instances

■ Add an Oracle database instance group

■ Create an Oracle policy

Install NetBackup for Oracle

Before you can create an Oracle Intelligent Policy, you need to install NetBackup
for Oracle and use the instance management facility.
 NetBackup for Oracle QuickStart 19
Register Oracle database instances

To install NetBackup for Oracle

1 Verify that the NetBackup for Oracle agent is supported on your operating
system and platform.
See “Verifying the operating system and platform compatibility” on page 24.
2 Make sure that you meet the server requirements and client requirements of
NetBackup for Oracle.
See “NetBackup server and client requirements for NetBackup for Oracle”
on page 25.
3 Install NetBackup if it is not already on your system.

Note: The Oracle database agent is installed as part of the NetBackup client
installation.

For more information on NetBackup installation, see the NetBackup Installation

Guide.

Register Oracle database instances

The Oracle Discovery Service discovers Oracle database instances in the NetBackup
environment and collects them in an instance repository. You must register all the
discovered instances that you want to protect by assigning them credentials. An
Oracle policy accepts only registered instances.
You can register instances individually or add them to an instance group where
they assume the credentials of the group. You can also manually add an instance
and assign it a set of credentials at that time. The Oracle database user is required
to have a certain level of credentials. The Oracle database user must have
SYSBACKUP or SYSDBA privileges (based on version of Oracle).

Use the NetBackup web UI or the nboraadm command on the CLI to access the
repository for instance registration. The nboraadm command is available on the
NetBackup primary server and the NetBackup clients. This command is available
because users such as the DBAs may not have access to the primary server. The
NetBackup administrator uses nboraadm on the primary server to control the list of
users and clients that have access to nboraadm on the NetBackup client.
Refer to the following Oracle information for recommendations for the authentication
of users.
Operating System Authentication of Users
Authentication of Database Administrators by Using the Operating System
 NetBackup for Oracle QuickStart 20
Add an Oracle database instance group

To register Oracle database instances

1 In the web UI, on the left expand Workloads > Oracle.
2 The Instances tab includes the names of instances that you have added and
the instances that the Oracle Discovery Service has discovered.
3 Locate an instance in the list. Then click Actions > Manage credentials.
4 Do one of the following:
■ If you want to use an instance group for authentication, select Add to group
and register using group credentials. Select the instance group name
from the Select instance group list. The instance assumes the credentials
of the instance group. Click Finish to continue.
■ Click Use instance credentials. Enter the required information for the
authentication method and click Finish.

5 The credentials are validated. You can save the credentials even if the validation
fails.
6 Verify that the Instances list shows the date when you registered the instance.
The instance is now available to select for an Oracle Intelligent Policy.
7 Repeat for all other instances that you want to register individually or as part
of an instance group.

Add an Oracle database instance group

This procedure lets you create an instance group that includes instances with a
common set of credentials. You can create a default instance group for
newly-discovered instances. Then you can create a policy that uses this instance
group to automatically protect the new instances. Oracle RAC databases cannot
be added to an instance group.
To create an Oracle database instance group
1 In the web UI, on the left expand Workloads > Oracle.
2 Click the Instance groups tab.
3 Click Add.
4 Enter the Instance group name.

Note: NetBackup does not support non-US ASCII characters in the instance
group name.
 NetBackup for Oracle QuickStart 21
Create an Oracle policy

5 Select the wanted credential type and provide the authorization details. Then
click Finish.
6 To assign individual instances to this instance group continue with following
steps:
■ Click the Instances tab.
■ Locate the instance and click Actions > Manage credentials.
■ Click Add to group and register using group credentials.
■ Select the instance group from the list.
■ Click Finish.

7 Repeat for each instance that you want included in the instance group.
8 You may want to make this instance group the default for all newly discovered
instances. If so, all newly discovered instances are automatically added to this
instance group. More information is available about auto-registering an instance
group.
See “Automatically register new instances with an instance group” on page 43.

Create an Oracle policy

Use the following procedure to create a policy to protect Oracle databases.
To create a policy
1 In the web UI, on the left expand Protection > Policies.
2 Click Add.
3 Type a unique name for the new policy.
4 For the Policy type, select Oracle.
5 The default values are the best values for most configurations. However, you
may need to customize the parameter settings on one or more of the tabs.
The dialog contains the following tabs:
■ Attributes tab. Default values are automatically selected on the Attributes
tab. More information is available about these attributes.
See the NetBackup Administrator’s Guide, Volume I.
■ Schedules tab. More information is available about this tab.
See the NetBackup Administrator’s Guide, Volume I.
■ Instances and databases tab. On this page, select the instances and
instance groups that you want backed up for the policy. An Oracle Intelligent
 NetBackup for Oracle QuickStart 22
Create an Oracle policy

Policy (OIP) must include either the Protect Instances and Databases or
the Protect instance groups option. More information is available about
this tab.
See “Instances and databases tab” on page 70.
■ Backup selections tab. More information is available about the attributes
on this tab.
See “Backup Selections tab” on page 72.
■ Oracle tab. More information is available about the attributes on this tab.
See “Oracle tab” on page 74.

6 To protect the newly discovered instances, you may have to create the instance
group first, then set up a policy for the default instance group.
See “Automatically register new instances with an instance group” on page 43.
7 (Optional) Create bpstart_notify and bpend_notify scripts for an Oracle
Intelligent Policy (OIP).
For an OIP, the scripts must include the .policyname or
.policyname.schedule suffix or the script does not run at the start or end of
the policy. An OIP ignores the generic bpstart_notify and bpend_notify
scripts and they do not work for a non-OIP.

Note: For RAC OIP backups the bpstart_notify and the bpend_notify
scripts must reside on all Oracle RAC nodes.

The generic bpstart_notify or bpend_notify scripts reside on the server

and the location varies by platform:
■ UNIX: /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/goodies/
■ Windows: Install_path/NetBackup/bin/goodies/
The renamed script must be copied from the server and placed in the
NetBackup bin directory on the client:
■ UNIX: /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/
■ Windows: Install_path\NetBackup\bin\
Examples of renamed scripts:
■ UNIX: /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/bpstart_notify.oip_instance1 or
/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/bpend_notify.oip_instance2.full

■ Windows:
install_path\NetBackup\bin\bpstart_notify.oip_instance1.bat or
install_path\NetBackup\bin\bpend_notify.oip_instance2.full.bat
 NetBackup for Oracle QuickStart 23
Create an Oracle policy

For more information about the bpstart_notify and bpend_notify scripts,

refer to the NetBackup Administrator’s Guide, Volume II.
 Chapter 3
Installing NetBackup for
Oracle
This chapter includes the following topics:

■ Verifying the operating system and platform compatibility

■ NetBackup server and client requirements for NetBackup for Oracle

■ Requirements for using NetBackup for Oracle in a NetBackup cluster

■ License for NetBackup for Oracle

■ About accurate licensing for Oracle

■ About linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup for UNIX

Verifying the operating system and platform

compatibility
Verify that the NetBackup for Oracle agent is supported on your operating system
or platform.
To verify operating system and compatibility
1 Go to the NetBackup compatibility list site.
http://www.netbackup.com/compatibility
2 Click on the following document:
Application/Database Agent Compatibility List
3 For information on support for Snapshot Client, see the following document:
Snapshot Client Compatibility List
 Installing NetBackup for Oracle 25
NetBackup server and client requirements for NetBackup for Oracle

NetBackup server and client requirements for

NetBackup for Oracle
Every NetBackup server includes the NetBackup client software by default.
Therefore, you can use NetBackup for Oracle on a NetBackup server or client (if
NetBackup for Oracle is supported on that platform).
Verify that the following requirements are met for the NetBackup server:
■ The NetBackup server software is installed and operational on the NetBackup
server. The NetBackup server platform can be any that NetBackup supports.
See the NetBackup Installation Guide.
■ One or more Oracle database instances must exist.
■ Make sure that you configure any backup media that the storage unit uses.
The number of media volumes that are required depends on several things:
■ The devices used
■ The sizes of the databases that you want to back up
■ The amount of data that you want to archive
■ The size of your backups
■ The frequency of backups or archives
See the NetBackup Administrator’s Guide, Volume I.
■ Verify that the NetBackup client software is installed on the computer that has
the databases you want to back up.
If the database is clustered, you must use the same version of NetBackup on
each node in the cluster.
See “License for NetBackup for Oracle” on page 26.

Requirements for using NetBackup for Oracle in

a NetBackup cluster
If you plan to use NetBackup for Oracle on a NetBackup server configured in a
NetBackup cluster, verify the following requirements:
■ NetBackup supports your cluster environment.
See the Software Compatibility List (SCL).
■ The NetBackup server software is installed and configured to work in a
NetBackup cluster.
See the NetBackup Installation Guide.
 Installing NetBackup for Oracle 26
License for NetBackup for Oracle

See the NetBackup Clustered Primary Server Administrator's Guide.

■ The NetBackup client software is installed and operational on each node to
which NetBackup can failover.
■ A valid license for NetBackup for Oracle must exist on each node where
NetBackup server resides.

License for NetBackup for Oracle

The NetBackup for Oracle agent is installed with the NetBackup client software.
No separate installation is required. A valid license for the agent must exist on the
primary server.
More information is available on how to add licenses.
See the NetBackup Administrator’s Guide, Volume I.
For a NetBackup cluster, a valid license for NetBackup for Oracle must exist on
each node where NetBackup server resides.

About accurate licensing for Oracle

Accurate licensing for Oracle is specific to an Oracle policy. The size of the data
that is reported does not include the NetBackup for Oracle XML Archiver. This type
of licensing collects the front-end data size (FEDS) for any Oracle backup that can
be restored, not including transaction logs. Oracle Intelligent Policies define the
backup selection on the Instances and Databases tab. The backup selection for
script-based Oracle policies is defined based on what the script protects.

Note: The data size collection does not work properly if OS authentication is
disabled.

Licensing data is collected for each database that is protected even if there are
multiple databases on a single host or cluster. Licensing uses physical data file
characteristics the Oracle database reports, not logical or segment sizes. The
reason NetBackup collects data this way is that during a disaster recovery, RMAN
needs to restore the full physical data file and not just its logical pieces.
Oracle Data Guard configurations are licensed on a per database basis. Each of
the primary or the standby databases needs to be restored individually and FEDS
licensing is used for any Oracle backup that can be restored. Each of the primary
or the standby databases reports their FEDS data whenever NetBackup protects
it during a backup operation.
 Installing NetBackup for Oracle 27
About linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup for UNIX

The following Oracle queries are used to gather file size information:
■ Get size of database files being backed up
This query retrieves the list of database files and their file sizes (in MB) for an
instance:
select NAME, BYTES/1024/1024 from v$datafile;
This query shows the sum of the database file sizes for an instance:

select sum(BYTES/1024/1024) from v$datafile;

Note: The preceding queries do not have information about the transaction log.

■ Get the size of the control file

This query retrieves the list of control files and their sizes (in MB), not including
the transaction log:
select NAME, BLOCK_SIZE*FILE_SIZE_BLKS/1024/1024 controlfile_size
from v$controlfile;

About linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup for

UNIX
Before writing to a storage unit, link the Oracle database server software with the
NetBackup API library installed by NetBackup for Oracle. Oracle uses this library
when it needs to write to or read from the devices that NetBackup media manager
supports.
To link your Oracle software with the NetBackup API library, use one of the following
methods:
■ (Recommended) Use the SBT_LIBRARY parameter in the PARMS section of
the allocate channel in the RMAN script. In the run block of the RMAN script,
modify the ALLOCATE statement so that the SBT_LIBRARY parameter points
to the NetBackup API library. For example:

ALLOCATE CHANNEL CH00 TYPE 'SBT_TAPE' PARMS 'SBT_LIBRARY=

/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/libobk.so64.1';

■ Use the linking script that NetBackup provides.

■ Create the links manually.
The linking process differs depending on your hardware platform, your Oracle
database server release level, and your OS level. This topic does not address all
the supported combinations, but it specifies OS level differences.
 Installing NetBackup for Oracle 28
About linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup for UNIX

The default location for the NetBackup API library is /usr/openv/netbackup/bin.

The name of the NetBackup API library differs depending on your platform.
Table 3-1 lists the library names for the supported platforms.

Table 3-1 NetBackup API libraries

Platform Oracle Library name

AIX 64-bit libobk.a64

HP Itanium 64-bit libobk.so

Linux x86 64-bit libobk.so64

IBM pSeries 64-bit libobk.so

IBM zSeries 64-bit libobk.so

Solaris (SPARC) 64-bit libobk.so.64.1

Solaris (x86) 64-bit libobk.so.1

Verifying environment variables and shutting down Oracle

The following procedure describes how to correctly define your environment variables
and how to shut down the Oracle database instances.
To verify environment variables and shutdown Oracle database instances
1 Make sure that your Oracle environment variables are defined.
Define the variables as follows:

ORACLE_HOME The directory path to the Oracle software location.

ORACLE_SID The name of the Oracle database instance.

2 Become the Oracle user.

su - oracle

3 Determine if you need to link or re-link the library with NetBackup.

See “Linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup on UNIX platforms” on page 29.
4 If this installation is an upgrade and the SBT_LIBRARY parameter is not in
use, restart the Oracle database instance.
See “Bringing the database instance offline on Windows” on page 129.
See “Bringing the database instance online on Windows” on page 130.
 Installing NetBackup for Oracle 29
About linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup for UNIX

See “About linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup for UNIX” on page 27.

Linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup on UNIX platforms

The procedures in this topic show how to link RMAN with NetBackup. The automatic
method is preferred. Use the manual method only if the link script fails or if you
receive Oracle messages to indicate that manual linking is required.
Link the library with NetBackup when you license NetBackup for Oracle for the first
time.
For more information about what Oracle database release that NetBackup for Oracle
supports, review the Application/Database Agent Compatibility List.
To automatically link Oracle RMAN with NetBackup
1 Run the oracle_link script that is located in /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/.
This script determines the Oracle version level and then links Oracle with the
NetBackup API library. This script writes output to /tmp/make_trace.<pid>. To
change the trace file location, change the MAKE_TRACE variable in the
oracle_link script.

2 If this installation is an upgrade, restart the Oracle database instance.

To manually link Oracle RMAN with NetBackup, follow the instructions in one of
the platform-specific sub-topics:
■ See “Manually linking AIX (64-bit)” on page 30.
■ See “Manually linking HP Itanium (64-bit)” on page 30.
■ See “Manually linking Linux x86 (64-bit)” on page 31.
■ See “Manually linking IBM pSeries or zSeries” on page 32.
■ See “Manually linking Solaris x86 (64-bit)” on page 33.
■ See “Manually linking Solaris SPARC (64-bit)” on page 33.
See “About linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup for UNIX” on page 27.
 Installing NetBackup for Oracle 30
About linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup for UNIX

Manually linking AIX (64-bit)

To manually link AIX (64-bit)
1 Type the following cd command to change directories:

cd $ORACLE_HOME/lib

2 Type the following ls command to determine whether the Oracle library exists:

ls -l libobk.*

3 (Conditional) Use the mv command to move the Oracle library to an alternate

location.
Perform this step if the output from step 2 shows that libobk.a exists.
For example:

mv libobk.a libobk.a.orig

4 Type the following ln command to create a new link:

ln -s /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/libobk.a64 libobk.a

5 If you run into problems and cannot re-link Oracle with the NetBackup API
library, you can rollback what you have done. Enter the following:

cd $ORACLE_HOME/lib64
mv libobk.so.orig libobk.so

See “About linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup for UNIX” on page 27.
See “Linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup on UNIX platforms” on page 29.

Manually linking HP Itanium (64-bit)

To manually link HP Itanium (64-bit)
1 Type the following cd command to change directories:

cd $ORACLE_HOME/lib

2 Type the following ls command to determine whether the Oracle library exists:

ls -l libobk.so
 Installing NetBackup for Oracle 31
About linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup for UNIX

3 (Conditional) Use the mv command to move the Oracle library to an alternate

location.
Perform this step if the output from step 2 shows that libobk.so.
For example:

mv libobk.so libobk.so.orig

4 Type the following ln command to create new links:

ln -s /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/libobk.so libobk.so

5 If you run into problems and cannot re-link Oracle with the NetBackup API
library, you can rollback what you have done. Enter the following:

cd $ORACLE_HOME/lib64
mv libobk.so.orig libobk.so

See “About linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup for UNIX” on page 27.
See “Linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup on UNIX platforms” on page 29.

Manually linking Linux x86 (64-bit)

To manually Linux x86 (64-bit)
1 Type the following cd command to change directories:

cd $ORACLE_HOME/lib

2 Type the following ls command to determine whether the Oracle library exists:

ls -l libobk.so

3 (Conditional) Use the mv command to move the Oracle library to an alternate

location.
Perform this step if the output from step 2 shows that libobk.so is present.
For example:

mv libobk.so libobk.so.orig
 Installing NetBackup for Oracle 32
About linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup for UNIX

4 Type the following ln command to create a new link:

ln -s /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/libobk.so64 libobk.so

5 If you run into problems and cannot re-link Oracle with the NetBackup API
library, you can rollback what you have done. Enter the following:

cd $ORACLE_HOME/lib64
mv libobk.so.orig libobk.so

See “About linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup for UNIX” on page 27.
See “Linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup on UNIX platforms” on page 29.

Manually linking IBM pSeries or zSeries

To link manually IBM pSeries or zSeries
1 Type the following cd command to change directories:

cd $ORACLE_HOME/lib

2 Type the following ls command to determine whether the Oracle library exists:

ls -l libobk.so

3 (Conditional) Use the mv command to move the Oracle library to an alternate

location.
Perform this step if the output from step 2 shows that libobk.so is present.
For example:

mv libobk.so libobk.so.orig

4 Type the following ln command to create a new link:

ln -s /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/libobk.so libobk.so

5 If you run into problems and cannot re-link Oracle with the NetBackup API
library, you can rollback what you have done. Enter the following:

cd $ORACLE_HOME/lib64
mv libobk.so.orig libobk.so

See “About linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup for UNIX” on page 27.
 Installing NetBackup for Oracle 33
About linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup for UNIX

See “Linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup on UNIX platforms” on page 29.

Manually linking Solaris x86 (64-bit)

To manually link Solaris x86 (64-bit)
1 Type the following cd command to change directories:

cd $ORACLE_HOME/lib

2 Type the following ls command to determine whether the Oracle library exists:

ls -l libobk.so

3 Use the mv command to move the Oracle library to an alternate location. Perform
this step if the output from step 2 shows that libobk.so is present.
For example:

mv libobk.so libobk.so.orig

4 Type the following ln command to create a new link:

ln -s /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/libobk.so.1 libobk.so

5 If you run into problems and cannot re-link Oracle with the NetBackup API
library, you can rollback what you have done. Enter the following:

cd $ORACLE_HOME/lib64
mv libobk.so.orig libobk.so

See “About linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup for UNIX” on page 27.
See “Linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup on UNIX platforms” on page 29.

Manually linking Solaris SPARC (64-bit)

To manually link Solaris (64-bit)
1 Type the following cd command to change directories:

cd $ORACLE_HOME/lib

2 Type the following ls command to determine whether the Oracle library exists:

ls -l libobk.so
 Installing NetBackup for Oracle 34
About linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup for UNIX

3 (Conditional) Use the mv command to move the Oracle library to an alternate

location.
Perform this step if the output from step 2 shows that libobk.so is present.
For example:

mv libobk.so libobk.so.orig

4 Type the following ln command to create a new link:

ln -s /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/libobk.so64.1 libobk.so

5 If you run into problems and cannot re-link Oracle with the NetBackup API
library, you can rollback what you have done. Enter the following:

cd $ORACLE_HOME/lib64
mv libobk.so.orig libobk.so

See “About linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup for UNIX” on page 27.
See “Linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup on UNIX platforms” on page 29.
 Chapter 4
Configuring RBAC for the
Oracle administrator
This chapter includes the following topics:

■ RBAC roles for the Oracle administrator

RBAC roles for the Oracle administrator

To protect and restore Oracle assets, workload administrators must have
permissions to access those assets, and to assign credentials to those assets. The
RBAC role named Default Oracle Administrator provides these permissions for an
Oracle administrator. Or, that user must have the equivalent permissions in a custom
RBAC role.
In addition, you may need other custom roles to give additional access to your
Oracle administrators. For example, you may need a role that gives specific
privileges to clone a source Oracle database or a pluggable database. This way
the user doesn't have access to all the available Oracle backup and recovery
operations.
See “Create a custom RBAC role for Oracle cloning” on page 135.

Note the following:

■ In NetBackup 10.3, an RBAC role can only be configured for Oracle databases,
pluggable databases, or instant access databases. RBAC permissions cannot
be applied to instances, instance groups, or RAC databases. Additional RBAC
permissions will be available in a future release.
■ To create an RBAC role, you must have the RBAC Administrator role or the
permissions to create roles.
 Configuring RBAC for the Oracle administrator 36
RBAC roles for the Oracle administrator

■ To create a credential, you must have the RBAC Administrator role or a role
that has permissions to create credentials. The Default Oracle Administrator
role can assign a credential to a user, but cannot create a credential in credential
management.
■ Contact your NetBackup administrator for assistance with creating roles and
credentials.
For information on the RBAC permissions and default roles, see the NetBackup
API documentation at http://sort.veritas.com/.
 Chapter 5
Managing Oracle
instances and databases
This chapter includes the following topics:

■ About Oracle discovery

■ Managing Oracle instances

■ Manage Oracle databases and pluggable databases

■ About Oracle database instance groups

■ Clean up Oracle instance and databases

■ Authorizing a DBA to register instances or instance groups with the nboraadm

command

About Oracle discovery

The NetBackup Discovery Service (nbdisco) discovers Oracle database instances
throughout the NetBackup environment. The discovery service reports to the primary
server when it finds instances and databases to help you build an Oracle Intelligent
Policy. The service polls the clients upon NetBackup installation and periodically
after installation (every 4 hours). Instance management collects the discovered
instances in an instance repository. The user can access this repository on the
NetBackup web UI or by using the nboraadm command.
By default, this service is enabled to report instances. You can also configure
discovery of clients.
See “Configure discovery of Oracle clients” on page 38.
 Managing Oracle instances and databases 38
About Oracle discovery

The NetBackup Discovery Service searches for instances and databases in different
areas where Oracle is installed. The following areas are where the Discovery Service
searches:
■ Non-RAC Single instances are discovered by searching the oratab file on UNIX
and from the registry on Windows.
■ NetBackup looks for the Oracle health check files that are found in the Oracle
home. These are not cleaned up when a database is deleted. You may need
to delete them manually otherwise NetBackup can continue to find the databases
that are deleted.
■ Oracle RAC databases are discovered when NetBackup queries the Oracle
Cluster Ready Services (CRS) using the Oracle Clusterware high availability
API.
Oracle RAC in the web UI does not support upgrades from legacy script-based
policies. Also, there is no web UI support for the configurations that are created
using Appendix A: Deduplication best practices or Appendix B: Snapshot Client
support of SFRAC.
To allow the NetBackup web UI to discover a RAC instance or cluster:
■ Remove the Oracle RAC from any configuration that is setup using Appendix
A: Deduplication best practices or Appendix B: Snapshot Client support of
SFRAC.
■ Remove any Oracle RAC from any existing OIP policies.

Note: When an Oracle RAC database is discovered, that database does not have
a Database ID. A Database ID is required to manually add additional RAC instances
to the database. You must register the RAC database and provide a Database ID
before adding additional instances.
See “Manage credentials for an instance or an Oracle RAC database” on page 52.
See “Add an Oracle Real Application Cluster (RAC)” on page 104.

Configure discovery of Oracle clients

By default, this service is enabled to report instances. However, you can use the
REPORT_CLIENT_DISCOVERIES client configuration entry to shut down or restart the
service on a particular client. By default, REPORT_CLIENT_DISCOVERIES is not present
in the Windows registry or the UNIX bp.conf file.
To change the default setting, use bpsetconfig to add or change the entry:
■ In the Windows registry.
 Managing Oracle instances and databases 39
Managing Oracle instances

■ In the /usr/openv/netbackup/bp.conf file on UNIX.

Use the following format: REPORT_CLIENT_DISCOVERIES = TRUE | FALSE
Set REPORT_CLIENT_DISCOVERIES to FALSE to shut down the discovery service.
The service shuts down within 10 minutes and remains down on the client. To turn
on the discovery service on that client, set REPORT_CLIENT_DISCOVERIES to TRUE
or remove the entire entry. Then run bp.start_all on the client to restart the
service.
To set this value on a client remotely, run the following command from the primary
server:

echo REPORT_CLIENT_DISCOVERIES=FALSE | bpsetconfig -h clientname

Managing Oracle instances

The NetBackup Discovery Service (nbdisco) discovers Oracle database instances
throughout the NetBackup environment. All of the instances that are manually added
or NetBackup discovers are populated in the Instance tab table.
All instances that you want backed up as part of an Oracle Intelligent Policy must
be registered with credentials. Instance management lets you assign credentials
to individual instances as well as instance groups. The instances in an instance
group share the same set of credentials. You can direct the discovery service to
assign the new instances that it discovers to an instance group. The Oracle database
user is required to have a certain level of credentials. The Oracle database user
must have SYSBACKUP or SYSDBA privileges (based on version of Oracle).

Note: After an instance is associated with an Oracle RAC database, it no longer

shows up as a single instance. The instance does show up if the instance was
registered before it was associated with the Oracle RAC database. The instance
is removed from the instance list after it’s associated with an Oracle RAC unless it
was previously registered.

Viewing the Oracle repository

You can view a complete list of all the Oracle instances and databases that have
been discovered in the NetBackup environment. In the web UI, click Workloads >
Oracle. The following information is available:
■ Instances
■ Instance groups
■ RAC databases
 Managing Oracle instances and databases 40
Managing Oracle instances

■ Databases
See “View Oracle database details” on page 44.
■ Pluggable databases
See “View pluggable database details” on page 45.
■ Instant access databases
See “View the livemount details of an instant access mount” on page 174.
The instances are listed with the following column information:

Instance Name The instance name (ORACLE_SID).

State The current state of the instance. Possible values are:

■ Blank - The instance is not yet registered and cannot be

protected using an Intelligent Oracle Policy.
■ Active - Credentials have been provided for the instance. An
Intelligent Oracle Policy can protect the instance.
■ Inactive - If the instance is added to a policy, it is not included
in the backup. An administrator can inactivate an instance to
take it offline (for example, for upgrades).

Host Specifies the host where the Oracle database resides.

OS type Specifies the operating system of the host. Valid values are
Windows and UNIX.

Oracle_home The file path of the Oracle home directory where the instance
resides.

TNS_admin Specifies the location of the network administration directory on

the client system if this directory is not in the default location.
Consult your Oracle documentation for the default location of the
network administration directory on the client system.

Instance group Specifies the Oracle database instance group name that this
instance is part of. This field is blank if the instance does not belong
to an instance group.

Registered Specifies the date and time when a user registered a set of
credentials for this instance. This field is blank if the instance has
not been given credentials.

Policies The names of the policies that the instance has been assigned to.

Credentials Indicates the name of the credential that is registered for the
instance. Or, if no credential is registered a value of none displays.
 Managing Oracle instances and databases 41
Managing Oracle instances

Register an Oracle database instance

To protect Oracle you must add (or register) credentials to the Oracle instances.

Note: When an Oracle RAC database is discovered, that database does not have
a Database ID. A Database ID is required to manually add additional RAC instances
to the database. You must register the RAC database and provide a Database ID
before adding additional instances.

Refer to the following Oracle information for recommendations for the authentication
of users.
Operating System Authentication of Users
Authentication of Database Administrators by Using the Operating System
To register an Oracle database instance
1 In the NetBackup web UI, in the left pane, click Workloads > Oracle.
2 Click the Instances tab. Instances that have previously been registered show
a date and time in the Registered column.
3 Locate the instance that you want to register. Then click Actions > Manage
credentials.
4 Select Use instance credentials.
5 Click Use instance credentials.
The Oracle database user is required to have a certain level of credentials.
The Oracle database user must have SYSBACKUP or SYSDBA privileges (based
on version of Oracle).
6 In the Instance credentials area, select one of the following authentication
options:
■ Oracle Wallet
■ OS authentication only
■ Oracle authentication only
■ Oracle and OS authentication
If you use the Oracle authentication only option you must enter specific
Oracle credentials. You may need to contact the Oracle DBA for the correct
credentials. The system tries to validate the credentials and reports its findings
7 (Optional) Click Oracle RMAN recovery catalog credentials to enter
credentials for the RMAN recovery catalog.
 Managing Oracle instances and databases 42
Managing Oracle instances

8 Click Finish to save the credentials.

9 Review the Registered column to see that the instance is now registered.
10 Repeat for all other instances that you want registered.

Manually add an Oracle instance

Newly discovered Oracle instances on clients are automatically added to the
NetBackup database. However, you may not want to wait for the discovery service
to discover a new instance. In this case you can add an instance manually.

Note: If necessary, contact the Oracle database administrator for the correct set
of credentials. The DBA can also manually add the instance if they do not want to
share the credentials with the backup administrator. The DBA can manually add
the instance using the nboraadm command on the client. The Oracle database user
is required to have a certain level of credentials. The Oracle database user must
have SYSBACKUP or SYSDBA privileges (based on version of Oracle).

To manually add an instance

1 On the left, click Workloads > Oracle.
2 In the Instances tab, from the Actions list select Add instance.
3 Enter the required information for the instance.
4 (Optional) Enter the Override default TNS_ADMIN path if you need to override
the default network administration directory on the client system. Enter the fully
qualified path for the network administration directory on this host.
5 After all the required information for instance is entered, you can:
■ Click Finish to add the instance. Select this option to add the instance to
NetBackup without credentials. The credentials can be added at a later
time.
■ Click Add and manage credentials to add credentials for the instance at
this time.
Choose from the following options:
■ Select Add to group and register using group credentials to register
the instance using group credentials. Select the instance group name
from the drop-down.
■ Select Use instance credentials to register using the instance
credentials. Select the credential option for this instance and enter all
required information.
 Managing Oracle instances and databases 43
Managing Oracle instances

Manually discover instances

You can manually start the NetBackup discovery process if you want to immediately
discover instances in your environment.
To manually discover instances
1 On the left, click Workloads > Oracle and then click the Instances tab.
2 Click Actions > Discover instances.
3 Click Start discovery.
4 Add credentials for the instance per step 5.

Edit Oracle instance details

For an Oracle instance that was discovered or added to NetBackup, you can edit
the instance details.
To edit the instance details
1 On the left, click Workloads > Oracle and then click the Instances tab.
2 Locate the instance that you want to edit.
3 Click Actions > Edit.
4 Change the instance name, host name, or Oracle_home path.
5 Edit the Override default TNS_ADMIN path setting.
6 Click Save. Or to also manage the instance credentials, click Save and manage
credentials.

Automatically register new instances with an instance group

With automatic registration, NetBackup adds newly discovered instances to the
instance group that you choose and automatically registers them with the group
credentials. Only one instance group can be configured for automatic registration.
More information is available on how to add an instance group.
See “Add an Oracle database instance group” on page 20.
To automatically register new instances
1 On the left, click Workloads > Oracle and then click the Instances tab.
2 Click Actions > Auto registration.
3 Select the instance group from the Select instance group drop-down.
 Managing Oracle instances and databases 44
Manage Oracle databases and pluggable databases

4 (Optional) Select Override default UNIX TNS_ADMIN path or Override

default Windows TNS_ADMIN path and enter the path.
5 Click Save.

Remove an Oracle instance

You can remove an Oracle instance from NetBackup. This instance may be one
that you added manually to NetBackup. Or, you can immediately remove an instance
without waiting for the automatic cleanup process to run. For example, an instance
that was uninstalled in the Oracle environment.
To remove an Oracle instance
1 If necessary remove the Oracle instance from any policies.
2 On the left, click Workloads > Oracle and then click Instances.
3 Locate the instance that you want to remove.
4 Click the Actions > Delete.

Manage Oracle databases and pluggable

databases
You can view Oracle databases and pluggable databases in NetBackup as follows:
■ See “View Oracle database details” on page 44.
■ See “View pluggable database details” on page 45.

View Oracle database details

NetBackup provides the capability to view Oracle databases and information about
the databases. The databases are automatically populated in the NetBackup
environment after a backup is run.

View the details of an Oracle database

Oracle and NetBackup administrators can select a database and review the following
information about the database:
■ Recovery points - From a recovery point you can clone a database.
■ Restore activity
■ Permissions
■ Instant access databases
 Managing Oracle instances and databases 45
About Oracle database instance groups

■ Pluggable databases - The PDB seed name appears in this table.

To view the details of an Oracle database
1 On the left, click Workloads > Oracle. Then click the Databases tab.
2 Click on the database that you want view.
You may see an Instance name and a Database name display in the
Instances tab and the Databases tab that are identical. These two names are
the same database but it is displayed in both tabs.

View pluggable database details

The NetBackup web UI provides the capability to view pluggable databases and
information about the pluggable databases. The databases are automatically
populated in the NetBackup environment after a backup is run.

View the details of an Oracle pluggable database

You can select a pluggable database and review the following information about
the pluggable database:
■ Recovery points - From a recovery point you can clone a pluggable database.
■ Permissions
To view the details of a pluggable database
1 On the left, click Workloads > Oracle. Then click the Pluggable databases
tab.
2 Click on the database that you want view.
On the Pluggable databases tab, the PDB$SEED is not visible. You can search
the pluggable database list to view any of the PDB$SEED pluggable databases.
Alternatively, select Workloads > Oracle > Database and then select a
container database to locate the pluggable database in the list.

About Oracle database instance groups

Instance groups can be a major time saver when you create Oracle policies.
■ You can configure an instance group to automatically add newly discovered
database instances to the group.
■ You need only enter a set of credentials once. The Oracle database user is
required to have a certain level of credentials. The Oracle database user must
have SYSBACKUP or SYSDBA privileges (based on version of Oracle). Thereafter,
 Managing Oracle instances and databases 46
Clean up Oracle instance and databases

all discovered instances can be automatically assigned the same set of

credentials, registering instances on the fly.
■ With the selection of an instance group, you can create a single policy that backs
up and restores hundreds and even thousands of instances.
See “Add an Oracle database instance group” on page 20.
See “Managing Oracle instances” on page 39.

Add an instance to an instance group

You can add an instance to an instance group so that the instance uses the common
set of credentials for the instance group. Note that you may have already registered
an instance individually. When you add it to an instance group, its credentials are
automatically changed to the group credentials.
To add an instance to an instance group
1 In the web UI, on the left expand Workloads > Oracle.
2 Click the Instance groups tab.
3 Locate the instance that you want to be a member of an instance group.
4 On the Actions menu, select Manage credentials.
5 From the Instance group list, select the wanted instance group .
6 Click Finish.
See “About Oracle database instance groups” on page 45.
See “Register an Oracle database instance” on page 41.

Clean up Oracle instance and databases

NetBackup can automatically remove orphaned instances and databases if they
are not registered or are no longer discoverable. Orphaned instances are the
databases that were discovered at one time but were never registered. This
operation is done automatically once you set the number of days.
To set up automatic cleanup of instances
1 On the left, click Workloads > Oracle and then click Instances.
2 In the Instances tab, click Actions and select Instances cleanup.
3 Set the number of days and then click Cleanup.
See “Managing Oracle instances” on page 39.
See “Add an Oracle Real Application Cluster (RAC)” on page 104.
 Managing Oracle instances and databases 47
Authorizing a DBA to register instances or instance groups with the nboraadm command

See “Edit or delete an Oracle RAC database” on page 106.

Authorizing a DBA to register instances or

instance groups with the nboraadm command
The NetBackup administrator can authorize a DBA to use the nboraadm to register
instances if the DBA wants to manage Oracle credentials independently. From the
primary server the NetBackup administrator can control the list of users and hosts
that can run nboraadm on the NetBackup client.
For example, the NetBackup administrator can authorize the user john_smith on
host winserver.domain.com with the following command:

nboraadm -add_dba winserver.domain.com john_smith

From the NetBackup client, winserver.domain.com, john_smith can register and

manage instances or instance groups. For example, the DBA can register an
instance with local credentials as follows:

nboraadm -S NBprimary1 -register_instance hr_city1

- host winserver.domain.com -os_user dbauser

More information on the nboraadm command is available. See the NetBackup

Commands Guide.
 Chapter 6
Managing Oracle
credentials
This chapter includes the following topics:

■ About Oracle credentials

■ Oracle credential types in the NetBackup Credential Management (CMS)

■ Add a credential to use for cloning an Oracle database

■ Edit or delete a named credential

■ Manage credentials for an instance or an Oracle RAC database

About Oracle credentials

Oracle credentials can be managed in the following ways:
■ From the NetBackup Credential Management System (CMS).
In NetBackup 10.3, a stored credential can only be used for cloning operations.
Stored credentials will be available for other operations in a future release.
See “Add a credential to use for cloning an Oracle database” on page 50.
■ From the Instances tab in Workloads > Oracle. For each instance, you can
add the Oracle credentials that are used to manage that instance.
See “Manage credentials for an instance or an Oracle RAC database”
on page 52.
In NetBackup 10.3, you cannot use stored credentials to register instances or
RAC databases. You must provide the credentials manually.
 Managing Oracle credentials 49
Oracle credential types in the NetBackup Credential Management (CMS)

Oracle credential types in the NetBackup

Credential Management (CMS)
Note: In NetBackup 10.3, you cannot use stored credentials to register instances
or RAC databases. You must provide the credentials manually.

The NetBackup Credential Management (CMS) lets you store credentials in

NetBackup to use for specific NetBackup operations.
In NetBackup 10.3, the following limitations apply for a stored credential that is
created in Credential management:
■ You can only use a stored credential for a cloning operation. In the future stored
credentials will be available for other operations.
■ An Oracle clone operation only supports the Oracle credential types Use
operating system credential and Use Oracle and operating system
credentials. You cannot use Use Oracle Wallet or Use Oracle credentials
for cloning operations.
■ The credential types Use Oracle Wallet and Use Oracle credentials are not
supported and are reserved for future use.
■ The credential option Use Oracle and operating system credentials can be
used for cloning operations, but in this release NetBackup ignores the Oracle
credentials.
Table 6-1 describes the credential types that are available for performing Oracle
cloning operations.

Table 6-1 Credential types in Credential management

Option to Environment and configuration

register
credentials

Use Oracle Wallet Reserved for future use. This type is not supported in NetBackup 10.3.

Use Oracle Reserved for future use. This type is not supported in NetBackup 10.3.
credentials
 Managing Oracle credentials 50
Add a credential to use for cloning an Oracle database

Table 6-1 Credential types in Credential management (continued)

Option to Environment and configuration

register
credentials

Use operating This credential option is supported for use with Oracle cloning.
system credentials
Configuration requirements
The following requirements apply for Windows:

■ The account must have OS Administrator privileges and have Oracle

DBA privileges.
■ For a domain account, also specify the Operating system domain.
For a local account, leave the Operating system domain empty
or use a “.”
■ See the following information for requirements for the Oracle Home
User.
See the section called “Oracle Home User requirements”
on page 50.

For UNIX/Linux, the account must have Oracle DBA privileges.

Use Oracle and This option is supported in NetBackup 10.3 for use with Oracle cloning.
operating system However, NetBackup ignores the Oracle credentials.
credentials
Configuration requirements

See the configuration requirements for Use operating system

credential.

Oracle Home User requirements

When you create a stored credential, you must also specify the Oracle Home User
credentials when the target Oracle installation was installed using an OS account.
(These credentials are not a virtual account or a Windows Built-in account like
LocalSystem.)
The Oracle Home User can be any of the following: a Windows Built-in account or
a Virtual account or a standard Windows user account that is not an Administrator
account.

Add a credential to use for cloning an Oracle

database
In NetBackup 10.3, you can use an stored credential for Oracle cloning operations.
For an Oracle instance or RAC database, you must provide the credentials manually.
 Managing Oracle credentials 51
Edit or delete a named credential

See “Manage credentials for an instance or an Oracle RAC database” on page 52.
To add a credential to use for cloning an Oracle database
1 On the left, click Credential management.
2 On the Named credentials tab, click Add and provide the following properties:
■ Credential name (for example: server_credential1)
■ Tag (for example: Workload name)
■ Description (for example: This credential is used to access workload name)

3 Click Next.
4 Select Oracle.
5 Provide the authentication details that are needed to connect to the Oracle
database.
See “Oracle credential types in the NetBackup Credential Management (CMS)”
on page 49.
6 Click Next.
7 In Permissions, add one or more RBAC roles that you want to have access
to the credential.
■ Click Add.
■ Select the role name.
■ Select the credential permissions that you want the role to have.
■ Click Save.
Click Next.
8 On the Review page, verify all information is correct and click Finish.

Edit or delete a named credential

You can edit the properties for a named credential or delete a named credential
NetBackup from the Credential management.

Edit a named credential

You can edit a named credential to change the following: credential tag, description,
category, authentication details, or permissions. You cannot change the credential
name.
 Managing Oracle credentials 52
Manage credentials for an instance or an Oracle RAC database

To edit a named credential

1 On the left, click Credential management.
2 On the Named credentials tab, locate and click on the credential that you
want to edit.
3 Click Edit and update the credential as needed.
4 Review the changes and click Finish.

Delete a named credential

You can delete a named credential that you no longer need to use with NetBackup.
Be sure to apply another credential to any assets that use the credential you want
to delete. Otherwise, backups and restores may fail for those assets.
To delete a named credential
1 On the left, click Credential management.
2 On the Named credentials tab, locate and click on the credential that you
want to delete.
3 Click Delete.

Manage credentials for an instance or an Oracle

RAC database
You can add or update credentials for instances and RAC databases at any time.
When you manually add an instance or a RAC database, you can choose not to
include the credentials at that time. After the discovery service adds new instances
and RAC databases to the repository, you can add credentials. NetBackup provides
a way to enter the proper credentials for your instance and RAC databases.
When an Oracle RAC database is discovered, that database does not have a
Database ID. A Database ID is required to manually add additional RAC instances
to the database. You must register the RAC database and provide a Database ID
before adding additional instances.
Refer to the following Oracle information for recommendations for the authentication
of users.
Operating System Authentication of Users
Authentication of Database Administrators by Using the Operating System
 Managing Oracle credentials 53
Manage credentials for an instance or an Oracle RAC database

To add credentials for an instance

1 On the left, click Workloads > Oracle and then click Instances.
2 In the Instances tab, click the Actions menu for the instance and select Manage
credentials.
3 In the Manage credentials for instance screen, select one of the appropriate
credential authentication methods:
■ Select Add to group and register using group credentials to register
the instance using group credentials. Select the instance group name from
the drop-down.
■ Select Use instance credentials to register using the instance credentials.
Select the credential option for this instance and enter all required
information.

4 Click Finish.

To add credentials for a RAC database

1 On the left, click Workloads > Oracle and then click RAC databases.
2 In the RAC databases tab, click the Actions menu for the instance and select
Manage credentials.
3 In the Manage credentials for RAC database screen, select one of the
appropriate credential authentication methods:
■ Select Use Oracle Wallet to use the credentials that are located in the
Oracle Wallet. For non-RAC installations, the instance net service name
must be stored in the Oracle Wallet as defined in Oracle’s wallet
documentation.
■ Select RAC database credentials and enter the correct Username and
Password for the database.
■ (Optional) Enter credentials for the Oracle RMAN recovery catalog
credentials section.

4 Click Add credentials.

 Chapter 7
Configuring Oracle policies
This chapter includes the following topics:

■ Preparing for NetBackup for Oracle configuration

■ About Oracle Intelligent Policies (OIP)

■ About script-based Oracle policies

■ Configuring the logon account for the NetBackup Client Service for NetBackup
for Oracle

■ Testing configuration settings for NetBackup for Oracle

Preparing for NetBackup for Oracle configuration

The major part of configuring NetBackup for Oracle is to create and configure the
Oracle policies. The following topics prepare you to configure NetBackup for Oracle
policies:
■ See “About Oracle policy configuration” on page 54.
■ See “ Oracle backup policy types” on page 56.
■ See “Configuring the logon account for the NetBackup Client Service for
NetBackup for Oracle” on page 102.
■ See “Configuring the Maximum jobs per client” on page 60.

About Oracle policy configuration

NetBackup offers two ways to configure an Oracle policy.
■ Oracle Intelligent Policies. This method lets you create a single policy to protect
multiple Oracle database instances that are spread over multiple clients. You
select Oracle database instances for a policy from a repository of instances that
 Configuring Oracle policies 55
Preparing for NetBackup for Oracle configuration

are automatically discovered in the NetBackup environment. Among the features

that these policies provide is the ability to schedule frequent backups of archived
redo logs. These backups are accomplished in minutes instead of hours or days.
■ Script-based policies. This method lets you create an Oracle backup policy by
using a script that is based on a list of clients.
A backup policy for a database defines the backup criteria for a specific group of
instances (Oracle Intelligent Policy) or clients (script-based policy).
The Intelligent Oracle Policy includes the following criteria:
■ Storage unit and media to use
■ Policy attributes
■ Backup schedules. Automatic schedule and archive log schedule.
■ Instances to be backed up
■ Backup selections: Whole database, tablespaces, data files, FRA
The script-based policy includes the following criteria:
■ Storage unit and media to use
■ Policy attributes
■ Backup schedules: Automatic schedule and application schedule.
■ Clients to be backed up
■ Backup script files to be run on the clients
To back up the database environment, define at least one script-based Oracle policy
with the appropriate schedules and clients. Or, you can configure a single Oracle
Intelligent Policy that includes all instances.

Note: The Backup, Archive, and Restore GUI cannot be used for performing Oracle
backups and restores.

Most requirements for database policies are the same as for file system backups.
In addition to the policy attributes for Oracle, other attributes are available that you
should consider.
See the NetBackup Administrator’s Guide, Volume I.
See “About Oracle Intelligent Policies (OIP)” on page 61.
See “About policy attributes” on page 83.
See “Create an Oracle policy” on page 21.
 Configuring Oracle policies 56
Preparing for NetBackup for Oracle configuration

Oracle Home User permissions when NetBackup SAN Client is used

To use the NetBackup SAN Client to protect Oracle on Windows, the Oracle user
must have administrator privileges. Starting with Oracle Database 12c Release 1
(12.1), Oracle Database on Windows supports the use of Oracle Home User. The
Oracle Home User is specified at the time of Oracle Database installation and is
used to run the Windows services for the Oracle home. The Oracle Home User that
is used to run Windows services is similar to the Oracle user for Oracle Database
on Linux.
For more information, refer to the Oracle document "Supporting Oracle Home User
on Windows" at the following location:
http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E16655_01/win.121/e10714/oh_usr.htm
To use NetBackup SAN Client, make sure to select Use Windows Built-in Account
during Oracle Database installation. Making this selection enables the Windows
services for the Oracle home to run as LocalSystem or LocalService.

Oracle backup policy types

Table 7-1 shows the Oracle backup policy types you can specify.

Table 7-1 Oracle backup types

Backup type Description

Application Backup – The Application Backup schedule enables user-controlled

Script-based policy using NetBackup operations from the client. These operations
streamed data only include those initiated from the client and those initiated by
an automatic schedule on the primary server. NetBackup
uses the Application Backup schedule when the user starts
a backup manually. Configure at least one Application Backup
schedule for each database policy. The
Default-Application-Backup schedule is configured
automatically as an Application Backup schedule.
 Configuring Oracle policies 57
Preparing for NetBackup for Oracle configuration

Table 7-1 Oracle backup types (continued)

Backup type Description

Full Backup – Script-based Stream-based backup: The specified script in the Backup
policy Selections tab is executed. If the script is set up properly,
RMAN initiates a full stream-based backup (full or incremental
level 0).
Note: The Application Backup schedule properties (For
example: storage and retention) are used.

RMAN proxy backup: The specified script in the Backup

Selections tab is executed. If the script is set up properly,
RMAN initiates a proxy backup.
Note: The Full Backup schedule properties (For example:
storage and retention) are used for the proxy portion of the
backup. The Application Backup schedule properties (For
example: storage and retention) are used for the streamed
portion of the backup.

Differential Incremental Stream-based backup: The specified script in the Backup

backup – Script-based policy Selections tab is executed. If the script is set up properly,
RMAN initiates a stream-based incremental level 1 backup.
Note: The Application Backup schedule properties
(storage, retention, etc.) are used.

RMAN proxy backup: This backup type should only be used

for BLI backups. If you do not use a proxy backup for a BLI
backup, then a Full Backup schedule should be used. The
specified script in the Backup Selections tab is executed.
If the script is set up properly, RMAN initiates a proxy backup.
Note: The Differential Incremental Backup schedule
properties (storage, retention, etc.) are used for the proxy
portion of the backup. The Application Backup schedule
properties (storage, retention, etc.) are used for the streamed
portion of the backup.
 Configuring Oracle policies 58
Preparing for NetBackup for Oracle configuration

Table 7-1 Oracle backup types (continued)

Backup type Description

Cumulative Incremental Stream-based backup: The specified script in the Backup

backup – Script-based policy Selections tab is executed. If the script is set up properly,
RMAN initiates a stream-based incremental level 1 cumulative
backup.
Note: The Application Backup schedule properties
(storage, retention, etc.) are used.

RMAN proxy backup: This backup type should only be used

for BLI backups. If you do not use a proxy backup for a BLI
backup, then a Full Backup schedule should be used. The
specified script in the Backup Selections tab is executed.
If the script is set up properly, RMAN initiates a proxy backup.
Note: The Cumulative Incremental Backup schedule
properties (storage, retention, etc.) are used for the proxy
portion of the backup. The Application Backup schedule
properties (storage, retention, etc.) are used for the streamed
portion of the backup.

Full Backup – OIP Policy Stream-based backup: Dynamically generates an RMAN

script on each client for the instances and or instance groups
that are defined in the Instances and Databases tab. The
script initiates an Incremental Full (INCREMENTAL LEVEL
0) backup.
RMAN proxy backup (Policy is defined to perform a
snapshot): Dynamically generates an RMAN script on each
client for the instances and or instance groups that are
defined in the Instances and Databases tab to initiate a
proxy backup.
Note: The Full Backup schedule properties (storage,
retention, etc.) are used for both the streamed and the proxy
data.
 Configuring Oracle policies 59
Preparing for NetBackup for Oracle configuration

Table 7-1 Oracle backup types (continued)

Backup type Description

Differential Incremental Stream-based backup: Dynamically generates an RMAN

backup – OIP Policy script on each client for the instances and or instance groups
that are defined in the Instances and Databases tab. The
script initiates a Differential Incremental (INCREMENTAL
LEVEL 1) backup.

RMAN proxy backup (policy is defined to perform a snapshot):

■ The policy has Perform block level incremental

backups selected. An RMAN script is dynamically
generated on each client for the instances and or instance
groups that are defined in the Instances and Databases
tab to initiate a proxy backup.
■ The policy does not have Perform block level
incremental backups selected. An RMAN script is
dynamically generated on each client for the instances
and or instance groups that are defined in the Instances
and Databases tab. A Differential Incremental
(INCREMENTAL LEVEL 1) stream-based backup is
initiated.

Note: The Differential Incremental Backup schedule

properties (storage, retention, etc.) are used for both the
streamed and the proxy data.
 Configuring Oracle policies 60
Preparing for NetBackup for Oracle configuration

Table 7-1 Oracle backup types (continued)

Backup type Description

Cumulative Incremental Stream-based backup: Dynamically generates an RMAN

backup – OIP Policy script on each client for the instances and or instance groups
that are defined in the Instances and Databases tab. The
script initiates a Cumulative Incremental (INCREMENTAL
LEVEL 1 CUMULATIVE) backup.

RMAN proxy backup (Policy is defined to perform a

snapshot):

■ The policy has Perform block level incremental

backups selected. An RMAN script is dynamically
generated on each client for the instances and or instance
groups that are defined in the Instances and Databases
tab to initiate a proxy backup.
■ The policy does not have Perform block level
incremental backups selected. An RMAN script is
dynamically generated on each client for the instances
and or instance groups that are defined in the Instances
and Databases tab. A Cumulative Incremental
(INCREMENTAL LEVEL 1 CUMULATIVE) stream-based
backup is initiated.

Note: The Cumulative incremental backup schedule

properties (storage, retention, etc.) are used for both the
streamed and the proxy data.

Archived redo log backup – The policy dynamically generates an RMAN script on each
OIP Policy Only client for the instances and or instance groups that are
defined in the Instances and Databases tab. The policy
initiates a stream-based archive redo log backup.
Note: The frequency is granular down to intervals of minutes.

Configuring the Maximum jobs per client

The Maximum jobs per client specifies the maximum number of concurrent
backups that are allowed per client.
To configure the maximum jobs per client
1 Open the web UI.
2 On the left, select Hosts > Host properties.
3 Select the host.
4 If necessary, click Connect.
 Configuring Oracle policies 61
About Oracle Intelligent Policies (OIP)

5 Click Edit primary server.

6 Click Global attributes.
7 Change the Maximum jobs per client value to 99.
The default is 1.
You can use the following formula to calculate a smaller value for the Maximum
jobs per client setting:
See “About policy attributes” on page 83.

About Oracle Intelligent Policies (OIP)

The Oracle Intelligent Policy (OIP) feature is a method of Oracle policy backup
based on Oracle database instances or RAC databases. This method precludes
the need to create a script for your Oracle policies. The OIP feature has the following
elements:
■ You can create a single policy to protect multiple Oracle database instances or
RAC databases that are spread over multiple clients.
■ 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.
■ All instances that you want backed up must be registered with credentials. If
multiple instances share the same credentials, you can create an instance group
for the set of instances with common credentials.
■ Multiple instance groups can be created for different sets of instances with
different credentials. You can create a default instance group for newly
discovered instances to be automatically added to the group, ensuring that new
instances are protected.
■ The database administrator can control all instances and instance group
credentials using the nboraadm command on the NetBackup client, which
provides improved security throughout the system.
■ You are not required to know RMAN or to write RMAN scripts. Instead, this
feature automatically generates the scripts at run-time.
■ The Job Details in the Activity Monitor lets you view the backup summary,
database state, RMAN input, and RMAN output for the OIP. Also, the Activity
Monitor includes a new Instances column that shows the instance that the
associated policy has backed up.
 Configuring Oracle policies 62
About Oracle Intelligent Policies (OIP)

■ Enhanced error codes enable faster identification, troubleshooting, and correction

of problems. You can easily restart a failed job.
■ You no longer need to create an application backup schedule. You only need
to create automatic backup schedules for the data movement, which simplifies
how retention works on the backup pieces.
■ You can manually back up any number of instances or all the instances.
■ The OIP automatically selects parameter settings at run-time that enable optimal
deduplication.
■ You can create a new archived log schedule that backs up the archived redo
logs within intervals of minutes.
■ The Oracle Intelligent Policy can protect an Oracle database when the Oracle
DBA places database backups in the share on a NetBackup appliance.
■ The OIP can create and maintain a full set of data file copies in the share on a
NetBackup appliance. The Accelerator option is used to update the data file
copies using only the changed blocks since the last full backup.
■ Oracle 12c has introduced container databases (CDB) and pluggable databases
(PDB) and they can be protected using the OIP.
■ You can create bpstart_notify and bpend_notify scripts for an OIP. An OIP
ignores the generic bpstart_notify and bpend_notify scripts and they do
not work for a non-OIP.

Note: For RAC OIP backups the bpstart_notify and the bpend_notify scripts
must reside on all Oracle RAC nodes.

Oracle DBAs can use the nboraadm command on the NetBackup client to manage
instances, instance groups, and their credentials. This command is particularly
useful in environments where the Oracle credentials are known only by the DBAs
and not the NetBackup administrators.
The Oracle DBA can use the nboraadm command to start an immediate backup
from the client if the NetBackup administrator has given the Oracle DBA proper
permissions. The nboraadm command allows the Oracle DBA to immediately protect
an Oracle database backup instead of waiting for the NetBackup schedule to protect
the database backup. Use nboraadm command with the –immediate option to start
a database backup.
You can select Oracle database instances and instance groups to be part of an
Oracle backup policy. An Oracle backup policy can be created for the default
 Configuring Oracle policies 63
About Oracle Intelligent Policies (OIP)

instance group to ensure that all newly created instances are automatically protected.
You can create an OIP in the following ways:
■ The Policy Configuration Wizard of the NetBackup Administration Console: The
wizard guides you through the setup process by automatically choosing the best
values for most configurations.
■ The Oracle Policy utility on the NetBackup Administration Console: The Oracle
Policy utility is a set of five tabbed panels. The panels contain all the settings
and parameters that are needed to create or change an OIP.
See “Creating an Oracle Intelligent Policy (OIP)” on page 63.
See “About policy attributes” on page 83.
See “Instances and databases tab” on page 70.
See “Backup Selections tab” on page 72.
See “About Oracle database instance groups” on page 45.

Creating an Oracle Intelligent Policy (OIP)

This topic guides you through the steps for setting up an Oracle Intelligent Policy
(OIP). An OIP is used with Oracle CDB and PDB databases, Oracle Copilot, and
regular Oracle database instance backups. This method precludes the need to
create scripts for your Oracle policies.

Table 7-2 Steps for creating an OIP

Steps Task Instructions

Step 1 Register Oracle NetBackup automatically discovers Oracle instances and

instances. displays them in the instance repository. An instance must
be registered in order for that instance to be included in an
OIP.

See “Register an Oracle database instance” on page 41.

Step 2 (Conditional) Instance groups are for instances with common credentials.
Create Oracle Add an instance to a group to register that instance. This
instance group. step is not required to create an OIP.
See “About Oracle database instance groups” on page 45.

See “Add an instance to an instance group” on page 46.

See “Automatically register new instances with an instance

group” on page 43.
 Configuring Oracle policies 64
About Oracle Intelligent Policies (OIP)

Table 7-2 Steps for creating an OIP (continued)

Steps Task Instructions

Step 3 Add new policy In the left pane of the NetBackup Administration Console,
and policy name. expand NetBackup Management > Policies.

Select Action > New > Policy or right-click on All Policies

in the center pane and click New Policy on the shortcut
menu. Enter a unique name in the Policy name: dialog box
and click OK.

See “ Oracle backup policy types” on page 56.

Step 4 Configure the In the Policy type list, select Oracle. This action causes the
Attributes tab. tabs along the top of the display to change to a unique Oracle
tab set.

For information on the Attributes tab, see the NetBackup

Administrator’s Guide, Volume I.

The Use Accelerator option has a different function when

used with an OIP. This option is automatically selected when
certain options in the Backup Selections tab are set during
Oracle Copilot configuration.

See “About Oracle Copilot” on page 142.

Step 5 Configure the The schedules that are defined on the Schedules tab
Schedules tab. determine when backups occur for an OIP.

For information on the Schedules tab, see the NetBackup

Administrator’s Guide, Volume I.

Step 6 Configure the Select the instances or the instance groups that the OIP will
Instances and back up. An OIP must include either the Protect Instances
Databases tab. and Databases or the Protect instance groups option.

See “Instances and databases tab” on page 70.

Step 7 Configure the You can backup the Whole database, Partial database -
Backup Tablespaces, Partial database - Datafiles, Fast Recovery
Selections tab. Area (FRA), Database backup shares, or the Whole
Database - Datafile Copy Share.

See “Backup Selections tab” on page 72.

See “Configuring an OIP using a share on the NetBackup

appliance (Oracle Copilot)” on page 144.
 Configuring Oracle policies 65
About Oracle Intelligent Policies (OIP)

Table 7-2 Steps for creating an OIP (continued)

Steps Task Instructions

Step 8 Configure the The tab contains setup options for databases, tablespaces,
Oracle tab. data files, archived redo logs, file name formats, and database
backup shares.

See “Oracle tab” on page 74.

Step 9 (Optional) Create Create bpstart_notify and bpend_notify scripts for

bpstart_notify an OIP. The scripts only work with the Protect instances
and and databases or Protect instance groups selections.
bpend_notify
For an OIP, the scripts must include the .policyname or
scripts
.policyname.schedule suffix or the script does not run
at the start or end of the policy. An OIP ignores the generic
bpstart_notify and bpend_notify scripts and the
scripts do not work for a non-OIP.
The generic bpstart_notify or bpend_notify scripts reside
on the server and the location varies by platform:

■ UNIX: /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/goodies/
■ Windows: Install_path/NetBackup/bin/goodies/
The renamed script must be copied from the server and
placed in the NetBackup bin directory on the client:

■ UNIX: /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/
■ Windows: Install_path\NetBackup\bin\
Examples of renamed scripts:

■ UNIX:
/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/bpstart_notify.oip_instance1
or
/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/bpend_notify.oip_instance2.full
■ Windows:
install_path\NetBackup\bin\bpstart_notify.oip_instance1.bat
or
install_path\NetBackup\bin\bpend_notify.oip_instance2.full.bat

For more information about the bpstart_notify and

bpend_notify scripts, refer to the NetBackup
Administrator’s Guide, Volume II.

Oracle database upgrade effect on Oracle Intelligent Policies

Upgrade of an Oracle database causes instance information for the upgraded
database to become invalid. If this instance is associated with one or more current
 Configuring Oracle policies 66
About Oracle Intelligent Policies (OIP)

NetBackup for Oracle Intelligent Policies, run-time failures can occur. The issue
occurs when an Oracle database is upgraded to a new version. The new version
is likely to have a different ORACLE_HOME, ORACLE_SID, or Oracle User. If any
of these values have changed, the existing instance information in the NetBackup
instance repository and in the current Oracle Intelligent Policies becomes invalid.
When the discovery service (nbdisco) polls the clients again, it discovers the
database as a new instance. Consequently, there is no way to associate the new
instance to the old instance.
This issue is not version-specific and can affect any valid Oracle upgrade patch,
such as:
■ Oracle 10 to version 11
■ Oracle 10 to version 12
■ Oracle 11 to version 12
For more information on valid Oracle upgrade paths, review the following
documentation on the Oracle Support website:
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/database/upgrade/
upgrading-oracle-database-wp-12c-1896123.pdf
Therefore, when an existing Oracle database is upgraded and the ORACLE_HOME,
ORACLE_SID, or Oracle User are modified, remove the existing instance in the
instance repository. After the existing instance is removed, update the instance
repository with the new instance information. Make sure to update any policies with
the newly-discovered instances.
See “About Oracle Intelligent Policies (OIP)” on page 61.

Configuring NetBackup for Oracle automatic backup schedules

Each policy has an automatic backup schedule. These schedules initiate automatic
backups and specify when a user can initiate operations.
To configure an automatic backup schedule
1 On the Policy dialog box, click the Schedules tab.
2 Click New.
3 Specify a unique name for the schedule.
4 Select the Type of backup.
5 Specify the other properties for the schedule.
See “About schedule properties ” on page 84.
6 Click OK.
 Configuring Oracle policies 67
About Oracle Intelligent Policies (OIP)

About NetBackup for Oracle schedule properties using Oracle

Intelligent Policy
This topic describes the schedule properties that have a different meaning for Oracle
Intelligent Policy backups than for file system backups. Other schedule properties
vary according to your specific backup strategy and system configuration. Additional
information about other schedule properties is available.
See the NetBackup Administrator’s Guide, Volume I.

Table 7-3 Description of schedule properties

Property Description

Type of backup Specifies the type of backup that this schedule can control. The selection list shows only
the backup types that apply to the policy you want to configure.

See “ Oracle backup policy types” on page 56.

Schedule type You can schedule a backup in one of the following ways:

■ Frequency
This setting is used only for scheduled backups. It is not used for user-directed backups.
Frequency specifies the period of time that can elapse until the next backup or archive
operation begins on this schedule. For example, assume that the frequency is 7 days
and a successful backup occurs on Wednesday. The next full backup does not occur
until the following Wednesday. Typically, incremental backups have a shorter frequency
than full backups.
■ Calendar
This setting is used only for scheduled backups. It is not used for user-directed backups.
The Calendar option lets you schedule the backup operations that are based on specific
dates, recurring week days, or recurring days of the month.
 Configuring Oracle policies 68
About Oracle Intelligent Policies (OIP)

Table 7-3 Description of schedule properties (continued)

Property Description

Retention Specifies a retention period to keep backup copies of files before they are deleted. The
retention period for an automatic schedule controls how long NetBackup keeps records of
when scheduled backups occurred. Set the time period to retain at least two full backups
of your database. In this way, if one full backup is lost, you have another full backup to
restore.
The type of schedule you select affects the retention period as follows:

■ Frequency-based scheduling
Set a retention period that is longer than the frequency setting for the schedule. For
example, if the frequency setting is set to one week, set the retention period to be at
least 2 weeks. The NetBackup scheduler compares the latest record of the automatic
backup schedule to the frequency of that automatic backup schedule. This comparison
is done to determine whether a backup is due. So if you set the retention period to expire
the record too early, the scheduled backup frequency is unpredictable. However, if you
set the retention period to be longer than necessary, the NetBackup catalog accumulates
unnecessary records.
Oracle is not notified when NetBackup expires a backup image. Use Oracle RMAN
repository maintenance commands to periodically delete expired backup sets from the
Oracle RMAN repository.
■ Calendar-based scheduling
The retention period setting is not significant for calendar-based scheduling.

Multiple copies If you want to specify multiple copies of a backup for the policy, configure Multiple copies
on the application backup schedule.

Accelerator forced This option instructs NetBackup to re-copy all the data files to the share. This option is only
rescan available when Whole Database - Datafile Copy Share is selected in the Backup selections
tab and the Use Accelerator option is selected in the Attributes tab.

This option forces the creation of a new set of database data file copies. When this option
is not selected, the data file copies in the share are updated using an incremental backup.
The incremental backup contains only the changed blocks since the last full backup.

Oracle Intelligent Policy - Storage and Retention

This topic describes storage and retention properties of the Oracle Intelligent Policy.
See the NetBackup Administrator’s Guide, Volume I.
 Configuring Oracle policies 69
About Oracle Intelligent Policies (OIP)

Table 7-4 Storage and retention behavior

Property Description

Policy is a snapshot type If the policy is a snapshot type, the following are the possible scenarios of the retention
behavior:

■ If the schedule does not override the policy storage unit, and the policy storage unit
is a non-snapshot SLP, the SLP determines the retention period and the policy
uses the policy storage unit.
■ If the schedule does not override the policy storage unit and the policy storage unit
is not an SLP, the schedule determines the retention period, and the policy uses
the policy storage unit.
■ If the schedule does override the policy storage unit with an SLP, and it is not a
snapshot SLP, the override storage unit takes precedence over the policy storage
unit, and the SLP determines the retention period.
■ If the schedule overrides the policy storage unit with a snapshot SLP, the policy
storage unit must be a non-snapshot SLP. The SLP on the policy storage unit
determines the retention period for the streamed data. Also, the SLP on the schedule
determines the retention for the snapshot data.

Policy is not a snapshot If the policy is not a snapshot type, the following are the possible scenarios of the
type retention behavior:

■ If the schedule does not override the policy storage unit and the policy storage unit
is not an SLP, the schedule determines the retention period.
■ If the schedule does not override the policy storage unit and the policy storage unit
is an SLP, the SLP determines the retention period.
■ If the schedule overrides the policy storage unit, and the schedule storage unit is
not an SLP, the schedule determines the retention period.
■ If the schedule overrides the policy storage unit and the schedule storage unit is
an SLP, the SLP determines the retention period.

The following are examples of the Oracle Intelligent Policy storage and retention
behavior for snapshot-based policy types.

Policy storage Schedule storage Streamed data Snapshot data

retention is retention is
derived from: derived from:

AdvancedDisk - Schedule Schedule

AdvancedDisk SLP SLP SLP

SLP - SLP SLP

Tape library - Schedule Schedule

 Configuring Oracle policies 70
About Oracle Intelligent Policies (OIP)

Policy storage Schedule storage Streamed data Snapshot data

retention is retention is
derived from: derived from:

Non-Snapshot SLP Snapshot SLP Non-Snapshot SLP Snapshot SLP

AdvancedDisk Snapshot SLP Invalid configuration Invalid configuration

The following are examples of the Oracle Intelligent Policy storage and retention
behavior for stream-based policy types.

Policy storage Schedule storage Streamed data retention

is derived from:

AdvancedDisk - Schedule

SLP AdvancedDisk Schedule

AdvancedDisk SLP SLP

SLP - SLP

About Oracle Intelligent Policy primary server behavior

By default for an Oracle Intelligent Policy, the client uses the first server in the server
list to start the Oracle backup or restore operation. However, you may want the
operation to recognize the primary server name that is passed down from the primary
server. If so, do one of the following:
■ On Windows, enter the USE_REQUESTED_MASTER = TRUE statement into
a text file (for example, new_config.txt). Then use the following command on
the primary or the media server to send this newly created configuration file to
the client host:

# bpsetconfig -h myoracleclient new_config.txt

■ On UNIX, add USE_REQUESTED_MASTER = TRUE to the bp.conf file, which

enables more than one primary server to back up the client.

Instances and databases tab

If you add a new Oracle policy or change an existing Oracle policy, the Instances
and databasese tab displays as part of the policy configuration.
Use this tab to select instances, instance groups, RAC databases, or pluggable
databases, that you want the Oracle Intelligent Policy to back up.
 Configuring Oracle policies 71
About Oracle Intelligent Policies (OIP)

You cannot mix instances and instance groups in this list. If you select instances
for a policy, then you want to select an instance group, the instances you select
are deleted from the list.
The Instances and databases tab displays all the instances or instance groups
that the Oracle policy is scheduled to back up.
The following options are available.
■ Protect instances and databases (OIP option). This panel displays all instances
that you have selected to back up for this policy. Select the instances that you
want to add to the list. If an instance does not appear in this panel because it
is unregistered, you can register that instance and add it to the policy later.
Table 7-5 describes all the instance fields for the instances in this list.
■ Protect instance groups (OIP option). This panel displays all instance groups
that you have created. To add new instances to this list, click Add. All instances
that are a part of an instance group at backup time are backed up. To add an
instance group click Add.
To see what instances are backed up if the policy is run for an instance group,
select the group from the list, then click Preview instances.
■ Clients for use with scripts (Non-OIP option). This option is not for use with
OIP. If you want to use the client with scripts method of configuring an Oracle
policy instead of the new instance method, select Clients for use with scripts.
If you select this option, the existing backup selections and instances or instance
group are erased. Also, the Options tab and the Instances and Databases
tab are removed, because those options must now be set in the RMAN script
that the user supplies.
■ Protect RAC databases and pluggable databases. This option displays all
RAC databases that you have selected to backup for this policy. If no RAC
databases are displayed, you must add these databases. On the left select
Workloads > Oracle. Then click the RAC databases tab.

Table 7-5 Instances and databases details

Field Description

Instance name The selection at the top of the panel determines the listing in the panel window.

■ Protect instances and databases displays all individual instances that you have chosen
for this Oracle policy.
■ Protect instance groups displays all the instance groups that you have created for this
policy.
■ Clients for use with scripts displays all clients that you have selected for this policy.
 Configuring Oracle policies 72
About Oracle Intelligent Policies (OIP)

Table 7-5 Instances and databases details (continued)

Field Description

Database name The name of the selection that is referenced for this policy. The Backup Selections tab
defines what is backed up for the selections. This column only appears when you select
Protect instances and databases. The Database name can reference:

■ A keyword that represents the entire instance: $INSTANCE

■ Single or multiple PDBs

State Active - DB is backed up. Done in the host properties application.

Host Specifies the host where the Oracle database resides.

Operating system Specifies the operating system of the host. Valid values are Windows and UNIX.

Oracle home The file path of the Oracle home directory where the instance resides.

Instance group Specifies the Oracle database instance group name that this instance is part of. This field is
blank if the instance does not belong to an instance group.

Registered Specifies the date and time when a user gave the instance a set of credentials. This field is
blank if the instance has not been given credentials.

See “Backup Selections tab” on page 72.

Backup Selections tab

The Backup Selections tab lets you change the type of Oracle backup. The
following options are available.

Table 7-6 Oracle backup options

Backup option Description

Whole database Backs up the whole database.

By default, the Whole database option is selected and the backup selections
contain the directive WHOLE_DATABASE.

Partial database - Tablespaces Backs up only tablespaces. Click Add to select the tablespaces for the policy
to back up.

This selection applies across all the instances and PDBs that are selected
in the policy. If a tablespace is selected for one instance or PDB, that same
tablespace is backed up for all instances and PDBs in the policy.
 Configuring Oracle policies 73
About Oracle Intelligent Policies (OIP)

Table 7-6 Oracle backup options (continued)

Backup option Description

Partial database - Datafiles Backs up only datafiles. Click Add to select the data files for the policy to
back up.

This selection applies across all the instances and PDBs that are selected
in the policy.

Fast Recovery Area - (FRA) This option backs up the contents of the FRA. For the Oracle database
instance to be restored and recovered, make sure that the FRA contains a
recoverable image set when it is backed up.

Database Backup Shares Note: This feature requires a NetBackup appliance running software version
2.7.1 or later.

This option is used when the Oracle DBA places database backups in the
share on a NetBackup appliance (Oracle Copilot).

The directive ALL_DATABASE_BACKUP_SHARES is automatically added to

the selection list, which backs up all the shares that are used on all appliances
per instance. Optionally, you can click Browse to select appliance shares
that Oracle DBAs have created for backups of the instances that are
configured in the policy. Or click Add to add an appliance share to the policy
manually.

When you back up appliance shares for multiple instances, this option applies
across all the instances that are selected in the policy. If a share is selected
for one instance, the data in that share is backed up for all the instances in
that policy.

Whole Database - Datafile Copy Share Note: This feature requires a NetBackup appliance running software version
2.7.1 or later.

This option is used to create and maintain a full set of data file copies in the
share on a NetBackup appliance (Oracle Copilot).

See the section called “Additional information for the Whole Database -
Datafile Copy Share option” on page 74.

Backups with OIP that contains CDB with PDBs

If you set up an OIP and that policy contains a CDB with PDBs, the CDB$ROOT is
automatically included in the backup. If the policy contains a PDB that is not found
when a backup is performed, an error appears in the Activity monitor. The
Administration Console displays a status of either 5421 or 5422.
 Configuring Oracle policies 74
About Oracle Intelligent Policies (OIP)

Additional information for the Whole Database - Datafile

Copy Share option
The Whole Database - Datafile Copy Share option allows the NetBackup
Administrator to choose an appliance share as the destination for the first backup
copy. When the policy runs the first time, an RMAN script is generated that creates
a full set of Oracle data file copies. The copies reside in the appliance share. The
next time that the full schedule runs, the backup is accelerated if the Use
Accelerator option is selected. The RMAN script that is generated performs an
incremental backup and the changed blocks are merged into the data files. This
incremental backup creates an updated full set of Oracle data file copies. After the
new full copy is created in the appliance share, an SLP is used to make additional
copies of the full backup. The first copy is always a remote_vxfs snapshot.
The Use Accelerator feature is automatically selected when you configure an OIP
with the Whole Database - Datafile Copy Share option. The first time that the full
schedule runs it creates a full set of data file copies. After the first full schedule,
only the changes are backed up as a backup set and merged with the existing full
backup. Basically, an incremental merge is performed and Oracle’s Block Change
Tracking feature should be enabled for faster incremental backups. Only one share
can be set up so if you have two or more instances, all instances reside in the same
share.
See “About Oracle Copilot” on page 142.

Oracle tab
This tab contains options for databases, tablespaces, data files, archived redo logs,
file name formats, and database backup shares.
 Configuring Oracle policies 75
About Oracle Intelligent Policies (OIP)

Table 7-7 Oracle tab fields

Field Description

Tablespace or datafile Number of parallel streams is the number of parallel backup streams that can be used in
options a backup operation.

When an Oracle RAC is included in the policy, setting the Number of parallel streams option
sets the streams per node. For example, if the Oracle RAC has two nodes that are active
and Number of parallel streams is set to 2, NetBackup uses four streams. NetBackup uses
two parallel streams per active node.

Select Specify read-only tablespace options to enable read-only tablespace options. SKIP
means to skip the read-only tablespace during backup. FORCE means that RMAN backs up
all files.

Select Offline (cold) database backup to shut down the Oracle database and put it in the
mount state.

■ When this option is used with a PDB, the PDB is put in a mounted state for the backup.
Once the backup has completed, the PDB is returned to the state it was in before the
backup.

Select Skip offline datafiles to direct the backup operation to not access offline data files.
 Configuring Oracle policies 76
About Oracle Intelligent Policies (OIP)

Table 7-7 Oracle tab fields (continued)

Field Description

Tablespace or datafile The Data Guard backup options let you specify a policy to always back up the primary or
options (continued) a standby database:

■ None - NetBackup does not look at the Data Guard role. At policy execution each instance
or RAC database in the policy is backed up.
■ Require primary - This option backs up the primary Data Guard database in the list of
instances (or RAC databases) in the policy.
If the primary is not available, the backup fails. A message appears in the job details that
indicates NetBackup cannot find the primary database.
■ Require standby - This option backs up a standby Data Guard database in the list of
instances (or RAC databases) in the policy. The first standby database NetBackup finds,
is backed up. Currently there is no way to set a priority order for the standby databases.
Oracle Intelligent Policies do not support RMAN proxy type backups of Data Guard standby
databases.
If the standby is not available, the backup fails. A message appears in the job details that
indicates NetBackup cannot find the standby database.
■ Prefer standby - This option backs up a standby Data Guard database in the list of
instances (or RAC databases) in the policy. If a standby database is not found and the
primary is available, then the primary database is backed up.
Oracle Intelligent Policies do not support RMAN proxy type backups of Data Guard standby
databases.

Note: If you choose Require primary, Require standby, or Prefer standby, then the
following applies:

Only one database is backed up at policy runtime.

All instances or RAC databases that are listed in a policy, must be part of the same Data
Guard configuration. Each Data Guard configuration needs a separate policy.

The policy cannot protect instance groups or have the backup type Database Backup Shares
or Whole Database – Datafile Copy Share. These are incompatible with Data Guard aware
policies.
 Configuring Oracle policies 77
About Oracle Intelligent Policies (OIP)

Table 7-7 Oracle tab fields (continued)

Field Description

Multiple MSDP Select Use multiple MSDP storage units or multiple nodes in a cluster to enable Multiple
storage units or MSDP storage option. The option allows backing up Oracle data files to multiple MSDP
multiple nodes in a storage units or multiple nodes in a cluster in parallel. The following parameter is used to
cluster specify storages that data is distributed to.

■ Select storage. Specifies and selects the item listed in the drop-down list. The available
storage items include MSDP storage units and SLPs that are configured in the system.
Multiple selections of MSDP storage units allow a backup job go to the selected storage
units in parallel to accelerate the backup and restore job.
■ If a MSDP cluster STU is selected, do not select any other STUs with this selection. This
option distributes Oracle data files to multiple nodes in the cluster. The Number of parallel
streams should be multiple of the cluster nodes. For example, if number of nodes in the
cluster is 4, the suggested value of Number of parallel streams is 4N, such as 4, 8, 12,
and so on.
■ If replication is needed, all SLP targets including policy storage SLP and multiple storage
SLPs that are selected must be in the same target domain. So that oracle data files,
archived redo log, and control file are in the same domain after replication.
■ By default, FILESPERSET is set to 1 for the best deduplication ratio. You can modify this
value manually to tune the restore performance for Oracle RAC environment.
On each Oracle RAC node, in the /usr/openv/netbackup/bp.conf, add a
configuration parameter ORACLE_MULTIPLE_STORAGE_OVERRIDE_FILESPERSET. For
example, ORACLE_MULTIPLE_STORAGE_OVERRIDE_FILESPERSET = 8.
 Configuring Oracle policies 78
About Oracle Intelligent Policies (OIP)

Table 7-7 Oracle tab fields (continued)

Field Description

Specify maximum Select Specify maximum limits to access several I/O and backup set limits. The following
limits parameters should only have to be modified on rare occasions. If these values are not
changed, the backup uses the default values that are defined in RMAN. RMAN default values
usually provide the best performance.

Maximum I/O Limits parameters:

■ Read rate (KB/sec) (RATE) specifies the maximum number of kilobytes (KB) that RMAN
reads each second on this channel. This parameter sets an upper limit for bytes read so
that RMAN does not consume too much disk bandwidth and degrade performance.
■ Size of backup piece (KB) (MAXPIECESIZE) specifies the maximum size of each backup
piece that is created on this channel.
■ Number of open files (MAXOPENFILES) controls the maximum number of input files
that the backup operation can have open at any given time.
■ Section size (SECTION SIZE) enables RMAN’s multisection backup during an RMAN
backup. When a multisection backup does run, an RMAN channel can process each file
section independently (serially or in parallel). The multisection backup uses multiple
channels to back up a single file. This option lets you set the Section size to either MB or
GB.
Size of backup piece (KB) and Section size are mutually exclusive. NetBackup
automatically sets Size of backup piece (KB) to 0 if this option is enabled.

Maximum backup set limits parameters:

■ Number of files per backup set (FILESPERSET) specifies the maximum number of
input files to include in each output backup set.
■ Size of the backup set (KB) (MAXSETSIZE) specifies a maximum size for a backup set
in kilobytes.

Backup identifier Backup set identifier: (TAG) specifies a user-specified tag name for a backup set, proxy
options copy, data file copy, or control file copy. The tag is applied to the output files that the backup
generates.

Datafile copy tag: This option specifies a user-specified tag name when the Whole Database
- Datafile Copy Share option is used. The tag is associated with the data files that are located
on the appliance and is used during the incremental merge process.
 Configuring Oracle policies 79
About Oracle Intelligent Policies (OIP)

Table 7-7 Oracle tab fields (continued)

Field Description

Archived redo log Select Include archived redo logs in full and incremental schedules to include the archived
options redo logs on the full and the incremental schedule backups.

Select Delete after making copies to delete the archived redo logs after the selected number
of backups are successful. Clear the box or set to 0 to skip the delete operation and retain
the logs after backup.

Number of parallel streams controls the degree of parallelism within a backup. This number
specifies the maximum number of connections between RMAN and a database instance.
Each connection initiates an Oracle database server session on the target instance. This
server session performs the work of backing up backup sets.

When an Oracle RAC is included in the policy, setting the Number of parallel streams option
sets the streams per node. For example, if the Oracle RAC has two nodes that are active
and Number of parallel streams is set to 2, NetBackup uses four streams. NetBackup uses
two parallel streams per active node.

Specify Specify maximum limits to set custom limits for the archive redo logs.

■ Number of files per backup set specifies the maximum number of archived redo log
files to include in each output backup set.
■ Size of backup set (KB) (MAXSETSIZE) specifies a maximum size for a backup set of
archived redo logs on kilobytes.

User specified Select Specify backup file name formats to set up formats for various backup file names
backup file name for data files, archived redo logs, the control file, and Fast Recovery Area (FRA).
formats
Ensure that the format that is specified for all RMAN backup piece names (except for
auto-backups of the control file) uses the _%u and ends with _%t. NetBackup uses this
timestamp as part of its search criteria for catalog images. Without this timestamp, performance
might degrade as the NetBackup catalog grows. These recommendations help to ensure
proper backup, restore, and crosscheck functionality.
 Configuring Oracle policies 80
About Oracle Intelligent Policies (OIP)

Table 7-7 Oracle tab fields (continued)

Field Description

Database backup These options let you set a time when backup sets and backup copies (data and control file
share options copies) are automatically deleted from the appliance share. However, the files are only deleted
if they have been successfully backed up from the share. The two options are Delete
protected backup sets from share after and Delete protected backup copies from share
after. The deletion is based on the age of the file in the share. The original dump time or the
update time (if an incremental merge is done on the file) determines the age of the file.

These options are only available when the Database Backup Shares option is selected in
the Backup Selections tab.

Use the drop downs to set the minutes, hours, days, or weeks.
Note: The delete options in the Database backup shares can only be configured when the
media server is a NetBackup appliance. This option does not work with any other type of
media server. This feature requires a NetBackup appliance with software version 2.7.1 or
later.

Logging the RMAN input and output on a client

NetBackup has the ability to log the RMAN input and output that is logged locally
on the client and also sent to the Activity Monitor. The RMAN_OUTPUT_DIR entry
specifies which directory to place the RMAN input and output locally on the client
for Oracle Intelligent Policy backups. The log is only created when a backup is run
using an Oracle Intelligent Policy (OIP) and the file is continuously updated during
the RMAN backup. Only one RMAN_OUTPUT_DIR entry per client is allowed in a
Windows environment. In a UNIX environment, each user can place the output in
a different location by adding the RMAN_OUTPUT_DIR entry to $HOME/bp.conf file.
The value in the $HOME/bp.conf file takes precedence if it exists. NetBackup does
not clean up the log files so the Oracle user has to clean up the log files manually.
You must use the nbgetconfig and the nbsetconfig commands to view, add, or
change the option. The directory that is specified must exist and the Oracle user
needs to have permission to create files within the directory.
Use the following format:
RMAN_OUTPUT_DIR = directory_name

The directory_name is a directory to which the Oracle user has permission to create
files within the directory.
For information about these commands, see the NetBackup Commands Reference
Guide.
 Configuring Oracle policies 81
About script-based Oracle policies

The file name has a specific format that includes the client name, policy name (OIP),
schedule type, date stamp (yyyymmdd), and timestamp (hhmmss). The following
is an example of how the file name looks in the directory:
orac121_backuppolicyname_full_20160201_184157_GMT.log

The following are examples of RMAN_OUTPUT_DIR entires:

Windows: install_path\oracle\oracle_logs\RMAN
UNIX: /oracle/oracle_logs/rman

About script-based Oracle policies

NetBackup users or automatic schedules can start database backups by specifying
a shell script in the file list of the Oracle policy. The shell script specifies the backup
commands that RMAN performs on the client.

Note: All scripts must be stored and run locally. One recommendation is that scripts
should not be world-writable. Scripts are not allowed to be run from network or
remote locations. Any script that is created and saved in the NetBackup db_ext
(UNIX) or dbext (Windows) location needs to be protected during a NetBackup
uninstall.
For more information about registering authorized locations and scripts, review the
following article:
Registering authorized locations used by a NetBackup database script-based policy

On UNIX, NetBackup for Oracle includes a library of functions that enable RMAN
to use NetBackup. You can link to this library.
See “About linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup for UNIX” on page 27.
On Windows, NetBackup for Oracle includes a library of functions that enable RMAN
to use NetBackup. This library is in c:\Windows\system32.
When you use the RMAN backup command, each resulting backup set contains
at least one backup piece (data file, data file copy, control file, or archive log) from
the target database. You must give each backup piece a unique name using the
format operand. Several substitution variables are available to aid in generating
unique names. You can specify the format operand in the backup command.
NetBackup considers the backup piece name as the file being backed up, so this
name must be unique in the catalog.
For a backup, the following items apply:
■ The rman command starts the requested operation on the databases.
 Configuring Oracle policies 82
About script-based Oracle policies

■ When the process requires media to store backup data, RMAN starts a
user-directed backup by issuing a backup request.
■ The NetBackup media server connects to NetBackup for Oracle on the client.
NetBackup for Oracle on the client sends the database data to the NetBackup
media server which saves the data to secondary storage. A restore works in
essentially the same manner except that RMAN issues a restore request. This
request causes NetBackup to retrieve the data from secondary storage and
send it to NetBackup for Oracle on the client.
■ RMAN supports parallel operations, so a single rman command can start more
than one backup, or restore on the NetBackup system.
■ The status for an RMAN operation is stored in the RMAN catalog or in the
database control file. This same status appears in the output of the RMAN
command that is used to run the backup or restore. This status is the only status
that a database administrator must check to verify that a backup or restore has
been successful.
■ NetBackup also logs status, but only for its own part of the operation. The
database administrator cannot use the NetBackup status to determine whether
rman was successful. Errors can occur in rman that do not affect NetBackup and
are not recorded in its logs.
See “About the environment variables set by NetBackup for Oracle” on page 92.
See “About the RMAN SEND command variables” on page 93.
See “About the bp.conf file on UNIX systems” on page 96.
See “About creating shell scripts” on page 97.

Adding a new script-based Oracle policy

This topic describes how to add a new backup policy for a database.
To add a new script-based Oracle policy
1 Log on to the primary server as administrator (Windows) or root (UNIX), and
open the web UI.
2 On the left, click Protection > Policies. Then click Add.
3 For the Policy name, type a unique name for the new policy.
4 For the Policy type list, select Oracle.
5 Click the Instances and databases tab and select Clients for use with
scripts.
The tabs along the top of the dialog change to include a Clients tab.
 Configuring Oracle policies 83
About script-based Oracle policies

6 Complete the entries on the Attributes tab.

See “About policy attributes” on page 83.
7 Add other policy information as follows:
■ Add schedules.
See “Configuring NetBackup for Oracle automatic backup schedules”
on page 66.
See “About schedule properties ” on page 84.

Note: Be aware of what may happen if an automatic schedule invokes a

script that a user authored. NetBackup does not provide safeguards to
prevent an automatic backup schedule from running a restore or a recovery
script.

■ Add clients.
See “Adding clients to a policy” on page 88.
■ Add scripts to the backup selections list.
See “About adding backup selections to an Oracle policy” on page 88.
See “Registering authorized locations used by a NetBackup database
script-based policy” on page 330.

8 When you have added all the schedules, clients, and backup selections you
need, click Save.

About policy attributes

With a few exceptions, NetBackup manages the policy attributes set for a database
backup like a file system backup. Other policy attributes vary according to your
specific backup strategy and system configuration.
For more information on policy attributes, see the NetBackup Administrator’s Guide,
Volume I.

Table 7-8 Policy attribute for NetBackup for Oracle policies

Attribute Description

Policy type Determines the types of clients that can be backed up with the policy. For Oracle databases,
select the policy type Oracle.

Limit jobs per policy Sets the maximum number of instances that NetBackup can back up concurrently with this
policy.
 Configuring Oracle policies 84
About script-based Oracle policies

Table 7-8 Policy attribute for NetBackup for Oracle policies (continued)

Attribute Description

Follow NFS This option is available for Oracle policies on UNIX. Select this attribute to back up the files
from NFS-mounted file systems. If this option is not selected, NetBackup cannot perform a
backup of NFS-mounted files.

Also see the NetBackup Administrator's Guide, Volume I.

Note: This option is not available for snapshot backups.

Keyword phrase For NetBackup for Oracle, the Keyword phrase entry is ignored.

Snapshot Client and This group contains the options that enable backups with Snapshot Client and Replication
Replication Director Director.

About schedule properties

This topic describes the schedule properties that have a different meaning for
database backups than for file system backups. Other schedule properties vary
according to your specific backup strategy and system configuration. Additional
information about other schedule properties is available. See the NetBackup
Administrator’s Guide, Volume I.

Table 7-9 Description of schedule properties

Property Description

Type of backup Specifies the type of backup that this schedule can control. The selection list shows only
the backup types that apply to the policy you want to configure.
 Configuring Oracle policies 85
About script-based Oracle policies

Table 7-9 Description of schedule properties (continued)

Property Description

Retention Clients for use with scripts:

The retention period for an application backup type schedule refers to the length of time
that NetBackup keeps backup images for stream-based backups. The retention period for
an automatic backup type schedule refers to the length of time that NetBackup keeps backup
images for proxy based backups.

Oracle Intelligent Policy (OIP):

The retention period for an automatic backup type schedule refers to the length of time that
NetBackup keeps backup images for all backup types (stream-based, proxy, etc.)

The Oracle database also has retention settings for backup images in the RMAN catalog.
As a general recommendation, the NetBackup retention of a backup image should be longer
than the database retention of the same backup image.
The type of schedule you select affects the retention period as follows:

■ Frequency-based scheduling
Set a retention period that is longer than the frequency setting for the schedule. For
example, if the frequency setting is set to one week, set the retention period to be more
than one week. The NetBackup scheduler compares the latest record of the automatic
backup schedule to the frequency of that automatic backup schedule. This comparison
is done to determine whether a backup is due. So if you set the retention period to expire
the record too early, the scheduled backup frequency is unpredictable. However, if you
set the retention period to be longer than necessary, the NetBackup catalog accumulates
unnecessary records.
Oracle is not notified when NetBackup expires a backup image. Use Oracle RMAN
repository maintenance commands to periodically delete expired backup sets from the
Oracle RMAN repository.
Oracle XML export operations create archives for long-term storage and recovery. Set
the retention level to a period of years or to infinity.
■ Calendar-based scheduling
The retention period setting is not significant for calendar-based scheduling.

Script-based policy - Storage and Retention

This topic describes storage and retention properties of the script-based policies.
See the NetBackup Administrator’s Guide, Volume I.
 Configuring Oracle policies 86
About script-based Oracle policies

Table 7-10 Storage and retention behavior

Property Description

Policy is a snapshot type If the policy is a snapshot type, the following are the possible scenarios of the retention
behavior:

■ If a schedule has overridden the policy storage, the override storage on the schedule
takes precedence over the policy storage.
■ If the policy storage is a snapshot SLP, the application schedule must override the
policy storage. The storage that is specified on the application schedule may not
be a snapshot SLP.
■ If the storage being used is not an SLP, the schedule determines the retention for
the snapshot data.
■ If you use the policy storage unit as an SLP, the SLP determines the retention for
the snapshot data.

Streamed data is processed by using the application schedule. Snapshot data is

processed by using the automatic schedule.

Policy is not a snapshot If the policy is not a snapshot type, the following are the possible scenarios of the
type retention behavior:

■ If the application schedule has overridden the policy storage, the override storage
on the schedule takes precedence over the policy storage.
■ If the storage being used is not an SLP, the retention is derived from the schedule.
■ If the storage being used is an SLP, the retention is derived from the SLP.

Since all data is streamed, the data is processed using the application schedule.

The following are examples of the script-based policy storage and retention behavior
for snapshot-based policy types:

Policy storage Application Full/Incremental Streamed Snapshot

schedule schedule data retention data retention
storage storage is derived is derived
from: from:

AdvancedDisk - - Application Full/Incremental

Schedule Schedule

AdvancedDisk - Non-Snapshot Application Non-Snapshot

SLP Schedule SLP

Non-Snapshot AdvancedDisk - Application Non-Snapshot

SLP Schedule SLP

Tape library Non-Snapshot - Non-Snapshot Full/Incremental

SLP SLP Schedule
 Configuring Oracle policies 87
About script-based Oracle policies

Policy storage Application Full/Incremental Streamed Snapshot

schedule schedule data retention data retention
storage storage is derived is derived
from: from:

Snapshot SLP AdvancedDisk Snapshot SLP Application Snapshot SLP

(must be Schedule on
specified) Full/Incremental
Schedule

AdvancedDisk - Snapshot SLP Application Snapshot SLP

Schedule

Non-Snapshot - - Non-Snapshot Non-Snapshot

SLP SLP SLP

AdvancedDisk Non-Snapshot Snapshot SLP Non-Snapshot Snapshot SLP

SLP on Application on
Schedule Full/Incremental
Schedule

Snapshot SLP Non-Snapshot Snapshot SLP Non-Snapshot Snapshot SLP

SLP (must be on Application on
specified) Schedule Full/Incremental
Schedule

The following are examples of the script-based policy storage and retention behavior
for stream-based policy types:

Policy storage Schedule storage Application Streamed data

schedule storage retention is
derived from:

AdvancedDisk - N/A Application Schedule

Non-Snapshot SLP AdvancedDisk N/A Application Schedule

AdvancedDisk Non-Snapshot SLP N/A Non-Snapshot SLP

Non-Snapshot SLP - N/A Non-Snapshot SLP

AdvancedDisk - Non-Snapshot SLP Non-Snapshot SLP

Snapshot SLP - AdvancedDisk Application Schedule

See “About NetBackup for Oracle schedule properties using Oracle Intelligent
Policy” on page 67.
 Configuring Oracle policies 88
About script-based Oracle policies

Adding clients to a policy

The client list contains a list of the clients on which your scripts are run during an
automatic backup or the clients that can send backup requests to the application
schedule. A NetBackup client must be in at least one policy but can be in more than
one.
NetBackup attempts to run each script in the backup selections list for each client
in the client list. If a script is not valid on a particular client, the script is skipped.
(For example, if the Oracle home that is specified in the script does not exist on
that client.) A policy can contain multiple clients and multiple scripts. Only a subset
of the scripts needs to be valid on each client. If the valid scripts are successful,
the entire backup is successful.
To add clients to a policy
1 In the web UI, open the policy and click the Clients tab.
2 Click Add.
3 Type the name of the client and select the hardware and operating system of
the client.
4 Click Add.

About adding backup selections to an Oracle policy

The backup selections list in a database policy has a different meaning than for
non-database policies. For example, in a Standard or MS-Windows policy, the list
contains files and directories to be backed up.
In a database policy, you specify scripts to be run.
Observe the following rules when you use scripts:
■ Make sure that the scripts reside on each client in the client list.
■ NetBackup installs sample scripts when you install the software; you can modify
these scripts for your own use.
■ All scripts must be in an authorized location.
See “Registering authorized locations used by a NetBackup database
script-based policy” on page 330.
■ If you use NetBackup for Oracle in a NetBackup server cluster, make sure that
the scripts reside in a location that is available after a failover.
 Configuring Oracle policies 89
About script-based Oracle policies

Note: All scripts must be stored and run locally. One recommendation is that scripts
should not be world-writable. Scripts are not allowed to be run from network or
remote locations. Any script that is created and saved in the NetBackup db_ext
(UNIX) or dbext (Windows) location needs to be protected during a NetBackup
uninstall.
For more information about registering authorized locations and scripts, review the
knowledge base article:
Registering authorized locations used by a NetBackup database script-based policy

Add scripts to the backup selections list only if you want to set up a policy for
automatic backups. These scripts are run for manual backups and for automatic
schedules as specified under the Schedules tab. NetBackup runs the scripts in
the order that they appear in the backup selections list.
See “Adding a script to the backup selections list” on page 89.

Adding a script to the backup selections list

The following procedure describes how to add a script to the backup selections list.

Note: Be sure to specify the correct script name in the backup selections list to
prevent an error or a wrong operation.

To add a script to the backup selections list

1 In the web UI, open the policy.
2 Click the Backup selections tab.
3 Click Add.
4 In the Script box, type the full path name of a script on the client.
For example:

/backup_scripts/db/cold_backup.sh
C:\backup_scripts\db\cold_backup.cmd

See “Registering authorized locations used by a NetBackup database

script-based policy” on page 330.
5 Click Add to add the script to the list.
6 Click Save.
 Configuring Oracle policies 90
About script-based Oracle policies

Note: Be aware of what may happen if an automatic schedule invokes a script that
a user authored. NetBackup does not provide safeguards to prevent an automatic
backup schedule from running a restore or a recovery script.

See “Using the NetBackup for Oracle sample scripts” on page 100.

About configuring the run-time environment

When the Oracle Intelligent Policy is not used, there are many user configurable
variables that can affect the operation of NetBackup for Oracle. Most can be set
only in an RMAN script. A few can be set in multiple places, most notably those
that specify the primary server, client name, policy, and schedule.
When these variables are configured in multiple places, the following order of
precedence is used (the list is ranked highest to lowest):
■ RMAN SEND command variables, if specified in the backup script.
■ RMAN ENV parameter variables, if specified in the backup script.
See “About the RMAN SEND command variables” on page 93.
■ Environment variables that are inherited from the Oracle listener process startup
environment, if RMAN connects to the database using TNS SQL*Net.
■ Environment variables that are set in the backup script before RMAN is started.
■ The environment variables that the login or shell inherits.
See “About the Oracle RMAN environment in NetBackup for Oracle” on page 91.
■ The environment variables that the primary server initiation of an automatic
schedule sets.
See “About the environment variables set by NetBackup for Oracle” on page 92.
■ On UNIX, the Oracle user’s configuration file; $HOME/bp.conf.
■ The NetBackup configuration:
■ Windows: The
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Veritas\NetBackup\CurrentVersion\Config
registry keys.
■ UNIX: The /usr/openv/netbackup/bp.conf file.
■ Both: The NetBackup GUI settings for server, client name, optional default
policy, and optional default schedule.
See “About the bp.conf file on UNIX systems” on page 96.
■ The following defaults apply:
■ A server must be specified, there is no default.
 Configuring Oracle policies 91
About script-based Oracle policies

■ The client name defaults to the host name.

■ The primary server selects the first policy of type Oracle for the client name.
■ The primary server selects the first schedule of type Application Backup
(stream-based) or Automatic Full Backup (proxy) from the policy.

See “Preparing for NetBackup for Oracle configuration” on page 54.

About the Oracle RMAN environment in NetBackup for

Oracle
The Oracle RMAN program inherits the environment of the program or shell from
which it was started. The environment may come from a number of places:
■ The global environment or profile for the host
■ The profile of the user
■ The NetBackup primary server
■ A non-NetBackup scheduler
■ A backup script
■ An interactive terminal session
Additionally, once RMAN is started it connects to the database instance and starts
the Oracle database server processes that perform the backup. If the connection
is by local logon and password (without a TNS alias), the Oracle database server
process is a child of the RMAN program. The Oracle database server process
inherits the environment from RMAN. Because the NetBackup for Oracle agent is
a shared library loaded into the Oracle database server process it too inherits that
environment.
However, if RMAN connects to the database instance by SQL*Net (logon and
password@TNSalias) the Oracle database server process is a child of the SQL*Net
listener service. This SQL*Net listener service was started previously and
independently of RMAN. As a result, the NetBackup for Oracle agent does not
inherit the environment from RMAN. Instead, the agent inherits the environment
from which the listener service was started
To avoid unexpected results, it is recommended to configure RMAN to always use
the send command to pass the desired variables and values to NetBackup explicitly.
Alternatively the RMAN ENV parameter can be used to make the variables and
values available to NetBackup.
Example 1. Use the send command to specify the policy and server to use for a
database backup. As this example shows, specify the variables in the string in the
 Configuring Oracle policies 92
About script-based Oracle policies

RMAN script after all channels have been allocated and before the backup
command.

run {
allocate channel t1 type 'SBT_TAPE';
allocate channel t2 type 'SBT_TAPE';
send 'NB_ORA_POLICY=your_policy,NB_ORA_SERV=your_server';
backup (database format 'bk_%U_%t');
release channel t1;
release channel t2;
}

Example 2. Use the parms operand to specify the policy and server to use for a
database backup. The parms operand is set with each allocate channel command
in the shell script.

run {
allocate channel t1 DEVICE TYPE 'SBT_TAPE'
PARMS "SBT_LIBRARY=/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/libobk.so,
ENV=(NB_ORA_POLICY=your_policy,NB_ORA_SERV=your_server)";
allocate channel t2 DEVICE TYPE 'SBT_TAPE'
PARMS "SBT_LIBRARY=/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/libobk.so,
ENV=(NB_ORA_POLICY=your_policy,NB_ORA_SERV=your_server)";
backup (database format 'bk_%s_%p_%t');
release channel t1;
release channel t2;
}

See “RMAN shell scripts” on page 98.

See “About creating RMAN scripts manually” on page 98.
See “About the bp.conf file on UNIX systems” on page 96.
See “About creating shell scripts” on page 97.
See “About the environment variables set by NetBackup for Oracle” on page 92.
See “About the Oracle RMAN environment in NetBackup for Oracle” on page 91.
See “About configuring the run-time environment” on page 90.

About the environment variables set by NetBackup for

Oracle
When an automatic schedule runs, NetBackup sets environment variables for shell
scripts to use. These variables are set only if the backup is started from the server,
 Configuring Oracle policies 93
About script-based Oracle policies

either automatically by the NetBackup scheduler or manually through the

administrator interface.
On UNIX and Windows, these variables can be used to perform conditional
operations within the backup script.
Table 7-11 shows the variables.

Table 7-11 Variables that NetBackup for Oracle sets

Environment variable Purpose

NB_ORA_SERV Name of the NetBackup server that initiated the automatic

schedule.

NB_ORA_POLICY Name of the Oracle policy that contained the automatic

schedule.

NB_ORA_CLIENT Name of the NetBackup client in the policy.

NB_ORA_FULL Set to 1 for a Full schedule.

NB_ORA_INCR Set to 1 for a Differential incremental schedule.

NB_ORA_CINC Set to 1 for a Cumulative incremental schedule.

NB_ORA_PC_SCHED Name of the automatic schedule.

See “About the environment variables set by a user in the XML export parameter
file” on page 305.
See “About the RMAN SEND command variables” on page 93.
See “About configuring the run-time environment” on page 90.
See “About the RMAN SEND command variables” on page 93.
See “About the bp.conf file on UNIX systems” on page 96.

About the RMAN SEND command variables

The Oracle SEND command and the ENV parameter support several options that are
used with NetBackup for Oracle. The variables that the SEND command specifies
supersede those specified by the ENV parameter. Also, spaces are not permitted
when the variables and values are specified.
Table 7-12 describes the options you can set for the RMAN SEND command.
 Configuring Oracle policies 94
About script-based Oracle policies

Table 7-12 Options for the SEND command

Option Purpose

BKUP_IMAGE_PERM Lets you set the permissions on a backup image at backup

time. Possible values are the following:

USER - set the permissions to 600. Only the original user

who backed up the data has access to the backup images.

GROUP - set the permissions to 660. Anyone from the

same group as the original user who backed up the data
has access to the backup images.

ANY - set the permissions to 664. Anyone has access to

the backup images.

If this keyword is not specified, the permissions default to

660.

To specify this keyword, use the send command to set the

variable. For example:

SEND 'BKUP_IMAGE_PERM=ANY';
Note: The BKUP_IMAGE_PERM option does not affect the
permissions for the physical files that are included in an
RMAN Proxy copy backup. Ensure the physical file owner,
group, and permissions are set correctly before the backup.

For more information, review the following:

Oracle RMAN PROXY restore from cataloged snapshot

fails to match the existing piece name

NB_ORA_CLIENT Specifies the name of the Oracle client.

NB_ORA_COPY_NUMBER Specifies which copy of the backup image to use for the
restore.

NB_ORA_PARENT_JOBID Enables the parent ID of the job ID to be displayed in the

Activity Monitor (only valid if it is a scheduled job).

NB_ORA_PC_RESTORE Specifies a snapshot rollback restore using a script or

RMAN command.

NB_ORA_PC_SCHED Specifies the NetBackup for the Oracle schedule that

NetBackup uses for a proxy copy file-based backup. This
schedule can be Full, Differential Incremental, or
Cumulative Incremental backup type. For scheduled
backups, this variable is passed from the scheduler.
 Configuring Oracle policies 95
About script-based Oracle policies

Table 7-12 Options for the SEND command (continued)

Option Purpose

NB_ORA_PC_STREAMS Specifies the number of backup streams that NetBackup

starts simultaneously in each proxy copy session. When a
backup is started, NetBackup groups all data files into a
specified number of backup streams that are based on the
file sizes. NetBackup tries to create streams of equal size.
The default value for NB_ORA_PC_STREAMS is 1.

This option also can be used to specify the number of

restore streams that start simultaneously. For more
information about restores, refer to:

See “About Oracle multistream restore for proxy backup”

on page 121.

NB_ORA_POLICY Specifies the name of the policy to use for the Oracle
backup.

NB_ORA_RESTORE_PRIORITY Specifies the restore priority in NetBackup.

NB_ORA_SCHED Specifies the name of the Application Backup schedule to

use for the Oracle backup.

NB_ORA_SERV Specifies the name of the NetBackup primary server.

NB_ORA_SERVER_READ_TIMEOUT Configured to instruct the dbclient to lengthen or shorten

the time-out on the media server. The media server uses
this time out when it waits for a progress status update
from the client during transfer of the backup image.
Typically, this setting should not be adjusted.

To review setting information and delay examples, refer to

the following article:

http://www.veritas.com/docs/TECH227741

NB_ORA_DISK_MEDIA_SERVER Specifies which media server to use when more than one
has access to the image to be restored.

Supersedes any FORCE_RESTORE_MEDIA_SERVER

setting on the primary server.

CPF1_POLICY Policy to be used for duplex copy number 1.

CPF1_SCHED Application backup schedule for duplex copy number 1.

CPF2_POLICY Policy to be used for duplex copy number 2.

CPF2_SCHED Application backup schedule for duplex copy number 2.

 Configuring Oracle policies 96
About script-based Oracle policies

Table 7-12 Options for the SEND command (continued)

Option Purpose

CPF3_POLICY Policy to be used for duplex copy number 3.

CPF3_SCHED Application backup schedule for duplex copy number 3.

CPF4_POLICY Policy to be used for duplex copy number 4.

CPF4_SCHED Application backup schedule for duplex copy number 4.

For more information, see the NetBackup System Administrator’s Guide, Volume
I.
See “About configuring the run-time environment” on page 90.
See “About the bp.conf file on UNIX systems” on page 96.
See “About the environment variables set by a user in the XML export parameter
file” on page 305.
See “About the environment variables set by NetBackup for Oracle” on page 92.

About the bp.conf file on UNIX systems

A NetBackup for Oracle user can create a bp.conf file in the Oracle user’s home
directory on the NetBackup for Oracle client host. When a NetBackup for Oracle
operation is started, the user’s bp.conf file is searched before the primary
configuration file (/usr/openv/netbackup/bp.conf). Any option that is found at
the user level overrides the same option’s setting at the primary level.
Table 7-13 shows the options that you can set in the user’s bp.conf file.

Table 7-13 Options for the user bp.conf file

Option Purpose

BPBACKUP_POLICY This option specifies the name of the policy to use for
the backup.

BPBACKUP_SCHED This option specifies the name of the Application

Backup type of schedule to use for the backup.

CLIENT_NAME This option specifies the name of the Oracle client.

This name is especially useful for a redirected restore
operation.
 Configuring Oracle policies 97
About script-based Oracle policies

Table 7-13 Options for the user bp.conf file (continued)

Option Purpose

CLIENT_READ_TIMEOUT Use this option to increase the number of seconds that

the Oracle client initially waits for a response from the
NetBackup server. The default is the greater of 900 or
CLIENT_READ_TIMEOUT.

SERVER This option specifies the name of the NetBackup

primary server. There can only be one SERVER option
in the user bp.conf file.

VERBOSE This option causes NetBackup to include more

information in its debug logs.

For more information, see the NetBackup System Administrator’s Guide, Volume
I.
The following shows example bp.conf entries for an Oracle user:

SERVER=jupiter
CLIENT_READ_TIMEOUT=900
VERBOSE=1

See “About configuring the run-time environment” on page 90.

See “About the environment variables set by a user in the XML export parameter
file” on page 305.
See “About the environment variables set by NetBackup for Oracle” on page 92.
See “About the RMAN SEND command variables” on page 93.

About creating shell scripts

RMAN scripts contain the commands that run NetBackup RMAN backup and
recovery jobs. The scripts must be created before NetBackup can perform scheduled
backups. The shell scripts are specified in policy configuration on the NetBackup
server.

Note: The Backup, Archive, and Restore GUI cannot be used for performing Oracle
backups and restores.

See “About creating RMAN scripts manually” on page 98.

 Configuring Oracle policies 98
About script-based Oracle policies

RMAN shell scripts

You can use RMAN shell scripts with the NetBackup for Oracle agent. Shell scripts
that the user writes must conform to RMAN and operating system shell syntax.
Sample backup and recovery shell scripts are installed on the client with the
NetBackup for Oracle agent. Modify these scripts to meet your individual
requirements.
See “About creating RMAN scripts manually” on page 98.

About creating RMAN scripts manually

You can create RMAN scripts manually and when you create a script, you need to
specify the type of backup and assign a name to the output file. Keep in mind the
following considerations:

Backup type RMAN supports the following different types of backups (In the
examples, n must be 1 or higher):

■ BACKUP FULL
■ BACKUP INCREMNTAL LEVEL 0 (Full backup base for incremental
backups)
■ BACKUP INCREMENTAL LEVEL n (Differential incremental
backup)
■ BACKUP INCREMENTAL LEVEL n CUMULATIVE (Cumulative
incremental backup)

When generating a data file backup set, you can make either an
incremental backup or a full backup. Both a full backup and an
incremental level 0 perform a complete backup of the data file. However,
an incremental level 0 backup can be used as the base for incremental
level n and or incremental level n cumulative backups.

File names Observe the following with regard to file names:

■ Each output file must have a unique name. Use the %U format
specifier to satisfy this restriction. %U is equivalent to %u_%p_%c,
and it guarantees the uniqueness of the backup set name in all
circumstances.
■ Put %t at the end of the backup file name format. NetBackup uses
the timestamp as part of its search criteria for catalog images.
Without this timestamp, performance might degrade as the
NetBackup catalog grows.
■ Ensure that the format that is specified for all RMAN backup piece
names does not contain any space characters.

See “Registering authorized locations used by a NetBackup database script-based

policy” on page 330.
 Configuring Oracle policies 99
About script-based Oracle policies

See “About the NetBackup for Oracle sample scripts” on page 99.
See “Using the NetBackup for Oracle sample scripts” on page 100.
See “About the set duplex command” on page 100.

About the NetBackup for Oracle sample scripts

When you install NetBackup for Oracle, there are some sample scripts that can be
used as examples. You must modify any sample script you use to work within your
environment. The NetBackup installation writes example scripts to the following
directory:
Windows:

install_path\NetBackup\dbext\Oracle\samples\rman

UNIX:

/usr/openv/netbackup/ext/db_ext/oracle/samples/rman

The Oracle example scripts are as follows:

Windows:

cold_duplex_cluster_database_backup_full.cmd
cold_cluster_database_backup.cmd
cold_database_backup.cmd
cold_pdb_backup.cmd
cluster_database_restore.cmd
complete_database_restore.cmd
complete_pdb_restore.cmd
hot_database_tablespace_backup_proxy.cmd
hot_pdb_backup.cmd
hot_database_backup.cmd
hot_pdb_tablespace_backup_proxy.cmd
pit_database_restore.cmd
pit_cluster_database_restore.cmd
pit_pdb_restore.cmd

UNIX:

cold_database_backup.sh
cold_pdb_backup.sh
hot_database_backup.sh
hot_database_tablespace_backup_proxy.sh
hot_pdb_backup.sh
hot_pdb_tablespace_backup_proxy.sh
 Configuring Oracle policies 100
About script-based Oracle policies

complete_database_restore.sh
complete_pdb_restore.sh
pit_database_restore.sh
pit_pdb_restore.sh

See “Using the NetBackup for Oracle sample scripts” on page 100.
See “About creating RMAN scripts manually” on page 98.

Using the NetBackup for Oracle sample scripts

The following procedure describes how to use the sample scripts to manually create
your own script.
To use sample scripts provided by NetBackup for Oracle
1 Copy the example scripts to a different directory on your client. Oracle scripts
can be located anywhere on the client.
2 Modify each script for your environment.
3 On UNIX, make sure the su command logs into the correct user.
If you do not include an su - user (user is Oracle administrator account) in
your Oracle scripts, they do not run with the proper permissions and
environment variables. Problems with your database backups and restores
can arise.
See “About the NetBackup for Oracle sample scripts” on page 99.
See “Adding a script to the backup selections list” on page 89.
See “About creating RMAN scripts manually” on page 98.

About the set duplex command

RMAN provides an API that lets you make up to four backup sets simultaneously,
each an exact duplicate of the others. Using NetBackup, for example, you can back
up each copy to a different tape to protect against disaster, media damage, or
human error. Use the set duplex and the send commands to take advantage of
this feature.
The set duplex command specifies the number of copies of each backup piece
to create. The set duplex command affects all channels that are allocated after
you issue the command. It remains in effect until explicitly disabled or changed
during the session. You cannot issue the set duplex command after allocating a
channel.
The command syntax is:

set duplex = {ON | OFF | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4}

 Configuring Oracle policies 101
About script-based Oracle policies

By default, duplex is OFF (a single backup set is produced). If you specify ON, it
produces two identical backup sets.
Note that you must enable the BACKUP_TAPE_IO_SLAVES initialization parameter to
perform duplexed backups. RMAN configures all media as needed for the number
of backup copies you request. For more information on BACKUP_TAPE_IO_SLAVES,
see your Oracle documentation.
Use the send command to specify the policy and schedule to use with each backup.
Because NetBackup uses the policy or schedule to determine what media to use,
this information is required for each copy, or an error occurs.
The command syntax is as follows:

send 'keyword=value [, keyword=value,...]';

The keywords that are used to specify a policy are CPF1_POLICY, CPF2_POLICY,
CPF3_POLICY, and CPF4_POLICY, which specify the backup policy for duplexed file
1 through duplexed file 4.
The keywords that are used to specify a schedule are CPF1_SCHED, CPF2_SCHED,
CPF3_SCHED, and CPF4_SCHED, which specify the Application Backup schedule for
duplexed file 1 through duplexed file 4.
See “About creating RMAN scripts manually” on page 98.
See “About the NetBackup for Oracle sample scripts” on page 99.
See “Using the NetBackup for Oracle sample scripts” on page 100.

About storing shell scripts

Shell scripts must reside on the NetBackup client. Backup shell scripts are
associated with a policy by specifying the file name (including path) in the policy
backup selections list. For server-directed or scheduled backups, each client in the
policy's client list must have a copy of the script with the same name in the same
location.
See “About adding backup selections to an Oracle policy” on page 88.
The backup and the recovery process sometimes require passwords for Oracle
database access or system user accounts. Because a shell interprets the shell
scripts, store the passwords in clear text.
See “Registering authorized locations used by a NetBackup database script-based
policy” on page 330.
 Configuring Oracle policies 102
Configuring the logon account for the NetBackup Client Service for NetBackup for Oracle

Configuring the logon account for the NetBackup

Client Service for NetBackup for Oracle
This topic applies to those that are running NetBackup for Oracle on a Windows
platform.
Because the NetBackup Client Service is started by default under the SYSTEM
account, you must also give special attention to database user authentication. The
SYSTEM account does not have permission to connect to the target database if you
use OS authentication instead of passwords.
If you use OS authentication, run the NetBackup client service under an account
that has SYSDBA privileges.
For more information on OS authentication, see your Oracle documentation.

Note: In a cluster environment, perform the steps on each database node in the
cluster. For an off-host backup, perform the steps on the alternate client.

To configure the logon account for the NetBackup Client Service for
NetBackup for Oracle
1 Open the Windows Services application.
2 Double-click the NetBackup Client Service entry.
3 Click the Log On tab.
4 Type the account name with SYSDBA privileges.
5 Type the password.
6 Click OK.
7 Stop and start the NetBackup Client Service.
8 Close the Services control panel application.

Testing configuration settings for NetBackup for

Oracle
After you configure the servers and clients in your environment, test the configuration
settings. Perform a manual backup (or backups) with the automatic backup
schedules you created. A description of status codes and other troubleshooting
information is available.
See the NetBackup Status Codes Reference Guide.
 Configuring Oracle policies 103
Testing configuration settings for NetBackup for Oracle

See the NetBackup Troubleshooting Guide.

To test the configuration settings
1 Log on to the primary server as administrator (Windows) or root (UNIX).
2 Sign in to the NetBackup web UI.
3 In the left pane, click Protection > Policies.
4 Select the policy that you want to test.
5 Click Manual Backup.
6 Select the schedule that you want to use and the clients or instances that you
want to back up.
7 Click Backup.
8 To check the status of the backup, click Activity monitor.
 Chapter 8
Managing Oracle RAC
This chapter includes the following topics:

■ Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC)

■ Add an Oracle Real Application Cluster (RAC)

■ Edit or delete an Oracle RAC database

Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC)

In a Real Application Clusters (RAC) environment, many Oracle database instances
exist on separate servers, each with direct connectivity to a single Oracle database.
All the servers can run transactions concurrently against the same database. Should
any single server or instance fail, processing continues on the surviving servers.
RAC supports all Oracle backup features that are available in exclusive mode,
including online backups and offline backups of an entire database or individual
tablespaces. Currently, only the NetBackup web UI has full RAC support for Oracle
policies.

Note: Any nodes of the Oracle RAC cluster that is used in backups, must be running
a NetBackup client. The version should be the same version across the cluster.
For Oracle RAC OIP support the NetBackup 8.3 client is required.

Add an Oracle Real Application Cluster (RAC)

Use this procedure to add an Oracle RAC and the appropriate credentials. Once
an Oracle RAC is added, you can create a policy in the web UI to schedule a backup
of the Oracle RAC.
 Managing Oracle RAC 105
Add an Oracle Real Application Cluster (RAC)

Add an Oracle RAC

1 On the left, click Workloads > Oracle and then click RAC databases.
2 In the RAC databases tab, click Actions and select Add RAC.
3 Enter all the required information for the Oracle RAC database and then click
Next.
4 Enter all the required information for an Oracle RAC instance and then:
■ Click Finish to add the Oracle RAC and the instance. Select this option to
add the RAC to NetBackup without credentials. The credentials can be
added at a later time.
■ Click Add and manage credential to add credentials for the Oracle RAC
database at this time. Choose the credential option for this RAC:
■ Use Oracle Wallet. Enter the Oracle Wallet folder location. The folder
location must be on a file system.
Using Oracle Wallet requires these items:
■ The same path for each node of the cluster.
■ Each instance must have its own entry in a shared wallet.
■ You must put a specific connection identifier in the wallet.
For more information about the connect identifier:
See “Configure an Oracle Wallet with RAC within NetBackup”
on page 231.
■ A single instance must have the path to the wallet and the Net service
name (TNS alias).

■ RAC database credentials. Enter a username and password.

■ Use Oracle RMAN recovery catalog. Select this option and enter a
username, password, and the Net service name (TNS alias). This option
can be used with Oracle Wallet but it must be the same wallet as the
database connection.

Enter the appropriate credential information for the Oracle RAC and then click
Add credentials.
See “Load balance Oracle RAC instances” on page 230.
See “Managing Oracle instances” on page 39.
 Managing Oracle RAC 106
Edit or delete an Oracle RAC database

Edit or delete an Oracle RAC database

Edit an Oracle RAC database
Use this procedure to edit the information that is entered for the Oracle RAC
database.
Edit an Oracle RAC database
1 On the left, click Workloads > Oracle and then click RAC databases.
2 In the RAC databases tab, click the Actions menu for the RAC and select Edit.
Also, you can click Edit RAC database on the top right of the page when
viewing the Oracle RAC database details page.
3 Enter the required information and then click Next.
Changing the RAC type is optional when editing an Oracle RAC.
Editing the Backup host is optional.
You cannot edit the Database unique name or the Database ID.
4 Enter the required information and then click Save.

Delete an Oracle RAC database

Use this procedure to delete an Oracle RAC.
Delete an Oracle RAC database
1 On the left, click Workloads > Oracle and then click RAC databases.
2 In the RAC databases tab, click the Actions menu for the Oracle RAC database
and select Delete.
3 Click OK.
See “Add an Oracle Real Application Cluster (RAC)” on page 104.
See “Managing Oracle instances” on page 39.
See “Clean up Oracle instance and databases” on page 46.
 Chapter 9
Performing backups and
restores of Oracle
This chapter includes the following topics:

■ Overview of using NetBackup for Oracle

■ Maintaining the RMAN repository

■ Querying the RMAN repository

■ About NetBackup for Oracle backups

■ Browsing backups using the bplist command

■ Managing expired backup images

■ About NetBackup for Oracle restores

■ Using NetBackup for Oracle in a Windows Server Failover Cluster (WSFC)

Overview of using NetBackup for Oracle

The NetBackup graphical user interfaces and command line interfaces let you
perform Oracle backup and recovery operations using Oracle RMAN utilities. You
can also use the Oracle Enterprise Manager to perform Oracle backup and recovery
operations. The Oracle RMAN command line interface is also used to maintain and
query the RMAN repository.
See “About NetBackup for Oracle backups” on page 113.
See “Maintaining the RMAN repository” on page 108.
See “Querying the RMAN repository” on page 112.
See “About creating RMAN scripts manually” on page 98.
 Performing backups and restores of Oracle 108
Maintaining the RMAN repository

Maintaining the RMAN repository

The RMAN repository is the collection of metadata about your target databases
that RMAN uses to conduct its backup, recovery, and maintenance operations. You
can either create a recovery catalog in which to store this information or let RMAN
store it exclusively in the target database control file. Although RMAN can conduct
all major backup and recovery operations using only the control file, some RMAN
commands function only when you use a recovery catalog.
Table 9-1 shows the tasks that are required to maintain the RMAN repository and
a subset of the repository maintenance commands that perform the tasks. Some
of these commands might not be available with all versions of RMAN.

Table 9-1 Tasks and commands

Task Commands that perform the task

Register a Before using RMAN with a recovery catalog, register the target database in the recovery catalog.
database with the To register, start and mount the target database but do not open it. At the RMAN prompt, issue
recovery catalog a register database command.

Reset the The reset database command directs RMAN to create a new database incarnation record in
incarnation in the the recovery catalog.
recovery catalog
 Performing backups and restores of Oracle 109
Maintaining the RMAN repository

Table 9-1 Tasks and commands (continued)

Task Commands that perform the task

Crosscheck the Because NetBackup can expire images independently from Oracle, the RMAN repository can
information in the contain outdated information. Run an RMAN crosscheck to ensure that data in the recovery
RMAN repository catalog or control file is in sync with data in the backup image catalog. The crosscheck queries
NetBackup for the existence of each backup piece and then marks it as available or expired in
the RMAN repository. Use one of the following commands to check the specified files. You need
to run separate commands to delete images or repository records.

■ The change...crosscheck command queries NetBackup to determine if a backup piece

is available. If not, RMAN marks the backup piece as expired. If it was expired but is now
available, RMAN marks the backup piece as available. The command syntax is as follows:

change backuppiece {primary_keylist |

filename_list | tag} crosscheck;

change backupset {primary_keylist} crosscheck;

■ The crosscheck backupset command operates on available and expired backup pieces.
RMAN updates their status with the result (available or expired).

■ To crosscheck a database, start RMAN and connect to the target database and to the recovery
catalog (if used). At the rman command prompt, enter the following:

allocate channel for maintenance type 'SBT_TAPE';

crosscheck backupset of database;

The length of time to perform an RMAN crosscheck depends on several factors:

■ Number of RMAN backup pieces being crosschecked.

■ Number of RMAN backup pieces past their NetBackup retention period when NetBackup
expires them, not RMAN.
■ Format of the RMAN backup piece name and if the Veritas recommended _%t appears at
the end of the format statement.
■ Number of Oracle clients.
■ Number of NetBackup policies of any kind.
■ Length of time NetBackup retains backups and the number of backup images for the client
in the NetBackup catalog.
■ Scheduling time and the length of time between RMAN catalog maintenance operations.
■ Speed and accuracy of host name and reverse host name resolution on the NetBackup primary
server.
■ Number and complexity of the operations that the NetBackup primary server performs during
each crosscheck request.
■ Normal performance.
 Performing backups and restores of Oracle 110
Maintaining the RMAN repository

Table 9-1 Tasks and commands (continued)

Task Commands that perform the task

Crosscheck using If files on an Oracle Copilot share are deleted outside of RMAN, the subsequent incremental
the Oracle Copilot merge backups that are done to the share fail. An RMAN crosscheck of the share must be done
share before the next backup to prevent more failures. This version of the RMAN crosscheck is slightly
different from the other crosscheck examples because of the need to specify type disk instead
of type SBT_TAPE. When running the RMAN crosscheck, the default is the
NetBackup_policyname. However, if the Datafile copy tag is changed in the Oracle tab, then
that tag name must be used in place of NetBackup_policyname. An example of the command
syntax follows (using the default NetBackup_policyname):

Run {
Allocate channel ch00 type 'disk';
crosscheck backup tag <Netbackup_policyname>;
delete noprompt expired backup;
crosscheck copy <Netbackup_policyname>;
delete noprompt expired copy;
release channel ch00;
}

Delete obsolete The DELETE OBSOLETE command deletes the backups that are no longer needed to satisfy
backups specified recoverability requirements. You can delete obsolete pieces according to the configured
default retention policy, or another retention policy that a DELETE OBSOLETE option specifies.
As with other forms of the DELETE command, the deleted files are removed from the backup
media (expired from NetBackup). Then they are deleted from the recovery catalog, and marked
as DELETED in the control file.

If you specify the DELETE OBSOLETE command with no arguments, then RMAN deletes all the
obsolete backups that the currently configured retention policy defines. For example:

Allocate channel for maintenance type 'SBT_TAPE';

DELETE OBSOLETE;

You can also use the REDUNDANCY or RECOVERY WINDOW clauses with DELETE to delete the
backups that are obsolete under a specific retention policy instead of the configured default:

DELETE OBSOLETE REDUNDANCY = 3;

DELETE OBSOLETE RECOVERY WINDOW OR 7 DAYS;
 Performing backups and restores of Oracle 111
Maintaining the RMAN repository

Table 9-1 Tasks and commands (continued)

Task Commands that perform the task

Delete expired The delete expired backupset command operates only on the expired backup pieces that
backups are found in the recovery catalog. RMAN removes them from the recovery catalog and also from
the backup media (expires them from NetBackup).

To delete expired backup sets of a database from the recovery catalog, start RMAN and connect
to the target and the recovery catalog databases. At the RMAN command prompt, type the
following commands:

allocate channel for maintenance type

'SBT_TAPE';
delete expired backupset of database;

The crosscheck and delete backupset commands restrict the list of objects to only those
that are operated on. The restrictions are placed on the specified Oracle device type (disk or SBT
tape), object type (archived logs or database files), and date range.

Resynchronize the RMAN compares the recovery catalog to either the current control file of the target database or
recovery catalog a backup control file. It subsequently updates the catalog with the missing information or changed
information.

If you are running in ARCHIVELOG mode, do the following: Resynchronize the recovery catalog
regularly because the recovery catalog is not updated automatically when a log switch occurs or
when a redo log is archived.

You must also resynchronize the recovery catalog after making any change to the physical
structure of the target database. As with log archive operations, the recovery catalog is not
automatically updated when a physical schema change is made.

The RMAN backup, copy, restore, and switch commands update the recovery catalog
automatically when the target database control file is available. The recovery catalog database
is available when one of these commands is executed.

If the recovery catalog is unavailable when you issue backup or copy commands, you should
resynchronize it manually.

To resynchronize the recovery catalog, start RMAN and issue the resync catalog command.
 Performing backups and restores of Oracle 112
Querying the RMAN repository

Table 9-1 Tasks and commands (continued)

Task Commands that perform the task

Change the Periodically, you might need to notify RMAN that the status of a backup set, backup piece, data
availability of a file copy, or archived redo log has changed. The RMAN change command enables you to make
backup set or file a variety of useful record changes.
copy
The change ... uncatalog command removes references to a backup piece, data file copy,
or archive log from the recovery catalog. This command works only with a recovery catalog.

The change ... delete command removes references to a backup piece, data file copy, or
archive log from the control file and recovery catalog. It physically deletes the file. This command
works with or without a recovery catalog.

The change ... crosscheck command removes references to a backup piece, data file
copy, or archive log from the control file and recovery catalog. The references are removed when
that file no longer exists. This command works with or without a recovery catalog.

The change ... unavailable command marks a backup piece, data file copy, or archive
log as unavailable. This command works only with a recovery catalog.

Validate the A restore validation retrieves the backup pieces from storage (NetBackup) and checks that the
restore of backups retrieved pieces are intact. But the restore validation discards the backup pieces without saving
the contents into the database.

Use restore ... validate when you want RMAN to choose the backups to test.

Use validate backupset when you want to specify the backup sets to test.

See “Overview of using NetBackup for Oracle” on page 107.

See “Querying the RMAN repository” on page 112.
See “About the Oracle RMAN environment in NetBackup for Oracle” on page 91.

Querying the RMAN repository

RMAN lets you generate a number of reports relevant for backup and recovery
using the report and list commands. The list command lists the contents of
the recovery catalog or control file, and the report command performs a more
detailed analysis.
Use the report and list commands to determine what you have backed up and
what you need to back up. The information is available whether or not you use a
recovery catalog.
You can use the report command to answer many different questions.
Some examples are as follows:
 Performing backups and restores of Oracle 113
About NetBackup for Oracle backups

■ Which files need a backup?

■ Which files have not had been backed up in awhile?
■ Which files are not recoverable due to unrecoverable operations?
■ Which backup files can be deleted?
■ What was the physical schema of the database at some previous point in time?
The list command queries the recovery catalog and control file and produces a
listing of its contents. The primary purpose of the list command is to determine
the backups that are available.
You can list the following information:
■ Backup sets containing a backup of a specified list of data files.
■ Backup sets containing a backup of any data file that is a member of a specified
list of tablespaces.
■ All backup sets or copies of all data files in the database.
■ Backup sets containing a backup of any archive logs with a specified name or
within a specified range.
■ Incarnations of a specified database or of all databases that are known to the
recovery catalog.
For more information on querying the RMAN repository, see your Oracle
documentation.
See “Overview of using NetBackup for Oracle” on page 107.
See “Maintaining the RMAN repository” on page 108.
See “Browsing backups using the bplist command” on page 115.

About NetBackup for Oracle backups

You can perform different types of backups using NetBackup. Backups can be run
automatically by using the schedules that you determine, or you can run a backup
manually. The following table describes these methods of running a backup.
 Performing backups and restores of Oracle 114
About NetBackup for Oracle backups

Automatic backups When the NetBackup scheduler invokes a schedule for an automatic
backup, the NetBackup for Oracle backup shell scripts run as
follows:

■ In the same order as they appear in the file list

■ On all clients in the client list

The NetBackup for Oracle backup shell scripts start the database
backup by running the rman command.

When the backup is started through NetBackup, RMAN performs

error checking. The rman command generates an error if it
considers a command invalid, but it allows any of the commands
it typically considers valid to proceed. When you specify the wrong
script file name, you can start an unintended operation.

Manual backups You can use the NetBackup web UI to manually run an automatic
backup schedule for the Oracle policy.

See “Testing configuration settings for NetBackup for Oracle”

on page 102.

Running the NetBackup for Oracle shell script

When you run a NetBackup for Oracle shell script on a client to initiate a backup
from the command prompt, specify the full path name to the file that contains the
script. For example:
Windows:

install_path\oracle\scripts\db_full_backup.cmd

UNIX:

/oracle/scripts/db_full_backup.sh

The shell starts the database backup by running the Oracle shell script. The Oracle
shell script contains commands to run rman.
The NetBackup installation script installs sample scripts in the following location:
Windows:

install_path\NetBackup\dbext\oracle\samples\rman

UNIX:

/usr/openv/netbackup/ext/db_ext/oracle/samples/rman
 Performing backups and restores of Oracle 115
Browsing backups using the bplist command

Running RMAN
As an Oracle user, you can run the rman command from the command prompt with
the RMAN command file as a parameter. This topic describes how to set the primary
server to hag and the Oracle policy to obk before you start the backup.
On Windows, RMAN functionality runs as a service, so use the send operand to
set up the run-time environment. To start a backup using the rman command from
the command prompt, type the following:

# send "‘NB_ORA_POLICY=obk,NB_ORA_SERV=hag’" cmdfile \

"install_path\oracle\scripts\db_full_backup.rcv"

On UNIX, type the following at the command prompt:

# rman target ‘internal/oracle@ORCL’ rcvcat ‘rman/rman@RCAT’

# send "‘NB_ORA_POLICY=obk,NB_ORA_SERV=hag’" cmdfile \
'/oracle/scripts/db_full_backup.rcv"

If you intend to connect to a database using a TNS alias, the RMAN send command
specifies the environment variables. The example sets the primary server to hag
and the Oracle policy to obk before you start the backup.
See “About the bp.conf file on UNIX systems” on page 96.

Note: To run script files for database operations other than backups or restores, it
is recommended that you run the rman command directly rather than NetBackup.

For rman command script syntax and examples, see your Oracle documentation.
See “About the Oracle RMAN environment in NetBackup for Oracle” on page 91.
See “Maintaining the RMAN repository” on page 108.
See “Querying the RMAN repository” on page 112.
See “About linking Oracle RMAN with NetBackup for UNIX” on page 27.
See “About the RMAN SEND command variables” on page 93.

Browsing backups using the bplist command

You can use the bplist command to browse Oracle backups. The command returns
a list of backup file names.
Before using this command, log as follows into either the primary server or to the
client:
 Performing backups and restores of Oracle 116
Managing expired backup images

■ On Windows, log on as administrator to the primary server and to the client with
the appropriate altnames entry.
■ On UNIX and Linux, log on as root to the primary server and to the client with
the appropriate altnames entry.
The following example uses the command to search all Oracle backups for a client
named jupiter:

# bplist -C jupiter -t 4 -R /

/exb_n2bm5bco_1_1392342936
/exb_mabm02ko_1_1392170136
/exb_lqbltds6_1_1392083334

The -t 4 on this command specifies the Oracle backups. The -R specifies the
default number (999) of directory levels to search.
For more information on the bplist command, see the NetBackup Commands
Reference Guide.
You can also use the RMAN report and list commands to browse Oracle backups.
See “Querying the RMAN repository” on page 112.
See “Browsing XML export archives using bplist” on page 315.

Managing expired backup images

NetBackup and Oracle each maintain a repository of RMAN-initiated backup image
information. The retention setting in the Application Backup schedule for RMAN
stream-based backups determines the NetBackup image retention. But for RMAN
proxy backups and OIP backups, the retention setting on the Automatic Backup
schedule determines retention of the NetBackup image.
To manage expired backup images from the NetBackup repository, access the
Retention setting of the Application backup schedule. Specify the length of time
before NetBackup expires a backup image.
See “About schedule properties ” on page 84.
You can also manage the expired backup images from the Oracle repository. This
method sets the backup retention as an RMAN attribute, rather than a NetBackup
attribute. RMAN deletes the obsolete but not the unexpired backups from NetBackup.
The following items are also part of this process:
■ Set the NetBackup backup retention for Oracle backups to be either infinite or
significantly longer than the RMAN retention.
 Performing backups and restores of Oracle 117
Managing expired backup images

■ Set the RMAN retention to the number or duration to keep the backup sets in
the RMAN catalog. If no RMAN catalog exists, then use SQL to set an
appropriate value for "control_file_record_keep_time". The minimum appropriate
time is the catalog backup retention time plus the maximum time between catalog
maintenance operations.
■ On a regular basis, run the RMAN delete obsolete command to expire obsolete
images from the RMAN catalog, the control file, and from NetBackup.
■ If a cross-check of the catalog is required, perform the cross-check after RAMN
deletes the obsolete backups.
■ Stagger the initiation of RMAN catalog maintenance functions. Staggering is
done to limit the number of concurrent checks or deletion requests that RMAN
makes of the NetBackup primary server.
■ Perform the RMAN catalog maintenance functions on a more frequent basis to
limit the number of NetBackup catalog requests in a single session.
■ Ensure that the format that is specified for all RMAN backup piece names (except
for autobackups of the control file) ends with _%t.
■ Ensure that the format that is specified for all RMAN backup piece names does
not contain any space characters.
■ Avoid the creation of excessive, small backup pieces of database files or archive
logs.
You can manually remove references to backup images from the Oracle RMAN
repository. Use RMAN repository maintenance commands to remove references
to backup files. You can use these commands to delete backup image information
from both the Oracle RMAN repository and the NetBackup repository.
More information is available on the RMAN repository maintenance commands.
See “Maintaining the RMAN repository” on page 108.
When a request is issued to delete a backup file from the RMAN repository, RMAN
sends the request to NetBackup. The request tells NetBackup to delete the
corresponding image from the NetBackup repository, regardless of the retention
level.
See “About policy attributes” on page 83.

About preventing the direct expiration of backup images

Catalog maintenance operations on Oracle send requests into NetBackup to
synchronize the database catalog with the NetBackup catalog. As part of the catalog
synchronization, the database may initiate an image expiration (delete) request to
the NetBackup catalog. These requests may also come from the DBA when
 Performing backups and restores of Oracle 118
About NetBackup for Oracle restores

command-line options are used. For compliance reasons, you may want to prevent
the expiration of images in the NetBackup catalog from a database request by using
a bp.conf entry on the primary server.
To prevent the expiration of backup images, use the following bp.conf entry on
the primary server:

PREVENT_ORACLE_DIRECT_EXPIRE YES: This setting prevents the image delete

requests from the database. The delete
request receives a status code of 1420 and
the log message indicates that the image is
on LEGAL HOLD.

NO: The default setting. All image delete

requests are honored from the database.

Note: The normal image expiration (retention) and the bpexpdate command are
unaffected by this setting.
In a clustered primary server environment, these settings should be set and match
in all the primary server bp.conf files.

The following is an example of a log entry when a status code of 1420 is produced.
The dbclient log message for Oracle:

Image is on LEGAL HOLD - Failed to remove, %s, from image catalog.

About NetBackup for Oracle restores

Make sure that a backup has completed successfully before you attempt a restore.
A recovery can be a complex process so it might be necessary to perform manual
steps as part of the operation. For more information, see your Oracle documentation.

About an Oracle recovery shell script on the client

You can initiate a database recovery from the command prompt by typing the full
path to the shell script that performs an Oracle recovery. For example:
Windows:

install_path\oracle\scripts\database_restore.cmd

UNIX:
 Performing backups and restores of Oracle 119
About NetBackup for Oracle restores

/oracle/scripts/database_restore.sh

The operating system shell starts the database restore by running the Oracle shell
script file. The Oracle shell script file contains commands to run RMAN.
The NetBackup installation script writes sample scripts to the following location:
Windows:

install_path\Netbackup\dbext\oracle\samples\rman\

UNIX:

/usr/openv/netbackup/ext/db_ext/oracle/samples/rman

See “Running RMAN on the client” on page 121.

See “Redirecting a restore to a different client” on page 123.
See “About creating shell scripts” on page 97.

About catalog names with RAC and Data Guard aware intelligent
policies
Oracle Data Guard and RAC aware intelligent policies catalog the backup images
under a special client name within the NetBackup catalog. Data Guard enabled
policies use the format databaseName_databaseID as the client name. RAC aware
policies use the format databaseUniqueName_databaseID. If a RAC database is
in a Data Guard enabled policy, the catalog name uses the Data Guard catalog
name.

Access to RAC database backup images

A RAC database configuration within NetBackup consists of a RAC database entry
along with the associated instances. Each instance has a single client (host) name
that can access the backup images that NetBackup stores. RAC databases and
the associated instances can be viewed and managed using the NetBackup web
UI. They can also be viewed and managed with the nboraadm command using the
options -list_rac_instances, -add_rac_instance, -modify_rac_instance, and
-delete_rac_instance.

See the NetBackup Commands Reference Guide for details of the nboraadm
command.

Access to Data Guard backup images

A Data Guard configuration in NetBackup consists of a Data Guard object with
attributes of database name and database ID. The list of Data Guard configurations
 Performing backups and restores of Oracle 120
About NetBackup for Oracle restores

that are stored in the NetBackup relational database can be viewed using the
nboraadm command with the -list_data_guard option.

RAC databases and single instances databases can be associated with a single
Data Guard configuration. For Data Guard enabled policies, the Data Guard
configuration in NetBackup is added or updated automatically at policy run time.
Only RAC databases and single instance databases are added to a Data Guard
configuration after a back up has occurred. Any client that is part of a RAC database
configuration or single instance databases has access to the associated Data Guard
backup images. User name and user IDs along with group name and group IDs
should match across hosts in the Data Guard configuration to have access to the
backed-up files.
To see the list of RAC databases or single instance databases that are associated
with a Data Guard configuration use the nboraadm command with the
-list_data_guard_rac_databases or the -list_data_guard_instances option.

If a database has not been backed up with NetBackup and needs future access to
the database backups that NetBackup stores, it must be added to the Data Guard
configuration. You can use the nboraadm command using the
-add_rac_to_data_guard or -add_instance_to_data_guard option to add the
database to the configuration.
To remove access to the backup images, use the nboraadm command with the
-remove_rac_from_data_guard or -remove_instance_from_data_guard option.

See the NetBackup Commands Reference Guide for details of the nboraadm
command.

Access to Auto Image Replication (AIR) backup images

If restoring from an alternate NetBackup server domain (AIR domain target), for
access to images that relate to Data Guard or RAC, the primary server must have
certain conditions set. That server must have the same Oracle instance repository
configuration duplicated into it to allow access from alternate nodes in the RAC
cluster. Or, the server must have an alternate standby database in the Data Guard.

About Oracle Clients with multiple network interfaces

Additional host names can be added as aliases to an instance within NetBackup.
This process is useful if a client is part of a RAC cluster or Data Guard configuration
and has multiple network interfaces used to connect to NetBackup servers. Aliases
can be listed, added, or deleted when the nboraadm command is used and the
-list_instance_alias, -add_instance_alias, and -delete_instances_alias
options.
 Performing backups and restores of Oracle 121
About NetBackup for Oracle restores

Running RMAN on the client

You can run the rman command from a command prompt on the client. Use the
appropriate RMAN command file as a parameter.
On UNIX, the following example assumes that you are logged on as an Oracle
administrator.
To run the RMAN command on the client:
◆ At the command prompt, type the following:
Windows: rman target ‘internal/oracle@ORCL’ rcvcat ‘rman\rman@RCAT’
cmdfile ‘install_path\oracle\scripts\database_restore.rcv’

UNIX: rman target ‘internal/oracle@ORCL’ rcvcat ‘rman/rman@RCAT’

cmdfile ‘/oracle/scripts/database_restore.rcv’

See “About an Oracle recovery shell script on the client” on page 118.
See “Redirecting a restore to a different client” on page 123.
See “Running RMAN” on page 115.

About Oracle multistream restore for proxy backup

NetBackup lets you specify the number of restore streams that start simultaneously
when the RMAN command is used. You can use the SEND command variable
NB_ORA_PC_STREAMS or the RMAN ENV parameter to specify the number of restore
streams. When you send the request to NetBackup, there may not be the same
number of streams or jobs running during restore. NetBackup adjusts the stream
count based on the count that is specified when you use the NB_ORA_PC_STREAMS
variable. Or, NetBackup uses the number of images the requested restore job needs
if the restore job needs more than one image. NetBackup selects whichever is the
minimum number needed to complete the restore job.
When the restore job needs only one image and it is a snapshot, the stream count
is based on the count that you specify in NB_ORA_PC_STREAMS. Or, NetBackup uses
the number of files the requested restore job needs to complete. NetBackup selects
whichever is the minimum number needed to complete the restore job. Also, the
files are evenly distributed across the streams based on the file size.
When the restore needs only one image and that image is not a snapshot, then
NetBackup does not attempt to perform a multistream restore.
See “About the RMAN SEND command variables” on page 93.
When the multistream restore is started, a parent job is created that initiates a child
job for each stream. If you cancel the parent job, all incomplete child jobs are
canceled and the job exits with a status of 150. If one of the child jobs is successful
 Performing backups and restores of Oracle 122
About NetBackup for Oracle restores

before parent cancellation, then the parent job exits with a status of 1. If you cancel
one of the running child jobs, the child exits with status 150 and the parent job exits
with a status of 1.

Note: Multistream restore only works when using Oracle backup images and is
only accessible using command-line inputs.

Multistream restore supports the following snapshot method images:

■ remote_vxfs
■ VxFS_Checkpoint
■ VxVM
Multistream restore is not supported when using the following types of images:
■ Block level incremental images
■ Off-host supported snapshot method images
It is recommended to configure RMAN to always use the SEND command to pass
the desired variables and values to NetBackup explicitly. Alternatively the RMAN
ENV parameter can be used to make the variables and values available to
NetBackup. The following are examples of running the multistream restore:
Example 1. Use the SEND command to specify the NB_ORA_PC_STREAMS variable.

RUN {
ALLOCATE CHANNEL ch00 TYPE 'SBT_TAPE';
SEND 'NB_ORA_PC_STREAMS=<number of restore streams>';
RESTORE DATABASE; RECOVER DATABASE;
RELEASE CHANNEL ch00;
}

Example 2. Use the PARMS operand to specify the NB_ORA_PC_STREAMS variable.

RUN {
ALLOCATE CHANNEL ch00 TYPE 'SBT_TAPE'
PARMS "ENV=(NB_ORA_PC_STREAMS= <number of restore streams>)";
RESTORE DATABASE; RECOVER DATABASE;
RELEASE CHANNEL ch00;
}

See “Running RMAN” on page 115.

See “About NetBackup for Oracle restores” on page 118.
 Performing backups and restores of Oracle 123
About NetBackup for Oracle restores

Redirecting a restore to a different client

With NetBackup for Oracle you have the option to restore a database to a client
other than the one that originally performed the backup. The process of restoring
data to another client is called a redirected restore.
Figure 9-1 shows a redirected restore.

Figure 9-1 Redirected restore

1. Client A agents are backed up.

3. The server restores client A backup

image to client B.
Server

2. Client B requests restore of client A

image to client B.

The user on client A cannot initiate a redirected restore to client B. Only the user
on client B, which is the client receiving the backup image, can initiate the redirected
restore. Any user who belongs to the database group that performed the backup
can restore it, unless the BKUP_IMAGE_PERM variable was set to USER.
See “About performing a redirected restore with RMAN” on page 124.
See “Example - Performing a redirected restore of Oracle” on page 125.

Preparing the primary server for an alternate restore

The examples in the following procedure assume that the database instance ORAC11
was backed up by client2, and you want to restore ORAC11 to client1.
For more information on how to manage client restores, see the NetBackup
Administrator’s Guide, Volume I.
If you use a non-root service user account, specific access must be allowed for that
user when you add files to the /usr/openv/netbackup/db/altnames directory.
The service user account must have full access to these files through the ownership
or group and the permissions. For example, if the service user is svcname and its
group is srvgrp, the file can have permissions of 400. If the file owner is for a
different user and group, the file permissions must allow access to the service user.
 Performing backups and restores of Oracle 124
About NetBackup for Oracle restores

For example, 777. Equivalent permission settings must be used in a Windows

environment.
To prepare the NetBackup primary server for alternate restores
1 Log on to the NetBackup primary server that hosts the policy that backed up
database instance ORAC11.
2 Create a dest_client_name file on the NetBackup primary server.
■ Windows: install_path\NetBackup\db\altnames\dest_client_name
■ UNIX: /usr/openv/netbackup/db/altnames/dest_client_name
Where dest_client_name is the name of a client that is allowed to be a
destination client for alternate restores. For example, client1.
3 After creating a dest_client_name file, add the name of the NetBackup for
Oracle source client to the dest_client_name file. For example, add the following
line to this file:
client2

For more information on managing a client restore, see the NetBackup

Administrator’s Guide, Volume I.

About performing a redirected restore with RMAN

Perform the following procedure on the destination client host if you want to restore
any RMAN backups that another client owns.
The user on client A cannot initiate a redirected restore to client B. Only the user
on client B, which is the client receiving the backup image, can initiate the redirected
restore. Any user who belongs to the database group that performed the backup
can restore it, unless the BKUP_IMAGE_PERM variable is set to USER.
If you use a non-root service user account, specific access must be allowed for that
user when you add files to the /usr/openv/netbackup/db/altnames directory.
The service user account must have full access to these files through the ownership
or group and the permissions. For example, if the service user is svcname and its
group is srvgrp, the file can have permissions of 400. If the file owner is for a
different user and group, the file permissions must allow access to the service user.
For example, 777. Equivalent permission settings must be used in a Windows
environment.

Note: If the RMAN catalog database has been lost, restore the catalog database
first before continuing with the redirected restore.
 Performing backups and restores of Oracle 125
About NetBackup for Oracle restores

To perform a redirected restore

1 Enable a network connection to the RMAN catalog database that the source
client used.
2 Do one of the following:
■ On Windows, use the rman parms option to set the NB_ORA_CLIENT
environment variable to the source client.
■ On UNIX, set the NB_ORA_CLIENT environment variable to the source client.

3 On UNIX, check the bp.conf files on the source client. Make sure that the
CLIENT_NAME variable either is not set or is set to the host name of the source
client.
4 Make the init.ora file of the source client available to the destination client.
Copy the file to the destination client or modify the file on the destination client.
Change all location-specific parameters.
5 Create a folder or set the permissions for a directory to restore the data files:
■ On Windows, create and start an Oracle service for the previously set
ORACLE_SID. Create the folder to which you want to restore the data files.

■ On UNIX, grant write permission to the directory to which you want to restore
the data files.

6 Set up a password file for the destination client database.

7 Start the database in the nomount state.
8 Start RMAN, connecting to the catalog. On Windows, also connect to the target
database.
9 On UNIX, set dbid to be the DBID of the source client database. Connect to
the target database without using a user ID and password.
10 Run an RMAN restore script. On UNIX, you can alternatively type the RMAN
commands for the restore.
See “Redirecting a restore to a different client” on page 123.
See “Example - Performing a redirected restore of Oracle” on page 125.

Example - Performing a redirected restore of Oracle

For example, assume the following:
■ Source client is camel
■ Destination client is giraffe
 Performing backups and restores of Oracle 126
About NetBackup for Oracle restores

■ Master server is lion

■ ORACLE_SID is test

■ The user is connected to the Oracle database using a local connection, not
SQL*Net
■ UNIX user is ora on both camel and giraffe
To perform a redirected restore (example)
1 Create the following file on server lion:
Windows: install_path\NetBackup\db\altnames\giraffe
UNIX: /usr/openv/netbackup/db/altnames/giraffe
Edit giraffe to contain the name camel:
2 Do one of the following:
■ Windows: Use the BAR GUI to set lion as the primary server.
■ UNIX: Log onto giraffe as ora. Set SERVER=lion in
$ORACLE_HOME/bp.conf. This server must be the first server that is listed
in the bp.conf file.

3 Modify the network tnsnames.ora file to enable the RMAN catalog connection.
4 Create inittest.ora.file.
5 Windows: Using Oracle administration, create and start ORACLESERVICETEST.
6 Set the environment variable ORACLE_SID to test. On UNIX, also set
NB_ORA_CLIENT to camel.
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About NetBackup for Oracle restores

7 Make sure that the destination database directory exists and has appropriate
access permissions.
The data files are restored to the directory path with the same name they had
when they were backed up.
8 Start the database in a nomount state.
On UNIX, the following is the output:

SQL> startup nomount pfile=$ORACLE_HOME/dbs/inittest.ora

%rman catalog rman/rman@rcat
RMAN> set dbid=<dbid of source database on camel
RMAN> connect target/
RMAN> run {
RMAN> ALLOCATE CHANNEL CH00 TYPE 'SBT_TAPE';
RMAN> SEND 'NB_ORA_SERV=lion, NB_ORA_CLIENT=camel';
RMAN> restore controlfile;
RMAN> }

SQL> alter database mount;

%orapwd file=$ORACLE_HOME/dbs/orapwtest password=<oracle>
%rman catalog rman/rman@RCVCAT

RMAN>set dbid=<Saved dbID of Source Target>

RMAN>connect target/
RMAN>run {
RMAN> ALLOCATE CHANNEL CH00 TYPE 'SBT_TAPE';
RMAN> ALLOCATE CHANNEL CH01 TYPE 'SBT_TAPE';
RMAN> SEND 'NB_ORA_SERV=lion, NB_ORA_CLIENT=camel';
RMAN> restore database;
RMAN> restore archivelog all;
RMAN> }

SQL>recover database until cancel using backup controlfile;

Now apply the archived logs. Type cancel when you decide to stop recovery.
See “Redirecting a restore to a different client” on page 123.
See “About performing a redirected restore with RMAN” on page 124.
 Performing backups and restores of Oracle 128
Using NetBackup for Oracle in a Windows Server Failover Cluster (WSFC)

Using NetBackup for Oracle in a Windows Server

Failover Cluster (WSFC)
To use NetBackup for Oracle in a Windows Server Failover Cluster (WSFC)
environment, the following must be installed in the cluster nodes:
■ NetBackup client or server
■ NetBackup for Oracle on Windows
■ Oracle Database version 10g or greater
■ Oracle Failsafe 3.11 for Oracle 10g or greater
■ Review the Oracle compatibility list for complete information.

NetBackup for Oracle users in a Windows Server Failover Cluster environment

must take some additional steps to prepare for server-directed backups,
user-directed backups, and user-directed restores.
See “About backups of an Oracle clustered database on Windows” on page 128.
See “User-directed backup or restore from the Windows client” on page 130.

About backups of an Oracle clustered database on Windows

The most convenient way to back up your clustered databases is to set up schedules
for automatic backups. NetBackup for Oracle comes with sample scripts for clustered
Oracle databases. The NetBackup for Oracle installation process installs the sample
scripts in the following location:

install_path\NetBackup\dbext\oracle\samples\rman\

Modify the scripts to give values to the following variables:

■ Oracle SID
■ Oracle Home
■ Cluster Name, Domain
■ Failsafe Home
■ Failsafe user ID
■ Failsafe Password
■ Failsafe Database Resource Name
■ Virtual Oracle Database Name
You can also manually back up an Oracle policy. Refer to the following procedure:
 Performing backups and restores of Oracle 129
Using NetBackup for Oracle in a Windows Server Failover Cluster (WSFC)

See “Testing configuration settings for NetBackup for Oracle” on page 102.
For more information on how to back up or restore Windows Server Failover Cluster
using NetBackup, see the NetBackup Clustered Primary Administrator’s Guide.
See “Bringing the database instance offline on Windows” on page 129.
See “User-directed backup or restore from the Windows client” on page 130.

Bringing the database instance offline on Windows

Before you can perform a user-directed backup or restore from the client, you must
take the database instance offline. You can use the Failsafe graphical user interface
or the Failsafe command line (FSCMD).
To take the database instance offline with Failsafe graphical user interface
1 Select the Oracle database resource in the Failsafe graphical user interface.
2 Choose to bring it offline.
To take the database instance offline with Failsafe command line (FSCMD), type
the following command:
■ fscmd offlineresource salesdb /cluster=curly /offline=immediate
/domain=domainname /user=user /pwd=pwd

To bring the resource offline, the preceding command sets offline=immediate.

Alternately, based on your need you can specify one of the following as the
argument:

abort Shuts down the database instantaneously by aborting the database

instance.

immediate Shuts down the database immediately by terminating SQL

statements in progress, rolling back uncommitted transactions and
disconnecting users.

normal Shuts down the database and doesn’t allow new connections after
the command was issued. This command waits for the connected
users to disconnect before the database is shut down.

transactional Shuts down the database only after all of the current transactions
have completed.

Because the offlineresource operation shuts down the Oracle database service,
enter the following command to start the Oracle database service:

net start OracleService

 Performing backups and restores of Oracle 130
Using NetBackup for Oracle in a Windows Server Failover Cluster (WSFC)

See “User-directed backup or restore from the Windows client” on page 130.
See “Bringing the database instance online on Windows” on page 130.

Bringing the database instance online on Windows

After you perform a user-directed backup or restore from the client, you must bring
the database instance online. You can use the Failsafe graphical user interface or
the Failsafe command line (FSCMD).
To bring the database instance online with Failsafe graphical user interface
1 Select the resource in the Failsafe graphical user interface.
2 Choose to bring it online.
To bring the database instance online with Failsafe command line (FSCMD), type
the following command:
■ fscmd online resource salesdb /cluster=curly
/offline=immediate /domain=domainname /user=user /pwd=pwd

See “Bringing the database instance offline on Windows” on page 129.

See “User-directed backup or restore from the Windows client” on page 130.

User-directed backup or restore from the Windows client

This section explains the process to prepare a Windows Server Failover Cluster
environment for a user-directed backup or restore operation.

Note: When performing user-directed backups, make sure that you are on the node
that owns the shared drive where the Oracle database is installed.

Note: When user-directed client restores are performed with different configuration
options of NetBackup failover media servers and a Linux or Windows primary server,
see the NetBackup Administrator’s Guide, Volume I.
 Performing backups and restores of Oracle 131
Using NetBackup for Oracle in a Windows Server Failover Cluster (WSFC)

To perform a user-directed backup or restore from the client

1 Take the clustered Oracle database instance offline.
See “Bringing the database instance offline on Windows” on page 129.
2 Shut down and then startup the database in mount state.
The sequence is necessary to perform administrative tasks like backup and
recovery. Use the svrmgrl or sqlplus utility from Oracle. At the command
line, type the following:

Shutdown option [normal, abort, immediate]

startup mount

3 Perform the backup or recovery.

4 Bring the Oracle database online with failsafe after the desired backup or
restore is complete. The database is then enabled to fail over between the
configured cluster of nodes.
See “Bringing the database instance online on Windows” on page 130.
 Chapter 10
Oracle cloning
This chapter includes the following topics:

■ About cloning an Oracle database or a pluggable database

■ Create a custom RBAC role for Oracle cloning

■ Clone an Oracle database

■ Clone a pluggable database

■ Cloning a database from an Oracle Intelligent Policy (OIP) that is Data Guard
aware

■ Additional functionality in NetBackup APIs

About cloning an Oracle database or a pluggable

database
The NetBackup web UI supports the following types of clone operations:

Table 10-1 Supported clone operations

Type of Oracle Clone to standalone Clone pluggable

configuration backup Oracle installation database into existing
container database

Standalone container X X
database (CDB)

Standalone non-container X
database

RAC database X X
 Oracle cloning 133
About cloning an Oracle database or a pluggable database

Table 10-1 Supported clone operations (continued)

Type of Oracle Clone to standalone Clone pluggable

configuration backup Oracle installation database into existing
container database

Data Guard primary database X X

Data Guard standby database X See limitations regarding Data

Guard.

The clone features in the NetBackup web UI replace the Guided Recovery cloning
in NetBackup OpsCenter and offer a more streamlined and more efficient method
to clone an Oracle database.
■ A clone operation is performed from a good backup image and does not require
access to the original database.
■ Beginning with NetBackup 10.3, NetBackup collects additional information
(metadata) at the time of backup that helps to create the RMAN cloning script.
■ The validation process checks for any issues before NetBackup starts the clone
operation.

Requirements for cloning an Oracle database or a

pluggable database
Oracle cloning has the following requirements:
■ The Oracle version must be the same on the source server and the target server.
■ The operating system of the source file system and target file system must be
the same.
■ The target operating system file system of the clone must be the same as the
original operating system file system from which the backup was taken. For
example, a clone of ext4 to XFS is not supported.
■ An additional requirement may exist when the backup source is ASM and you
are cloning to file system using OMF. Or, when the backup source is a file system
and you are cloning to ASM using OMF. Before the clone you may need to
manually create the target directories for the temp files and the redo log files.
Otherwise, an error like the following may occur:

ORA-00344: unable to re-create online log

'E:\APP\ORACLE\PRODUCT\19.3\DB_HOME1\RAC_RESTORE2\DATA\CDB19R\
ONLINELOG\GROUP_1.264.1126884003'
 Oracle cloning 134
About cloning an Oracle database or a pluggable database

See “Error: Unable to re-create online log” on page 247.

■ To clone from an image that was created with an Oracle Intelligent Policy (OIP)
that is Data Guard-aware, the Oracle Data Guard databases must be defined
and registered with nboraadm.
See “Cloning a database from an Oracle Intelligent Policy (OIP) that is Data
Guard aware” on page 140.

Limitations for cloning an Oracle database or a pluggable

database
In NetBackup, Oracle cloning has certain limitations or is not supported in some
situations, as follows:
■ The backup is from an instant recovery snapshot.
■ A clone is supported only from the primary backup copy. A clone from other
backup copies is not supported.
■ A clone is not supported from when you use the backup option Database backup
shares (for Oracle Copilot).
■ Clone from a source database that has an offline data file.
■ Clone from backup set where incarnation changes during the set of backups.
■ When the following objects are encrypted:
NetBackup displays an error in these cases.
■ Column encryption: Single PDB clone
■ Tablespace encryption:
■ Single PDB clone
■ Full CDB, non-CDB, and single PDB clone for encryption of Oracle default
tablespace.
■ Oracle-managed tablespaces: SYSTEM, SYSAUX, UNDO, TEMP

■ When the Oracle backup source has a source location in the control file for a
volume that doesn’t exist on the target.
On the target, you must create the source location that is named in the control
file.
Review the following Oracle documentation: Full RMAN Backup Set Duplication
= Error in the Alert Log: ORA-7445[skgfifi()+4307] (Doc ID 2443991.1)
■ If the source backup was a proxy backup, only a file system restore is supported.
If you want to move the cloned database to ASM storage, additional steps are
required. More information is available on how to restore from a data file copy
to ASM storage using RMAN.
 Oracle cloning 135
Create a custom RBAC role for Oracle cloning

See “About restoring from a data file copy to ASM storage using RMAN”
on page 167.
■ NetBackup creates a clone control file and database server parameter file
(SPFILE) based on the control file and SPFILE of the source database.
NetBackup modifies the control file and SPFILE with parameters provided by
the user during the clone operation. See the Oracle database documentation
on supported characters for SPFILE or control file parameters. Different database
versions may have different requirements.
The following examples may cause a clone to fail:
■ If the SPFILE of the clone that is created contains a path with localized
characters.
■ If the control file paths or the DB_CREATE_FILE_DEST contains localized
characters.

■ If a source database is not OMF, you cannot clone the database to ASM storage.
When you request a clone operation, NetBackup detects this case and prompts
you to convert the cloned database to OMF. If you select “Yes”, NetBackup
converts the cloned database during the clone operation.
See the following Oracle support article that describes some of the limitations
of the ASM file system naming conventions when used with OMF and RMAN
duplication. These same limitations apply to NetBackup clone operations. Also
see the section on “Uniqueness of an ASM file”.
https://support.oracle.com/epmos/faces/DocContentDisplay?id=1910175.1
NetBackup appends a randomly generated suffix onto the OMF-created ASM
files to try to mitigate RMAN’s restore behavior.
■ NetBackup supports a source OS (for example, Chinese OS) with non-ASCII
and an Oracle installation with one of the Oracle-defined character sets (for
example, ZHS16GBK). Users can clone to a target that has the same OS and
Oracle character set.

Create a custom RBAC role for Oracle cloning

A custom role can allow an Oracle administrator to clone an Oracle database or a
pluggable database. Optionally you can provide a user access to a stored OS
credential.
Use this role if you do not want users to have the Default Oracle Administrator role.
Or, you do not want to give users access to all the available Oracle backup and
recovery operations.
 Oracle cloning 136
Create a custom RBAC role for Oracle cloning

To create a custom role for Oracle cloning

1 If you want the user to have access to the OS credential, this credential must
already exist in NetBackup Credential Management.
See “Add a credential to use for cloning an Oracle database” on page 50.
Contact your NetBackup administrator for assistance.
2 On the left, select Security > RBAC and click Add.
3 Select Custom role and click Next.
4 Provide a Role name and a description.
For example, include a description that the role allows users to perform a
database cloning.
5 Under Permissions, click Assign.
6 On the Global tab, expand the NetBackup management section. Locate Jobs
and select the View permission.
7 On the Assets tab, locate Oracle assets. Select the following permissions.

Permission Description

View View Oracle databases and pluggable databases.

Restore List recovery points for Oracle backups. Clone a database

or pluggable database from a recovery point to the original
host. Create an instant access database from a recovery
point.

Restore to alternate location (Optional) Clone a database or pluggable database from

a recovery point to an alternate host.

8 Click Assign.
9 Under Workloads, click Assign.
10 On the Oracle tab, choose from the following.
■ To apply the same permissions to all Oracle assets, select Apply selected
permissions to all existing and future Oracle assets.
■ To make only specific Oracle assets available to users with this RBAC role,
click Add. Then add each of the databases or pluggable databases that
you want to add to the role.

11 Click Assign.
 Oracle cloning 137
Clone an Oracle database

12 Under Users, click Assign. Then add the users that you want to have this
RBAC role.
13 When you are done configuring the role, click Add role.
14 Configure the credential that users need to perform cloning and assign the role
that you created in this procedure or another role to that credential.
See “Add a credential to use for cloning an Oracle database” on page 50.

Clone an Oracle database

The following procedure describes how to clone an Oracle database. The user must
have an RBAC role that gives them permissions to perform cloning operations.
See “Create a custom RBAC role for Oracle cloning” on page 135.
To clone an Oracle database
1 On the left, click Workloads > Oracle.
2 Click the Databases tab.
3 Click on the name of the database you want to clone.
4 Select the Recovery points tab.
5 Locate the recovery point from which you want to create the clone.
6 Click Actions > Clone database.
7 In Recovery target, enter a host name. Or, click Select host to select a host.
See the section called “Target directory notes” on page 138.
8 (Oracle 21 and later) The path for the Oracle base config is required.
Otherwise a clone to an Oracle 21 or later database fails.
9 Enter all other required information.
10 Click Next.
11 In Credentials, specify the applicable credential options.
■ Linux or UNIX: You can select from existing credentials or use OS
credentials.
■ Windows: You can select an existing credential or use OS credentials. If
the target Oracle database requires them, also enter the Oracle Home User
credentials.
After all required information is entered, click Next.
12 In Recovery options, enter the number of channels and the SCN value and
then click Next.
 Oracle cloning 138
Clone a pluggable database

13 On the Review page, NetBackup runs a pre-recovery check for any errors.
You should correct any errors that are highlighted.
During the pre-recovery check, NetBackup looks for:
■ Credentials
■ Database name
■ Oracle base config path
■ Image access
■ Existence of Oracle home
■ SCN Value

14 Click Start recovery to begin the cloning operation.

You can start the cloning operation without fixing any of the errors that are
shown on the Review page.
15 (Optional) You can monitor the progress of the cloning operation in the Activity
monitor.

Target directory notes

Note the following when you specify the target directory for cloning:
■ If using an ASM path for any target, the syntax can be as follows:
+ASMDG/path

■ If the source backup used OMF, selecting an ASM directory for control files or
redo files requires a path after the disk group.
■ If the source backup used OMF and from ASM, selecting an ASM directory for
any new location can only contain the disk group. Oracle does not honor any
paths after the disk group.
■ When you clone to a specified target directory, the best effort is made to create
the target directories along with the source subdirectories.

Clone a pluggable database

The following procedure describes how to clone a pluggable database. The user
must have an RBAC role that gives them permissions to perform cloning operations.
See “Create a custom RBAC role for Oracle cloning” on page 135.
 Oracle cloning 139
Clone a pluggable database

To clone a pluggable database

1 On the left, click Workloads > Oracle.
2 Click the Pluggable databases tab.
3 Click on the name of the pluggable database you want to clone.
4 Select the Recovery points tab.
5 Locate the recovery point from which you want to create the clone.
6 Click Actions > Clone pluggable database.
7 In Recovery target, enter a host. Or, click Select destination. That option
automatically fills in both the Host and the Target instance.
A container must exist and must be open (read-write mode) for the pluggable
database to be plugged into. None of the existing PDBs in the container can
have the same name as the new PDB.
8 (Oracle 21 and later) The path for the Oracle base config is required.
Otherwise a clone to an Oracle 21 or later database fails.
9 Enter all other required information.
10 In Credentials, specify the applicable credential options.
■ Linux or UNIX: You can select an existing credential or use OS credentials.
■ Windows: You can select an existing credential or use OS credentials. If
the target Oracle database requires them, also enter the Oracle Home User
credentials.
After all required information is entered, click Next.
11 In Recovery options, enter the number of channels and the SCN value and
then click Next.
12 On the Review page, NetBackup runs a pre-recovery check for any errors.
You should correct any errors that are highlighted.
During the pre-recovery check, NetBackup looks for:
■ Credentials
■ Database name
■ Oracle base config path
■ Image access
■ Existence of Oracle home
■ SCN Value
 Oracle cloning 140
Cloning a database from an Oracle Intelligent Policy (OIP) that is Data Guard aware

13 Click Start recovery to begin the cloning operation.

You can start the cloning operation without fixing any of the errors that are
shown on the Review page.
14 (Optional) You can monitor the progress of the cloning operation in the Activity
monitor.

Cloning a database from an Oracle Intelligent

Policy (OIP) that is Data Guard aware
If you want to clone a database that was backed up with an Oracle Intelligent Policy
that is Data Guard aware, some initial steps are required. The Oracle Data Guard
databases must be defined and registered within nboraadm in order for a clone from
any images that an OIP Data-Guard-Aware Policy produces to be successful.
Refer to the NetBackup Commands Guide for details on the nboraadm command.
Note the following about cloning from Data Guard configurations:
■ A clone from a primary node backup or from a logical standby is similar to a
clone from a typical database.
■ For a clone from a physical or a snapshot standby, the success of the clone
depends on the state of the redo log sets that NetBackup has access to.
The following example RMAN steps may resolve an issue after a clone:

SQL> alter database drop standby logfile group 1;

Database altered.
SQL> alter database drop standby logfile group 2;
Database altered.
SQL> alter database drop standby logfile group 3;
Database altered.
SQL> ALTER DATABASE ADD LOGFILE group 1 ('c:\clone\REDO01.LOG') size 5M;
Database altered.
SQL> ALTER DATABASE ADD LOGFILE group 2 ('c:\clone\REDO02.LOG') size 5M;
Database altered.
SQL> alter database activate standby database;
Database altered.
SQL> alter database open;

Additional functionality in NetBackup APIs

The NetBackup APIs offer additional functionality for Oracle cloning:
 Oracle cloning 141
Additional functionality in NetBackup APIs

■ If you want to rename every file to a specific path or location, the Recovery API
provides this ability for the data file name, redo log, temp file, and control file.
■ The Recovery Point Device API provides additional information about recovery
point attributes and the chain of backup images.
■ For the following cloning operations:
■ From a file system to a file system
■ From ASM to a file system
The Recovery API allows a change from non-OMF to OMF or from OMF to
non-OMF.
Refer to the NetBackup API Reference documentation on the Veritas SORT website:
https://sort.veritas.com/documents
 Chapter 11
NetBackup Copilot for
Oracle
This chapter includes the following topics:

■ About Oracle Copilot

■ Configuring an OIP using a share on the NetBackup appliance (Oracle Copilot)

■ Creating an instant recovery point from an Oracle Copilot image (NetBackup

Appliance share)

■ Deleting an instant recovery point for Oracle Copilot instant recovery

■ Configuring an OIP using universal shares (Oracle Copilot)

■ Managing an instant access mount from an Oracle Copilot universal share image

■ Cleaning up the Oracle Copilot share after point in time restore of database

■ Single-step restore to ASM storage from an Oracle Copilot recovery point or

instant access mount

■ About restoring from a data file copy to ASM storage using RMAN

About Oracle Copilot

This feature enhances the Oracle Intelligent Policy by giving you two options for
protecting an Oracle database using a share on a NetBackup appliance or universal
shares. The first option gives you better control of backups when Oracle database
backups are placed in shares (including NetBackup appliance share and universal
shares) by the DBA. The second option lets you choose an appliance share or
universal shares as the destination for the first backup copy. Now you do not have
to rely on the DBA to create backups in the share.
 NetBackup Copilot for Oracle 143
About Oracle Copilot

The Database Backup Shares option provides a single NetBackup Appliance

share or universal shares for the DBA and is protected using the Oracle Intelligent
Policy. The backup occurs on the storage server as an off-host backup and all data
movement occurs on the storage server and does not affect the Oracle client. Since
the OIP protects the shares, the backups are visible when the DBA uses RMAN or
Oracle Enterprise Manager.
The Whole Database - Datafile Copy Share option enhances the OIP to allow the
NetBackup Administrator to choose an appliance share or universal shares as the
destination for the first backup copy. When the policy runs the first time, an RMAN
script is generated that creates a full set of Oracle data file copies. The data file
copies reside in the shares. The next time that the full schedule runs, the backup
is accelerated if the Use Accelerator option is selected. The RMAN script that is
generated performs an incremental backup and the changed blocks are merged
into the data files. This incremental backup creates an updated full set of Oracle
data file copies. After the new full copy is created in the database backup shares,
an SLP is used to make additional copies of the full backup. The first copy is always
a remote_vxfs snapshot. For NetBackup appliance share, the remote_vxfs
snapshot creates the vxfs_checkpoint snapshot. For universal shares, there are
several vpfs snapshots created.
On the Attributes tab, the Use Accelerator feature is automatically selected when
you configure an OIP with Whole Database - Datafile Copy Share selected in the
Backup Selections tab. The first time that the full schedule runs it creates a full
set of data file copies. After the first full schedule, only the changes are backed up
as a backup set and merged with the existing full backup. Basically, an incremental
merge is performed. Oracle’s Block Change Tracking feature should be enabled
for faster incremental backups.
When using Oracle Copilot to protect your database, NetBackup does not protect
extended attributes, extent attributes, or Access Control Lists associated with the
database’s data files.
Oracle Copilot works with both NetBackup appliance share and MSDP universal
shares, which comes from BYO, Flex, and Flex Scale. Oracle Copilot with universal
shares supports instant access. See the chapter Oracle Copilot with Instant Access.

Note: Create a share on the appliance using the procedures in the Managing shares
section of the NetBackup 52xx and 5330 Appliance Administrator’s Guide. If you
enter a share path that is not located on an appliance, nothing is backed up.

Note: The NetBackup appliance media server can only be configured in a pure
IPv4 or dual stack IPv4/IPv6 mode.
 NetBackup Copilot for Oracle 144
Configuring an OIP using a share on the NetBackup appliance (Oracle Copilot)

See “Configuring an OIP using a share on the NetBackup appliance (Oracle Copilot)”
on page 144.
See “Backup Selections tab” on page 72.
See “Creating an Oracle Intelligent Policy (OIP)” on page 63.
See “About restoring from a data file copy to ASM storage using RMAN” on page 167.

Configuring an OIP using a share on the

NetBackup appliance (Oracle Copilot)
The following prerequisites exist for using a NetBackup appliance share:
■ You must provision a share on the appliance for these options using the
NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu.
■ These options are available to you but only configurable when you have a
NetBackup appliance configured as the media server.

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

The Database backup shares option protects the database backups that an Oracle
DBA creates on a share on the NetBackup appliance.
The Whole Database - Datafile Copy Share option enhances the OIP to allow the
NetBackup Administrator to choose an appliance share as the destination for the
first backup copy. The backup copy is a full set of data file copies that are maintained
by updating only the changed blocks if Use Accelerator is selected.
If using Oracle Copilot with RAC then the following must be configured:
■ Each node of the RAC cluster must have access to the Oracle Copilot share.
■ The Oracle Copilot share has to be mounted on each node of the RAC cluster
using the same mount point name on each node.

Oracle Copilot with NetBackup Appliance share workflow

Table 11-1 Appliance share workflow

Step Description

Create Oracle Copilot Policy. Create an Oracle Copilot policy.

See “Configuring an OIP using a share on the NetBackup

appliance (Oracle Copilot)” on page 144.
 NetBackup Copilot for Oracle 145
Configuring an OIP using a share on the NetBackup appliance (Oracle Copilot)

Table 11-1 Appliance share workflow (continued)

Step Description

Creating an instant recovery Creating an instant recovery point.

point.
See “Creating an instant recovery point from an Oracle Copilot
image (NetBackup Appliance share)” on page 146.

Common tasks See “Cleaning up the Oracle Copilot share after point in time
restore of database” on page 156.

See “Single-step restore to ASM storage from an Oracle

Copilot recovery point or instant access mount” on page 163.

See “About restoring from a data file copy to ASM storage

using RMAN” on page 167.

Use the following procedure to set up a backup policy that protects shares on the
NetBackup appliance.
To configure an OIP using the Database backup shares or Whole Database -
Datafile Copy Share options
1 (Database Backup Shares option) The Oracle DBA asks NetBackup
administrator for the appliance share information.
2 The NetBackup administrator uses the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu to
create a share on the appliance and then sets permissions for the share.
■ 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

3 The NetBackup administrator sends information about the appliance share to

system administrator.
4 The system administrator mounts an appliance share on the Oracle database
server using the OS tools.
 NetBackup Copilot for Oracle 146
Creating an instant recovery point from an Oracle Copilot image (NetBackup Appliance share)

5 (Database backup shares option) The Oracle DBA uses RMAN to create a
database backup on the appliance share.
6 Configure an OIP.

Attributes tab Select Oracle as the Policy type.

The Use Accelerator option is automatically selected

when the Whole Database - Datafile Copy Share
option is selected. If the Use Accelerator option is
unchecked the full set of data files are copied again
(including changed blocks). When the Use Accelerator
option is used, the Oracle Change Block tracking should
be enabled for better performance.

For information on the Attributes tab, see the

NetBackup Administrator’s Guide, Volume I.

Schedules tab Click Add and select Full backup.

For information on the Schedules tab, see the

NetBackup Administrator’s Guide, Volume I.

Instance and databases tab Select the Oracle database instance.

See “Instances and databases tab” on page 70.

Backup selections tab Select the Database backup shares option.

See “Backup Selections tab” on page 72.

Oracle tab Configure the Database backup share options to

delete backup sets and backup copies.

See “Oracle tab” on page 74.

Note: The NetBackup appliance media server can only be configured in a pure
IPv4 or dual stack IPv4/IPv6 mode.

Creating an instant recovery point from an Oracle

Copilot image (NetBackup Appliance share)
The nborair command can determine if an image is available for Oracle Copilot
instant recovery.
 NetBackup Copilot for Oracle 147
Creating an instant recovery point from an Oracle Copilot image (NetBackup Appliance share)

Note: The functionality for creating an instant recovery point is not in the NetBackup
web UI. This feature is a command-line option only.

Refer to the NetBackup Commands Reference Guide for more usage options using
the nborair command.
To create an instant recovery point
1 Determine if there are any images available for instant recovery by running the
nborair –list_images [-client name] [-server primary] command.

The NetBackup administrator or the DBA can run this command from the
NetBackup client or primary server.
Example output:

# nborair -list_images -client orachost1.demo.com -server primarysrv123

Time: 08/30/2016 15:51:17 ID: orachost1.demo.com_1472590277 Full Backup policy1
Time: 08/31/2016 11:20:17 ID: orachost1.demo.com_1472660417 Full Backup policy1
Time: 09/02/2016 10:42:45 ID: orachost1.demo.com_1472830965 Full Backup policy1

2 List the files that are included in the backup image by running the nborair
–list_files –backupid backup_id command.

The NetBackup administrator or the DBA can run this command from the
NetBackup client or primary server. The DBA sees only the files they can
access when this command is run.
Example output:

# nborair -list_files -backupid orachost1.demo.com_1472590277

-rw-r----- orac112 dba 807411712 Sep 02 10:42 /backup/data_D-ORAC112_I-3955369132_TS-SYSAUX...
-rw-r----- orac112 dba 744497152 Sep 02 10:42 /backup/data_D-ORAC112_I-3955369132_TS-SYSTEM...
-rw-r----- orac112 dba 52436992 Sep 02 10:42 /backup/data_D-ORAC112_I-3955369132_TS-UNDOTBS...
-rw-r----- orac112 dba 5251072 Sep 02 10:42 /backup/data_D-ORAC112_I-3955369132_TS-USERS_FN...
-rw-r----- orac112 dba 163328 Sep 02 10:42 /backup/arch_D-ORAC112_I-3955369132_SCN-3744354_...
-rw-r----- orac112 dba 2560 Sep 02 10:42 /backup/arch_D-ORAC112_I-3955369132_SCN-3744354_5i...
-rw-r----- orac112 dba 98304 Sep 02 10:42 /backup/spfile_D-ORAC112_I-3955369132_T-20160902_...
-rw-r----- orac112 dba 1425408 Sep 02 10:42 /backup/cf_D-ORAC112_I-3955369132_T-20160902_5k...
 NetBackup Copilot for Oracle 148
Creating an instant recovery point from an Oracle Copilot image (NetBackup Appliance share)

3 Create the instance recovery point by running the nborair

-create_recovery_point -backupid backup_id -dest_client name
command. The backup_id is the same backup_id found in step 1.
The NetBackup administrator must run this command from the NetBackup
primary server.
For this example, the destination client is oracdest.
Example output:

# nborair -create_recovery_point -backupid orachost1.demo.com_1472590277

-dest_client oracdest
Appliance: appl5330
Export path: /shares/share1_orachost1.demo.com_1472590277_rp1
Export options: oracdest(rw,no_root_squash,insecure)

4 Mount the recovery point on the destination client using the OS tools and with
the required mount options per Oracle documentation.
Example:
mount –t nfs
appl5330:/shares/share1_orachost1.demo.com_1472590277_rp1 /mnt

For Windows, Oracle’s DNFS needs to be configured. The recovery point has
to be exported with the insecure option.
5 (Conditional) On the destination host, verify the mount point is from the backup
ID that was requested by running the nborair –validate –backupid
backup_id -mount_path mount_path command.

The NetBackup administrator or the DBA can run this command on the
destination host.
Example output:

# nborair -validate -backupid orachost1.demo.com_1472590277 -mount_path /mnt

Validation successful - Recovery point mounted on /mnt was
created from backup ID orachost1.demo.com_1472590277

Note: The NetBackup appliance media server can only be configured in a pure
IPv4 or dual stack IPv4/IPv6 mode.

See “Single-step restore to ASM storage from an Oracle Copilot recovery point or
instant access mount” on page 163.
 NetBackup Copilot for Oracle 149
Deleting an instant recovery point for Oracle Copilot instant recovery

Deleting an instant recovery point for Oracle

Copilot instant recovery
The nborair command can delete an instant recovery point that is available for
Oracle Copilot instant recovery.

Note: The functionality for deleting an instant recovery point is not in the GUI. This
feature is command line option only.

Refer to the NetBackup Commands Reference Guide for more usage options using
the nborair command.
To delete an instant recovery point
1 (Conditional) Verify the recovery point is unmounted from the destination client
using the OS tools.
UNIX: umount /mnt
2 List the recovery point on the NetBackup appliance by running the nborair
–list_recovery_points –appliance appliance_name command.

The NetBackup administrator must run this command from the NetBackup
primary server.
Example output:

# nborair -list_recovery_points -appliance appl5330

Total 1 recovery points found.

Export path: /shares/share1_orachost1.demo.com_1472590277_rp1

Share name: share1
Export options: oracdest(rw,no_root_squash,insecure)

3 Delete the recovery point on the NetBackup appliance by running the nborair
-delete_recovery_point -appliance appliance_name -export_path
export_path command.

The NetBackup administrator must run this command from the NetBackup
primary server.
Example output:

# nborair -delete_recovery_point -appliance appl5330

-export_path /shares/share1_orachost1.demo.com_1472590277_rp1
 NetBackup Copilot for Oracle 150
Configuring an OIP using universal shares (Oracle Copilot)

Configuring an OIP using universal shares (Oracle

Copilot)
Table 11-2 Oracle Copilot with universal shares workflow

Step Description

Create a universal share. A universal share can be created on one or more MSDP
storage servers, Flex Scale Cluster. If the universal share is
located on multiple storage servers, ensure that the
NetBackup media server can access all the storage servers.

For more information, refer to the NetBackup Web UI

Administrator's Guide.

Section name: Create a universal share

Mount universal share to the Refer to the documentation for NFS options. If the Oracle
Oracle server. server has the Direct NFS option enabled, add the servers
or shares into the Oracle DNFS configuration file.

For more information, refer to the NetBackup Deduplication

Guide.

Section name: Mounting a universal share created from the

NetBackup web UI

Create an Oracle Copilot Enter the mount share path during the selection.
policy.
See “Configuring an OIP using universal shares (Oracle
Copilot)” on page 150.

Start the Oracle backup and See “Backing up an Oracle database using Oracle Copilot
wait for the backup job to policy with a universal share” on page 172.
succeed.

Select an Oracle database See “Managing an instant access mount from an Oracle
from the Oracle workload Copilot universal share image” on page 156.
page (web UI only).
See “Configure an instant access mount” on page 172.

Create an instant access When you create an instant access mount, if you select
mount based on the recovery Direct NFS, ensure that the DNFS check box is selected. If
point (web UI only). you want to parallelly restore from RAC nodes, enter the host
name of the RAC nodes as the target server.

See “Configure an instant access mount” on page 172.

 NetBackup Copilot for Oracle 151
Configuring an OIP using universal shares (Oracle Copilot)

Table 11-2 Oracle Copilot with universal shares workflow (continued)

Step Description

Mount instant access to target Refer to Oracle documentation for NFS options. If you want
Oracle server. to parallelly restore from RAC nodes, ensure that the instant
access mount is mounted on all nodes with the same name.

For example use this command to mount the instant access

mount: mount -t.

Catalog data on Instant For RMAN > catalog, start with '<ia_mount_share>'
Access mount
See “Single-step restore to ASM storage from an Oracle
Copilot recovery point or instant access mount” on page 163.

Use the cataloged data file Instant access share provides a full set of data of the source
copy to do RMAN operations, database. An Oracle Database Administrator can decide how
such as restore data file or to use the data.
restore database from an
See “Single-step restore to ASM storage from an Oracle
instant access share.
Copilot recovery point or instant access mount” on page 163.
For example, perform disaster
recover on an alternative
Oracle server.

Common tasks See “Cleaning up the Oracle Copilot share after point in time
restore of database” on page 156.

See “Single-step restore to ASM storage from an Oracle

Copilot recovery point or instant access mount” on page 163.

See “About restoring from a data file copy to ASM storage

using RMAN” on page 167.

Supported platforms for Oracle Copilot backup with universal shares

Table 11-3 Supported platforms

Universal shares Platform Version

Multiple BYO NetBackup 10.2 and later

Single BYO, Flex Appliance, NetBackup 10.0 and later

Flex Scale

Multiple Flex Appliance NetBackup Flex Appliance 3.0 and

later

Multiple Flex Scale NetBackup Flex Scale 3.1 and later

Single NetBackup Appliance NetBackup Appliance 5.0 and later

 NetBackup Copilot for Oracle 152
Configuring an OIP using universal shares (Oracle Copilot)

Note: Oracle Copilot with universal share is not supported on a universal share
that has WORM enabled storage.

The Database backup shares option protects the database backups that an Oracle
DBA creates on a universal share.
The Whole Database - Datafile Copy Share option enhances the OIP to allow the
NetBackup Administrator to choose a single or multiple universal shares as the
destination for the first backup copy. The backup copy is a full set of data file copies
that are maintained by updating only the changed blocks if Use Accelerator is
selected.
If using Oracle Copilot with RAC then the following must be configured:
■ Each node of the RAC cluster must have access to the Oracle Copilot shares.
■ The Oracle Copilot shares have to be mounted on each node of the RAC cluster
using the same mount point name on each node.
To configure an OIP using universal shares (Oracle Copilot)
1 Create universal shares with the NFS protocol.
Refer to the information on creating a universal share in the NetBackup Web
UI Administrator's Guide.
2 Mount all the universal shares on the Oracle clients.
3 Create an Oracle Copilot policy and then in Backup selections, select the
mount points of the universal shares.

Recommendations when you configure an Oracle Copilot with

universal shares
Note the following recommendations when you configure an Oracle Copilot with
universal shares:
■ Ensure that there is at least one datafile on one share or backup may fail with
an empty share error.
■ Ensure the following:
■ Multiple shares are mounted with the correct NFS options on the Oracle
server.
See “About policy attributes” on page 83.
■ Multiple mount paths are added into the selection list of an Oracle Copilot
policy.
 NetBackup Copilot for Oracle 153
Configuring an OIP using universal shares (Oracle Copilot)

■ Ensure that the backup datafile stream number is larger than number of shares
in the Oracle Copilot policy.
If the number of streams are less, NetBackup automatically changes the number
of parallel streams to match the shares.
■ If the source Oracle is of the type RAC, ensure that multiple shares are mounted
on each instance node with the same mount path.
For example, if there are four shares on four nodes, each node must have all
shares mounted.
■ If you want to replace an old share, ensure that the new share is mounted on
the same path. Run RMAN crosscheck before you start any backup job.
■ If you want to add a new share to the policy, ensure that the new share is
mounted on all Oracle nodes.
If you have new datafiles added to the database, the datafiles are backed up to
the new share. If there is no new datafile added, the new share is empty and
the backup job partially succeeds. It is recommended that you create a new
policy for all the shares including the new share.
■ You can restore datafile copies on the new mount shares from multiple nodes
of Oracle RAC. It helps to improve the restore performance. To improve the
performance, start by configuring multiple instances in RMAN script.

Troubleshooting issues related to Oracle Copilot with universal shares

The following table describes the issues that are related to Oracle Copilot with
universal shares:

Table 11-4 Troubleshoot issues

Job state Error message Issue Action

Partial success ORA-19504: failed to Shares that failed 1 Verify that the
create file from nodes. shares on all
"XXXXXXXXXXXX" nodes have
correct
ORA-27040: file
permissions
create error, unable
associated.
to create file
2 Remount the
share, run
crosscheck
manually, and
then run the job
again.
 NetBackup Copilot for Oracle 154
Configuring an OIP using universal shares (Oracle Copilot)

Table 11-4 Troubleshoot issues (continued)

Job state Error message Issue Action

Partial success ORA-19625: error Datafile on the share 1 If the file is

identifying may be corrupted or missing, verify
file"XXXXXXXXXXXX" missing that the shares
are mounted on
ORA-27037: unable
all nodes.
to obtain file status
2 Try to remount
the share, run
crosscheck
manually, and
then run the job
again.

3 If the file exists,

use Oracle tools
to verify the file
and ensure that
the file is not
corrupted.

4 If the file is
corrupted, keep
all the logs and
call technical
support.

5 Move the
corrupted file
from a shared
drive to a local
drive, run
crosscheck, and
then run the job
again.
 NetBackup Copilot for Oracle 155
Configuring an OIP using universal shares (Oracle Copilot)

Table 11-4 Troubleshoot issues (continued)

Job state Error message Issue Action

Partial success Snapshot failed Snapshot rotation 1 Check if a

limitation exceeded. previous backup
from snapshot
job failed.

2 Increase the
maximum
snapshot
number and run
crosscheck
manually.

3 Modify datafile
copy tag in the
Oracle tab of
policy, and run a
new full backup.

If the error persists,

call technical support.

Partial success RMAN Catalog failed Shares that failed 1 Verify that the
from nodes. shares on all
nodes have
correct
permissions
associated.

2 Remount the
failed share, find
the backup set
on share, and
try to manually
catalog it.
 NetBackup Copilot for Oracle 156
Managing an instant access mount from an Oracle Copilot universal share image

Table 11-4 Troubleshoot issues (continued)

Job state Error message Issue Action

Success Backup job takes Performance issue 1 Verify the

more time than operating
expected. system resource
and ensure that
there is no
performance
issue from
Oracle.

2 Run the job

again with the
force rescan
option.

Fail SLP job keeps failing. The ushare is created 1 Verify and
on a different backup change the SLP
target storage. backup
snapshot
storage target.

2 Run the job

again.

Managing an instant access mount from an Oracle

Copilot universal share image
This feature is only available on the web UI.
See the following topics.
See “Configure an instant access mount” on page 172.
See “Delete an instant access mount” on page 176.

Cleaning up the Oracle Copilot share after point

in time restore of database
After a point in time restore of an Oracle database, RMAN can leave files from the
previous database incarnations on an Oracle Copilot share. NetBackup does not
automatically clean up the files from the previous database incarnation. This
procedure describes how to manually clean up the share using RMAN.
 NetBackup Copilot for Oracle 157
Cleaning up the Oracle Copilot share after point in time restore of database

Note: The functionality for cleaning up an Oracle Copilot share is not in the GUI.
This feature is command line option only.

To clean up the Oracle Copilot share

1 Open a command prompt on the NetBackup client.
2 Set the NLS DATE_FORMAT to display hours, minutes, and seconds.
UNIX:

NLS_DATE_FORMAT=DD-MON-YY_HH24:MI:SS
export NLS_DATE_FORMAT

Windows:

set NLS_DATE_FORMAT=DD-MON-YY_HH24:MI:SS

3 Log into RMAN and if NetBackup uses the RMAN catalog, it is required to log
in to the catalog.
4 Use the RMAN> list incarnation of database; command to find the Reset
Time for the current incarnation.

Example:

List of Database Incarnations

DB Key Inc Key DB Name DB ID STATUS Reset SCN Reset Time
------- ------- -------- ---------------- --- ---------- ----------
10046 10054 ORACLEC2 3019371157 PARENT 1 11-SEP-14_08:40:48
10046 10047 ORACLEC2 3019371157 PARENT 2233668 27-APR-17_10:23:22
10046 11551 ORACLEC2 3019371157 CURRENT 2323198 28-APR-17_10:41:37
 NetBackup Copilot for Oracle 158
Cleaning up the Oracle Copilot share after point in time restore of database

5 Use the list backup summary completed before "to_date()" device

type disk; command to find all the backup pieces from the previous
incarnation by using the reset time ("to_date()" must match
NLS_DATE_FORMAT).

Example:

RMAN> list backup summary completed before "to_date('28-APR-17_10:41:37',

'DD-MON-YY_HH24:MI:SS')" device type disk;

List of Backups
===============
Key TY LV S Device Type Completion Time #Pieces #Copies Compressed Tag
------- -- -- - ----------- ------------------ ------- ------- ---------- ---
10192 B F A DISK 27-APR-17_10:42:59 1 1 NO TAG20170427T104257
10193 B F A DISK 27-APR-17_13:16:37 1 1 NO TAG20170427T131636
10194 B F A DISK 27-APR-17_13:16:55 1 1 NO TAG20170427T131654
10195 B F A DISK 27-APR-17_13:28:52 1 1 NO TAG20170427T132851
10196 B F A DISK 27-APR-17_13:29:08 1 1 NO TAG20170427T132906
10197 B F A DISK 27-APR-17_14:00:31 1 1 NO TAG20170427T140031
10198 B F A DISK 27-APR-17_14:00:43 1 1 NO TAG20170427T140043
10199 B F A DISK 27-APR-17_14:07:31 1 1 NO TAG20170427T140730
10200 B F A DISK 27-APR-17_14:07:48 1 1 NO TAG20170427T140747
10759 B A A DISK 28-APR-17_10:28:46 1 1 NO DCS_CDB
10786 B F A DISK 28-APR-17_10:28:56 1 1 NO DCS_CDB
10814 B F A DISK 28-APR-17_10:29:08 1 1 NO DCS_CDB

6 Use the list backup summary completed before "to_date()" device

type disk tag ''; command to find the backup pieces on the share by using
the tag (by default, the tag is the NetBackup policy name).
Example:

RMAN> list backup summary completed before "to_date('28-APR-17_10:41:37',

'DD-MON-YY_HH24:MI:SS')" device type disk tag 'DCS_CDB';

List of Backups
===============
Key TY LV S Device Type Completion Time #Pieces #Copies Compressed Tag
------- -- -- - ----------- ------------------ ------- ------- ---------- ---
10759 B A A DISK 28-APR-17_10:28:46 1 1 NO DCS_CDB
10786 B F A DISK 28-APR-17_10:28:56 1 1 NO DCS_CDB
10814 B F A DISK 28-APR-17_10:29:08 1 1 NO DCS_CDB
 NetBackup Copilot for Oracle 159
Cleaning up the Oracle Copilot share after point in time restore of database

7 Use the list backup completed before "to_date()" device type disk
tag ''; command to remove the summary option to see what files need
deleting.
Example:

RMAN> list backup completed before "to_date('28-APR-17_10:41:37',

'DD-MON-YY_HH24:MI:SS')" device type disk tag 'DCS_CDB';

List of Backup Sets

===================
BS Key Size Device Type Elapsed Time Completion Time
------- ---------- ----------- ------------ ------------------
10759 40.00K DISK 00:02:55 28-APR-17_10:28:46
BP Key: 10762 Status: AVAILABLE Compressed: NO Tag: DCS_CDB
Piece Name: C:\HA_NBA_SHARE\ARCH_D-ORACLEC2_I-3019371157_SCN-2323355_26S2QF5F_DCS_CDB

List of Archived Logs in backup set 10759

Thrd Seq Low SCN Low Time Next SCN Next Time
---- ------- ---------- ------------------ ---------- ---------
1 19 2322734 28-APR-17_10:16:54 2323527 28-APR-17_10:25:48
1 20 2323527 28-APR-17_10:25:48 2323546 28-APR-17_10:25:49

BS Key Type LV Size Device Type Elapsed Time Completion Time

------- ---- -- ---------- ----------- ------------ ------------------
10786 Full 80.00K DISK 00:03:02 28-APR-17_10:28:56
BP Key: 10789 Status: AVAILABLE Compressed: NO Tag: DCS_CDB
Piece Name: C:\HA_NBA_SHARE\SPFILE_D-ORACLEC2_I-3019371157_T-20170428_27S2QF5I_DCS_CDB
SPFILE Included: Modification time: 27-APR-17_14:57:53
SPFILE db_unique_name: ORACLEC2

BS Key Type LV Size Device Type Elapsed Time Completion Time

------- ---- -- ---------- ----------- ------------ ------------------
10814 Full 17.17M DISK 00:03:11 28-APR-17_10:29:08
BP Key: 10816 Status: AVAILABLE Compressed: NO Tag: DCS_CDB
Piece Name: C:\HA_NBA_SHARE\CF_D-ORACLEC2_I-3019371157_T-20170428_28S2QF5L_DCS_CDB
Control File Included: Ckp SCN: 2323603 Ckp time: 28-APR-17_10:25:57
 NetBackup Copilot for Oracle 160
Cleaning up the Oracle Copilot share after point in time restore of database

8 Use the delete backup completed before "to_date()" device type

disk tag ''; command to delete the unwanted backup pieces.

Example:

RMAN> delete backup completed before "to_date('28-APR-17_10:41:37',

'DD-MON-YY_HH24:MI:SS')" device type disk tag 'DCS_CDB';

allocated channel: ORA_DISK_1

channel ORA_DISK_1: SID=242 device type=DISK

List of Backup Pieces

BP Key BS Key Pc# Cp# Status Device Type Piece Name
------- ------- --- --- ----------- ----------- ----------
10762 10759 1 1 AVAILABLE DISK C:\HA_NBA_SHARE\ARCH_D-ORACLEC2_I-3019371157_
SCN-2323355_26S2QF5F_DCS_CDB
10789 10786 1 1 AVAILABLE DISK C:\HA_NBA_SHARE\SPFILE_D-ORACLEC2_I-3019371157_
T-20170428_27S2QF5I_DCS_CDB
10816 10814 1 1 AVAILABLE DISK C:\HA_NBA_SHARE\CF_D-ORACLEC2_I-3019371157_
T-20170428_28S2QF5L_DCS_CDB

Do you really want to delete the above objects (enter YES or NO)? YES
deleted backup piece
backup piece handle=C:\HA_NBA_SHARE\ARCH_D-ORACLEC2_I-3019371157_SCN-2323355_26S2QF5F_DCS_CDB
RECID=50 STAMP=942488751
deleted backup piece
backup piece handle=C:\HA_NBA_SHARE\SPFILE_D-ORACLEC2_I-3019371157_T-20170428_27S2QF5I_DCS_CDB
RECID=51 STAMP=942488754
deleted backup piece
backup piece handle=C:\HA_NBA_SHARE\CF_D-ORACLEC2_I-3019371157_T-20170428_28S2QF5L_DCS_CDB
RECID=52 STAMP=942488758
Deleted 3 objects
 NetBackup Copilot for Oracle 161
Cleaning up the Oracle Copilot share after point in time restore of database

9 Use the list copy completed before "to_date()" tag ''; command to
find the data file copies on the share using the same reset time and tag.
Example:

RMAN> list copy completed before "to_date('28-APR-17_10:41:37',

'DD-MON-YY_HH24:MI:SS')" tag 'DCS_CDB';

specification does not match any control file copy in the repository
List of Datafile Copies
=======================
Key File S Completion Time Ckp SCN Ckp Time
------- ---- - ------------------ ---------- ------------------
10649 1 A 28-APR-17_10:25:39 2323417 28-APR-17_10:25:15
Name: C:\HA_NBA_SHARE\DATA_D-ORACLEC2_I-3019371157_TS-SYSTEM_FNO-1_1GS2QE1J_S-48_
I-3019371157_DCS_CDB
Tag: DCS_CDB

10251 2 A 28-APR-17_10:15:32 2243146 27-APR-17_10:31:51

Name: C:\HA_NBA_SHARE\DATA_D-ORACLEC2_I-3019371157_TS-SYSTEM_FNO-2_1LS2QEGQ_S-53_
I-3019371157_DCS_CDB
Tag: DCS_CDB
Container ID: 2, PDB Name: PDB$SEED

10648 3 A 28-APR-17_10:25:39 2323417 28-APR-17_10:25:15

Name: C:\HA_NBA_SHARE\DATA_D-ORACLEC2_I-3019371157_TS-SYSAUX_FNO-3_1IS2QE8G_S-50_
I-3019371157_DCS_CDB
Tag: DCS_CDB

10249 4 A 28-APR-17_10:13:19 2243146 27-APR-17_10:31:51

Name: C:\HA_NBA_SHARE\DATA_D-ORACLEC2_I-3019371157_TS-SYSAUX_FNO-4_1JS2QEBG_S-51_
I-3019371157_DCS_CDB
Tag: DCS_CDB
Container ID: 2, PDB Name: PDB$SEED

10647 5 A 28-APR-17_10:25:38 2323417 28-APR-17_10:25:15

Name: C:\HA_NBA_SHARE\DATA_D-ORACLEC2_I-3019371157_TS-UNDOTBS1_FNO-5_1HS2QE57_S-49_
I-3019371157_DCS_CDB
Tag: DCS_CDB

10646 6 A 28-APR-17_10:25:37 2323417 28-APR-17_10:25:15

Name: C:\HA_NBA_SHARE\DATA_D-ORACLEC2_I-3019371157_TS-USERS_FNO-6_1NS2QEJV_S-55_
I-3019371157_DCS_CDB
Tag: DCS_CDB
 NetBackup Copilot for Oracle 162
Cleaning up the Oracle Copilot share after point in time restore of database

10 Use the delete copy completed before "to_date()" tag ''; command
to delete the data file copies on the selected share.
Example:

RMAN> delete copy completed before "to_date('28-APR-17_10:41:37',

'DD-MON-YY_HH24:MI:SS')" tag 'DCS_CDB';

released channel: ORA_DISK_1

allocated channel: ORA_DISK_1
channel ORA_DISK_1: SID=242 device type=DISK
specification does not match any control file copy in the repository
List of Datafile Copies
=======================

Key File S Completion Time Ckp SCN Ckp Time

------- ---- - ------------------ ---------- ------------------
10649 1 A 28-APR-17_10:25:39 2323417 28-APR-17_10:25:15
Name: C:\HA_NBA_SHARE\DATA_D-ORACLEC2_I-3019371157_TS-SYSTEM_FNO-1_1GS2QE1J_S-48_
I-3019371157_DCS_CDB
Tag: DCS_CDB

10251 2 A 28-APR-17_10:15:32 2243146 27-APR-17_10:31:51

Name: C:\HA_NBA_SHARE\DATA_D-ORACLEC2_I-3019371157_TS-SYSTEM_FNO-2_1LS2QEGQ_S-53_
I-3019371157_DCS_CDB
Tag: DCS_CDB
Container ID: 2, PDB Name: PDB$SEED

10648 3 A 28-APR-17_10:25:39 2323417 28-APR-17_10:25:15

Name: C:\HA_NBA_SHARE\DATA_D-ORACLEC2_I-3019371157_TS-SYSAUX_FNO-3_1IS2QE8G_S-50_
I-3019371157_DCS_CDB
Tag: DCS_CDB

10249 4 A 28-APR-17_10:13:19 2243146 27-APR-17_10:31:51

Name: C:\HA_NBA_SHARE\DATA_D-ORACLEC2_I-3019371157_TS-SYSAUX_FNO-4_1JS2QEBG_S-51_
I-3019371157_DCS_CDB
Tag: DCS_CDB
Container ID: 2, PDB Name: PDB$SEED

10647 5 A 28-APR-17_10:25:38 2323417 28-APR-17_10:25:15

Name: C:\HA_NBA_SHARE\DATA_D-ORACLEC2_I-3019371157_TS-UNDOTBS1_FNO-5_1HS2QE57_S-49_
I-3019371157_DCS_CDB
Tag: DCS_CDB
 NetBackup Copilot for Oracle 163
Single-step restore to ASM storage from an Oracle Copilot recovery point or instant access mount

10646 6 A 28-APR-17_10:25:37 2323417 28-APR-17_10:25:15

Name: C:\HA_NBA_SHARE\DATA_D-ORACLEC2_I-3019371157_TS-USERS_FNO-6_1NS2QEJV_S-55_
I-3019371157_DCS_CDB
Tag: DCS_CDB

Do you really want to delete the above objects (enter YES or NO)? YES
deleted datafile copy
datafile copy file name=C:\HA_NBA_SHARE\DATA_D-ORACLEC2_I-3019371157_TS-SYSTEM_FNO-1_1GS2QE1J_
S-48_I-3019371157_DCS_CDB RECID=36 STAMP=942488739
deleted datafile copy
datafile copy file name=C:\HA_NBA_SHARE\DATA_D-ORACLEC2_I-3019371157_TS-SYSTEM_FNO-2_1LS2QEGQ_
S-53_I-3019371157_DCS_CDB RECID=29 STAMP=942488132
deleted datafile copy
datafile copy file name=C:\HA_NBA_SHARE\DATA_D-ORACLEC2_I-3019371157_TS-SYSAUX_FNO-3_1IS2QE8G_
S-50_I-3019371157_DCS_CDB RECID=35 STAMP=942488739
deleted datafile copy
datafile copy file name=C:\HA_NBA_SHARE\DATA_D-ORACLEC2_I-3019371157_TS-SYSAUX_FNO-4_1JS2QEBG_
S-51_I-3019371157_DCS_CDB RECID=27 STAMP=942487999
deleted datafile copy
datafile copy file name=C:\HA_NBA_SHARE\DATA_D-ORACLEC2_I-3019371157_TS-UNDOTBS1_FNO-5_1HS2QE57_
S-49_I-3019371157_DCS_CDB RECID=34 STAMP=942488738
deleted datafile copy
datafile copy file name=C:\HA_NBA_SHARE\DATA_D-ORACLEC2_I-3019371157_TS-USERS_FNO-6_1NS2QEJV_
S-55_I-3019371157_DCS_CDB RECID=33 STAMP=942488737
Deleted 6 objects

Single-step restore to ASM storage from an Oracle

Copilot recovery point or instant access mount
The following procedure shows how to use RMAN to restore from a recovery point.
This procedure is only viable after the command nborair -create_recovery_point
is run and the recovery point is mounted on a target client.

Note: The functionality for single-step restore to ASM storage is not in the GUI.
This feature is run with RMAN only.

The procedure example assumes that a recovery point is already mounted and
uses the mount point of /db_mp as the example. All RMAN commands must run
from the target host.
 NetBackup Copilot for Oracle 164
Single-step restore to ASM storage from an Oracle Copilot recovery point or instant access mount

To perform a single-step restore to ASM storage from a recovery point

1 Catalog the backups from the recovery point.

RMAN> catalog start with '/db_mp/';

searching for all files that match the pattern /db_mp/

List of Files Unknown to the Database

=====================================
File Name: /db_mp/data_D-ORAC112_I-3955369132_TS-SYSAUX_FNO-2_8hrgu3qd_s-1297_I-3955369132
File Name: /db_mp/data_D-ORAC112_I-3955369132_TS-SYSTEM_FNO-1_8irgu3qk_s-1298_I-3955369132
File Name: /db_mp/data_D-ORAC112_I-3955369132_TS-UNDOTBS1_FNO-3_8jrgu3qr_s-1299_I-3955369132
File Name: /db_mp/data_D-ORAC112_I-3955369132_TS-USERS_FNO-4_8krgu3qt_s-1300_I-3955369132
File Name: /db_mp/arch_D-ORAC112_I-3955369132_SCN-5248163_a8rh0s3b
File Name: /db_mp/spfile_D-ORAC112_I-3955369132_T-20160929_a9rh0s3c
File Name: /db_mp/cf_D-ORAC112_I-3955369132_T-20160929_aarh0s3d

Do you really want to catalog the above files (enter YES or NO)? YES
cataloging files...
cataloging done

List of Cataloged Files

=======================
File Name: /db_mp/data_D-ORAC112_I-3955369132_TS-SYSAUX_FNO-2_8hrgu3qd_s-1297_I-3955369132
File Name: /db_mp/data_D-ORAC112_I-3955369132_TS-SYSTEM_FNO-1_8irgu3qk_s-1298_I-3955369132
File Name: /db_mp/data_D-ORAC112_I-3955369132_TS-UNDOTBS1_FNO-3_8jrgu3qr_s-1299_I-3955369132
File Name: /db_mp/data_D-ORAC112_I-3955369132_TS-USERS_FNO-4_8krgu3qt_s-1300_I-3955369132
File Name: /db_mp/arch_D-ORAC112_I-3955369132_SCN-5248163_a8rh0s3b
File Name: /db_mp/spfile_D-ORAC112_I-3955369132_T-20160929_a9rh0s3c
File Name: /db_mp/cf_D-ORAC112_I-3955369132_T-20160929_aarh0s3d
 NetBackup Copilot for Oracle 165
Single-step restore to ASM storage from an Oracle Copilot recovery point or instant access mount

2 Restore the data files from the point in time of the recovery point.
The following RMAN restore is from disk (DISK). Also, this example uses the
NLS_DATE_FORMAT="DD-MM-YYYY-HH24:MI:SS" command that was set in the
environment before RMAN was run. Use the date format for your environment.

RMAN> restore until time '2016-09-29-10:00:00' database;

Starting restore at 2016-10-12:15:51:22

allocated channel: ORA_DISK_1
channel ORA_DISK_1: SID=193 device type=DISK

channel ORA_DISK_1: restoring datafile 00001

input datafile copy RECID=461 STAMP=925055096
file name=/demo_2/data_D-ORAC112_I-3955369132_TS-SYSTEM_FNO-1_8irgu3qk_s-1298_I-3955369132
destination for restore of datafile 00001: /db/orac112/app/oradata/orac112/system01.dbf
channel ORA_DISK_1: copied datafile copy of datafile 00001
output file name=/db/orac112/app/oradata/orac112/system01.dbf RECID=0 STAMP=0
Finished restore at 2016-10-12:15:51:34
 NetBackup Copilot for Oracle 166
Single-step restore to ASM storage from an Oracle Copilot recovery point or instant access mount

3 Recover the database.

If the restore of archive logs is not available on disk, then the logs are restored
from NetBackup (sbt_tape).

RMAN> run
{
allocate channel ch00 type sbt_Tape;
recover database;
release channel ch00;
}

released channel: ORA_DISK_1

allocated channel: ch00
channel ch00: SID=193 device type=SBT_TAPE
channel ch00: Veritas NetBackup for Oracle - Release 8.0 (2016091418)

Starting recover at 2016-10-12:15:54:13

starting media recovery

archived log for thread 1 with sequence 508 is already on disk as file
/db/orac112/app/fast_recovery_area/ORAC112/archivelog/2016_09_29/o1_mf_1_508_cytbkv22_.arc
archived log for thread 1 with sequence 509 is already on disk as file
/db/orac112/app/fast_recovery_area/ORAC112/archivelog/2016_09_29/o1_mf_1_509_cytbkv36_.arc
....
archived log file name=
/db/orac112/app/fast_recovery_area/ORAC112/archivelog/2016_09_29/o1_mf_1_508_cytbkv22_.arc
thread=1 sequence=508
archived log file name=
/db/orac112/app/fast_recovery_area/ORAC112/archivelog/2016_09_29/o1_mf_1_509_cytbkv36_.arc
thread=1 sequence=509
....
media recovery complete, elapsed time: 00:00:55
Finished recover at 2016-10-12:15:55:09

released channel: ch00

RMAN>

See “Creating an instant recovery point from an Oracle Copilot image (NetBackup
Appliance share)” on page 146.
See “About Oracle Copilot” on page 142.
 NetBackup Copilot for Oracle 167
About restoring from a data file copy to ASM storage using RMAN

See “Configuring an OIP using a share on the NetBackup appliance (Oracle Copilot)”
on page 144.

About restoring from a data file copy to ASM

storage using RMAN
When you use a proxy method for data file copies, NetBackup cannot place the file
directly back in ASM storage. You need to do a two-step restore for the data file
copies.
If the backups are stream-based then restore directly from NetBackup.
When you restore back to the appliance share, make sure that the share on the
appliance is configured with the no_root_squash NFS export option enabled.
For more information, refer to the Managing shares chapter in the Veritas NetBackup
Appliance Administrator’s Guide.
The first step is to stage the files to a file system. The second step is to use RMAN
to restore the files into ASM storage.
The following is an example RMAN script to stage the files to a file system:

RUN {
ALLOCATE CHANNEL ch00
TYPE 'SBT_TAPE';
SEND 'NB_ORA_CLIENT=clientname,NB_ORA_SERV=servername';
SET NEWNAME FOR TABLESPACE USERS TO '/dump/%U';
RESTORE TABLESPACE USERS;
RELEASE CHANNEL ch00;
}

Once the file is on a file system, then you can restore to ASM storage by running
the following:

RUN {
ALLOCATE CHANNEL dc00 DEVICE TYPE DISK;
RESTORE TABLESPACE USERS;
RECOVER DATABASE;
RELEASE CHANNEL dc00;
}

Note: Any proxy backup of an Oracle database on ASM cannot be cloned to another
ASM environment. Only a File System Restore or the 2-step restore process is
supported.
 NetBackup Copilot for Oracle 168
About restoring from a data file copy to ASM storage using RMAN

See “Single-step restore to ASM storage from an Oracle Copilot recovery point or
instant access mount” on page 163.
See “About NetBackup for Oracle restores” on page 118.
 Chapter 12
Oracle Copilot with instant
access
This chapter includes the following topics:

■ Prerequisites when you configure an instant access Oracle database

■ Things to consider before you configure an instant access mount point

■ Backing up an Oracle database using Oracle Copilot policy with a universal

share

■ Configure an instant access mount

■ View the livemount details of an instant access mount

■ Configuring Auto Image Replication for Oracle instant access backups

■ Delete an instant access mount

■ NetBackup for Oracle terms

■ Frequently asked questions

Prerequisites when you configure an instant

access Oracle database
The following prerequisites apply when you configure Oracle instant access
databases:
■ Instant access is only supported for Oracle backup images when the following
conditions are met:
 Oracle Copilot with instant access 170
Prerequisites when you configure an instant access Oracle database

■ The backup image is created using an Oracle Copilot Universal Share policy.
The policy has two options, that you can select:
■ Whole Database-Datafile Copy Share is supported by the web UI.
■ Database backup shares is only supported from the REST API.
For more information, see the following topic:
See “Backup Selections tab” on page 72.
■ The backup is a full database backup.
■ Supported platforms for Oracle Copilot Backup with Instant Access:

Primary Platform Version

Backup From Single NFS BYO,Flex Appliance, Flex NetBackup 10.0 and later
Server WORM, Flex Scale, MSDP
AKS (Azure Kubernetes
Services), EKS (Amazon
Elastic Kubernetes
Service)

Backup From Single NFS NetBackup Appliance NetBackup Appliance 4.0

Server and later

Backup From Single NFS Cloud LSU (logical storage NetBackup 10.0.1 and later
Server unit)

Backup From Multiple NFS Flex Scale NetBackup Flex Scale 3.1
Server and later

Backup From Multiple NFS BYO NetBackup 10.2 and later

Server

Backup From Multiple NFS Flex Appliance NetBackup Flex Appliance

Server 3.0 and later

■ For Build Your Own (BYO) server, the operating system version must be same
as the latest appliance operating system version that is RHEL 7.6 and later.
■ For BYO server, NGINX is installed on the storage server.
■ The NGINX version must be same as the one in the corresponding official
RHEL version release. You need to install it from the corresponding RHEL
yum source (EPEL).
■ Ensure that the policycoreutils and policycoreutils-python packages
are installed from the same RHEL yum source (RHEL server). Then run the
following commands:
 Oracle Copilot with instant access 171
Things to consider before you configure an instant access mount point

■ semanage port -a -t http_port_t -p tcp 10087

■ setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect 1

■ For BYO server, the /mnt folder on the storage server cannot be mounted by
any mount points directly. User mount points must be mounted to its subfolders.
■ For BYO server, enable the logrotate permission in SELinux using the following
command:
semanage permissive -a logrotate_t

Hardware configuration requirement of instant access

Table 12-1 Hardware configuration

CPU Memory Disk

■ Minimum 2.2-GHz clock ■ 16 GB (For 8 TB to 32 TB Disk size depends on the size

rate. of storage) of your backup. Refer to the
■ 64-bit processor. 1 GB RAM for 1 TB hardware requirements for
■ Minimum 4 cores; 8 cores storage. NetBackup and Media Server
recommended. For 64 TB ■ 32 GB of RAM for more Deduplication Pool (MSDP).
storage, the Intel x86-64 than 32 TB storage.
architecture requires eight ■ An additional 500 MB of
cores. RAM for each live mount.

Things to consider before you configure an instant

access mount point
The instant access feature enhances the Oracle Intelligent Policy and gives you
options to protect an Oracle database using multiple universal shares. 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 primary backup copy. The backup copy is a full set of
database data file copies created, incrementally updated, and protected by
NetBackup.
For more information about universal share, refer to NetBackup Administrator's
Guide, Volume I.
Note the following about the instant access Oracle feature:
■ The oracle copilot backup with universal share can only be used for instant
access and cannot be used for Oracle Copilot instant recovery.
 Oracle Copilot with instant access 172
Backing up an Oracle database using Oracle Copilot policy with a universal share

■ For instant access to work following an upgrade of NetBackup, first restart the
NetBackup Web Service on the primary server. Run the following commands:
■ /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/nbwmc stop

■ /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/nbwmc start

Backing up an Oracle database using Oracle

Copilot policy with a universal share
Before you configure Oracle Copilot instant access, you must back up the Oracle
database using the Oracle Copilot policy with a universal share.
To back up Oracle copilot with a universal share
1 Create universal shares with the NFS protocol.
Refer to the information on creating a universal share in the NetBackup Web
UI Administrator's Guide.
2 Mount all the universal shares on the Oracle clients.
3 Create an Oracle Copilot policy and then in Backup selections, select the
mount points of the universal shares.
Refer to the NetBackup Copilot for Oracle Configuration Guide for information
about how to configure an Oracle copilot policy.
See “Recommendations when you configure an Oracle Copilot with universal shares”
on page 152.
See “Troubleshooting issues related to Oracle Copilot with universal shares”
on page 153.

Configure an instant access mount

You can configure an instant access database from a full backup. The full backup
must come from an Oracle copilot backup with data file copies in the NetBackup
universal share.
You can configure an instant access Oracle database from the web UI or use the
REST API.
Configure an instant access mount
1 On the left, select Workloads > Oracle.
2 On the Databases tab, click the database for which you want to configure the
instant access database.
 Oracle Copilot with instant access 173
Configure an instant access mount

3 Click the Recovery points tab, then click the date on which the backup
occurred.
The available images appear in rows with the backup timestamp for each
image.
4 Right-click on the backup image and click Actions > Configure instant access
mount.

Note: This option is only displayed if the recovery point supports instant access.

5 Enter the host names where you want to configure the instant access database.
6 (Optional) If you have configured NFS in the Oracle client, select the Direct
NFS check box for the universal shares support the feature.
7 Click Configure.
8 After the instant access job starts, click on the Restore activity tab to view
the progress.
See “View the livemount details of an instant access mount” on page 174.
 Oracle Copilot with instant access 174
View the livemount details of an instant access mount

View the livemount details of an instant access

mount
To view the livemount details of an instant access mount
1 On the left, select Workloads > Oracle.
2 Click the Instant access databases tab.
The tab lists the instant access databases.
3 On the Instant access databases tab, click on the database name to see its
details.

Clone of Instant access database for which you configured the

instant access mount.

Storage server Name of the storage server.

Mount ID Unique ID for an instant access livemount.

Export path Exported instant access livemount path from the storage
server.

Live mount path Exported path with the storage server path.

Click on the copy-to-clipboard icon and use the path to

mount it in your Oracle environment and see the backed
up datafiles.

When you create an instant access mount, if you back

up an Oracle database to universal shares from a single
storage server, a single live mount path is configured.

If you back up Oracle database to multiple universal

shares from different storage servers, depending on the
number of storage servers the live mount paths are
configured.

Recovery point time Date when the recovery point was created.

Created on Date when the instant access livemount was created.

Retention Time period for which you want the instant access mount
to be retained.

Note: If you have configured an instant access mount to multiple Oracle hosts,
mount all livemount paths to all the Oracle hosts.
 Oracle Copilot with instant access 175
Configuring Auto Image Replication for Oracle instant access backups

Configuring Auto Image Replication for Oracle

instant access backups
You must add replication to the stream and the snap storage lifecycle policies
(SLPs) to ensure that the SLP metadata is replicated for restore from an instant
access backup image.
Oracle copilot with universal share’s SLP (storage life policy) must include the
backup from snapshot operation. The backup can only be used for Instant Access.
Instant Recovery (nborair) is not supported.
To configure Auto Image Replication for Oracle instant access backups
1 Configure Auto Image Replication between two NetBackup master servers.
For more information about configuring Auto Image Replication, refer to the
NetBackup™ Administrator's Guide, Volume I.
2 For Oracle instant access create the following storage lifecycle policies (SLPs):
■ stream-slp for backup
■ snap-slp for backup from snapshot
For more information about configuring storage lifecycle policies, refer to the
NetBackup™ Administrator's Guide, Volume I.
3 Sign in to the NetBackup web UI.
4 On the left, click Storage > Storage lifecycle policies and select the
stream-slp policy.
5 In the Backup operation, click Actions and select Add child.
6 On the Properties pane, select the Replication operation and then select the
Target import SLP.
7 Click Create to add the child.
8 On the NetBackup web UI, click Storage > Storage lifecycle policies and
select the snap-slp policy.
9 In the Snapshot and Backup from Snapshot operations, click Actions and
select Add child.
10 On the Properties pane, select the Replication operation and then select the
Target import SLP.
11 Click Create to add the child.
Replication then runs successfully for Backup and Backup from Snapshot
operations in both SLPs.
 Oracle Copilot with instant access 176
Delete an instant access mount

Delete an instant access mount

You can delete the instant access mount when it is no longer used. Before you
delete an instant access mount, if you have mounted one livemount to multiple
oracle clients, ensure that the livemount is umounted from all clients.
To delete an instant access mount
1 On the left, select Workloads > Oracle.
2 Click the Instant access databases tab.
The tab lists the instant access databases.
3 Select Actions > Remove Instant access mount > Delete.
Ensure that you run the RMAN crosscheck command after the mount is deleted.
4 After an instant access mount share is deleted, perform an RMAN crosscheck
of the share before the next backup to prevent failures.
5 Specify the "disk" type instead of a "SBT_TAPE" type. Use the default
<NetBackup_policyname>. Or, if the datafile copy tag is changed in the Oracle
tab, use that tag name in place of <NetBackup_policyname>.
Example command:
Run {

Allocate channel ch00 type 'disk';

crosscheck backup tag <Netbackup_policyname>;

crosscheck copy <Netbackup_policyname>;

release channel ch00;

NetBackup for Oracle terms

The table describes the important terms that might be new to an Oracle database
administrator or a NetBackup administrator.
 Oracle Copilot with instant access 177
NetBackup for Oracle terms

Term Definition

Full backup A full backup backs up all the blocks into the backup set, skipping only
data file blocks that have never been used. Note that a full backup is
not the same as a whole database backup; "full" is an indicator that
the backup is not incremental.

A full backup has no effect on subsequent incremental backups, which

is why it is not considered part of the incremental strategy. In other
words, a full backup does not affect which blocks are included in
subsequent incremental backups.

Incremental backup An incremental backup is a backup of only those blocks that have
changed since a previous backup. Oracle lets you create and restore
incremental backups of data files, tablespaces, and a database. You
can include a control file in an incremental backup set, but the control
file is always included in its entirety. No blocks are skipped.

Multilevel RMAN lets you create multilevel backups. RMAN can create multilevel
incremental backup incremental backup. A value of 0 or 1 denotes each incremental level.

A level 0 incremental backup, which is the base for subsequent

incremental backups, copies all blocks containing data. You can create
a level 0 database backup as backup sets or image copies.

The only difference between a level 0 incremental backup and a full

backup is that a full backup is never included in an incremental strategy.
Thus, an incremental level 0 backup is a full backup that happens to
be the parent of incremental backups whose level is greater than 0.

The benefit to performing multilevel incremental backups is that you

do not back up all of the blocks all of the time. Incremental backups
at a level greater than zero (0) only copy the blocks that were modified.
Hence, the backup size can be significantly smaller and the backup
might require much less time. The size of the backup file depends
solely upon the number of blocks that are modified and the incremental
backup level.

Differential In a differential level 1 backup, RMAN backs up all blocks that have
incremental backup changed since the most recent incremental backup at level 1
(cumulative or differential) or level 0. For example, in a differential level
1 backup, RMAN determines which level 1 backup is the most recent
backup. RMAN backs up all blocks that have been modified after that
backup. If no level 1 is available, then RMAN copies all blocks that
have changed since the base level 0 backup.
 Oracle Copilot with instant access 178
Frequently asked questions

Term Definition

Cumulative In a cumulative level 1 incremental backup, RMAN backs up all blocks

incremental backup that have changed since the most recent backup at level 0.

Cumulative incremental backups reduce the work that is needed for

a restore. The cumulative incremental backup ensures that you only
need one incremental backup from any particular level at restore time.
Cumulative backups require more space and time than differential
incremental backups. Cumulative backups duplicate the work that
previous backups did at the same level.

Frequently asked questions

Here are some frequently asked questions for Oracle instant access.

Frequently asked questions Answer

How can I enable the Oracle instant access Perform the steps in the following order:
feature on BYO after storage is configured or
1 Install the required NGINX service version.
upgraded without the NGINX service
installed? 2 Run the command:
/usr/openv/pdde/vpfs/bin/vpfs_config.sh
--configure_byo

3 Ensure that the new BYO NGINX configuration entry

/etc/nginx/conf.d/byo.conf is part of the HTTP section of
the original /etc/nginx/nginx.conf file.

How can I resolve the following issue in the Perform the steps in the following order:
vpfs-config.log file that is raised from?
1 Install the policycoreutils and policycoreutils-python
Verifying that the MSDP REST API
packages through the yum tool.
is available via https on port
10087 2 As required by SELinux for NGINX, add the following rules to bind
on the 10087 port.
■ semanage port -a -t http_port_t -p tcp 10087
■ setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect 1

3 Run the following command:

/usr/openv/pdde/vpfs/bin/vpfs_config.sh
--configure_byo
 Oracle Copilot with instant access 179
Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions Answer

Instant Access for BYO uses a self-signed To configure the external certificate, perform the following steps:
certificate by default and only supports *.pem
1 If the new certificate is already generated (the certificate must
external certificate.
contain long and short host names for the media server), go to
How do I replace it with a certificate signed step 5.
by external CA (*.pem certificate), if required?
2 Create the RSA public or private key pair.
3 Create a certificate signing request (CSR).

The certificate must contain long and short host names for the
media server.

4 The external Certificate Authority creates the certificate.

5 Replace <PDDE Storage Path>/spws/var/keys/spws.cert

with the certificate and replace <PDDE Storage
Path>/spws/var/keys/spws.key with the private key.

6 Run the following command to reload the certificate:

/usr/openv/pdde/vpfs/bin/vpfs_config.sh
--configure_byo

How can I disable media automount for the Follow the guideline to disable the gnome automount:
instant access livemount share in gnome?
https://access.redhat.com/solutions/20107
If the automount is enabled, the source folder
is mounted from the livemount share in
gnome and smaller disks appear. In this
scenario, the instant access feature does not
work properly.

The mounted disk content source is from the

.../meta_bdev_dir/... folder under
livemount share, while the mount target is in
the /run/media/... folder.
 Oracle Copilot with instant access 180
Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions Answer

How can I resolve the following issue in the Perform the steps in the following order:
/var/log/vpfs/vpfs-config.log file?
1 Ensure that your NetBackup primary server is up and there is no
**** Asking the NetBackup firewall blocking the connection between the primary server and
Webservice to trust the MSDP storage server.
webserver (spws) ****
2 Run the following command on storage server to verify the
/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/nblibcurlcmd connection status:
failed (1):
/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/bpclntcmd -pn

3 Wait for the NetBackup primary server to start and for an

established connection between the NetBackup primary server
and storage server. Then run the following command:

/usr/openv/pdde/vpfs/bin/vpfs_config.sh
--configure_byo
 Chapter 13
NetBackup for Oracle with
Snapshot Client
This chapter includes the following topics:

■ About NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client

■ How NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client works

■ About configuring Snapshot Client with NetBackup for Oracle

■ Restoring NetBackup for Oracle from a snapshot backup

■ About configuring NetBackup for Oracle block-level incremental backups on

UNIX

■ About Snapshot Client effects

■ About Oracle support for Replication Director

About NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client

To use NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client, NetBackup Snapshot Client
and NetBackup for Oracle must both be licensed and installed.
Before you use NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client, confirm that your
platform is supported.
See “Verifying the operating system and platform compatibility” on page 24.
A snapshot is a disk image of the client’s data that is made almost instantaneously.
When it is used with NetBackup Snapshot Client, NetBackup for Oracle can back
up Oracle objects by taking snapshot images of the component files. Later, it backs
up the snapshot version to the storage unit.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 182
About NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client

Snapshot backup captures the data at a particular instant without having caused
significant client downtime. Client operations and user access continue without
interruption during the backup. The resulting capture or snapshot can be backed
up without affecting the performance or availability of the database.
The following NetBackup Snapshot Client features are available for use with
NetBackup for Oracle.

Table 13-1 Snapshot Client features used with NetBackup for Oracle

Feature Description

Instant recovery This feature enables instant recovery of backups from disk.
It combines snapshot technology with the ability to do rapid
disk-based restores. NetBackup creates the image without
interrupting user access to data. Optionally, the image is
retained on disk as well as backed up to storage. Instant
recovery enables block-level restores.

The maximum number of instant recovery snapshots to be

retained at one time is calculated per client and database
name. With the remote_vxfs method, the number of
snapshots to be retained at one time is calculated per client,
database name, and NetBackup appliance.

Off-host backup An off-host backup shifts the burden of backup processing

onto a separate backup agent, such as an alternate client.
This shift reduces the effect on the client’s computing
resources ordinarily caused by a local backup. The backup
agent reads the data from the client disk and writes it to
storage.

On UNIX, an off-host backup can also be directed to a

NetBackup media server, or third-party copy device.

Block-level incremental On UNIX, a Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backup uses the

backup change tracking capabilities of the Veritas File System (VxFS)
Storage Checkpoint feature. In a BLI backup, only the
changed blocks of data are backed up, not the entire file or
file system. A BLI backup saves time, decreases the amount
of backup media that is required, and significantly reduces
CPU and network overhead during backups.

You can perform a BLI backup with or without RMAN.

 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 183
About NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client

Table 13-1 Snapshot Client features used with NetBackup for Oracle
(continued)

Feature Description

Proxy copy A proxy copy is a special type of backup in which the

NetBackup for Oracle agent manages the control of the data
transfer. During the backup and restore operations, the proxy
copy enables the agent to manage the entire data movement
between the disks that contain the data files and the storage
devices that NetBackup manages.

Backups and restores remain tightly integrated with Oracle

and its catalog, greatly simplifying administration tasks.

File-based operations Oracle provides the list of files that require backup or restore
to NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client.

See “NetBackup for Oracle file-based operations” on page 185.

Stream-based operations Stream-based operations are the standard NetBackup

implementation of conventional NetBackup for Oracle backup
and restore.

See “NetBackup for Oracle stream-based operations”

on page 184.

Proxy copy
A proxy copy is a special type of backup in which the NetBackup for Oracle agent
manages the control of the data transfer. During the backup and restore operations,
proxy copy enables the agent to manage the entire data movement between the
disks that contain the data files and the storage devices that NetBackup manages.
With proxy copy, RMAN provides a list of files that require backup or restore to the
NetBackup for Oracle agent. The agent determines how the data is moved and
when to move the data. Proxy copy is an extension to Oracle’s Media Management
API.
Backups and restores remain tightly integrated with RMAN and its catalog, which
greatly simplifies administration tasks.
See “Optimizing and deduplicating stream-based and proxy copy Oracle backups”
on page 251.
See “Proxy backup examples” on page 191.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 184
About NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client

NetBackup for Oracle stream-based operations

Stream-based operations are the standard NetBackup implementation of
conventional RMAN backup and restore. In a stream-based backup, NetBackup
moves the data that the server process provides. NetBackup captures the data
stream content that RMAN provides. If the user has specified multiple streams,
then RMAN opens multiple streams and NetBackup catalogs them as separate
images.
Figure 13-1 represents a stream-based backup or restore.

Figure 13-1 NetBackup for Oracle RMAN stream-based backup or restore

Oracle Server

Data
Control commands
Oracle database Oracle database
disk disk

NetBackup

Storage

See “NetBackup for Oracle file-based operations” on page 185.

See “How NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client works” on page 186.
See “About NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client” on page 181.
See “Proxy copy” on page 183.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 185
About NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client

NetBackup for Oracle file-based operations

File-based operations are the NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client
implementation of Oracle proxy copy backups and restores. In a file-based operation,
RMAN provides the list of files that require backup or restore to NetBackup for
Oracle with Snapshot Client. NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client performs
the data movement.
Figure 13-2 represents a file-based backup or restore.

Figure 13-2 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client file-based backup or
restore

Oracle Server

Control commands
List of files
Oracle database Oracle database
disk disk
Data Data

NetBackup

Storage

See “NetBackup for Oracle stream-based operations” on page 184.

See “How NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client works” on page 186.
See “Proxy copy” on page 183.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 186
How NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client works

How NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client

works
NetBackup users or schedules start database backups or restores. The Oracle
Intelligent Policy automatically generates an RMAN script. The script-based policy
uses a shell script in the backup selections list of the Oracle policy. The shell script
specifies backup or restore commands for the Oracle Recovery Manager (RMAN)
to use when you perform the backup or restore on the client.
The RMAN backup proxy command initiates a proxy copy backup of the specified
objects. The objects that can be backed up using the proxy copy functionality depend
on the Oracle version. RMAN translates the objects into the physical file names
and provides a list of file names to NetBackup for Oracle.
See “Database objects supported by advanced backup methods” on page 187.
The agent checks that the policy it uses for the backup is configured with the
appropriate Snapshot Client attributes. The agent then initiates file-based backups
of the Oracle files and uses the NetBackup Snapshot Client interface to perform
the data movement.
When Oracle performs proxy copy backups, it puts the data files being backed up
into backup mode. NetBackup then creates a snapshot of the files. After the snapshot
has been created, the NetBackup for Oracle agent signals back to Oracle to take
the data files out of backup mode. The data files being backed up are in backup
mode only for the period of time necessary to capture a snapshot of the data.
See “About the NetBackup for Oracle backup and restore operations” on page 187.
See “About configuring Snapshot Client with NetBackup for Oracle” on page 194.
See “Database objects supported by advanced backup methods” on page 187.
See “About NetBackup multistreaming” on page 188.
See “RMAN multiple channels” on page 188.
See “Restoring data files to a new location” on page 189.
See “Redirecting a restore to a different client” on page 189.
See “Symbolic links and raw data files (UNIX)” on page 190.
See “Quick I/O data files (UNIX)” on page 190.
See “RMAN incremental backups” on page 190.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 187
How NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client works

About the NetBackup for Oracle backup and restore operations

For a backup operation, the NetBackup for Oracle agent performs the following
steps:
■ Receives a list of files to back up from RMAN.
■ A unique backup file name identifies each file in the NetBackup catalog. To
ensure that this procedure occurs, use the format operand to give each data
file a unique name.
■ Queries the policy to check whether the Snapshot Client policy attributes are
specified.
■ Initiates a configured number of Snapshot Client backups and waits until the
jobs are completed.
See “About NetBackup multistreaming” on page 188.
For a restore operation, the NetBackup for Oracle agent performs the following
steps:
■ Receives a list of files to restore from RMAN.
■ Sends a restore request to the NetBackup server for all files in the list.
■ Waits for NetBackup to restore all files in the file list.
See “How NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client works” on page 186.
See “Database objects supported by advanced backup methods” on page 187.
See “About NetBackup multistreaming” on page 188.
See “RMAN multiple channels” on page 188.
See “RMAN incremental backups” on page 190.
See “Proxy backup examples” on page 191.

Database objects supported by advanced backup methods

Oracle controls the kinds of database objects that can be backed up by proxy copy
and, therefore, what NetBackup can back up using Snapshot Client backup methods.
Oracle allows proxy copy backups of databases, tablespaces, and data files. With
Oracle 10g releases and later, Oracle also allows proxy copy backups of archived
redo logs. As a result, NetBackup can use file-based Snapshot Client backup
methods to back up these objects.
For control files, Oracle RMAN performs conventional stream-based backups only.
NetBackup for Oracle must use stream-based backups for control files even when
you use Snapshot Client methods for the other database objects.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 188
How NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client works

The Oracle Intelligent Policy handles both stream-based and file-based components.
File-based and stream-based backups require different configurations. When
configuring your NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client backups, be sure to
configure a policy that allows both stream-based and file-based backups.
See “About the NetBackup for Oracle backup and restore operations” on page 187.
See “How NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client works” on page 186.
See “About NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client” on page 181.
See “Proxy backup examples” on page 191.
See “NetBackup for Oracle stream-based operations” on page 184.
See “NetBackup for Oracle file-based operations” on page 185.

About NetBackup multistreaming

On the initial call, NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client returns a special entry
to RMAN indicating that it supports proxy copy. It also indicates to RMAN that it
supports an unlimited number of files to be proxy-copied in a single proxy copy
session. The number of channels that are allocated for the RMAN backup proxy
command does not control the degree of parallelism for proxy backups. RMAN uses
only one channel for proxy copy backups except when a specific configuration is
used.
The NB_ORA_PC_STREAMS variable controls the number of proxy copy backup streams
to be started. By default, the agent initiates one backup job for all files. If the RMAN
send command passes NB_ORA_PC_STREAMS, NetBackup for Oracle splits the files
into the number of groups that the variable specifies based on the file size. The
agent attempts to create streams of equal size and determines the number of
processes that run to perform the backup.
See “How NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client works” on page 186.
See “About NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client” on page 181.
See “Proxy backup examples” on page 191.

RMAN multiple channels

If you allocate multiple channels for an RMAN proxy copy backup session, RMAN
uses only one channel to perform a proxy backup of all objects. All other channels
can be used for a stream-based (non-proxy) backup of the control file or archived
redo logs.
See “Proxy backup examples” on page 191.
See “How NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client works” on page 186.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 189
How NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client works

See “RMAN incremental backups” on page 190.

Restoring data files to a new location

NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client can restore the data files that are backed
up by proxy to a new location. The new location can be specified by using the RMAN
set newname command or ALTER DATABASE RENAME DATAFILE statement before
a restore is initiated. For example, to restore a data file for tablespace TEST to a
new location, you can use the following RMAN commands:

RUN
{
allocate channel t1 'SBT_TAPE';
sql 'alter tablespace TEST offline immediate'
# restore the datafile to a new location
set newname for datafile '/oradata/test.f' to
'/oradata_new/test.f';
restore tablespace TEST;
# make the control file recognize the restored file as current
switch datafile all;
recover tablespace TEST;
release channel t1;
}

The RMAN procedure for the data files that are backed up by proxy is the same as
for conventionally backed up data files. RMAN knows that the data files were backed
up by proxy, and it issues a proxy restore request to NetBackup for Oracle, which
restores the data files to the new location. For more information on the required
procedure, see your Oracle documentation.
See “How NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client works” on page 186.
See “Redirecting a restore to a different client” on page 189.
See “Performing a snapshot rollback restore using a script or RMAN command”
on page 201.

Redirecting a restore to a different client

The procedure for restoring a proxy backup to a different destination client is the
same as the procedure for stream-based, non-proxy backups.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 190
How NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client works

Symbolic links and raw data files (UNIX)

NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client backs up and restores the data files
that consist of symbolic links and regular files. Both the symbolic link and the file
are backed up and restored. However, if you selected Retain snapshots for instant
recovery then the symbolic link must reside on the same file system as the data
file. When you use instant recovery, if the symbolic link resides on a different file
system than the data file it points to, the restore fails.
NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client backs up and restores data files created
on raw partitions.
See “How NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client works” on page 186.
See “Quick I/O data files (UNIX)” on page 190.

Quick I/O data files (UNIX)

NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client backs up and restores Quick I/O Oracle
data files. A Quick I/O file consists of two components: a hidden file with space
allocated for it and a link that points to the Quick I/O interface of the hidden file.
On the backup, NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client follows the symbolic
link and backs up both components of the Quick I/O file: the symbolic link and the
hidden file.
On the restore, NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client restores both components
from the backup image. If one or both of the components are missing, NetBackup
for Oracle with Snapshot Client creates the missing component(s).
See “How NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client works” on page 186.
See “Symbolic links and raw data files (UNIX)” on page 190.

RMAN incremental backups

You can use proxy copy backups as a part of the incremental strategy with
conventional non-proxy RMAN backups. RMAN lets you create a proxy copy
incremental level 0 backup. This backup can be the base for subsequent RMAN
traditional incremental backups (level 1-n). To accomplish this backup, perform a
snapshot proxy copy (file-based) level 0 incremental backup and follow with an
RMAN traditional (stream-based) level 1-n incremental backup.
In Oracle 10g it is possible to track changed blocks using a change tracking file.
Enabling change tracking does produce a small amount of database overhead, but
it greatly improves the performance of incremental backups. Use the ALTER
DATABASE ENABLE BLOCK CHANGE TRACKING; sqlplus command to enable block
change tracking on the database.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 191
How NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client works

In the following example, the first run command initiates a proxy copy backup of
tablespace tbs1. NetBackup for Oracle uses a snapshot file-based backup to
perform a full tablespace backup. RMAN designates this backup as eligible for
incremental level 1-n backups. The second run command initiates a traditional
non-proxy level 1 incremental backup of the same tablespace tbs1. In this case,
NetBackup for Oracle performs a stream-based backup.

run {
allocate channel t1 type 'SBT_TAPE';
backup
incremental level 0
proxy
format ’bk_%U_%t’
tablespace tbs1;
release channel t1;
}

run {
allocate channel t1 type 'SBT_TAPE';
backup
incremental level 1
format ’bk_%U_%t’
tablespace tbs1;
release channel t1;
}

See “How NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client works” on page 186.
See “RMAN multiple channels” on page 188.
See “Proxy backup examples” on page 191.

Proxy backup examples

The Oracle Intelligent Policy automatically creates the RMAN proxy script. In some
instances, you need to create a custom script specific to your environment.
The following examples show how to use multiple channels in RMAN scripts with
proxy backups.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 192
How NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client works

Table 13-2 Proxy backup examples

Backup example Sample script

This RMAN sample script initiates a whole run {

database backup, which includes the control allocate channel t1 type 'SBT_TAPE';
file. RMAN starts one proxy copy backup send 'NB_ORA_PC_STREAMS=3';
session by sending a list of all data files to backup proxy
the NetBackup for Oracle agent on channel format 'bk_%U_%t'
t1. (database);
release channel t1;
}

The agent splits the files into three streams and initiates a file-based
backup for each stream. After the proxy backup is done, RMAN starts
a non-proxy conventional backup of the control file on channel t1.

This RMAN sample script initiates a whole run {

database backup, which includes the control allocate channel t1 type 'SBT_TAPE';
file. RMAN starts one proxy copy backup allocate channel t2 type 'SBT_TAPE';
session by sending a list of all data files to send 'NB_ORA_PC_STREAMS=3';
the NetBackup for Oracle agent on channel backup proxy
t1. The agent splits the files into three format 'bk_%U_%t'
streams and initiates a file-based backup for (database);
each stream. At the same time, RMAN starts release channel t1;
a non-proxy conventional backup of the release channel t2;
control file on channel t2. }

If the RMAN recovery catalog is not used, the version of the control file
being backed up does not contain information about the current backup.
To include the information about the current backup, back up the control
file as the last step in the backup operation. This step is not necessary
if the recovery catalog is used.

Run {
allocate channel t1 type 'SBT_TAPE';
backup
format 'cntrl_%s_%p_%t'
current controlfile;
release channel t1;
}
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 193
How NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client works

Table 13-2 Proxy backup examples (continued)

Backup example Sample script

In this sample script, RMAN initiates two run {

proxy copy backups sequentially on channel allocate channel t1 type 'SBT_TAPE';
t1. It starts a proxy backup of tablespace backup proxy
tbs1 data files. After the backup is done, it format 'bk_%U_%t'
starts another proxy backup of tablespace (tablespace tbs1);
tbs2 data files. backup proxy
format 'bk_%U_%t'
(tablespace tbs2);
release channel t1;
}

This configuration can cause problems if the sequential backups create

snapshots on the same or a separate volume that share a snapshot
resource specification. In such a situation, issue a single backup
command such as the following which specifies both tablespaces rather
than two separate backup commands:

run {
allocate channel t1 type 'SBT_TAPE';
backup proxy
format 'bk_%U_%t'
(tablespace tbs1, tbs2);
release channel t1;
}

In this example, RMAN distributes proxy run {

copy backups over two channels. It creates allocate channel t1 type 'SBT_TAPE';
two proxy copy backup sessions sending send ’NB_ORA_POLICY=policy1’;
tbs1 data files on channel t1 and tbs2 allocate channel t2 type 'SBT_TAPE';
data files on channel t2. Such a method is send ’NB_ORA_POLICY=policy2’;
useful if you want to specify different backup proxy
NetBackup configurations for each channel. format 'bk_%U_%t'
In this example, each send command (tablespace tbs1 channel t1);
specifies a different policy that is sent to the (tablespace tbs2 channel t2);
proxy backups. Each of the proxy backups release channel t1;
uses this policy. release channel t2;
}

See “RMAN incremental backups” on page 190.

See “Database objects supported by advanced backup methods” on page 187.
See “RMAN multiple channels” on page 188.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 194
About configuring Snapshot Client with NetBackup for Oracle

See “About NetBackup multistreaming” on page 188.

See “RMAN incremental backups” on page 190.

About configuring Snapshot Client with

NetBackup for Oracle
This topic explains how to configure snapshot and instant recovery backups for the
Oracle policy. For information on how a snapshot method is automatically selected
and details on the types of backup methods, see the NetBackup Snapshot Client
Administrator’s Guide.
Snapshot backups do not back up all database objects. Your backup configuration
must include one or more automatic schedules to perform snapshot backups and
one or more application schedules to perform stream-based backups. This
configuration ensures that the entire database can be restored successfully.
For snapshot or instant recovery backups, configure the following policies and
schedules as follows:
■ A Oracle policy with the following attributes:
■ Snapshot methods for the file systems in which the database files reside.
■ A backup method on the policy attributes dialog box.
■ An Automatic Full Backup schedule to perform snapshot and off-host backups
of the database.
■ (Conditional) For script-based policies: An Application Backup schedule to
back up the transaction logs.

To use NAS snapshot with NetBackup for Oracle, the Oracle database must be
installed and configured to work in a NAS environment.
If you want to use a SnapVault storage unit, make sure that the storage unit is
configured before you start configuring the NAS snapshot policy.
For more information about NAS snapshot and SnapVault, see the NetBackup
Snapshot Client Administrator’s Guide.

Configuration requirements for snapshot backups with NetBackup

for Oracle
Each agent has its own hardware requirements, software requirements, compatibility
with certain features, and the snapshot methods that are supported. Special
requirements apply for specific types of backups. See the NetBackup Snapshot
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 195
About configuring Snapshot Client with NetBackup for Oracle

Client Administrator’s Guide and the Veritas Support website for more information.
Familiarize yourself with this information before you configure any snapshot backups.
The following list highlights some of the requirements that pertain to database
agents:
■ Snapshot Client backups do not back up all database objects. Your backup
configuration must include schedules to perform snapshot and stream-based
backups. This configuration ensures that the entire database can be restored
successfully.
■ On UNIX, the user identification and group identification numbers (UIDs and
GIDs) associated with the files to be backed up must be available. The UID and
GID must be available to both the primary client and the alternate backup client.
The UID on the primary client and the alternate backup client must be the same.
Similarly, the GID on the primary client and the alternate backup client must be
the same.

Note: The UID number can be different than the GID number.

■ Allocate different areas for data files, archived redo logs, and the control file for
database activities. Write the data files to their own repository because it is
required for an instant recovery point-in-time rollback. Only data files can exist
on the volume or the file system that you want to restore.
■ The hardware and software that is required for the appropriate snapshot method
must be installed and configured correctly.
■ NetBackup Snapshot Client must be installed and configured correctly, and the
license for this option must be registered.
■ To perform off-host backups, perform any special configuration that is required.
See “About configuring Snapshot Client with NetBackup for Oracle” on page 194.
See “Configuring a snapshot policy for NetBackup for Oracle” on page 195.

Configuring a snapshot policy for NetBackup for Oracle

The following procedure shows how to configure a snapshot policy with optional
instant recovery, snapshot retention, and off-host backup.
This procedure does not detail how to configure a snapshot policy when a NetBackup
appliance is used.
See “ Configuring a snapshot policy using a share on the NetBackup appliance
(Oracle Copilot)” on page 198.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 196
About configuring Snapshot Client with NetBackup for Oracle

To configure a snapshot policy

1 In the web UI, open the policy you want to configure.
2 Click on the Attributes tab.
3 Select the Oracle policy type.
4 Select a policy storage unit from the Policy storage list.
Select a policy storage unit in this step even if you plan to select Instant
Recovery Snapshots Only later in this procedure.
NetBackup uses this storage unit for the stream-based backups of the control
files and the archived redo logs this policy includes.
5 Click Perform snapshot backups.
6 (Optional) Click Snapshot options to choose a snapshot method.
By default NetBackup chooses a snapshot method for you. To choose a
snapshot method, click auto (the default) or click one of the methods that are
presented in the list.
The snapshot method that you can use depends on your hardware environment
and software environment. Only certain snapshot methods are supported in
certain environments. See the Veritas Support website for more information.
You can configure only one snapshot method per policy. For example, assume
that you want one snapshot method for clients a, b, and c, and a different
method for clients d, e, and f. Then you need to create two policies for each
group of clients and select one method for each policy.
7 (Optional) Select Retain snapshot for Instant Recovery or SLP management.
When this option is selected, NetBackup retains the snapshot backup image
on disk for later use in recovery.
8 (Optional) Select Perform off-host backup.
By default, the client that hosts the database performs the backup. If you want
to reduce the I/O processing load on the client that hosts the database, specify
an alternate client to perform the backup.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 197
About configuring Snapshot Client with NetBackup for Oracle

9 (Conditional) Select an off-host backup method.

The following off-host backup methods are available:

Alternate client If you select Alternate client, also specify the name of the client
(UNIX and to perform the backup. This option may require additional
Windows clients) configuration. The alternate client must be a client that shares the
disk array.

Data mover (UNIX If you click Data mover, select Network Attached Storage.
clients only).

10 Click the Schedules tab.

11 Click Add.
12 Configure a schedule for the database files.
13 (Conditional) To create only disk images, under Instant Recovery select
Snapshots only.
This setting suppresses NetBackup’s default behavior, which is to copy the
snapshot to a storage unit. When you select Snapshots only, NetBackup
creates the on-disk snapshot copy of the database, but it does not copy the
snapshot to a storage unit. The on-disk snapshot becomes the only backup
copy. Note that the on-disk snapshot is not considered to be a replacement
for a traditional backup.
14 (Conditional) On the Schedules tab, configure a backup schedule for the
control files or archived redo logs.
■ Oracle Intelligent Policy backup policy. Configure an Archived Redo Log
Backup schedule for this policy.
■ Script-based backup policy. Configure an Application Backup schedule
for this policy.
NetBackup uses this storage unit for the stream-based backups of the control
files and the logs that are included in this policy. NetBackup copies the
database’s control files and archived redo logs to the storage unit you select.
15 Configure the Clients, instances, or instance groups.
■ Oracle Intelligent Policy backup policy. On the Instances and Databases
tab, specify the instances or instance group, to be included in this policy.
■ Script-based backup policy. On the Clients tab, specify the clients to be
included in this policy.

16 On the Backup Selections tab, specify the correct setup depending on policy
setup.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 198
About configuring Snapshot Client with NetBackup for Oracle

■ Oracle Intelligent Policy backup policy. Use the radio button to select Whole
Database, Partial database – Tablespaces, Partial database – Datafiles,
Fast Recovery Area, Database backup shares, or Whole Database -
Datafile Copy Share when using this type of policy.
■ Script-based backup policy. Specify the backup script when you use this
type of policy.
More information is available about how to use scripts for a NetBackup for
Oracle policy with Snapshot Client.
See “About Snapshot Client effects” on page 208.
17 Configure other attributes and add any additional schedules and backup
selections.

Configuring a snapshot policy using a share on the NetBackup

appliance (Oracle Copilot)

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

Use the following procedure to configure an Oracle snapshot policy that uses
Database Backup Shares or Whole Database - Datafile Copy Share options.
This procedure uses the Oracle Intelligent Policy, which makes configuration easier.
To configure a snapshot policy using a NetBackup appliance share
1 In the web UI, open the policy you want to configure or create a new policy.
2 Select the Attributes tab.
3 Select Oracle as the policy type if this policy is new.
4 Select a policy storage unit from the Policy storage list.
Oracle combines snapshots (proxy) and stream-based backups as part of the
same backup. The storage that is indicated here is used for the stream-based
part of the Database backup shares or Whole Database - Datafile Copy
Share backup.
Select a storage lifecycle policy that is configured to contain the stream-based
(non-snapshot) part of the database backup. The storage must use a storage
lifecycle policy that is configured for non-snapshot backups.
5 Select Perform snapshot backups.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 199
About configuring Snapshot Client with NetBackup for Oracle

6 Click Snapshot options to choose a snapshot method.

When you use the Database backup shares or Whole Database - Datafile
Copy Share options, remote_vxfs is the only valid snapshot method.

Note: If there is more than one backup share that is associated with the
database instance, then Maximum Snapshots should be set to number of
recovery points you want multiplied with number of backup shares. Example:
If you want three recovery snapshot points and the database instance is
associated with two backup shares then Maximum Snapshots should be set
to 6.

7 Select Retain snapshot for Instant Recovery or SLP management.

8 Select the Schedules tab.
9 Click Add.
10 Configure a Full schedule for the database backup shares.
■ Type of backup: Select Full Backup. The Full Backup is used for both
the snapshot part of the database and the non-snapshot (stream-based)
part of the Oracle database.
■ Override policy storage selection: Enable and select the SLP that is
configured for a snapshot. (A snapshot SLP is one in which the first
operation is a snapshot operation.) This option must be enabled so that the
schedule storage overrides the policy storage with a snapshot SLP.
■ Retention: The retention for the streamed data is based on the
non-snapshot SLP that was indicated as the Policy storage in Step 4.
■ The non-snapshot SLP specified on the policy storage in Step 4
determines the retention for the streamed data.
■ The snapshot SLP that is specified as the schedule storage (Override
policy storage selection) determines the retention for the snapshot
data.

When Database backup shares or Whole Database - Datafile Copy Share

is selected, it is recommended that an SLP is set up to backup from the
snapshots and copy snapshots to a storage unit. NetBackup retains the
snapshot backup image on disk for later use in SLP management.
Click Add to save the schedule.
11 (Optional) On the Schedules tab, configure an Archived Redo Log Backup
schedule for the archived redo logs.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 200
Restoring NetBackup for Oracle from a snapshot backup

12 Select the Instances and Databases tab and specify the instances to back
up. The policy must include at least one instance. To continue to use the Oracle
Intelligent Policy method, select either Protect instances or Protect instance
groups.
13 On the Backup Selections tab, use the radio button to select Database
Backup Shares or Whole Database - Datafile Copy Share options.
14 (Optional) Configure other attributes and add any additional schedules.

Note: The NetBackup appliance media server can only be configured in a pure
IPv4 or dual stack IPv4/IPv6 mode.

Restoring NetBackup for Oracle from a snapshot

backup
The following topics describe how to restore files, volumes, and file systems from
a snapshot backup:
■ See “About restoring individual files from a NetBackup for Oracle snapshot
backup” on page 200.
■ See “About NetBackup for Oracle restores of volumes and file systems using
snapshot rollback” on page 201.
■ See “Performing a NetBackup for Oracle point-in-time rollback restore from a
SnapVault backup (UNIX)” on page 202.

About restoring individual files from a NetBackup for Oracle snapshot

backup
Data that is backed up with Snapshot Client methods is restored in the same way
as data that is backed up without Snapshot Client methods.
Use this procedure for the files that were backed up with, or without, instant recovery
enabled. In all cases, Oracle determines the files that were backed up, and it initiates
a corresponding restore request to the database agent.
If instant recovery is enabled, NetBackup attempts to restore the file by using the
unique restore methods available with the instant recovery feature. The type of
restore method that NetBackup uses depends on your environment and the type
of backup performed. If NetBackup is unable to use any of the instant recovery
methods, it restores the file in the typical manner. Data is copied from the snapshot
to the primary file system. Information on the instant recovery methods that
NetBackup uses is available.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 201
Restoring NetBackup for Oracle from a snapshot backup

See the NetBackup Snapshot Client Administrator’s Guide.

About NetBackup for Oracle restores of volumes and file systems

using snapshot rollback
You can request that an entire volume or an entire file system be restored from an
instant recovery Snapshot backup. This type of a restore is called a point in time
rollback. All the data in the snapshot is restored; single file restore is not available
in a rollback.
See the NetBackup Snapshot Client Administrator’s Guide.
The following considerations are relevant for NetBackup for Oracle restores:
■ Snapshot rollback overwrites the entire volume.
■ With NetBackup for Oracle, snapshot rollback always performs file verification.
The agent checks for the following:
■ The requested files (number and names) are identical to those in the snapshot
■ The primary volume does not contain any files that were created after the
snapshot was made
If verification fails, the rollback aborts with status 249.

Performing a snapshot rollback restore using a script or

RMAN command
This topic describes how to perform a snapshot rollback restore using a script or
RMAN command.

Note: If the data file you want to restore has not changed since it was backed up,
the rollback may fail. Initiate the restore from a script and use the Oracle FORCE
option.

To specify a snapshot rollback restore using a script or RMAN command, follow

this example:
■ If you want to use a shell script or RMAN command, set a new variable,
NB_PC_ORA_RESTORE=rollback

■ Example:

RUN {
allocate channel t1 'SBT_TAPE';
send 'NB_ORA_PC_RESTORE=rollback';
sql 'alter tablespace TEST offline immediate'
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 202
Restoring NetBackup for Oracle from a snapshot backup

restore tablespace TEST;

recover tablespace TEST;
release channel t1;
}

See “How NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client works” on page 186.
See “About restoring individual files from a NetBackup for Oracle snapshot backup”
on page 200.
See “About NetBackup for Oracle restores of volumes and file systems using
snapshot rollback” on page 201.
See “Performing a NetBackup for Oracle point-in-time rollback restore from a
SnapVault backup (UNIX)” on page 202.

Performing a NetBackup for Oracle point-in-time rollback

restore from a SnapVault backup (UNIX)
When you select a point-in-time rollback restore from a SnapVault backup,
NetBackup restores the entire subvolume (qtree) to a new subvolume (qtree) on
the primary host. The restore does not overwrite the existing subvolume. File
verification is not performed.
The format of the new subvolume name is as follows:
mountpointname_restore.timestamp

For example: subvol1_restore.2005.05.19.10h49m04s

To perform a NetBackup for Oracle point-in-time rollback restore from a
SnapVault backup (UNIX)
1 Unmount the original subvolume, which is the subvolume that the restore
process did not overwrite.
2 Rename the original subvolume.
3 Rename the new subvolume with the name of the original.
4 Mount the new subvolume on the client. Use the ALTER DATABASE RENAME
DATAFILE command to point to the restored data file on the newly created
subvolume.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 203
About configuring NetBackup for Oracle block-level incremental backups on UNIX

About configuring NetBackup for Oracle

block-level incremental backups on UNIX
If only a small portion of a database changes on a daily basis, full database backups
are costly in terms of time and media. The Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backup
interface extends the capabilities of NetBackup to back up only the file system
blocks that contain changed data blocks.
A database BLI backup is done at the file system block level, which means only
changed file blocks are backed up. Unchanged blocks within the files are not backed
up. The VxFS Storage Checkpoint facility tracks changed blocks in real time.
Accordingly, a BLI backup does not need to search the entire volume for the modified
blocks at backup time. BLI backup saves time, decreases the amount of backup
media that is required, and significantly reduces CPU and network overhead during
backups. In addition, BLI backup allows more frequent backups, so backup images
are more up to date.
BLI backup is particularly useful for any large databases that are sized in terms of
hundreds of gigabytes or terabytes. Most traditional methods for database backup
require that any change in the database—no matter how small—requires that the
entire database is backed up. With BLI backup, only modified blocks (or file) need
to be backed up.
The recommended method for performing BLI backups is the proxy BLI agent with
RMAN. This method supports the other features of NetBackup for Oracle, including
the policy types and schedules. It also remains tightly integrated with RMAN and
its catalog, which greatly simplifies administration tasks.
You can also perform backups with the script-based BLI method without RMAN.
See “About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN”
on page 270.

Note: Veritas recommends that Snapshot Client users who want to perform BLI
backups use BLI with RMAN.
NetBackup for Oracle also provides a method for BLI backup without RMAN that
uses scripts to put tablespaces into, and take them out of, backup mode. This
method is not recommended, and it requires a significantly different configuration.
But for Oracle 12c, using script-based BLI backups without the use of RMAN are
not supported.

See “How BLI works with NetBackup for Oracle (UNIX)” on page 204.
See “Configuration requirements for BLI backups with NetBackup for Oracle”
on page 206.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 204
About configuring NetBackup for Oracle block-level incremental backups on UNIX

See “Configuring policies for BLI backups with NetBackup for Oracle” on page 206.
See “About NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client” on page 181.
See “How NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client works” on page 186.

How BLI works with NetBackup for Oracle (UNIX)

NetBackup supports BLI full backups and BLI incremental backups of Oracle
databases.
BLI backup supports two types of incremental backups: differential and cumulative.
Full, differential incremental, and cumulative incremental backups are specified as
part of the policy schedule configuration. When a restore is performed, NetBackup
restores an appropriate full backup. Then it applies the changed blocks from the
incremental backups.
Restoring any of the incremental backup images requires NetBackup to restore the
last full backup image and all the subsequent incremental backups. The restore
process continues until the specified incremental backup image is restored.
NetBackup performs this restore process automatically, and it is completely
transparent. The media that stored the last full backup and the subsequent
incremental backups must be available, or the restore cannot proceed.
Note that restoring a file rewrites all blocks in that file. The first subsequent
differential incremental backup and or all subsequent cumulative incremental
backups back up all the blocks in the restored file. After an entire database is
restored, the first subsequent backup results in a full backup.
The restore destination can be a VxFS, UFS (Solaris), JFS (AIX), or HFS (HP-UX)
file system. The destination VxFS file system does not need to support the Storage
Checkpoint feature to restore files. However, a VxFS file system with the Storage
Checkpoint feature is needed to perform BLI backups of the restored data.
This topic uses the following terms to describe BLI backups:
■ Full Backup.
A backup in which NetBackup backs up each database file completely, not just
data blocks that have changed since the last full or incremental backup.
■ Cumulative BLI Backup.
This type of backup is a backup of all the changed blocks in the database files
since the last full backup. A cumulative BLI backup image contains only the data
blocks of database files that changed since the last full backup. A cumulative
BLI backup can reduce the number of incremental backup images that must be
applied during a restore operation. This speeds up the restore process.
■ Differential BLI backup.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 205
About configuring NetBackup for Oracle block-level incremental backups on UNIX

A backup in which NetBackup performs a backup of only those data blocks

(within the database files) that changed since the last backup. The previous
backup can be of type full, cumulative incremental, or differential incremental.
When NetBackup initiates BLI backups, it creates, manages, and uses the
appropriate Storage Checkpoints of the filesystem(s) hosting the Oracle data file
systems. These Storage Checkpoints identify and maintain a list of modified blocks.

About the Storage Checkpoint facility and NetBackup for Oracle

The BLI backup methodology uses the Storage Checkpoint facility in the Veritas
File System (VxFS). This facility is available through the Storage Foundation for
Oracle.
The VxFS Storage Checkpoint facility keeps track of the file blocks modified by the
database since the last backup. NetBackup with BLI backup leverages this facility
to back up only changed blocks for an incremental backup. The entire volume or
file is not backed up.
VxFS Storage Checkpoint is a disk-efficient and I/O-efficient snapshot of file systems.
A Storage Checkpoint provides a consistent, stable view of a file system at the
instant when the file system was snapped or checkpointed. Instead of making a
physically separate copy of the file system, a Storage Checkpoint tracks changed
file system blocks. Disk space is saved and I/O overhead is significantly reduced.
Because the changed blocks are tracked, the VxFS Storage Checkpoint enables
BLI backups. VxFS Storage Checkpoint facility provides a consistent view of file
systems, which allows BLI backup to freeze the database image during database
backups.
The Storage Checkpoint operation is similar to the snapshot file system mechanism.
However, the Storage Checkpoint persists after a system restart which is unlike a
snapshot. Also, the Storage Checkpoint operation is totally transparent to backup
administrators. The Checkpoint image is managed and available only through
NetBackup or through the VxDBA utility for database backup available with the
Veritas Storage Foundation.
For more information on Storage Checkpoints, see the Veritas Storage Foundation
Administrator’s Guide.
You can take a Storage Checkpoint while the database is online or offline. To take
a Storage Checkpoint while the database is online, you must enable archive log
mode. During the creation of the Storage Checkpoint, all tablespaces are placed
in backup mode.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 206
About configuring NetBackup for Oracle block-level incremental backups on UNIX

Configuration requirements for BLI backups with NetBackup for

Oracle
Before you configure BLI backups, make sure that your configuration meets the
following requirements:
■ NetBackup for Oracle is installed, licensed, and configured.
■ NetBackup Snapshot Client is installed and configured, and the primary server
must have a valid license for this option.
■ Veritas Storage Foundation for Oracle must be installed and configured.
■ Veritas File System must have Storage Checkpoint licensed.
For more information on requirements, see the NetBackup Snapshot Client
Administrator’s Guide.

Configuring policies for BLI backups with NetBackup for Oracle

This topic explains how to configure BLI backups for Oracle policies. BLI backups
do not back up all database objects. Include schedules to perform stream-based
backups.
Your backup configuration must ensure that the entire database can be successfully
restored.
See “Configuration requirements for BLI backups with NetBackup for Oracle”
on page 206.
To configure a policy for BLI backups, configure the following:
■ The BLI backup method on the policy attributes dialog box.
■ An Automatic Backup schedule to perform full and incremental snapshot
backups of the data files.
■ An Application Backup schedule to perform a stream-based backup of control
files and archived redo logs. These files are backed up with standard RMAN
operations.
To configure a policy for BLI backups
1 Open the policy you want to configure.
2 Click the Attributes tab.
3 From the Policy Type list, choose Oracle.
4 Select a Policy storage.
5 Select Perform block level incremental backups.
6 To configure schedules, click the Schedules tab.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 207
About configuring NetBackup for Oracle block-level incremental backups on UNIX

Oracle does not support proxy backups of database control files and archived
redo logs. To perform a whole database proxy backup, which automatically
includes a backup of the control file, configure the following:
■ One or more automatic backup schedules to perform proxy BLI backups
of the data files.
■ An Application Backup schedule type to back up the control files and
archived redo logs.

7 On the Clients tab, specify clients to be backed up with this policy.

8 On the Backup Selections tab, specify the script.
See “About the types of NetBackup for Oracle BLI backups” on page 207.
See “How BLI works with NetBackup for Oracle (UNIX)” on page 204.
See “About the Storage Checkpoint facility and NetBackup for Oracle” on page 205.
See “About configuring NetBackup for Oracle block-level incremental backups on
UNIX” on page 203.

About the types of NetBackup for Oracle BLI backups

NetBackup performs BLI backups with Automatic Full Backup, Automatic Differential
Incremental Backup, and Automatic Cumulative Incremental Backup schedules.
If a user initiates a backup and the proxy schedule name is not specified on the
request with the NB_ORA_PC_SCHED environment variable, the NetBackup server
starts an Full Backup schedule by default.
NetBackup for Oracle checks that a full backup was performed before it proceeds
with an incremental backup. If the NetBackup scheduler or user initiates an
incremental backup, and NetBackup for Oracle finds no record of a full backup
using the same policy, it performs a full backup.
To ensure that it has a proper set of images to restore, NetBackup performs a full
backup when it encounters the following situations:
■ If the number of backup streams that is specified changed from the previous
backup. This change can be made in the NB_ORA_PC_STREAMS environment
variable.
■ If NetBackup does not have a valid full backup image for the same policy in its
database. For example, this situation can occur if images were expired.
■ If a new file was added to or deleted from the list of files for an incremental
backup.
NetBackup for Oracle always initiates a full backup under these conditions, even
if you want to perform an incremental backup.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 208
About Snapshot Client effects

About Snapshot Client effects

The following topics describe how the Snapshot Client software affects backup
types, schedule properties, scripts, and environment variables.

How Snapshot Client software affects backup types

The backup types available on the Schedules tab of the policy play a different role
for NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client backups.
See Table 13-3 on page 208.

Table 13-3 Backup types for Oracle policies

Backup type Description

Application Backup An application backup applies only to script-based policies not the
Oracle Intelligent Policies.

The Application Backup schedule stores stream-based backups.

The Default-Application-Backup schedule is automatically configured
as an Application Backup schedule.

Full backup The full and incremental backup schedule types automatically start
the backups by running the NetBackup for Oracle RMAN scripts.
Differential incremental
They also store the snapshot backups.
backup,
Note: For most snapshot types, any automatic backup schedule
Cumulative incremental
(full, cumulative, or differential) results in a full volume snapshot.
backup
BLI is the only snapshot method that can perform an incremental
backup.

See “How Snapshot Client software affects schedule properties” on page 208.
See “How Snapshot Client software affects scripts” on page 209.
See “ Oracle with Snapshot Client environment variables” on page 209.

How Snapshot Client software affects schedule properties

Some schedule properties have a different meaning for Snapshot Client database
backups than for a regular database backup. For a description of other schedule
properties, see the information that is specific to standard database agent backups.
See “About schedule properties ” on page 84.
Table 13-4 explains the properties for Snapshot Client backups.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 209
About Snapshot Client effects

Table 13-4 Schedule properties

Property Description

Retention Automatic Schedules:

Determines how long to retain history of the backups that the
primary server schedules and also how long to retain snapshot
backups.

Application Schedules:

Determines how long to retain stream-based backups.

Multiple Copies For snapshot backup, configure Multiple copies on the automatic
backup schedule.

For stream-based backups, configure Multiple copies on the

Application backup schedule.

Frequency Determines how often an Automatic schedule executes a backup.

Does not apply to Application backup schedules.

How Snapshot Client software affects scripts

When you use a script, you must enable the advanced backup method for your
clients. Configure this method on the Attributes tab of the policy. At run time, the
agent checks the policy attributes to determine if a Snapshot Client backup method
is configured and performs a proxy file-based backup.
See “About creating shell scripts” on page 97.
If you use a script, the script must reside on each client that is included in the policy.
Include the RMAN backup proxy command in the script to perform the advanced
backup method. Sample scripts are included with the installation.
See “How Snapshot Client software affects backup types” on page 208.
See “How Snapshot Client software affects schedule properties” on page 208.
See “ Oracle with Snapshot Client environment variables” on page 209.

Oracle with Snapshot Client environment variables

You can use environment variables to change the number of streams the proxy
copy session uses or to specify an alternate backup schedule.
The following list shows the variables that you can set that are specific to NetBackup
for Oracle with Snapshot Client:
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 210
About Snapshot Client effects

NB_ORA_PC_SCHED The NetBackup for Oracle schedule NetBackup uses for

a proxy copy file-based backup. (This schedule can be Full,
Differential Incremental, or Cumulative Incremental backup
type).

For scheduled backups, this variable is passed from the

scheduler.

NB_ORA_PC_STREAMS Specifies the number of backup streams that NetBackup

starts simultaneously in each proxy copy session. When a
backup starts, NetBackup groups all data files into a
specified number of backup streams that are based on the
file sizes. NetBackup tries to create streams of equal size.

The default value for NB_ORA_PC_STREAMS is 1.

Only a user can set this variable.

For NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client, the order of precedence for
environment variables is the same as for standard NetBackup for Oracle. Refer to
the instructions for how to configure the NetBackup and the user variables.
See “About configuring the run-time environment” on page 90.
NetBackup for Oracle installs sample scripts in the following location:
Windows:

install_path\NetBackup\dbext\oracle\samples\rman

UNIX:

/usr/openv/netbackup/ext/db_ext/oracle/samples/rman

The following are the scripts for NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client that
show how to configure the required variables:

Windows: This script sets the environment and calls RMAN

hot_database_backup_proxy.cmd with the appropriate command to perform a whole
database proxy backup. When NetBackup runs a
UNIX:
schedule, it sets the environment variables that
hot_database_backup_proxy.sh
NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client uses.
The script shows how to use the RMAN send
command to pass the NetBackup for Oracle with
Snapshot Client variables with a vendor-specific
quoted string.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 211
About Oracle support for Replication Director

Windows: This script sets the environment and calls RMAN

hot_tablespace_backup_proxy.cmd with the appropriate command to perform a
tablespace proxy backup.
UNIX:
hot_tablespace_backup_proxy.sh

If you use scripts, use the send command to pass the environment variables to the
agent. The following example uses the send command to specify the values for
NB_ORA_PC_SCHED and NB_ORA_PC_STREAMS:

run {
allocate channel t1 type 'SBT_TAPE';
send 'NB_ORA_PC_SCHED= sched, NB_ORA_PC_STREAMS= number’;
backup proxy
(database format 'bk_%U_%t');
}

For more information, see the sample scripts that are provided with the agent.
See “How NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client works” on page 186.
See “Performing a snapshot rollback restore using a script or RMAN command”
on page 201.
See “Proxy backup examples” on page 191.
See “How Snapshot Client software affects backup types” on page 208.
See “How Snapshot Client software affects schedule properties” on page 208.
See “How Snapshot Client software affects scripts” on page 209.

About Oracle support for Replication Director

Replication Director can be used to create snapshots of the Oracle database and
replicate the snapshots to other NetApp disk arrays. To use Replication Director,
the Oracle database must exist on a NetApp NAS disk array. (It is not supported
on SAN storage at this time.)
Oracle snapshot backups that use Replication Director are supported on UNIX
platforms only.
The administrator can create an Oracle policy to use Replication Director by using
either the following methods:
■ The Oracle Intelligent Policy (recommended).
See “Configuring an Oracle Intelligent Policy using Replication Director”
on page 212.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 212
About Oracle support for Replication Director

■ Create a script-based Oracle policy.

See “Configuring a script-based Oracle policy” on page 216.
Table 13-5 describes the differences between the two methods:

Table 13-5 Differences in Oracle snapshot policy setup

Configuration Oracle Intelligent Policy Script-based Oracle policy

Scripts ■ All scripts that are necessary to protect all ■ NetBackup can continue to use custom scripts
parts of the database are automatically to perform database backups.
generated at run-time. ■ The administrator must know how to configure
■ The administrator does not need to know how RMAN scripts.
to configure RMAN scripts. ■ The administrator must set the retention levels
■ The retention levels for the different parts of for the different parts of the database
the database are automatically assigned. correctly.
■ The administrator must ensure that a
snapshot of the proxy data is created.

Schedules The administrator configures only one schedule The administrator must configure two schedules
that backs up all parts of the database and sets with two retentions:
the correct retention automatically.
■ One Full Backup schedule to back up the
The Archived Redo Log schedule is not snapshot (proxy) data part of the database.
supported with a snapshot backup. ■ One Application Backup schedule to back
up the stream-based part of the Oracle
database.

The Archived Redo Log schedule is available

with a configured script.

Backups User-directed backups are not supported. To User-directed backups are supported.
attempt a user-directed backup (results in a
status 240 (no schedules of the correct type exist
in this policy).

Load balancing RAC load balancing is not supported. RAC load balancing is supported.

Configuring an Oracle Intelligent Policy using Replication Director

Use the following procedure to configure an Oracle snapshot policy that uses
Replication Director. This procedure uses the Oracle Intelligent Policy, which makes
configuration easier.
To create an Oracle Intelligent Policy
1 In the web UI, select Protection > Policies.
2 Click Add.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 213
About Oracle support for Replication Director

3 Select the Attributes tab.

4 Provide a unique name for the policy.
5 The following items are specific to creating an Oracle policy for snapshots with
Replication Director:
■ Policy type
For NetBackup to perform Oracle backups, select Oracle. An Oracle tab
appears.
■ Policy storage
Oracle combines snapshots (proxy) and stream-based backups as part of
the same backup. The storage that is indicated here is used for the
stream-based part of the Replication Director backup.
Select a storage lifecycle policy that is configured to contain the
stream-based (non-snapshot) part of the database backup. The storage
must use a storage lifecycle policy that is configured for non-snapshot
backups.
■ Use Replication Director
Enable Use Replication Director to automatically select other options that
Replication Director requires:
■ Perform snapshot backups: Ensures that the policy creates snapshots
of the disk array.
■ Retain snapshots for Instant Recovery or SLP management: Ensures
that the policy retains the snapshot after the backup completes.
■ Snapshot options button
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 214
About Oracle support for Replication Director

Snapshot ■ Auto (default): The OpenStorage partner uses the best

Type snapshot technology available to that partner to create the
snapshot.
■ Differential: The OpenStorage partner creates a snapshot
that is completely dependent on the source. This parameter
is based on copy-on-write technology. The device creates a
cache object to maintain the original blocks of the snapshot
when the blocks are modified.
■ Plex: The OpenStorage Partner creates a snapshot that is
completely independent of the source snapshot. This option
is based on mirror-break-off technology. When a mirror device
is attached to the source, the contents of the mirror device is
exactly the same as the source device. When the relationship
is broken between the two, the mirror device is separated from
the source. The mirror device acts as a point-in-time copy.
■ Clone: The OpenStorage Partner creates an independent
copy of the volume. The copy process can take some time as
the entire copy must be complete. The snapshot that is created
is independent of the source.

Maximum Sets the maximum number of snapshots to be retained at one

Snapshots time.

The default setting is one. Choose the number of snapshots that

is appropriate for your environment. Note that the maximum
number of snapshots on a NetApp volume is 255.

When the maximum is reached, snapshot rotation occurs: The

next snapshot causes the oldest to be deleted.
Managed by SLP retention is automatically selected if the Fixed
or the Expire after Copy retention is currently selected in the
SLP.

6 Select the Schedules tab. Create one schedule:

■ Type of backup: Select Full Backup. The Full Backup is used for both
the snapshot (proxy) part of the database and the non-snapshot
(stream-based) part of the Oracle database.
The Oracle Intelligent Policy does not support the snapshot of an Archived
Redo Log Backup. To take a snapshot of the archived redo logs, use the
script-based Oracle policy method.

Note: Unless creating Block Level Incremental (BLI) backups, always select
Full Backup to create snapshots of the Oracle database.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 215
About Oracle support for Replication Director

■ Override policy storage selection: Enable and select the SLP that is
configured for snapshot replication. (A snapshot SLP is one in which the
first operation is a snapshot operation.) This option must be enabled so
that the schedule storage overrides the policy storage with a snapshot SLP.
■ Retention: The retention for the streamed data is based on the
non-snapshot SLP that was indicated as the Policy storage in Step 5.
■ The non-snapshot SLP specified on the policy storage in Step 5
determines the retention for the streamed data.
■ The snapshot SLP that is specified as the schedule storage (Override
policy storage selection) determines the retention for the snapshot
data.

Click Add to save the schedule.

7 Select the Instances and databases tab and specify the instances to back
up. The policy must include at least one instance. To continue to use the Oracle
Intelligent Policy method, select either Protect instances or Protect instance
groups.
8 Select the Backup selections tab. Select the parts of the database to back
up. Note that the selection applies to all listed instances.
The following can be selected for the policies that use Replication Director:
■ Whole database: Backs up the entire database (default).
■ Partial database - Tablespaces: Backs up the tablespaces.
■ Partial database - Datafiles: Backs up the data files.
■ Fast Recovery Area (FRA): Do not select for a policy that uses Replication
Director.
■ Database backup shares: Do not select for a policy that uses Replication
Director.
■ Whole Database - Datafile Copy Share: Do not select for a policy that
uses Replication Director.

Note: If you back up the partial database, and later want to perform a
Point-in-time rollback restore, make sure that you select all of the tablespaces
or data files from a partition in the Backup selections.
For copy-back restores, this step is not a requirement.

9 Select the Oracle tab to configure Oracle RMAN properties.

10 When the policy configuration is complete, click Create.
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 216
About Oracle support for Replication Director

Configuring a script-based Oracle policy

Use the following procedure to configure an Oracle snapshot policy that uses
Replication Director. This procedure uses an Oracle policy type, but does not
automatically generate the necessary scripts. It allows the administrator to use
custom scripts.
To create a script-based Oracle policy
1 In the web UI, select Protection > Policies.
2 Click Add.
3 Select the Attributes tab.
4 Provide a unique name for the policy.
5 The following items are specific to creating an Oracle policy for snapshots with
Replication Director:
■ Policy type
For NetBackup to perform Oracle backups, select Oracle. An Oracle tab
appears.
■ Policy storage
Oracle combines snapshots (proxy) and stream-based backups as part of
the same backup. The storage that is indicated here is used for the
stream-based part of the Replication Director backup.
Select the storage that is configured to contain the stream-based
(non-snapshot) part of the database backup. The storage can be either a
storage lifecycle policy that is configured for non-snapshot backups, or a
disk or Media Manager unit.
■ Use Replication Director
Enable Use Replication Director to automatically select other options that
Replication Director requires:
■ Perform snapshot backups: Ensures that the policy creates snapshots
of the disk array.
■ Retain snapshots for Instant Recovery or SLP management: Ensures
that the policy retains the snapshot after the backup completes.
■ Snapshot options button
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 217
About Oracle support for Replication Director

Snapshot ■ Auto (default): The OpenStorage partner uses the best

Type snapshot technology available to that partner to create the
snapshot.
■ Differential: The OpenStorage partner creates a snapshot
that is completely dependent on the source. This parameter
is based on copy-on-write technology. The device creates a
cache object to maintain the original blocks of the snapshot
when the blocks are modified.
■ Plex: The OpenStorage Partner creates a snapshot that is
completely independent of the source snapshot. This option
is based on mirror-break-off technology. When a mirror device
is attached to the source, the contents of the mirror device is
exactly the same as the source device. When the relationship
is broken between the two, the mirror device is separated from
the source. The mirror device acts as a point-in-time copy.
■ Clone: The OpenStorage Partner creates an independent
copy of the volume. The copy process can take some time as
the entire copy must be complete. The snapshot that is created
is independent of the source.

Maximum Sets the maximum number of snapshots to be retained at one

Snapshots time.

The default setting is one. Choose the number of snapshots that

is appropriate for your environment. Note that the maximum
number of snapshots on a NetApp volume is 255.

When the maximum is reached, snapshot rotation occurs: The

next snapshot causes the oldest to be deleted.
Managed by SLP retention is automatically selected if the Fixed
or the Expire after Copy retention is currently selected in the
SLP.

6 Select the Instances and databases tab and specify the instances to back
up. Select Clients for use with scripts. If either of the other two are selected,
the Oracle Intelligent Policy is used and the scripts are created automatically.
After you select the Clients for use with scripts option, a message appears
that describes the changes to the policy.
Click Yes to continue.
7 Select the Schedules tab.
8 Edit the Default-Application-Backup schedule.
■ Override policy storage selection: Enable and select a non-snapshot
storage unit or a non-snapshot SLP. This option is most likely the storage
 NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client 218
About Oracle support for Replication Director

unit that is specified on the Attributes tab. Indicating the option here, makes
the selection explicit.
■ Retention: The policy or SLP indicates the retention for the backup:
■ When the storage is an SLP, the SLP determines the retention and no
selection is possible here.
■ When the storage is not an SLP, the schedule determines the retention
and a selection is possible here.

9 Click Add to save the schedule.

10 Create one Full Backup schedule:
■ Name the schedule.
■ Type of backup: Select Full Backup.

Note: Unless creating Block Level Incremental (BLI) backups, always select
Full Backup to create snapshots of the Oracle database.

■ Override policy storage selection: Enable and select the SLP that is
configured for snapshot replication.
■ Retention: The SLP indicates the retention for the backup.

11 Configure the schedule in the Start Window tab and the Exclude Days tab.
12 Click Add to save the schedule.
13 Select the Clients tab.
14 Add the client names that contain the Oracle database and indicate the
operating system of each.
15 Select the Backup Selections tab. Specify the script that NetBackup should
use. Indicate only one script.
16 When the policy configuration is complete, click Create.
 Chapter 14
NetBackup Dedupe Direct
for Oracle
This chapter includes the following topics:

■ About NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in

■ Verifying the operating system and platform compatibility

■ Before you install NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in

■ Installing NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in on the Oracle database
server

■ Using NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in

■ Uninstalling the NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in

About NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in

NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in is a lightweight plug-in that you can
use to store the data from RMAN backups to MSDP storage directly. The Oracle
DBA can control the whole protection and life-cycle stages without NetBackup client.
Oracle database administrator can deploy this plug-in with root or non-root
permissions and perform backup or restore jobs. It also enables client-side
deduplication to minimize network traffic and improves overall backup speed.
NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in includes a set of library of functions
that implements backup and restore with RMAN.
 NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle 220
Verifying the operating system and platform compatibility

Verifying the operating system and platform

compatibility
Verify that the NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in is supported on your
operating system or platform.
See the following NetBackup compatibility list for the NetBackup server and client
requirements:
veritas.com/content/support/en_US/article.100040093

Before you install NetBackup Dedupe Direct for

Oracle plug-in
Before you install and configure the NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in,
ensure that the following requirements are met:

Table 14-1 Requirements

Requirement Description

Database server ■ Oracle Database version: 11g R2 – 19c

■ Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7/8

See “Verifying the operating system and

platform compatibility” on page 220.

Limitations or restrictions Use Oracle user to install and manage the

plug-in.

NetBackup deduplication storage server Create MSDP storage server.

The storage server deduplicates the backups,

writes the data to the storage, and manages
the storage. A storage server is an entity that
writes to and reads from the storage. One
host functions as the storage server, and only
one storage server exists for each NetBackup
deduplication node. The host must be a
NetBackup media server. Although the
components of the storage server run on a
media server, the storage server is a separate
logical entity.
 NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle 221
Installing NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in on the Oracle database server

Table 14-1 Requirements (continued)

Requirement Description

Database administrator Prepare database administrator username

and password at NetBackup server.

■ MSDP:
Run the following command to create
username and password on the MSDP
server.
/usr/openv/pdde/pdcr/bin/spauser
-a -u <username> -p <password>
--role app
■ WORM storage in Flex Appliance
Run the following command to create
username and password on the WORM
storage server on Flex Appliance:
setting MSDP-user add-MSDP-user
username=<username>
password=<password> role=app

For more information, see NetBackup

Deduplication Guide.

Firewall and ports For information about firewall and ports, see
About MSDP port usage topic of the
NetBackup Deduplication Guide.

Installing NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle

plug-in on the Oracle database server
Install NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in on all database servers. You
can enable the communication between Oracle database server and the MSDP
storage server by configuring the environment variables.
This plug-in can co-exist with the NetBackup Oracle client. You can also install the
plug-in along with the NetBackup Oracle client on the Oracle server. Following table
lists the backup and recovery capability.

Table 14-2 Backup and recovery capability

Backup Recovery from the Recovery from

plug-in directly NetBackup Oracle client

Backups from the plug-in Yes Yes

 NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle 222
Using NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in

Table 14-2 Backup and recovery capability (continued)

Backup Recovery from the Recovery from

plug-in directly NetBackup Oracle client

Backups from NetBackup No Yes

oracle client

To install the plug-in on the database servers:

1 Download NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in.
2 Run the following command to install the plug-in.
command sbt_config with --install option

3 To ensure the communication between NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle

plug-in and the MSDP storage server, set the MSDP_DBA_USER and
MSDP_DBA_PASSWORD environment variables before you perform the backups.

export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:/home/oracle/sbt/lib:/home/
oracle/sbt/ost-plugins
export MSDP_DBA_USER=<Your username>
export MSDP_DBA_PASSWORD=<Your password>

Using NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in

Configure the following to use NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in
■ Configure the NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in.
See “Configuring the NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in” on page 223.
■ Configure External Certificate Authority (ECA).
See “Configuring External Certificate Authority (ECA)” on page 225.
■ Configure Oracle RAC.
See “Configuring Oracle RAC” on page 226.
■ Disable Oracle stream handler.
See “Disabling Oracle stream handler” on page 227.
Perform backup directly to MSDP storage and restore directly from MSDP storage:
■ Perform the RMAN backup.
See “Performing the RMAN backup directly to MSDP server” on page 227.
■ Perform the RMAN restore directly from MSDP.
See “Performing the RMAN restore directly from the MSDP storage server”
on page 228.
 NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle 223
Using NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in

Configuring the NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in

Update the rman.cfg configuration file to configure the NetBackup Dedupe Direct
for Oracle plug-in.
To configure the NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in:
1 Use a text editor to open the rman.cfg file.
The rman.cfg file is available at <plugin installation path>/etc/.
2 Configure the parameters in this file that control the behavior of the NetBackup
Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in.
See “NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle rman.cfg file parameters” on page 223.
3 Save and close the file.

NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle rman.cfg file parameters

The following table lists the rman.cfg file parameters. Update this file to configure
NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in.

Table 14-3 rman.cfg file parameters

Settings Description

STORAGE_SERVER A valid MSDP server.

Default value: The host name of MSDP storage server.

The Oracle DBA provided during the plug-in installation.

RETENTION_LEVEL Retention level for current backups.

Possible values:

■ 0: 1 week
■ 1: 2 weeks
■ 2: 3 weeks
■ 3: 1 month
■ 4: 2 months
■ 5: 3 months
■ 6: 6 months
■ 7: 9 months
■ 8: 1 year

Default value: RETENTION_LEVEL=0

The values are equal to the default values in the primary

server. If the values are modified on the primary server,
they do not work.
 NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle 224
Using NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in

Table 14-3 rman.cfg file parameters (continued)

Settings Description

CLIENT The name of the client for the current backups. If it is not
configured, host name of the computer is used as a client
name.

When performing an alternative restore, the name should

be configured as the client name, which backed up the
database.

POLICY The name of the policy for the current backups. If it is not
configured, “agentless_policy” is used as the policy name.

You are not required to create an actual policy. Do not use

the same policy name with existing policy names.

LSU_NAME A name of the MSDP LSU.

Administrator configures Cloud LSU name from MSDP

storage server to backup data to the cloud LSU.

Default value: LSU_NAME=PureDiskVolume, The default

value is local LSU name in target MSDP storage server.

USER The MSDP app user.

Default value is the value that is provided during the plug-in

installation.

See About MSDP app users support topic in NetBackup

Deduplication Guide.

PASSWORD MSDP app user password.

Default value is the value that is provided during the plug-in

installation.

See About MSDP app users support topic in NetBackup

Deduplication Guide.

LOG_LEVEL A log level to specify the amount of information that is

written to the log file.
Possible values:
■ 0: Fatal
■ 1: Error
■ 2: Warning
■ 3: Info
■ 4: Debug
■ 5: Trace
 NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle 225
Using NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in

Table 14-3 rman.cfg file parameters (continued)

Settings Description

SLP_NAME The import SLP name that you have created on the
destination storage server with operation IMPORT.
NetBackup creates SLP automatically. However, you must
create IMPORT SLP manually on Flex WORM.

Configuring External Certificate Authority (ECA)

If remote MSDP servers support ECA, you can configure the plug-in to communicate
with remote MSDP server.
For more information on the external CA support, see the NetBackup Security and
Encryption Guide.
To configure an ECA
1 Ensure that the external certificate files are saved to the local directory on the
Oracle server that this plug-in can access.
2 Use a text editor to open the msdp_app.cfg file.
The msdp_app.cfg file is available under <plugin installation path>/etc/
directory:
See “ECA msdp_app.cfg file parameters” on page 225.
For example,

# ECA issue name

subjectname="cert subject name"
# ECA cert path
certpath="cert local path"/cert_chain.pem
# ECA private key path
privatekeypath="cert local path"/private/key.pem
# ECA passphrase file
passphrasefile="cert local path"/passphrasefile
# ECA certificate for trusted certs
truststorepath="cert local path"/trusted/cacerts.pem

ECA msdp_app.cfg file parameters

The following table lists the msdp_app.cfg file parameters.
 NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle 226
Using NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in

Table 14-4 msdp_app.cfg file parameters

Settings Descriptions

subjectname A name of the ECA that issued a certificate.

Default value: The host name of MSDP storage server.
The Oracle DBA provided during the plug-in installation.

certpath ECA certificate path.

For example,

certpath="cert local path"/cert_chain.pem"

privatekeypath The ECA private key path.

For example,

certpath="cert local path"/private/key.pem"

passphrasefile The ECA passphrase file.

For example,

certpath="cert local path"/passphrasefile"

truststorepath The ECA certificate for trusted certificates.

For example,

certpath="cert local
path"/trusted/cacerts.pem"

Configuring Oracle RAC

You must install the plug-in on each Oracle RAC node. After the installation, you
can update the configuration file to configure Oracle RAC.
To configure Oracle RAC:
1 Open the <installation path>/etc/msdp_app.cfg configuration file for
editing.
2 Set the same client name on all the Oracle RAC nodes.
For example, CLIENT=RAC_MY_CLIENT_NAME
3 Set the different policy names on each RAC node.
For example,
POLICY=RAC_node1_MY_POLICY_NAME on Oracle RAC node 1.
POLICY=RAC2_POLICY_NAME on Oracle RAC node 2.
 NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle 227
Using NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in

Disabling Oracle stream handler

The Oracle stream handler is enabled by default. You can check the status of stream
handler using the cacontrol command line utility. Run the following command to
check the status of stream handler for each client.
/usr/openv/pdde/pdcr/bin/cacontrol --sth get Oracle
n132-h95.cdc.veritas.com agentless_policy

You can disable the Oracle stream handler by updating the marker.cfg configuration
file. This file is stored at the plug-in installation directory.
To disable the Oracle stream handler:
1 Open the <installation path>/etc/msdp_app.cfg configuration file for
editing.
2 Change the ENABLE_STH value to 0 to disable the Oracle stream handler.
Default value is 1.

Performing the RMAN backup directly to MSDP server

Prerequisites to perform the RMAN backup directly to MSDP server:
■ Plug-in is installed correctly.
■ Plug-in installation path is added to OS environment variable
LD_LIBRARY_PATH.
■ The MSDP application user and password are created on MSDP server and
added as OS environment variable.
NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in includes a set of library of functions
that enable RMAN to work with NetBackup MSDP storage server. On UNIX,
NetBackup uses the RMAN SBT_LIBRARY parameter to link the RMAN server software
with the media management API library that NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle
plug-in installs.
Before you perform backup, use the SBT_LIBRARY parameter in the PARMS section
of the allocate channel in the RMAN script. In the RMAN script, modify the ALLOCATE
statement so that the SBT_LIBRARY parameter points to the NetBackup Dedupe
Direct for Oracle library, and specify the rman.cfg location in script. The rman.cfg
location is in etc directory under installed path.
For example,

RUN

{
 NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle 228
Using NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in

ALLOCATE CHANNEL c1 DEVICE TYPE 'SBT_TAPE' PARMS 'SBT_LIBRARY=<plugin_install_path>

/lib/libmsdp_sbt.so, SBT_PARMS=(SBTCONFIG=<plugin_install_path>/etc/rman.cfg)';

backup FORMAT 'bk_d%d_u%u_s%s_p%p_t%t' DATABASE filesperset 1;

backup archivelog all format 'archlog_%d_%T_%s_%p';

RELEASE CHANNEL c1;

To perform the RMAN backup directly to MSDP server:

1 Set the environment variables LD_LIBRARY_PATH, App user, and password.
2 Update the default values.
3 Perform RMAN backup directly to MSDP storage server.

Performing the RMAN restore directly from the MSDP storage server
Make sure that a backup using the NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in
has completed successfully before you attempt a restore. You can run the rman
command from a command prompt on the client. Use the appropriate RMAN
command file as a parameter.
Before you perform restore, use the SBT_LIBRARY parameter in the PARMS section
of the allocate channel in the RMAN script. In the RMAN script, modify the ALLOCATE
statement so that the SBT_LIBRARY parameter points to the NetBackup Dedupe
Direct for Oracle library, and specify the rman.cfg location in script. The rman.cfg
location is in etc directory under installed path.
For example,

RUN
{
ALLOCATE CHANNEL ch00 TYPE 'SBT_TAPE' PARMS 'SBT_LIBRARY=<plugin_install_path>
/lib/libmsdp_sbt.so, SBT_PARMS=(SBTCONFIG=<plugin_install_path>/etc/rman.cfg)';
RESTORE DATABASE;
RECOVER DATABASE;
RELEASE CHANNEL ch00;
}
 NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle 229
Uninstalling the NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in

To perform the RMAN backup:

1 Set the environment variables SBT_LIBRARY, SBTCONFIG.
2 Update the default values.
3 Perform RMAN restore directly from the MSDP storage server.

Creating an SLP to import the Oracle backups to NetBackup on Flex

WORM
You must create an import SLP to import the images backed up by NetBackup
Dedupe Direct for Oracle to the NetBackup for the life cycle management and
database recovery.
To create an SLP
1 Create IMPORT SLP on the WORM storage server in Flex Appliance.
For example, create my_slp_name with IMPORT operation.
2 Configure SLP name in rman.cfg file as follows:

### SLP name

SLP_NAME=my_slp_name

Uninstalling the NetBackup Dedupe Direct for

Oracle plug-in
NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in provides the command to uninstall the
plug-in.
Run the following command to uninstall the plug-in:
Run uninstall ./bin/sbt_config --uninstall
 Chapter 15
Other Oracle configuration
This chapter includes the following topics:

■ Load balance Oracle RAC instances

■ Configure an Oracle Wallet with RAC within NetBackup

Load balance Oracle RAC instances

NetBackup can be set up to load balance the instances that makeup the Oracle
RAC. Use this feature to distribute the backup load across all of the instances and
to exclude any Oracle RAC instances from the backup.
To load balance Oracle RAC instances
1 On the left, click Workloads > Oracle and then click RAC databases.
2 In the RAC databases tab, click the Actions menu for the Oracle RAC database
and select Load balance.
3 In the Select number of instances to load balance, select the number of
instances to include for load balancing.
If you select All, all instances in the Oracle RAC are available for load balancing.
4 In the table, select the instance or instances you want to move up or down in
priority.
5 Click Move up or Move down to move the instances.
Click Move up to move the instance or instances to the top of the list.
Click Move down to move the instance or instances to the bottom of the list.
 Other Oracle configuration 231
Configure an Oracle Wallet with RAC within NetBackup

6 (Optional) If you select Do not use in the action menu on the right, that instance
moves to the RAC instances excluded from backup table.
NetBackup does not use this instance when backup operations are performed.
7 Click Save.
See “Add an Oracle Real Application Cluster (RAC)” on page 104.

Configure an Oracle Wallet with RAC within

NetBackup
The configuration and setup of the Oracle Wallet in NetBackup is a two-step process.
You add descriptors first, then you register the wallet. In the cases of Oracle RAC,
your descriptors must enumerate the list of RAC instances that comprise your RAC
cluster.
NetBackup Oracle Wallet prerequisites:
■ The Oracle wallet location must be accessible from all nodes of the RAC cluster.
■ Using a shared location is encouraged for maintainability.
An example storage location can be: An Oracle ACFS file system that is mounted
on each node or an NFS share accessible to each node. The mount point of
the shared location must be the same on each node.
■ If the wallet is not in a shared location, it must be in an identically duplicate
location on each node of the RAC cluster. The full contents of the wallet must
also be duplicated on each node of the RAC cluster.
To configure Oracle Wallet with RAC in NetBackup:
1 Retrieve the RAC connect descriptors for all instances in the RAC database.
Place the list of connect descriptors in a text file for easy access at step 2. Use
one of the following methods:
Get RAC connect descriptors from the NetBackup web UI:
■ On the left, click Workloads > Oracle and then click RAC databases.
■ Click RAC connect descriptors from the action menu on the right in the
RAC database row.
■ Copy each full RAC connect descriptor by highlighting the text save the
connector for later use.
Get RAC connect descriptors from the NetBackup CLI:
■ Use the nboraadm command to retrieve the connect descriptors:
 Other Oracle configuration 232
Configure an Oracle Wallet with RAC within NetBackup

nboraadm -list_rac_instances
-rac_db_unique_name RAC_DB_NAME -show_connect_descriptor

■ Copy the connect descriptors from the screen or use the ‘>’ command to
create a file with the connect descriptors.
Manually create the RAC connect descriptors:
■ If you don’t have this information, use the web UI Oracle RAC functionality
or nboraadm to retrieve the information needed. You need to retrieve the
scan name, service name, and port number for the given RAC database.
If the RAC instances for the RAC database are not known, use either
interface to collect the list of instance names.
■ For each instance of a RAC, you must insert this information to create a
connect descriptor. Insert the scan name, service name, and port number
(from RAC database), as well as the instance name (from RAC instance)
into the following example:

(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)
(HOST=<INSERT SCAN NAME>)(PORT=<INSERT PORT NUMBER>))
(CONNECT_DATA=(SERVER=DEDICATED)(SERVICE_NAME=<INSERT SERVICE NAME>)
(INSTANCE_NAME=<INSERT INSTANCE NAME>)))

2 Add the connect descriptors with the Oracle MKSTORE utility. The descriptors
are case-sensitive and must match exactly to what is in NetBackup.

mkstore -wrl /db/orac183/wallet/ -CreateCredential

'(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=exampleScanName.veritas.com)
(PORT=1521))(CONNECT_DATA=(SERVER=DEDICATED)
(SERVICE_NAME=orac183.veritas.com)(INSTANCE_NAME=orac1831)))'
testUser testPassword

mkstore -wrl /db/orac183/wallet/ -CreateCredential

'(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=exampleScanName.veritas.com)
(PORT=1521))(CONNECT_DATA=(SERVER=DEDICATED)
(SERVICE_NAME=orac183.veritas.com)(INSTANCE_NAME=orac1832)))'
testUser testPassword
 Other Oracle configuration 233
Configure an Oracle Wallet with RAC within NetBackup

3 Register the RAC with the wallet path using the web UI.
See “Add an Oracle Real Application Cluster (RAC)” on page 104.
To register the RAC with the wallet path from the CLI, run nboraadm
-register_rac_db.

If the RAC is registered for the first time from discovery, you need to include
the dbid. From the CLI, run nboraadm -register_rac_db
-rac_db_unique_name.

4 (Optional) If you get an error when you attempt to register the RAC, review the
error message. Compare the descriptors in the error message with what you
generated in step 1 and what you inserted into your Oracle wallet.
 Chapter 16
Troubleshooting
This chapter includes the following topics:

■ About troubleshooting NetBackup for Oracle

■ About NetBackup for Oracle troubleshooting steps

■ NetBackup debug logs and reports

■ Enabling the debug logs manually (Windows)

■ Enabling the debug logs manually (UNIX)

■ About the NetBackup for Oracle log files

■ Setting the debug level on a Windows client

■ Setting the debug level on a UNIX client

■ About RMAN utility logs

■ Troubleshooting RMAN backup or restore errors

■ Troubleshooting NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client

■ Error: Unable to re-create online log

■ Minimizing timeout failures on large database restores

■ Minimizing the loading and unloading of tapes for database backups

■ Enabling the debug logs manually for NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle
plug-in
 Troubleshooting 235
About troubleshooting NetBackup for Oracle

About troubleshooting NetBackup for Oracle

NetBackup, NetBackup for Oracle, and the Oracle Recovery Manager (RMAN) all
provide reports on database backup, archive, and restore operations. These reports
are useful for finding the errors that are associated with those applications.
For more information about debug logs and reports, refer to the NetBackup
Administrator’s Guide, Volume I.

About NetBackup for Oracle troubleshooting steps

When you troubleshoot NetBackup for Oracle problems, the following items are
referred to as the API:
■ On Windows, orasbt.dll is called the API.
■ On UNIX, the libobk module is called the API. Many media manager vendors
also call the libobk module DMO (Database Module).
To perform this procedure, ensure that NetBackup is properly installed and
configured:
 Troubleshooting 236
About NetBackup for Oracle troubleshooting steps

To perform general troubleshooting steps

1 When verifying your installation, ensure that the NetBackup for Oracle binaries
exist.
On UNIX, these are located in /usr/openv/netbackup/bin.
The binaries are as follows:

On Windows: The binary resides on the client and both the

install_path\NetBackup\bin\bphdb.exe NetBackup scheduler and the graphical user
interface uses the binary to start backups.
On UNIX: bphdb
The main purpose of bphdb is to run an
Oracle Intelligent Policy or a shell script that
calls rman, bporaexp, or bporaimp.

On Windows: Provides the functions that RMAN can call.

c:\Windows\System32\orasbt.dll

On UNIX: libobk A shared library module that contains the

functions that RMAN can call. This library is
loaded when RMAN is started. The name of
this binary depends on the operating system.

See “About linking Oracle RMAN with

NetBackup for UNIX” on page 27.

2 For the Oracle Intelligent Policy, verify that the following binaries exist.
On Windows: install_path\NetBackup\bin\bpdbsbora.exe
On Windows: install_path\NetBackup\bin\dbsbrman.dll
On UNIX: /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/bpdbsbora
On UNIX: /usr/openv/lib/libdbsbrman.so (libdbsbrman.sl on HP-UX)
3 Check that both the NetBackup server and the client software work properly.
That is, check that normal operating system files can be backed up and restored
from the client. The NetBackup client must be running the same version of
software as the NetBackup server.
4 The logs can become very large, especially bpdbm. Ensure that enough free
disk space exists in the log directory disk partition.
5 Check that the following NetBackup log directories exist:
■ On the client: bpdbsbora, bporaexp (or bporaexp64), bporaimp (or
bporaimp64), dbclient, bphdb, bpfis, and bpcd.

■ On the primary server: bprd and bpdbm.

 Troubleshooting 237
NetBackup debug logs and reports

■ On the host with the storage unit: bpbrm and bptm.

The VERBOSE level must be 5.
See “About troubleshooting NetBackup for Oracle” on page 235.
See “Troubleshooting each stage of the backup or restore” on page 244.
See “About RMAN utility logs” on page 243.

NetBackup debug logs and reports

The NetBackup server and client software let you enable detailed debugging logs.
The information in these log files can help you troubleshoot the problems that occur
outside of either the database agent or Oracle.
Note the following with regard to these logs:
■ These logs do not reveal the errors that occur when Oracle is running unless
those errors also affect NetBackup. Oracle may (or may not) write errors in the
application to the NetBackup logs. Your best sources for Oracle error information
are the logs provided by Oracle.
■ Generally, each debug log corresponds to a NetBackup process and executable.
However, for an RMAN backup, the debug log is created in the dbclient
directory, which has no corresponding executable.
More detailed information about the debug log files is available.
See the NetBackup Troubleshooting Guide.
Also refer to the following file:
Windows:

install_path\NetBackup\logs\README.debug file

UNIX:

/usr/openv/netbackup/logs/README.debug file

NetBackup provides other reports that are useful in isolating problems. One such
report is All Logs Entries on the server. Information on server reports is available.
See the NetBackup Administrator’s Guide, Volume I.

Enabling the debug logs manually (Windows)

To create the NetBackup for Oracle for Windows database agent logs manually
1 Create the following directories on the client:
 Troubleshooting 238
Enabling the debug logs manually (Windows)

■ bphdb
For any backup that is initiated from an automated schedule on the master
server.

install_path\NetBackup\logs\bphdb

■ bpdbsbora
For any OIP backup restore operations.

install_path\NetBackup\logs\bpdbsbora

■ dbclient
For any backup or restore using RMAN.

install_path\NetBackup\logs\dbclient

■ bpbkar
For any snapshot backup.

install_path\NetBackup\logs\bpbkar

■ tar
For any snapshot restore.

install_path\NetBackup\logs\tar

2 Verify the user or group that the Oracle process (process that loads
orasbt.dll) has appropriate permissions to write to the following directories
if they exist. If the following directories do not exist, the directories are created
automatically with the correct permissions.
install_path\NetBackup\logs\user_ops

install_path\NetBackup\logs\user_ops\dbext

install_path\NetBackup\logs\user_ops\dbext\logs

Also verify that the user or group that the Oracle process runs as has
appropriate permissions to write to the log directories in step 1.
 Troubleshooting 239
Enabling the debug logs manually (UNIX)

3 On the NetBackup server or servers, create the debug log directories for the
legacy processes that interact with the Oracle agent.
On the master server:
install_path\NetBackup\logs\bprd

On the media server or servers:

install_path\NetBackup\logs\bpbrm

install_path\NetBackup\logs\bptm

4 The debug logs for unified processes on the server and the client hosts are
created automatically by NetBackup.
NetBackup writes unified logs to install_path\NetBackup\logs.
For information on how to use logs and reports, see the NetBackup
Troubleshooting Guide.

Enabling the debug logs manually (UNIX)

To create the NetBackup for Oracle for UNIX database agent logs manually
1 Create the following directories on the client:
■ bphdb
For any backup that is initiated from an automated schedule on the master
server.

/usr/openv/netbackup/logs/bphdb

■ bpdbsbora
For any OIP backup restore operations.

/usr/openv/netbackup/logs/bpdbsbora

■ dbclient
For any backup or restore using RMAN.

/usr/openv/netbackup/logs/dbclient

■ bpbkar
For any snapshot backup.

/usr/openv/netbackup/logs/bpbkar
 Troubleshooting 240
About the NetBackup for Oracle log files

■ nbtar
For any snapshot restore.

/usr/openv/netbackup/logs/tar

2 Verify the user or group that the Oracle process (process that loads libobk)
has appropriate permissions to write to the following directories if they exist. If
the following directories do not exist, the directories are created automatically
with the correct permissions.
/usr/openv/logs/user_ops

/usr/openv/logs/user_ops/dbext

/usr/openv/logs/user_ops/dbext/logs

Also verify that the user or group that the Oracle process runs as has
appropriate permissions to write to the log directories in step 1.
3 On the NetBackup server or servers, create the debug log directories for the
legacy processes that interact with the Oracle agent.
On the master server:
/usr/openv/logs/bprd

On the media server or servers:

/usr/openv/logs/bpbrm

/usr/openv/logs/bptm

4 The debug logs for unified processes on the server and the client hosts are
created automatically by NetBackup.
NetBackup writes unified logs to /usr/openv/logs.
For information on how to use logs and reports, see the NetBackup
Troubleshooting Guide.

About the NetBackup for Oracle log files

Table 16-1 describes the logs that are created when you create the log directories.
Use a text editor to view the contents of the logs.
The logs are located in the following directories:
Windows: install_path\NetBackup\logs\<cmd>
UNIX: /usr/openv/netbackup/logs/<cmd>
 Troubleshooting 241
About the NetBackup for Oracle log files

For example, the logs for bphdb all appear in the

install_path\NetBackup\logs\bphdb directory (Windows) or the
/usr/openv/netbackup/logs/bphdb directory (UNIX).

Table 16-1 Log files

Log directory Description

bphdb The bphdb directory contains the following types of logs:

■ Windows: obk_stdout.mmddyy.hhmmss.txt
UNIX: obk_stdout.mmddyy
Unless it is redirected elsewhere, NetBackup writes the shell script output to this
file.
■ Windows: obk_stderr.mmddyy.hhmmss.txt
UNIX: obk_stderr.mmddyy
Unless it is redirected elsewhere, NetBackup writes any shell script errors to this
file.
■ Windows: mmddyy.log
UNIX: log.mmddyy
This log contains debugging information for the bphdb process. bphdb is the
NetBackup database backup binary. It is invoked when an automatic backup
schedule is run. NetBackup for Oracle uses this client process for the shell script
execution.

dbclient The dbclient directory contains the following execution log:

■ Windows: mmddyy.log
■ UNIX: log.mmddyy

This log contains debugging information and execution status for the Oracle for
NetBackup client processes.

On Windows, the processes are linked to the library program that is provided with
NetBackup for Oracle.

On UNIX, this library program is libobk.

bpdbsbora The bpdbsbora directory contains the following execution log:

■ Windows: mmddyy.log
■ UNIX: log.mmddyy

NetBackup for Oracle OIP uses this log for backup and recovery.

bporaexp64 The bporaexp (or bporaexp64 on UNIX) directory contains the following execution
log:

■ Windows: mmddyy.log
■ UNIX: log.mmddyy.log
 Troubleshooting 242
Setting the debug level on a Windows client

Table 16-1 Log files (continued)

Log directory Description

bporaimp64 The bporaimp (or bporaimp64 on UNIX) directory contains the following execution
log:

■ Windows: mmddyy.log
■ UNIX: log.mmddyy

See “About troubleshooting NetBackup for Oracle” on page 235.

See “About NetBackup for Oracle troubleshooting steps” on page 235.

Setting the debug level on a Windows client

The debug logs are located in install_path\NetBackup\logs.
To change the amount of debug information in other log directories, set the other
debug levels. For instance, Verbose.
To set the debug level on a Windows client
1 Open the Backup, Archive, and Restore interface.
2 Select File > NetBackup Client Properties.
3 Click the Troubleshooting tab.
4 Set the General debug level.
5 Set the Verbose debug level.
6 Set the Database debug level.
7 Click OK to save your changes.
8 Stop and start the Oracle database services. This action is necessary for
orasbt.dll to pick up the new debug level.

Setting the debug level on a UNIX client

The debug logs are located in /usr/openv/netbackup/logs.
To set the debug level on a UNIX client
◆ Enter the following line in the bp.conf file.

VERBOSE = X

Where X is the debug level you want.

 Troubleshooting 243
About RMAN utility logs

About RMAN utility logs

RMAN uses a command language interpreter, and it can be run in interactive or
batch mode. You can use the following syntax to specify a log file on the command
line to record significant RMAN actions:

msglog ‘logfile_name’

See “About troubleshooting NetBackup for Oracle” on page 235.

See “About NetBackup for Oracle troubleshooting steps” on page 235.
See “Troubleshooting RMAN backup or restore errors” on page 243.
See “Verifying the RMAN script on UNIX” on page 243.

Troubleshooting RMAN backup or restore errors

An RMAN backup error can originate from NetBackup or from Oracle, as follows:
■ On the NetBackup side, an error can be from the API, from the NetBackup server
or client, or from Media Manager.
■ On the Oracle side, an error can be from RMAN or from the target database
instance.
Veritas suggests that you use the following steps when troubleshooting a failed
operation:
■ Check the logs to determine the source of the error.
■ Troubleshoot each stage of the backup or restore.
See “Verifying the RMAN script on UNIX” on page 243.
See “Troubleshooting each stage of the backup or restore” on page 244.
See “About troubleshooting NetBackup for Oracle” on page 235.
See “Minimizing timeout failures on large database restores” on page 248.
See “About NetBackup for Oracle troubleshooting steps” on page 235.
See “About RMAN utility logs” on page 243.

Verifying the RMAN script on UNIX

The following procedure describes how to verify that the RMAN script works
correctly.
 Troubleshooting 244
Troubleshooting RMAN backup or restore errors

To verify the RMAN script

1 Use RMAN to make a backup directly to disk. Do not use NetBackup.
2 Use RMAN with NetBackup to create a backup.
3 Look for log files under the /usr/openv/netbackup/logs/dbclient directory
structure.
On UNIX all Oracle users are non-root so the logs files are in the
/usr/openv/netbackup/logs//dbclient/<users_dir> directory.

If no log file exists, libobk is not linked into Oracle properly.

See “Testing configuration settings for NetBackup for Oracle” on page 102.
See “About troubleshooting NetBackup for Oracle” on page 235.
See “About NetBackup for Oracle troubleshooting steps” on page 235.

Troubleshooting each stage of the backup or restore

The following explains the sequence of events for an action initiated by RMAN and
suggests solutions for the problems that can occur at each point in the sequence:
■ rman starts.

A backup or restore can be started in any of the following ways:

■ From an RMAN backup or restore initiated from the operating system prompt
such as:

rman target user/pwd[@TNS_alias] \

rcvcat user/pwd[@TNS_alias]\
cmdfile RMAN_script_file_name

Where the RMAN_script_file_name is fully qualified.

■ Manually from the administrator interface on the primary server.
■ Automatically by an automatic backup schedule.
If an error occurs now, check the RMAN log.

■ RMAN verifies its environment and then issues requests to the API.
On Windows, some information, such as the NetBackup version, API versions,
and trace file name, is registered with RMAN. An error now is usually due to a
problem with client and server communication. Check the messages in the bprd
and the bpcd logs for clues.
On UNIX, some information, such as the NetBackup version, API versions, trace
file name, and NetBackup signal handlers, is registered with RMAN. An error
now is usually due to a problem with client and server communication. Check
 Troubleshooting 245
Troubleshooting RMAN backup or restore errors

the messages in the bprd and the bpcd logs for clues. Also verify the bp.conf
entries on the client.
■ RMAN issues a backup or restore request.
The API gathers necessary parameters and sends the backup or restore
request to the NetBackup server. The API waits until both the server and client
are ready to transfer data before it returns to the request.
The API then sends this information to the primary server’s bprd process.
To troubleshoot a problem in this part of the first sequence, examine the following
file:
Windows:

install_path\NetBackup\logs\dbclient\mmddyy.log

UNIX:

/usr/openv/netbackup/logs/dbclient/log.mmddyy

If the bprd process failed, check the logs for bprd and bpbrm.
A failure now is frequently due to bad NetBackup server or Oracle policy
configuration parameters.
NetBackup can usually select the correct Oracle policy and schedules. But
NetBackup can select a policy or schedule in error if there are several Oracle
policies in its database.
On Windows, try setting the SERVER and NB_ORA_POLICY values in the client
environment.
On UNIX, try setting the SERVER and POLICY values in the bp.conf file on the
client or by setting environment variables.
For example, the following C Shell setenv commands specify the Oracle policy,
schedule, and server for NetBackup to use:

setenv NB_ORA_POLICY policyname

setenv NB_ORA_SCHED application_backup_schedule_name
setenv NB_ORA_SERV Netbackup_server

■ RMAN issues read or write requests to the API, which then transfers data to or
from the NetBackup server.
A failure here is probably due to NetBackup media, network, or time-out errors.
■ RMAN tells the API to close the session.
The API waits for the server to complete its necessary actions (for example, it
verifies the backup image) and then exits.
An error can originate from either NetBackup or RMAN, as follows:
 Troubleshooting 246
Troubleshooting NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client

■ RMAN aborts if it encounters an error while it reads a data file during the
backup (for example, if Oracle blocks are out of sequence). It also aborts if
NetBackup sends a bad backup image during the restore.
■ NetBackup might return an error code to the API if for some reason it could
not complete the backup successfully.

See “About troubleshooting NetBackup for Oracle” on page 235.

See “Minimizing timeout failures on large database restores” on page 248.
See “Troubleshooting each stage of the XML export or XML import” on page 326.
See “About NetBackup for Oracle troubleshooting steps” on page 235.

Troubleshooting NetBackup for Oracle with

Snapshot Client
Debug logs used for troubleshooting the problems that occur with NetBackup and
NetBackup for Oracle have been discussed in previous areas. In addition to those
logs, there are debug logs used for troubleshooting NetBackup for Oracle with
Snapshot Client.
Snapshot Client backup and debug messages are written to the following
subdirectories of:
Windows:

install_path\NetBackup\logs

UNIX:

/usr/openv/netbackup/logs/

The logs are as follows:

■ The bpbrm log is on the NetBackup media server.
■ The bptm/bpdm log is on the NetBackup media server.
■ The bpbkar log is on the NetBackup client and alternate client.
■ The bpfis log is on the NetBackup client and alternate client.
■ The bppfi log is on the NetBackup client or alternate client.
Snapshot Client restore and debug messages are written to the following
subdirectories on the NetBackup primary server:
■ The bprestore is almost always a client log on the NetBackup host that initiated
the restore by using the bprestore command.
 Troubleshooting 247
Error: Unable to re-create online log

■ The bprd is on the NetBackup primary server.

■ The bpbrm is on the NetBackup primary server.
■ The bptm/bpdm is on the NetBackup media server. Both the tape and the disk
backup log to bptm, disk backups also log to bpdm.
■ The tar is on the NetBackup client or redirected client.
Additional help for troubleshooting most installation and other issues is available
in the NetBackup Snapshot Client Administrator’s Guide.
See “About troubleshooting NetBackup for Oracle” on page 235.
See “About NetBackup for Oracle troubleshooting steps” on page 235.

Error: Unable to re-create online log

During certain clone operations you may encounter the following error:

ORA-00344: unable to re-create online log

'E:\APP\ORACLE\PRODUCT\19.3\DB_HOME1\RAC_RESTORE2\DATA\CDB19R\
ONLINELOG\GROUP_1.264.1126884003'

This error may occur in the following situations:

■ The backup source is ASM and you are cloning to file system using OMF.
■ The backup source is a file system and you are cloning to ASM using OMF.

Cause
NetBackup may not create all of the directories before the clone. This behavior is
because the Oracle OMF storage controls the creation of the directories. The
exceptions are online redo log location and temp file locations, which you must
create manually before the clone operation.

Solution
Before you run the clone operation, create the following directory on the target
system. For example:
E:\APP\ORACLE\PRODUCT\19.3\DB_HOME1\RAC_RESTORE2\DATA\CDB19R\
ONLINELOG
 Troubleshooting 248
Minimizing timeout failures on large database restores

Minimizing timeout failures on large database

restores
Large database restores sometimes fail when multiple restore sessions compete
for resources. In this situation, a restore session can be delayed while waiting for
media or device access. If the delay is too long, the restore session times out. Use
the following procedure to minimize session timeouts and to allow the restores to
complete successfully.
To minimize timeout failures on large database restores
1 In the NetBackup web UI, expand Hosts > Host properties.
2 Select the client.
3 If necessary, click Connect.
4 Click Edit client.
5 Click Timeouts.
6 Set the Client read timeout property to a large value.
The default for the Client read timeout setting is 300 seconds (5 minutes).
For database agent clients, increase the value significantly from the
recommended value.
See the NetBackup Administrator’s Guide, Volume 1.
For example, change this setting to 30-60 minutes to minimize timeout errors.
7 Click Save.

Note: This change may delay detecting problems during subsequent backups.
Consider putting the original value back in place once any restore that requires a
change is complete.

Minimizing the loading and unloading of tapes for

database backups
You can minimize excessive unloading and reloading of tapes between
multistreamed database backups by changing the media settings for the primary
or the media server.
See the NetBackup Administration Guide, Volume 1 for details.
 Troubleshooting 249
Enabling the debug logs manually for NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in

To minimize loading and unloading of tapes

1 In the NetBackup web UI, expand Hosts > Host properties.
2 Select the primary or the media server.
3 If necessary, click Connect.
4 Click Edit primary server or Edit media server.
5 Click Media.
6 Configure the following settings:
■ Media unmount delay
■ Media request delay
Use this variable only with non-robotic drives, such as tape stackers.

Enabling the debug logs manually for NetBackup

Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in
The configuration files are stored at the installation directory, under the folders etc
and ost-plugins.
You can configure debugging log settings in two configuration files: /etc/rman.cfg
and /ost-plugins/pd.conf

Table 16-2 rman.cfg file settings:

Settings Description

LOG_LEVEL Following are the log levels:

■ 0 Fatal
■ 1 Error
■ 2 Warning
■ 3 Info
■ 4 Debug
■ 5 Trace

The default log level is 3.

LOG_MAXSIZE Maximum size per log file. The default value

is 100 MB.

LOG_RETENTION Maximum days log files to keep. The default

value is 90 days.
 Troubleshooting 250
Enabling the debug logs manually for NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle plug-in

Table 16-3 pd.conf file settings

Settings Description

LOGLEVEL Log levels are from 0 to 10.

The default log level is 2.

MAX_LOG_MBSIZE Maximum size per log file. The default value

is 100 MB.
 Appendix A
Deduplication best
practices
This appendix includes the following topics:

■ Optimizing and deduplicating stream-based and proxy copy Oracle backups

■ Oracle stream handler

■ Configuring a stream-based Oracle backup

■ Example RMAN script for a stream-based backup

■ Editing the RMAN script and configuring NetBackup for Oracle for a proxy copy
backup

■ Example RMAN script for a proxy copy backup

Optimizing and deduplicating stream-based and

proxy copy Oracle backups
NetBackup enables you to perform optimized deduplication of Oracle databases.
You can perform either a stream-based backup or a proxy copy backup.
Veritas recommends that you perform a proxy copy if the database consists of many
small tablespaces. A proxy copy is also recommended if the DBA or the backup
administrator does not want to set FILESPERSET=1.
To configure a proxy copy Oracle backup, you need to edit the RMAN script and
configure NetBackup for Oracle.
See “Editing the RMAN script and configuring NetBackup for Oracle for a proxy
copy backup” on page 259.
 Deduplication best practices 252
Optimizing and deduplicating stream-based and proxy copy Oracle backups

For stream-based backups, Veritas recommends that you specify FILESPERSET=1

for all Oracle database backups. When FILESPERSET=1 is specified, Oracle
generates the backup set identically each time. The backup set is generated with
the same data from the same files in the same sequence each time the database
is backed up. This uniformity ensures better deduplication. In addition, when
FILESPERSET=1 is in effect, Oracle does not perform multiplexing, so Oracle includes
only one file in each backup set. If FILESPERSET is specified with a number other
than 1, Oracle groups files together unpredictably and deduplication rates suffer.
You may also want to increase the number of channels that are allocated to the
backup, if possible.
It is recommended that you test your database backups by running both
stream-based backups and proxy copy backups. Measure the deduplication rates
and the backup times, and see which method fits best in your environment. The
Oracle database files themselves benefit the most from deduplication. Typically,
the archive logs and the control files are unique, so they benefit less from
deduplication.
Deduplication performs best when used in the following ways:

Stream deduplication The Oracle Intelligent Policy detects both

ASM and non-ASM environments to generate
the correct backup scripts ensuring good
deduplication rates. In a non-ASM
environment, scripts are generated that are
a non-snapshot proxy backup. In an ASM
environment, scripts are generated that set
FILESPERSET=1 if this command has not
been modified in a backup policy.

You may need to create a custom script for

your environment. However, in most
situations, the Oracle Intelligent Policy creates
the script that is needed for your environment.

Snapshot deduplication When you use snapshot deduplication,

nothing changes and NetBackup proxy
snapshot backup is performed. If ASM is
detected, an error is displayed. Snapshot
backup is not allowed in an ASM
environment.
 Deduplication best practices 253
Oracle stream handler

Note: In OIP when deduplication storage is used and a stream-based backup is

selected, the policy overrides and attempts to perform a proxy backup. The override
is attempted if NO ASM storage is found in the database. The
ORACLE_OVERRIDE_DATA_MOVEMENT setting in the bp.conf file can be used to override
this behavior.
Set ORACLE_OVERRIDE_DATA_MOVEMENT=1 to always do streaming.
Set ORACLE_OVERRIDE_DATA_MOVEMENT=2 to always do proxy.
Set ORACLE_OVERRIDE_DATA_MOVEMENT=>2 to maintain standard behavior.
On UNIX you can edit the /usr/openv/netbackup/bp.conf file.
On Windows you can use the bpsetconfig command
(install_path\NetBackup\bin\admincmd\bpsetconfig) on the server to set the
client’s configuration. See the following example:
bpsetconfig -h myoracleclient

ORACLE_OVERRIDE_DATA_MOVEMENT = 1

For information about the backup methods, see the following:

■ See “Configuring a stream-based Oracle backup” on page 256.
■ See “Editing the RMAN script and configuring NetBackup for Oracle for a proxy
copy backup” on page 259.
See “About Oracle Intelligent Policies (OIP)” on page 61.
See “Proxy backup examples” on page 191.

Oracle stream handler

The Oracle stream handler is not enabled by default for existing and new Oracle
clients in NetBackup 8.3. Also, the Oracle stream handler only supports
stream-based backups and you can enable and disable the Oracle stream handler
per <client> <policy> combination using the cacontrol command line utility.
In NetBackup 10.0, the Oracle stream handler is enabled (by default) for all new
clients that have no existing images. As with previous versions, the Oracle stream
handler only supports stream-based backups and you can configure the Oracle
stream handler using the cacontrol command line utility. You can enable and
disable the stream handler per the following:
■ Policy and client
■ Policy level
 Deduplication best practices 254
Oracle stream handler

■ Stream type level

Note: When you use the Oracle stream handler, it is not recommended to use
variable-length deduplication.

The cacontrol command utility with the --sth flag, is used to override the default
behavior of NetBackup by creating a Marker Entry for a client, policy, or stream
type in a configuration file. The cacontrol command utility is located in the following
locations:
■ Windows: install_path\Veritas\pdde\cacontrol
■ UNIX: /usr/openv/pdde/pdcr/bin/cacontrol
In the following examples for cacontrol, STHTYPE must be set to Oracle to
configure the Oracle stream handler.
In NetBackup 8.3, you can configure cacontrol using the following options:
■ You can query the settings for the stream handler per client and policy.

cacontrol --sth get <STHTYPE> <CLIENT> <POLICY> [SPAUSER]

■ You can enable the stream handler per client and policy.

cacontrol --sth update

<STHTYPE> <CLIENT> <POLICY> [SPAUSER] <enabled>

■ You can delete the settings for client and policy (return to default behavior).

cacontrol --sth delete <STHTYPE> <CLIENT> <POLICY> [SPAUSER]

■ You can disable the stream handler on a client and policy.

cacontrol --sth update

<STHTYPE> <CLIENT> <POLICY> [SPAUSER] <disabled>

Note: When you use cacontrol to set <POLICY> or <STHTYPE> to enabled,

NetBackup enables all the old clients which have existing images. The deduplication
rate decreases significantly only at the first backup after enabled. Also, the storage
usage increases only in the first backup after enabled. Basically, NetBackup behaves
as if you have run a first full backup. Both the deduplication rate and storage usage
improve after initial activation of the stream handler.
 Deduplication best practices 255
Oracle stream handler

When using the cacontrol command utility to create a Marker Entry in NetBackup
10.0, priority is given to the more granular configuration. For example:

Marker Entry 1: <Client1> <Policy1> to enabled

Marker Entry 2: <Policy1> to disabled

The stream handler is enabled because the more granular configuration in Marker
Entry 1 has higher priority.

In NetBackup 10.0, you can configure cacontrol using the following options:
■ You can query the settings for the stream handler per client and policy.

cacontrol --sth get <STHTYPE> <CLIENT> <POLICY> [SPAUSER]

■ You can enable the stream handler per client and policy.

cacontrol --sth update

<STHTYPE> <CLIENT> <POLICY> [SPAUSER] <enabled>

■ You can delete the settings for a client and policy (return to default behavior).

cacontrol --sth delete <STHTYPE> <CLIENT> <POLICY> [SPAUSER]

■ You can disable the stream handler on a client and policy.

cacontrol --sth update

<STHTYPE> <CLIENT> <POLICY> [SPAUSER] <disabled>

■ You can query the settings for the stream handler per policy.

cacontrol --sth getbypolicy <STHTYPE> <POLICY> [SPAUSER]

■ You can enable the stream handler per policy.

cacontrol --sth updatebypolicy

<STHTYPE> <POLICY> [SPAUSER] <enabled>

■ You can delete the settings for the stream handler per policy (return to default
behavior).

cacontrol --sth deletebypolicy <STHTYPE> <POLICY> [SPAUSER]

■ You can disable the stream handler per policy.

 Deduplication best practices 256
Configuring a stream-based Oracle backup

cacontrol --sth updatebypolicy

<STHTYPE> <POLICY> [SPAUSER] <disabled>

■ You can query the settings for the stream handler per stream handler type.

cacontrol --sth getbytype <STHTYPE> [SPAUSER]

■ You can enable a stream handler per stream handler type.

cacontrol --sth updatebytype <STHTYPE> [SPAUSER] <enabled>

■ You can delete the settings for a stream handler (return to default behavior).

cacontrol --sth deletebytype <STHTYPE> [SPAUSER]

■ You can disable the stream handler per stream handler type.

cacontrol --sth updatebytype <STHTYPE> [SPAUSER] <disabled>

Configuring a stream-based Oracle backup

The following procedure explains how to reconfigure an existing Oracle RMAN
specification to achieve a stream-based, optimized, deduplicated Oracle backup.
To configure a stream-based Oracle backup
1 On the client computer that hosts the Oracle database, open the RMAN backup
script in a text editor, and make the following edits:
■ Add the FILESPERSET=1 parameter to the part of the RMAN script that
specifies how you want to back up the database.
Do not add FILESPERSET=1 to the section of the RMAN script that specifies
how to back up the control files or archive logs. Typically, these other data
objects are unique to each backup, so there is very little potential gain from
optimizing the control file and archive log backups for deduplication.
Example RMAN script after editing:

BACKUP
FILESPERSET=1
%BACKUP_TYPE%
FORMAT 'bk_u%%u_s%%s_p%%p_t%%t'
DATABASE;

The addition of FILESPERSET=1 suppresses Oracle multiplexing of more

than one data file into a backup set. When you suppress Oracle multiplexing,
 Deduplication best practices 257
Configuring a stream-based Oracle backup

Oracle creates the backup set identically each time the backup runs.
NetBackup can deduplicate these identical backup sets.
■ Specify parallel backup streams for the database backup.
Specify appropriate ALLOCATE CHANNEL and RELEASE CHANNEL parameters
in the backup script.
For an example that shows an edited backup script, see the following:
See “Example RMAN script for a stream-based backup” on page 258.
2 Disable Oracle's optimization and encryption for the duration of the database
backup.
By default, Oracle disables optimization and encryption. If optimization and
encryption are enabled, run the following RMAN commands from the command
line to disable optimization and encryption:

RMAN> CONFIGURE BACKUP OPTIMIZATION OFF;

RMAN> CONFIGURE ENCRYPTION FOR DATABASE OFF;

If your site requires encryption, you can specify encryption in the NetBackup
for Oracle backup policy.
3 Disable Oracle's compression for the duration of the database backup.
By default, Oracle disables compression. If compression is enabled, Oracle
compresses unused sections in streams, and the result is unpredictable
deduplication rates. If compression is enabled, run the following RMAN
command from the command line to disable compression:

RMAN> CONFIGURE DEVICE TYPE SBT_TAPE BACKUP TYPE TO BACKUPSET;

If your site requires compression, you can specify compression in the

NetBackup for Oracle backup policy.
4 Configure a NetBackup for Oracle policy.
If you want to compress or encrypt the backup, enable compression and
encryption in the NetBackup pd.conf file.
Run a full database backup as soon as you can. The policy can perform
incremental backups until the full backup can be run.

Note: Make sure that Oracle optimization, encryption, and compression are disabled
for the entirety of the database backup. Make sure to check specifications outside
of the RMAN backup script, too.
 Deduplication best practices 258
Example RMAN script for a stream-based backup

Example RMAN script for a stream-based backup

The following is an example fragment from an RMAN script that performs an
optimized, deduplicated, stream-based backup of an Oracle database.

RUN {

# Back up the database.

# Use 4 channels as 4 parallel backup streams.

ALLOCATE CHANNEL ch00 TYPE 'SBT_TAPE';

ALLOCATE CHANNEL ch01 TYPE 'SBT_TAPE';
ALLOCATE CHANNEL ch02 TYPE 'SBT_TAPE';
ALLOCATE CHANNEL ch03 TYPE 'SBT_TAPE';
SEND ' NB_ORA_SERV=$NB_ORA_SERV’;

BACKUP
$BACKUP_TYPE
SKIP INACCESSIBLE
TAG hot_db_bk_level0
# The following line sets FILESPERSET to 1 and facilitates database deduplication.
FILESPERSET 1
FORMAT 'bk_%s_%p_%t'
DATABASE;
sql 'alter system archive log current';
RELEASE CHANNEL ch00;
RELEASE CHANNEL ch01;
RELEASE CHANNEL ch02;
RELEASE CHANNEL ch03;

# Back up the archive logs

# The FILESPERSET parameter setting depends on the number of archive logs you have.

ALLOCATE CHANNEL ch00 TYPE 'SBT_TAPE';

ALLOCATE CHANNEL ch01 TYPE 'SBT_TAPE';
SEND ' NB_ORA_SERV=$NB_ORA_SERV’;
BACKUP
FILESPERSET 20
FORMAT 'al_%s_%p_%t'
ARCHIVELOG ALL DELETE INPUT;
RELEASE CHANNEL ch00;
 Deduplication best practices 259
Editing the RMAN script and configuring NetBackup for Oracle for a proxy copy backup

RELEASE CHANNEL ch01;

#
# Note: During the process of backing up the database, RMAN also backs up the
# control file. This version of the control file does not contain the
# information about the current backup because "nocatalog" has been specified.
# To include the information about the current backup, the control file should
# be backed up as the last step of the RMAN section. This step would not be
# necessary if we were using a recovery catalog or auto control file backups.
#
ALLOCATE CHANNEL ch00 TYPE 'SBT_TAPE';
SEND ' NB_ORA_SERV=$NB_ORA_SERV’;
BACKUP
FORMAT 'cntrl_%s_%p_%t'
CURRENT CONTROLFILE;
RELEASE CHANNEL ch00;
}

Editing the RMAN script and configuring

NetBackup for Oracle for a proxy copy backup
The following procedure explains how to edit the RMAN script on the client.
To edit the RMAN script
1 On the client computer that hosts the Oracle database, open the RMAN backup
script in a text editor, and make the following edits:
■ Add PROXY to the list of commands that backs up the data files.
Example RMAN script after editing:

BACKUP
FORMAT 'bk_u%u_s%s_p%p_t%t'
PROXY
DATABASE;

■ Specify the NB_ORA_PC_STREAMS parameter in the database backup script.

The NB_ORA_PC_STREAMS variable controls the number of proxy copy backup
streams to be started. By default, the agent initiates one backup job for all
files. If the RMAN send command passes NB_ORA_PC_STREAMS, NetBackup
for Oracle splits the files into the number of groups that are specified by
the variable based on the file size. The agent attempts to create streams
of equal size and determines the number of processes that run to perform
the backup.
 Deduplication best practices 260
Example RMAN script for a proxy copy backup

For an example that shows an edited backup script, see the following:
See “Example RMAN script for a proxy copy backup” on page 260.
2 Disable Oracle's optimization and encryption for the duration of the database
backup.
By default, Oracle disables optimization and encryption. If the optimization and
encryption are enabled, run the following RMAN commands from the command
line to disable optimization and encryption:

RMAN> CONFIGURE BACKUP OPTIMIZATION OFF;

RMAN> CONFIGURE ENCRYPTION FOR DATABASE OFF;

If your site requires encryption, you can specify encryption in the NetBackup
for Oracle backup policy.
3 Disable Oracle's compression for the duration of the database backup.
By default, Oracle disables compression. If compression is enabled, Oracle
compresses unused sections in streams, and the result is unpredictable
deduplication rates. If compression is enabled, run the following RMAN
command from the command line to disable compression:

RMAN> CONFIGURE DEVICE TYPE SBT_TAPE BACKUP TYPE TO BACKUPSET;

If your site requires compression, you can specify compression in the

NetBackup for Oracle backup policy.
4 Configure a NetBackup for Oracle policy.
If you want to compress or encrypt the backup, enable compression and
encryption in the NetBackup pd.conf file.
Run a full database backup as soon as you can. You can perform incremental
backups until the full backup can be run.

Note: Make sure that Oracle optimization, encryption, and compression are
disabled for the entirety of the database backup. Also, make sure to check
specifications outside of the RMAN backup script.

Example RMAN script for a proxy copy backup

The following is an example of an RMAN script that performs an optimized,
deduplicated, proxy copy backup of an Oracle database.
 Deduplication best practices 261
Example RMAN script for a proxy copy backup

RUN {

# Back up the database.

ALLOCATE CHANNEL ch00 TYPE 'SBT_TAPE';

# Specify 2 streams.

SEND 'NB_ORA_PC_STREAMS=2';
BACKUP
PROXY
SKIP INACCESSIBLE
TAG hot_db_bk_proxy
FORMAT 'bk_%s_%p_%t'
DATABASE;
sql 'alter system archive log current';
RELEASE CHANNEL ch00;

# Back up the archive logs.

# The FILESPERSET parameter setting depends on the number of archive logs you have.

ALLOCATE CHANNEL ch00 TYPE 'SBT_TAPE';

ALLOCATE CHANNEL ch01 TYPE 'SBT_TAPE';
SEND ' NB_ORA_SERV=$NB_ORA_SERV’;
BACKUP
FILESPERSET 20
FORMAT 'al_%s_%p_%t'
ARCHIVELOG ALL DELETE INPUT;
RELEASE CHANNEL ch00;
RELEASE CHANNEL ch01;

#
# Note: During the process of backing up the database, RMAN also backs up the
# control file. This version of the control file does not contain the
# information about the current backup because "nocatalog" has been specified.
# To include the information about the current backup, the control file should
# be backed up as the last step of the RMAN section. This step would not be
# necessary if we were using a recovery catalog or auto control file backups.
#
ALLOCATE CHANNEL ch00 TYPE 'SBT_TAPE';
SEND ' NB_ORA_SERV=$NB_ORA_SERV’;
 Deduplication best practices 262
Example RMAN script for a proxy copy backup

BACKUP
FORMAT 'cntrl_%s_%p_%t'
CURRENT CONTROLFILE;
RELEASE CHANNEL ch00;
}
 Appendix B
Snapshot Client support of
SFRAC
This appendix includes the following topics:

■ About Snapshot Client support of SFRAC

■ NetBackup configuration for an SFRAC environment

■ Configuring the SFRAC environment for a backup operation

■ Performing a rollback restore in an SFRAC environment

■ Troubleshooting NetBackup in an SFRAC environment

About Snapshot Client support of SFRAC

Veritas Storage Foundation for the Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC)
environment leverages storage management and high availability technologies for
deployment of Oracle RAC on UNIX environments.
Storage Foundation is a complete solution for heterogeneous online storage
management. Based on VxVM and VxFS, it provides a standard set of integrated
tools to centrally manage data growth, maximize storage hardware usage, and
provide data protection.
See “NetBackup configuration for an SFRAC environment” on page 264.
See “Configuring the SFRAC environment for a backup operation” on page 264.
See “Performing a rollback restore in an SFRAC environment” on page 266.
See “Troubleshooting NetBackup in an SFRAC environment” on page 267.
 Snapshot Client support of SFRAC 264
NetBackup configuration for an SFRAC environment

NetBackup configuration for an SFRAC

environment
To perform the offhost snapshot backup of Oracle database in the SFRAC
environment, the NetBackup client software must be installed on each node of the
cluster.
You need to configure the following:
■ On the primary server or media server that resides outside of the cluster, you
must configure the policy to back up the Oracle RAC database.
■ Configure the alternate client so that the snapshot is taken using that offhost.
The alternate client should not be part of the cluster.

Note: IPv6 is not supported for SFRAC.

See “Configuring the SFRAC environment for a backup operation” on page 264.
See “About Snapshot Client support of SFRAC” on page 263.

Configuring the SFRAC environment for a backup

operation
The backup and rollback operations involve the Oracle Agent and the hardware
array. The configuration steps required for both of these operations should also be
done before taking the snapshot.
The following lists the prerequisites before you perform a backup in the SFRAC
environment.
To configure the SFRAC environment for a backup operation
1 Configure a virtual IP or virtual name over the cluster. NetBackup refers to the
client by using this virtual name.
2 The NetBackup client name on each node of the cluster must match the virtual
name that is configured on the cluster. Do one of the following:
■ If you have already installed the client, change the CLIENT_NAME entry
in the bp.conf file of the NetBackup directory to the following:

CLIENT_NAME = <virtual_name>
 Snapshot Client support of SFRAC 265
Configuring the SFRAC environment for a backup operation

■ Alternatively, add the following parameter to the RMAN script file that you
are using for backup and restore, and keep the default CLIENT_NAME as
the hostname:

NB_ORA_CLIENT = <host_name>

3 Specify the required host mode options in the storage array that provides the
storage LUNs. For example, in the Host group options of an Hitachi array, enter
the type of host (for example, Solaris) and enable the VERITAS Database
Edition/Advanced Cluster for Oracle RAC (Solaris) option.
4 Add the following line to the bp.conf file, on each node in the cluster.

PREFERRED_NETWORK = <virtual-host-name>

This entry is required when running a rollback operation.

5 If the CFS version that you run does not support group quiescence, enable
serial quiescence by adding the following lines to the
/usr/openv/lib/vxfi/configfiles/vxfsfi.conf file.

[QUIESCENCE_INFO]
"QUIESCENCE_SERIAL_QUIESCENCE"=dword:00000001

6 Ensure that the database is in open (read-write) mode.

7 Ensure that the service group for the database in VCS is in the online state.
8 Because only the primary node of the cluster supports the rollback restore,
change the virtual IP before a rollback operation so that it points to the primary
node.
9 Configure a snapshot backup policy for the SFRAC environment. In the backup
selection tab of the policy, make sure that you provide a path name to the
RMAN script. Make sure that the script resides on all the nodes of the cluster.
Parameters like ORACLE_SID can differ on each of the nodes. For example,
on node 1, the ORACLE_SID can be symc1 and on node 2, the ORACLE_SID
can be symc2.
See “About Snapshot Client support of SFRAC” on page 263.
See “Performing a rollback restore in an SFRAC environment” on page 266.
 Snapshot Client support of SFRAC 266
Performing a rollback restore in an SFRAC environment

Performing a rollback restore in an SFRAC

environment
The following procedure describes the manual steps that are needed to restore
volumes and file systems by using the snapshot rollback method in an SFRAC
environment.
A typical host deployment for running NetBackup for Oracle in an SFRAC
environment is as follows: Host A and Host B are in the cluster and Host C is used
as an alternate client. The instant recovery snapshot is taken using the Oracle policy
and the Hardware Snapshot FIM (frozen image method).
The application I/O stack is built upon the hardware array of VxVM (CVM) and VxFS
(CFS).
The Veritas Cluster Server (VCS) controls the Oracle RAC database and other
required essential resources such as shared storage. VCS defines and manages
its resources as a single unit called a service group. A service group contains all
the necessary components and resources of an application.
The following are entities in the VCS that monitor the application I/O stack:
■ CFSMount contains the mount points (cfs) where data files, archive logs, and
control files are stored.
■ CVMVolDg contains all the Volume Groups (cvm) configured on top of the
various array LUNs that participate in the hardware snapshot.
■ The Database Resource Group contains the database instance and assists in
failover.
To perform a rollback restore in the SFRAC environment
1 Ensure that you previously created a virtual IP for the clustered node. Point
that virtual IP to the primary node of the cluster.
2 On all the clustered nodes, take the VCS database service group (Oracle,
CFSMount, and CVMVolDg resources) offline by using the following command:

# hagrp -offline <DB_Service_Group> -any

3 Freeze the database service group.

# hagrp -freeze <DB_Service_Group>

4 Mount the CFSMount points manually outside VCS on the primary node. This
action helps when you start the database in mount state.

# mount -F vxfs -o cluster <mntPt>

 Snapshot Client support of SFRAC 267
Troubleshooting NetBackup in an SFRAC environment

5 Start the database with mount option on the clustered primary node using one
of these options:
Option 1:

# sqlplus /as sysdba

# startup mount;

Option 2:

# sqlplus /as sysbackup

# startup mount;

6 Run the rollback restore operation from the RMAN script or the client GUI. A
sample RMAN script file (hot_database_backup_proc) is located in the
following directory path:

/usr/openv/netbackup/ext/db_ext/oracle/samples/rman

To perform PIT rollback, add the following parameter to the script:

NB_ORA_PC_RESTORE=rollback

7 Unmount the CFS on the primary node.

# umount <mntPt>

8 Unfreeze the VCS database service group.

# hagrp -unfreeze <DB_Service_Group>

9 On all the clustered nodes, take the VCS database service group (Oracle,
CFSMount, and CVMVolDg resources) back online:

# hagrp -online <DB_Service_Group> -any

See “About Snapshot Client support of SFRAC” on page 263.

See “Troubleshooting NetBackup in an SFRAC environment” on page 267.

Troubleshooting NetBackup in an SFRAC

environment
The following describes some common errors and how to troubleshoot them:
 Snapshot Client support of SFRAC 268
Troubleshooting NetBackup in an SFRAC environment

■ Problem: The backup failed with error code 6 displayed in the GUI. The
rman_script.out file shows the following error:

RMAN-06403: could not obtain a fully authorized session

ORA-01034: ORACLE not available
ORA-27101: shared memory realm does not exist
SVR4 Error: 2: No such file or directory

Resolution: Check the ORACLE_HOME and ORACLE_SID values.

ORACLE_HOME should not have an extra ‘/’ at the end.
■ Problem: The backup failed with error code 239. The dbclient logs show the
following log statement:

serverResponse: ERR - server exited with status 239: the specified

client does not exist in the specified policy
01:02:23.844 [4000] <16> CreateNewImage: ERR - serverResponse() fail

Resolution: The client name mentioned in the policy and in the bp.conf file at
the client are different.
■ Problem: The backup failed with error 156. The bpfis logs show the following
error.

CVxFSPlugin::vxFreezeAll : ioctl VX_FREEZE_ALL failed with errno : 16

CVxFSPlugin::quiesce - Could not quiesce as VX_FREEZE_ALL failed and
VX_FREEZE is not allowed

Resolution: Add the following lines to the

/usr/openv/lib/vxfi/configfiles/vxfsfi.conffile:

file:[QUIESCENCE_INFO]
"QUIESCENCE_SERIAL_QUIESCENCE"=dword:00000001

■ Problem: The rollback failed with the following error displayed in the GUI:

Failed to process backup file <bk_113_1_728619266>

The dbclient logs show the following error:

xbsa_ProcessError: INF - leaving

xbsa_QueryObject: ERR - VxBSAQueryObject: Failed with error: Server
Status: client is not validated to use the server
xbsa_QueryObject: INF - leaving (3)
int_FindBackupImage: INF - leaving
int_AddToFileList: ERR - Failed to process backup file
<bk_113_1_728619266>
 Snapshot Client support of SFRAC 269
Troubleshooting NetBackup in an SFRAC environment

Resolution : Add the following line in the bp.conf file on the primary node of
the cluster PREFERRED_NETWORK = <virtual_name>
See “About Snapshot Client support of SFRAC” on page 263.
 Appendix C
Script-based Block-Level
Incremental (BLI) Backups
without RMAN on UNIX
and Linux systems
This appendix includes the following topics:

■ About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN

■ About BLI backup and restore operations

■ Verifying installation requirements for BLI backups without RMAN

■ Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup

■ Performing backups and restores

■ About troubleshooting backup or restore errors

About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI)

Backups without RMAN
NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client extends the capabilities of NetBackup
to back up only changed data blocks of Oracle database files. NetBackup
recommends using RMAN-based BLI backups, which allows tight integration with
Oracle administration.
If you choose to use script-based BLI backups without RMAN, you can configure
NetBackup for BLI support. A BLI backup backs up only the changed data blocks
 Script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN on UNIX and Linux systems 271
About BLI backup and restore operations

of Oracle database files. NetBackup for Oracle script-based BLI performs backups
using the Storage Checkpoint facility in the Veritas File System (VxFS) available
through the Veritas Storage Foundation for Oracle.
See “About NetBackup for Oracle with Snapshot Client” on page 181.

About BLI backup and restore operations

A BLI backup performs database backups by obtaining the changed blocks identified
by the Storage Checkpoints. BLI backups can also be performed while the database
is online or offline. As with Storage Checkpoints, you must enable archive log mode
to perform online BLI backups.
A BLI backup places the tablespaces in backup mode, takes a Storage Checkpoint,
and then performs the backup. You specify how and when to back up the database
when configuring the NetBackup notify scripts.
For example, suppose at 4:00 p.m. you lost a disk drive and its mirrored drive. A
number of user tablespaces reside on the disk drive, and you want to recover all
committed transactions up to the time you lost the drive. Because the BLI backup
facility lets you perform more frequent backups, you did an online differential
incremental backup at 1:00 p.m.
You recover by shutting down the database, installing new replacement disk drives,
and restoring all the data files with NetBackup. Then you apply the archive logs to
recover the tablespaces on the failed drive. If you used Fulldata Storage
Checkpoints, the extra redo logs generated during an online backup are small, the
media recovery part of the database recovery takes very little time. Moreover,
because you have a recent backup, the entire recovery is accomplished quickly.
See “About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN”
on page 270.
See “Example Oracle BLI backup policy” on page 279.
See “Verifying installation requirements for BLI backups without RMAN” on page 271.

Verifying installation requirements for BLI

backups without RMAN
Verify the following requirements before you begin the installation.
To verify the installation requirements
1 Make sure that the following products are properly installed and configured:
■ NetBackup
 Script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN on UNIX and Linux systems 272
Verifying installation requirements for BLI backups without RMAN

■ A supported level of Oracle

■ NetBackup for Oracle
■ Veritas Storage Foundation for Oracle

2 Verify licensing.
The products must have valid licenses. To check for licenses, enter the following
commands based on your version:
For VxFS versions earlier than 3.5:

# vxlicense -p

For VxFS versions 3.5 or later:

# vxlicrep

The command displays all the valid licenses that are installed on the system.
If you have valid licenses, the Storage Checkpoint feature and the Veritas
Storage Foundation for Oracle appear in the list.
3 Verify that both the NetBackup server (primary and media) and client software
work properly.
Particularly, verify that you can back up and restore typical operating system
files from the client.
See “File system and Storage Checkpoint space management” on page 272.
See “Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup” on page 274.
See “About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN”
on page 270.

File system and Storage Checkpoint space management

To support BLI backups, the VxFS file systems need extra disk space to keep track
of the block change information. The space that is required depends on the type
of checkpoint that is used and the database change rate while the backup is running.
Using Storage Checkpoints has an effect on space in the following ways:
Script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN on UNIX and Linux systems 273
Verifying installation requirements for BLI backups without RMAN

Nodata Storage Checkpoint If the database is offline during the entire backup window (a
cold database backup) or you use this checkpoint type, the
additional space is minimal. Each file system requires about
1% of free space.

This checkpoint sets a bit to indicate if a file block changed.

When you use this checkpoint type, the data files are left in
quiesce (write suspend) mode for the duration of the backup.

Fulldata Storage Checkpoint If the database is online during the backup and using this
checkpoint type, then more free space is needed in the file
system.

NetBackup for Oracle keeps the Oracle containers in quiesce

(write suspend) mode only for the time that is needed to
create a Storage Checkpoint. During the backup, the
checkpoint creates copies of any file blocks immediately
before they are changed. The backup up contains only the
unchanged blocks and the original copies of the changed
blocks. After the backup completes, the Fulldata Storage
Checkpoint is converted to a Nodata Storage checkpoint and
the copied blocks are returned to the free list.

If the workload change rate is light during backup or the

backup window is short, 10% free space is usually sufficient
for the workload. If the database has a heavy change rate
while the backup is running, the file systems may require
more than 10% of free space.

Note: The default option that NetBackup uses for backups is Fulldata Storage
Checkpoint.

To use Nodata Storage Checkpoint instead of the default option, a user must create
the following empty touch file:

/usr/openv/netbackup/ext/db_ext/NODATA_CKPT_PROXY

See “Verifying installation requirements for BLI backups without RMAN” on page 271.
See “Improving NetBackup backup performance” on page 296.
See “About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN”
on page 270.
 Script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN on UNIX and Linux systems 274
Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup

Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI

backup
To allow full and incremental backups, you must add at least one Standard type
policy to NetBackup and define the appropriate schedules for that policy. NetBackup
policies define the criteria for the backup.
These criteria include the following:
■ Policy attributes
■ Clients and the files or directories to be backed up on the client
■ Storage unit to use
■ Backup schedules
While most database NetBackup BLI backup policy requirements are the same as
for file system backups, the following items have special requirements:
■ The number of policies that are required
See “Number of policies required for BLI backup” on page 274.
■ Policy attribute values
See “About BLI policy attributes” on page 276.
■ The BLI client list
See “About the BLI client list” on page 277.
■ The list of directories and files to back up
See “Backup selections list for BLI backups” on page 277.
■ Schedules
See “About schedules for BLI backup policies” on page 278.

Number of policies required for BLI backup

A database BLI backup requires at least one Standard type policy.
This policy usually includes the following:
■ One full backup schedule
■ One incremental backup schedule
■ One user-directed backup schedule for control files and archive logs
Only one backup stream is initiated for each backup policy during automatic backups.
To enable multiple backup streams, define multiple policies for the same database.
If you have more than one database SID, configure policies for each SID. If you
Script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN on UNIX and Linux systems 275
Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup

intend to do simultaneous backups of more than one SID on the same file system,
use Nodata Storage Checkpoints. Set the METHOD to NODATA_CKPT_HOT.
For example, to back up file systems F1, F2, F3, and F4 with two streams, you need
to define two policies (P1 and P2) with F1 and F2 backed up in P1, and F3 and F4
backed up in P2. If you have one large file system that needs to be backed up with
multiple streams, divide the files in the file system between different policies. After
a file is added to a policy, it should stay in that policy. If you must rearrange the file
list, do so only prior to a full backup.
If you have more than one policy defined for an Oracle database instance,
NetBackup groups the database instance by the NetBackup keyword phrase. Identify
one of the policies as the POLICY_IN_CONTROL in the NetBackup notify scripts. This
policy performs database shutdowns and restarts. All policies with the same keyword
phrase need to be configured to start simultaneously.

Warning: Care must be taken when specifying the keyword phrase. A multistream
backup is attempted if the backup process finds more than one policy with the
following characteristics: Each policy has the BLI attribute set, each policy is active,
each policy contains the same client, and each policy has an identical keyword
phrase.
Typical failure status is: “74 - timeout waiting for bpstart_notify to complete.”
"See “NetBackup restore and backup status codes” on page 294.

You can check the file systems on the backup client to see if they are included in
one of the NetBackup policies on the server. To see if you need to add any new
file systems to the NetBackup policies, run the following commands from the server
on a regular basis, perhaps as a cron(1) job:

# cd /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/goodies/
# ./check_coverage -coverage -client mars -mailid \nbadmin

The preceding command generates the following output and mails it to the specified
mailid:

File System Backup Coverage Report (UNIX only)

-----------------------------------------------
Key: * - Policy is not active
UNCOVERED - Mount Point not covered by an active policy
MULTIPLE - Mount Point covered by multiple active policies

CLIENT: mars
Mount Point Device Backed Up By Policy Notes
 Script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN on UNIX and Linux systems 276
Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup

----------- ------ ------------------- -----

/ /dev/vg00/lvol3 production_servers
/home /dev/vg00/lvol5 production_servers
/oradata1 /dev/dsk/c1t0d0 block_incr1
/oradata2 /dev/dsk/c1t0d0 block_incr1
/oradata3 /dev/nbuvg/nbuvol UNCOVERED
/opt /dev/vg00/lvol6 production_servers
/oracle /dev/vg00/oracle production_servers
/stand /dev/vg00/lvol1 production_servers
/usr /dev/vg00/lvol7 production_servers
/var /dev/vg00/lvol8 production_servers

If there is an UNCOVERED file system that is used by Oracle, add it to one of the
NetBackup policies so that all the necessary file systems are backed up at the same
time.

Note: After a file system is added to a policy, it is a good idea to keep the file system
in that policy. If you change the policy, NetBackup performs a full backup the next
time backups are run even if an incremental backup is requested.

See “Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup” on page 274.
See “About BLI policy attributes” on page 276.
See “Example Oracle BLI backup policy” on page 279.
See “About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN”
on page 270.

About BLI policy attributes

NetBackup applies policy attribute values when it backs up files.
The following attributes must be set for BLI backup:

Policy Type Set to Standard.

Perform block level Select to enable BLI backups. If the BLI attribute is not enabled,
incremental backups NetBackup uses the standard method to back up the files in
the file list.

Job Priority Set so that the BLI backup policies run before other policies.
 Script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN on UNIX and Linux systems 277
Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup

Keyword phrase Define as the Oracle database instance name ($ORACLE_SID)

in each of the policies for the same instance. Multistream
backups start when all the policies with a particular keyword
phrase complete their respective startup scripts. If you have
multiple Oracle database instances (SIDs) use a separate set
of policies for each SID. If the SIDs are backed up
simultaneously and any share a common file system for data
files, use Nodata Storage Checkpoints. Set the METHOD to
NODATA_CKPT_HOT.

Note: Do not change a keyword phrase after it is set in a policy. The keyword phrase
is used in naming Storage Checkpoints. Changing the keyword phrase necessitates
a full backup even if an incremental backup is requested.

The NetBackup Administrator’s Guide, Volume I describes other policy attributes

and how to configure them.
See “Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup” on page 274.
See “About the BLI client list” on page 277.
See “Example Oracle BLI backup policy” on page 279.
See “About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN”
on page 270.

About the BLI client list

The client list specifies the clients upon which you configured a BLI backup. For a
database backup, specify the name of the machine upon which the database resides.
Specify the virtual hostname if clustered.
See “Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup” on page 274.
See “Backup selections list for BLI backups” on page 277.
See “Example Oracle BLI backup policy” on page 279.
See “About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN”
on page 270.

Backup selections list for BLI backups

The backup selections list specifies a list of directories and files to back up. The list
must contain all the database files or their directory names. Using directory names,
rather than file names, ensures that new database files added to an existing
 Script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN on UNIX and Linux systems 278
Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup

configuration are backed up without having to update the file list. Use the
check_coverage script to make sure all file systems are backed up.

If you are using the Quick I/O interface, you need to specify both the Quick I/O file
name and the associated hidden file in the file list (for example, dbfile and
.dbfile), or you need to specify the directory that contains both files. NetBackup
does not follow the symbolic links to automatically back up the hidden file if you
enumerate only the dbfile explicitly in the backup selections list. They are both
included if you enumerate their common directory.
When the NetBackup scheduler invokes an automatic backup schedule, it backs
up the files one at a time, in the same order they appear in the backup selection
list.
Oracle does not recommend backing up the online redo log, so it is recommended
that you place online redo log files in a different file system than datafiles, archive
log files, or database control files. Do not include the online redo log files in the file
list.
See “Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup” on page 274.
See “About schedules for BLI backup policies” on page 278.
See “Example Oracle BLI backup policy” on page 279.
See “About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN”
on page 270.

About schedules for BLI backup policies

The NetBackup server starts these schedule types:
■ Full Backup
■ Differential Incremental Backup
■ Cumulative Incremental Backup
Each BLI backup policy must include one full backup schedule and at least one
incremental backup schedule. In addition, you must designate one of the BLI backup
policies as the POLICY_IN_CONTROL. The policies for each stream must have the
same types of schedules.
The NetBackup Administrator’s Guide, Volume I describes other schedule attributes
and how to configure them.
You can configure the following types of schedules:
■ User-directed backup schedule. The user-directed backup schedule
encompasses all the days and times when user-directed backups are allowed
to occur. Set the backup window as described.
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The policies for each stream must have the same types of schedules.
■ Automatically initiated backup schedules. Include server-initiated backup
schedules to specify the days and times for NetBackup to automatically start
backups of the files specified in the policy file list. Set the backup window as
described.
For server-initiated full and incremental backup schedules, set the start times and
durations to define the appropriate windows for the backups. Follow the same
procedure used to define backup schedules for other policies. For more information
on these procedures, see the NetBackup Administrator’s Guide, Volume I.
The backups are started by the scheduler only within the backup window specified.
For the POLICY_IN_CONTROL, include in the user-directed backup schedule the time
periods when the BLI backup policies complete.
Set the retention level and periods to meet user requirements.
See “Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup” on page 274.
See “Example Oracle BLI backup policy” on page 279.
See “About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN”
on page 270.

Example Oracle BLI backup policy

The following example shows attributes and schedules for an Oracle BLI backup
policy.

Policy Name: oracle_backup1

Policy Type: Standard
Active: yes
Block level incremental: yes
Job Priority: 0
Max Jobs/Policy: 1
Residence: oracle_tapes
Volume Pool: NetBackup
Keyword: ORA1
Client List: Sun4 Solaris2.6 mars
HP9000-800 HP-UX11.00 mars
Backup Selections List: /oradata/oradata1
Schedule: full
Type: Full Backup
Frequency: 1 week
Retention Level: 3 (one month)
Daily Windows:
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Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup

Sunday 18:00:00 --> Monday 06:00:00

Monday 18:00:00 --> Tuesday 06:00:00
Tuesday 18:00:00 --> Wednesday 06:00:00
Wednesday
18:00:00 --> Thursday 06:00:00
Thursday18:00:00 --> Friday 06:00:00
Friday 18:00:00 --> Saturday 06:00:00
Saturday18:00:00 --> Sunday 06:00:00
Schedule: incr
Type: Differential Incremental Backup
Frequency: 1 day
Retention Level: 3 (one month)
Daily Windows:
Sunday 18:00:00 --> Monday 06:00:00
Monday 18:00:00 --> Tuesday 06:00:00
Tuesday 18:00:00 --> Wednesday 06:00:00
Wednesday 18:00:00 --> Thursday 06:00:00
Thursday 18:00:00 --> Friday 06:00:00
Friday 18:00:00 --> Saturday 06:00:00
Saturday 18:00:00 --> Sunday 06:00:00
Schedule: userbkup
Type: User Backup
Retention Level: 3 (one month)
Daily Windows:
Sunday 00:00:00 --> Sunday 24:00:00
Monday 00:00:00 --> Monday 24:00:00
Tuesday 00:00:00 --> Tuesday 24:00:00
Wednesday 00:00:00 --> Wednesday 24:00:00
Thursday 00:00:00 --> Thursday 24:00:00
Friday 00:00:00 --> Friday 24:00:00
Saturday 00:00:00 --> Saturday 24:00:00

In this example, the oracle_backup1 policy backs up all the files in

/oradata/oradata1. The policy specifies a weekly full backup, a daily differential
incremental backup, and a user-directed backup schedule. The archive logs and
the control file are backed up using the user-directed schedule at the completion
of the full or incremental backup.
See “Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup” on page 274.
See “About schedules for BLI backup policies” on page 278.
See “Setting the maximum jobs per client global attribute” on page 281.
See “Sample setup_bli_scripts session” on page 285.
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Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup

See “About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN”

on page 270.

Setting the maximum jobs per client global attribute

Set the Maximum Jobs per Client to the number of policies that have the same
keyword phrase. This number can be greater than one when multiple job policies
are defined to back up multiple file systems.
See “Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup” on page 274.
See “About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN”
on page 270.
See “Example Oracle BLI backup policy” on page 279.

About BLI backup methods

You can choose from the following backup methods when configuring BLI notify
scripts:

Table C-1 BLI backup terminology

Term Definition

cold database A cold database backup is taken while the database is offline or closed.
backup BLI backup shuts down the database and performs either full or
block-level incremental backups. This backup method is also referred
to in Oracle documentation as a "consistent whole database backup"
or a "closed backup." The data from a cold backup is consistent,
resulting in easier recovery procedures.

To select this backup method, set METHOD to

SHUTDOWN_BKUP_RESTART.

In an offline backup, all database files are consistent to the same point
in time (for example, when the database was last shutdown using typical
methods). The database must stay shut down while the backup runs.
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Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup

Table C-1 BLI backup terminology (continued)

Term Definition

hot database A hot database backup allows the database to be online and open while
backup the backup is performed. With the Storage Checkpoint facility, this
backup method runs database backups in parallel so a database does
not need to be in backup mode for a long time.

To select this backup method, set METHOD to ALTER_TABLESPACE.

Hot backups are required if the database must be up and running 24

hours a day, 7 days a week.

To use hot backups, the database must be in ARCHIVELOG mode. BLI

backup uses the alter tablespace begin backup command and
the alter tablespace end backup command to put the database
into and take it out of backup mode. Oracle documentation refers to
this method as an inconsistent whole database backup or open backup.
Unlike the cold database backup method, the data in hot backups is
fuzzy or inconsistent until the appropriate redo log files (online and
archived) are applied after the restore operation to make the data
consistent.

Nodata storage A Nodata storage checkpoint hot backup puts the tablespaces in backup
checkpoint hot mode for the duration of the backup. It uses a Nodata Storage
Checkpoint to reduce the amount of file system space consumed.

To select this backup method, set METHOD to NODATA_CKPT_HOT.

Use this method if all of the following conditions are present:

■ You are backing up multiple Oracle database instances.

■ More than one instance shares the file system.
■ The backup of the instances can overlap in time.

quick freeze The quick freeze database backup is different than an online database
database backup backup, because it requires the database to be brought down briefly to
take a snapshot or Fulldata Storage Checkpoint of the database image.
The Fulldata Storage Checkpoint is created in a few seconds and the
database can be restarted immediately. A backup image from a quick
freeze database backup is equivalent to a backup image from a cold
database backup. You can choose this backup method when you
configure BLI notify scripts.

To select this backup method, set METHOD to

SHUTDOWN_CKPT_RESTART.

See “Creating notify scripts for BLI backups” on page 283.

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Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup

If the database is in ARCHIVELOG mode, you can use all four methods to back up
the database. If the database is in NOARCHIVELOG mode, you can only select the
cold backup or quick freeze backup.
When you use the cold and quick freeze database backups, the default shutdown
command that you use in the bpstart_notify.oracle_bli script is shutdown or
shutdown normal. These commands wait for all users to log off before it initiates
the shutdown. In some circumstances, even after all interactive users are logged
off, processes such as the Oracle Intelligent Agent (Oracle dbsnmp account) can
still be connected to the database, preventing the database shutdown. Attempt to
use the default shutdown commands to shut down the database cleanly.
Alternatively, you can use shutdown immediate to initiate the database shutdown
immediately.

Creating notify scripts for BLI backups

Create the notify scripts that run on the clients to synchronize the backup operation
and the database operation. You need a set of three notify scripts for each policy
that performs BLI backups. The scripts must be in the /usr/openv/netbackup/bin
directory on the NetBackup client.
The scripts are named as follows:
■ bpstart_notify.POLICY

■ post_checkpoint_notify.POLICY

■ bpend_notify.POLICY

To create the notify scripts, run the following script as root:

/usr/openv/netbackup/ext/db_ext/oracle/bin/setup_bli_scripts

This script copies the sample notify script templates to /usr/openv/netbackup/bin

and makes the necessary changes based on the information you provide.
The notify script templates are located on the local computer in the following location:

/usr/openv/netbackup/ext/db_ext/oracle/samples

When you run setup_bli_scripts you need to supply the following information:
■ Identify the POLICY_IN_CONTROL
See “Identify the POLICY_IN_CONTROL for BLI backups” on page 284.
■ Provide the Oracle environment variables
See “Oracle environment variables for BLI scripts” on page 284.
■ Select a backup method
Script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN on UNIX and Linux systems 284
Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup

■ Notify scripts for other policies

See “About BLI notify scripts for other policies” on page 285.
See the information about how to use the notify scripts to back up your Oracle
database.
See “Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup” on page 274.
See “About NetBackup for Oracle manual backups” on page 289.
See “Example Oracle BLI backup policy” on page 279.
See “About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN”
on page 270.

Identify the POLICY_IN_CONTROL for BLI backups

If you have more than one policy defined on the server for one Oracle database
instance, identify one of the policies as the POLICY_IN_CONTROL. This is the policy
that initiates the database shutdown, startup, or alter tablespace commands.
The POLICY_IN_CONTROL can be any policy (for example, the first policy defined).
This variable is stored in the notify scripts.
See “Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup” on page 274.
See “Example Oracle BLI backup policy” on page 279.
See “About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN”
on page 270.

Oracle environment variables for BLI scripts

If you create notify scripts, or if you run setup_bli_scripts, you need to provide
values for the Oracle environment variables.
These variables are as follows:

ORACLE_DBA User name of the Oracle database administrator. Typically,

oracle.

ORACLE_BASE $ORACLE_BASE of the Oracle database instance.

ORACLE_HOME $ORACLE_HOME of the Oracle database instance.

ORACLE_SID Oracle database instance ID ($ORACLE_SID) if it is different from

the keyword.

ORACLE_LOGS Directory in which the Oracle archive logs reside.

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ORACLE_CNTRL Location to which a copy of the Oracle control file is written so

that it can be backed up.

SQLCMD sqldba, svrmgrl, or sqlplus command to start up or shut

down the database.

ORACLE_INIT Path name for the Oracle startup parameter file (INIT.ORA). If
you are using an Oracle SPFILE as your parameter file, do not
set the ORACLE_INIT environment variable.

ORACLE_CONFIG Path name for the Oracle configuration file (CONFIG.ORA). Some
database configurations use the CONFIG.ORA file to specify
values for the database parameters that usually do not change.
The CONFIG.ORA file can be called by the INIT.ORA file using
an include statement.

See “Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup” on page 274.
See “Example Oracle BLI backup policy” on page 279.
See “About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN”
on page 270.

About BLI notify scripts for other policies

If you have more than one policy defined to support multiple backup streams, create
a copy of the notify scripts for each policy defined.
For example, assume that you have two policies defined, oracle_backup1 and
oracle_backup2. Also assume that POLICY_IN_CONTROL is set to oracle_backup1.
You also need to create notify scripts for policy oracle_backup2. The
setup_bli_scripts script performs this step automatically.

See “Sample setup_bli_scripts session” on page 285.

See “Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup” on page 274.
See “About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN”
on page 270.
See “Example Oracle BLI backup policy” on page 279.

Sample setup_bli_scripts session

The following sample session shows how to use setup_bli_scripts to create the
notify scripts.

#/usr/openv/netbackup/ext/db_ext/oracle/bin/setup_bli_scripts
 Script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN on UNIX and Linux systems 286
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Please enter the user name of your Oracle administrator? orac901

ORACLE_BASE is the Oracle environment variable that identifies

the directory at the top of the Oracle software and administrative
file structure. The value of this variable is typically
/MOUNTPOINT/app/oracle

Please enter your ORACLE_BASE? /dbhome/oracle/orac901

ORACLE_HOME is the Oracle environment variable that identifies the

directory containing the Oracle software for a given Oracle server
release. The value of this variable is typically
/dbhome/oracle/orac901/product/RELEASE

Please enter your ORACLE_HOME? /dbhome/oracle/orac901

sqlplus will be used.

The default "connect" statement that will be used to connect to the database is:
"connect / as sysdba"

Would you like to modify the connect and use a specific login? (y/n) n

"connect / as sysdba" will be used.

Please enter the Oracle instance (ORACLE_SID) you want to back up? orac901

If you are using a CONFIG.ORA file, you need to specify where

it is, so that it can be backed up. If this does not apply
apply to your configuration, hit ENTER to go on. If this does
apply to your configuration, specify the file path.
Typically this would be:
/dbhome/oracle/orac901/admin/orac901/pfile/configorac901.ora
but this file could not be found.

Enter your Oracle config file path or hit ENTER:

To back up a copy of the Oracle control file, you need to specify a file
path where Oracle can write a copy of the control file.

Please enter the file path where Oracle is to write a copy of your
control file? /dbhome/oracle/orac901/admin/orac901/pfile/cntrlorac901.ora
 Script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN on UNIX and Linux systems 287
Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup

To back up the Oracle archive logs, you need to specify their location.

Enter the directory path to your Oracle archive logs?

/dbhome/oracle/orac901/admin/orac901/arch

Do you have more archive log locations? (y/n): n

Do you want the output of successful executions of the NetBackup

scripts mailed to you? y
Please enter the mail address to send it to? [email protected]

Do you want the output of unsuccessful executions of the NetBackup

scripts mailed to you? y
Please enter the mail address to send it to? [email protected]

There are 4 backup methods to choose from:

ALTER_TABLESPACE - Use alter tablespace begin backup method
NODATA_CKPT_HOT - Use alter tablespace begin backup with nodata ckpts
SHUTDOWN_CKPT_RESTART - Shutdown, create the ckpt clones, and restart
SHUTDOWN_BKUP_RESTART - Shutdown the DB, backup, and then restart
If one of the methods requiring DB shutdown are selected, you may experience
problems with timeouts if the database can't be shut down in a timely
manner. You may want to change the shutdown command in the notify scripts to
shutdown immediate, or you may have to increase the BPSTART_TIMEOUT value in the
bp.conf file on the primary server, or you may want to change the backup
method to ALTER_TABLESPACE or NODATA_CKPT_HOT.
Note: the default BPSTART_TIMEOUT value is 300 seconds.

Do you want to use the ALTER_TABLESPACE method? y

You now need to decide on how many NetBackup policies you will have
backing up simultaneously. The first one you enter will be known
as the POLICY_IN_CONTROL in the scripts and will perform any needed
DB operations. When you create the policies on the NetBackup server,
you will have to divide the filesystems between these policies.

Please enter the name of the policy that will be the POLICY_IN_CONTROL? BLI_1
Please enter the name of another policy or DONE to stop? BLI_2
Please enter the name of another policy or DONE to stop? BLI_3
Please enter the name of another policy or DONE to stop? BLI_4
Please enter the name of another policy or DONE to stop? BLI_5
 Script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN on UNIX and Linux systems 288
Performing backups and restores

Please enter the name of another policy or DONE to stop? BLI_6

Please enter the name of another policy or DONE to stop? DONE

See “Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup” on page 274.
See “Example Oracle BLI backup policy” on page 279.
See “About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN”
on page 270.

Performing backups and restores

After the installation and configuration are complete, you can use the NetBackup
interfaces to start Oracle backups and restores. You can run backups manually by
using schedules that you determine. You can also run a schedule manually.

Note: You must be the root user to perform all operations using the BLI backup
software.

See “About NetBackup for Oracle agent automatic backups” on page 288.
See “About NetBackup for Oracle manual backups” on page 289.
See “Backing up Quick I/O files” on page 290.
See “Restoring BLI backup images” on page 290.
See “About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN”
on page 270.

About NetBackup for Oracle agent automatic backups

The best way to back up databases is to set up schedules for automatic backups.

Note: You must be the root user to perform all operations using the BLI backup
software.

Note: For HP-UX PA-RISC checkpoints to unmount and be cleaned up, create
touch file /usr/openv/netbackup/AIO_READS_MAX that contains the value 1.
HP-UX PA-RISC checkpoints may not be unmounted on Oracle database agents.

See “Creating NetBackup policies for script-based BLI backup” on page 274.
See “Backing up Quick I/O files” on page 290.
 Script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN on UNIX and Linux systems 289
Performing backups and restores

See “About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN”

on page 270.
See “Performing backups and restores” on page 288.

About NetBackup for Oracle manual backups

You can also run an Automatic Backup schedule manually. For information about
performing manual backups of schedules, see the NetBackup Administrator’s Guide,
Volume I.

Note: You must be the root user to perform all operations using the BLI backup
software.

Note: For HP-UX PA-RISC checkpoints to unmount and be cleaned up, create
touch file /usr/openv/netbackup/AIO_READS_MAX that contains the value 1.

To perform a cold (offline) backup, set the environment variable METHOD in the
bpstart_notify script on the client to SHUTDOWN_BKUP_RESTART. The
bpstart_notify script shuts down the database before the backup begins and
the bpend_notify script restarts the database after the backup completes.
To perform a hot (online) backup using Fulldata Storage Checkpoints, make sure
the database is running in ARCHIVELOG mode and set the variable METHOD to
ALTER_TABLESPACE. The bpstart_notify script changes the tablespaces to online
backup mode before the backup begins, and the post_checkpoint_notify script
changes the tablespaces back to normal mode after the Fulldata Storage
Checkpoints are created.
To perform a Nodata Storage Checkpoint Hot (online) backup, make sure the
database is running in ARCHIVELOG mode and set the environment variable METHOD
in the bpstart_notify script to NODATA_CKPT_HOT. The bpstart_notify script
changes the tablespaces to online backup mode before the backup begins. The
bpend_notify script changes the tablespaces back to normal mode after the backup
completes.
To perform a quick freeze backup, set the environment variable METHOD in the
bpstart_notify script to SHUTDOWN_CKPT_RESTART. The bpstart_notify script
shuts down the database and the post_checkpoint_notify script restarts it
immediately after the Fulldata Storage Checkpoints are created. Taking VxFS
Fulldata Storage Checkpoints is very fast (within a minute), and with the NetBackup
queuing delay for scheduling the backup jobs, the database down time is typically
only a few minutes.
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Performing backups and restores

Backing up Quick I/O files

A Quick I/O file consists of two components: a hidden file with the space allocated
for it, and a link that points to the Quick I/O interface of the hidden file. Because
NetBackup does not follow symbolic links, you must specify both the Quick I/O link
and its hidden file in the list of files to be backed up.

Note: You must be the root user to perform all operations using the BLI backup
software.

For example:

ls -la /db02
total 2192
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 96 Jan 20 17:39 .
drwxr-xr-x 9 root root 8192 Jan 20 17:39 ..
-rw-r--r-- 1 oracle dba 1048576 Jan 20 17:39 .cust.dbf
lrwxrwxrwx 1 oracle dba 22 Jan 20 17:39 cust.dbf ->\
.cust.dbf::cdev:vxfs:

The preceding example shows that you must include both the symbolic link cust.dbf
and the hidden file .cust.dbf in the backup file list.
If you want to back up all Quick I/O files in a directory, you can simplify the process
by only specifying the directory to be backed up. In this case, both components of
each Quick I/O file is properly backed up. In general, you should specify directories
to be backed up unless you only want to back up some, files in those directories.

Note: For HP-UX PA-RISC checkpoints to unmount and be cleaned up, create
touch file /usr/openv/netbackup/AIO_READS_MAX that contains the value 1.

See “About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN”

on page 270.
See “Performing backups and restores” on page 288.
See “Restoring BLI backup images” on page 290.

Restoring BLI backup images

Restoring the backup images that a BLI backup creates is no different than restoring
the backup images that are created using the default NetBackup configuration.
Restoring to any of the incremental backup images requires NetBackup to restore
the last full backup image and all the subsequent incremental backups until the
Script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN on UNIX and Linux systems 291
Performing backups and restores

specified incremental backup image is restored. NetBackup does this automatically.

The media that stored the last full and the subsequent incrementals must be
available, or the restore cannot proceed.
You can start the restore operations from the NetBackup client by using the Backup,
Archive, and Restore interface. To restore the latest copy of each file, select either
the files or parent directories with the latest backup date, and click Restore. For
more information on restoring, see the NetBackup Backup, Archive, and Restore
Getting Started Guide.
If the operation is to restore files from an incremental backup image, NetBackup
issues multiple restore operations beginning from the last full backup image and
the subsequent incremental backup images until the selected date. The activity of
multiple restores is logged in the Progress Log.
If you plan to restore files backed up by another client or to direct a restore to another
client, start the restore from the NetBackup server using the Backup, Archive, and
Restore interface. Before you initiate a restore, a backup must have successfully
completed or an error occurs during the execution.
For Solaris, the restore destination can be a VxFS or UFS file system. The
destination file system does not need to support the Storage Checkpoint feature,
but to be able to perform BLI backups of the restored data, a VxFS file system with
the Storage Checkpoint feature is required.
For HP-UX, the restore destination can be a VxFS or HFS file system. The
destination file system does not need to support the Storage Checkpoint feature to
restore files. However, a VxFS file system with the Storage Checkpoint feature is
required to perform BLI backups of the restored data.
For AIX, the restore destination can be a VxFS or JFS file system. The destination
file system does not need to support the Storage Checkpoint feature to restore files.
However, a VxFS file system with the Storage Checkpoint feature is required to
perform BLI backups of the restored data.
Note that restoring a file causes all blocks in that file to be rewritten. Thus, all the
blocks in the file are considered to have been modified. Thus, the first subsequent
differential incremental backup and all subsequent cumulative incremental backups
back up all of the blocks in the restored file. If you are restoring an entire database
or a file system, the first subsequent backup backs up all blocks that are restored.
To restore a Quick I/O file, if both the symbolic link and the hidden file already exist,
NetBackup restores both components from the backup image. If either one of the
two components is missing, or both components are missing, NetBackup creates
or overwrites as needed.
Oracle database recovery might be necessary after restoring the files. See the
Oracle documentation for more information on doing database recovery.
 Script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN on UNIX and Linux systems 292
Performing backups and restores

See “Performing backups and restores” on page 288.

See “Backing up Quick I/O files” on page 290.
See “About BLI backup and database recovery” on page 296.
See “About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN”
on page 270.

About NetBackup backup and restore logs

NetBackup provides logs on the database backup and restore operations and are
useful for finding problems with those operations. The following table describes the
most useful logs and reports for troubleshooting backup and restore operations.

Table C-2 NetBackup backup and restore logs

Log file type Description

NetBackup progress This description only applies to a File System Restore (script-based BLI).
logs
For user-directed backups and restores performed with Backup, Archive, and Restore
interface, the most convenient log to use for NetBackup is the progress log. The progress
log file is written to the user’s home directory, by default in
/usr/openv/netbackup/logs/user_ops/username/logs. This log indicates whether
NetBackup was able to complete its part of the operation. You can view the progress log
from the Backup, Archive, and Restore interface, or you can use a file editor such as vi(1).

NetBackup debug logs The NetBackup server and client software provide debug logs for troubleshooting any problems
that occur outside of BLI backups. To enable these debug logs on the server or client, create
the appropriate directories under the following directory:

/usr/openv/netbackup/logs

For more information on debug logs, see the NetBackup Troubleshooting Guide or see the
/usr/openv/netbackup/logs/README.debug file.

NetBackup reports In addition to logs, NetBackup provides a set of reports that help isolate problems. One report
is All Log Entries on the server. For a description of all reports, see the NetBackup
Administrator’s Guide, Volume I.

See “Restoring BLI backup images” on page 290.

See “About troubleshooting backup or restore errors” on page 293.
See “About BLI backup and database recovery” on page 296.
See “About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN”
on page 270.
 Script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN on UNIX and Linux systems 293
About troubleshooting backup or restore errors

About troubleshooting backup or restore errors

A backup or restore error can originate from NetBackup for Oracle, from the
NetBackup server or client, from the Media Manager, or from VxFS. In addition to
examining log files and reports, you should determine at which stage of the backup
or restore operation the problem occurred. You can also use NetBackup status
codes to determine the cause of the problem.
See “About NetBackup backup and restore logs” on page 292.
See “About BLI backup and database recovery” on page 296.
See “About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN”
on page 270.

Troubleshooting stages of backup and restore operations

Refer to the following list to determine the source of a backup or restore error:
■ A backup or restore can be started in either of the following ways:
■ Manually from the administrator interface on the primary server
■ Automatically by a NetBackup server using a full schedule or incremental
schedule
If an error occurs during the start operation, examine the Java reports window
for the possible cause of the error.
■ If the backup or restore starts successfully but eventually fails, one of the
following can be the cause:
■ Server/Client communication problem
■ Schedule error
■ Media-related error
■ VxFS errors
For more information, see the NetBackup Troubleshooting Guide.
■ There can be insufficient disk space for the VxFS Fulldata Storage Checkpoints
to keep track of changed block information. Check the All Log Entries report
for errors.
If there is a file system out-of-space condition, increase the size of the file system
so it is large enough for Fulldata Storage Checkpoints or use the Nodata Storage
Checkpoint Hot backup method. This error does not affect the integrity of the
backup images because a full backup of the affected file system occurs after
the condition is fixed.
 Script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN on UNIX and Linux systems 294
About troubleshooting backup or restore errors

■ If an incremental backup is intended, but the whole file system is backed up

instead, one of the following conditions might be present:
■ Storage Checkpoints that keep track of changes have been removed
■ The Block level incremental attribute is not selected
■ Other errors with a nonzero status code
The most common cause of this problem is the file system removed the Storage
Checkpoint that keeps track of the block changes. This action might occur if the
file system runs out of space, and there are no volumes available to allocate to
the file system. The integrity of the backup images is not affected, because a
full backup of the file system occurs at the next backup opportunity after
NetBackup detects that a Storage Checkpoint is missing.
See “NetBackup restore and backup status codes” on page 294.
See “About NetBackup backup and restore logs” on page 292.
See “About BLI backup and database recovery” on page 296.
See “About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN”
on page 270.

NetBackup restore and backup status codes

The status codes and their meanings are as follows:
■ Status Code 9. An extension package is needed but was not installed.
The client does not have the NetBackup binaries required to do BLI backups.
Use update_clients on the server to push out new binaries. Also, use
vxlicense -p to verify that the Storage Checkpoint feature [83] and the Veritas
Storage Foundation for Oracle [100] are installed.
■ Status Code 69. Invalid file list specification.
Look for a message such as the following in the error log on the server:

FTL - /oradata is not in a VxFS file system. A block incremental

backup of it is not possible.

This indicates that there was an attempt to back up a file system that is not a
VxFS file system with the Block level incremental attribute. This error can also
occur if the file system is not mounted.
■ Status Code 73. bpstart_notify failed.
When running the notify scripts, the bpstart_notify script exited with a nonzero
status code, or the permission bits are set wrong on the bpstart_notify script.
The script must have execute permission. If the permission bits are set, check
Script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN on UNIX and Linux systems 295
About troubleshooting backup or restore errors

the bpstart_notify_output.ORACLE_SID file in the

/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/BLOCK_INCR directory.

■ Status Code 74. Client timed out waiting for bpstart_notify to complete.
Check the BPSTART_TIMEOUT setting on the NetBackup server. The
BPSTART_TIMEOUT specified did not allow enough time for the script to complete.
The shutdown database operation might be taking too long, or the script might
be waiting for other streams to start. Check the
bpstart_notify_output.ORACLE_SID file and the
post_checkpoint_notify_output.ORACLE_SID file in the
/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/BLOCK_INCR directory. Make sure that the policies
and schedules are configured with appropriate multiplexing factors and that the
required storage units that allow all streams to start at the same time are
configured. Check to see if all needed tape drives are working and available.
Make sure that the database is not processing transactions so that the instance
cannot be shut down immediately (if you are using one of the backup methods
where the database is shut down).
Finally, make sure that the priority on the BLI policies is higher than other policies,
so they get access to the tape drives before the other policies.
■ Status Code 75. Client timed out waiting for bpend_notify to complete.
Check the BPEND_TIMEOUT setting on the NetBackup server. The BPEND_TIMEOUT
specified did not allow enough time for the script to complete. The restart
database operation might be taking too long, or the script might be waiting for
other streams to call the bpend_notify script. Check the
bpend_notify_output.ORACLE_SID file and the
post_checkpoint_notify_output.ORACLE_SID file in the
/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/BLOCK_INCR directory. Make sure that the policies
and schedules are configured with appropriate multiplexing factors and that the
required storage units that can allow all streams to be started at the same time
are configured. Verify that all needed tape drives are working and available
during backup.
■ Status Code 77. Execution of the specified system command returned a nonzero
status code.
Check the post_checkpoint_notify_output.KEYWORD file in the
/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/BLOCK_INCR directory for the possible cause. The
post_checkpoint_notify script exited with a nonzero status code.

■ Status Code 143. Invalid command protocol.

Check to see if the Block level incremental policy attribute is selected without
a keyword specified. Set the Keyword phrase in the policies to the Oracle
database instance name ($ORACLE_SID).
See “Troubleshooting stages of backup and restore operations” on page 293.
 Script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN on UNIX and Linux systems 296
About troubleshooting backup or restore errors

See “About NetBackup backup and restore logs” on page 292.

See “About BLI backup and database recovery” on page 296.
See “About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN”
on page 270.

Improving NetBackup backup performance

If backups are running slowly, check to see if the database has an excessive
workload. BLI backups allow hot database backups and quick freeze database
backups. Because the database is running during both of these backup methods
while NetBackup is backing up the database files, Oracle I/O can affect the backup
performance.
If the database is not running with a high transaction volume, troubleshoot
NetBackup. If the incremental backup takes a long time to finish, it could mean that
there are more changed blocks since the last incremental backup. Verify whether
the size of the incremental backup image has increased, and consider increasing
the frequency of incremental backups.
Finally, you can improve the speed at which backup is performed by using
multiplexed backups. Assigning multiple policies to the same backup device is
helpful when devices are not writing at their maximum capacity.
See “Troubleshooting stages of backup and restore operations” on page 293.
See “Verifying installation requirements for BLI backups without RMAN” on page 271.
See “File system and Storage Checkpoint space management” on page 272.
See “About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN”
on page 270.

About BLI backup and database recovery

A BLI backup does not perform automatic database recovery. This process includes
restoring the database files from NetBackup images and applying the Oracle redo
log files to the database files. Follow the Oracle documentation to perform database
recovery after a restore.
See “NetBackup restore and backup status codes” on page 294.
See “Troubleshooting stages of backup and restore operations” on page 293.
See “About NetBackup backup and restore logs” on page 292.
See “Restoring BLI backup images” on page 290.
See “About script-based Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backups without RMAN”
on page 270.
 Appendix D
XML Archiver
This appendix includes the following topics:

■ NetBackup for Oracle XML export and XML import

■ About the environment variables set by a user in the XML export parameter file

■ About XML export shell scripts

■ Performing an XML export archive

■ Browsing XML export archives using bporaimp parameters

■ Browsing XML export archives using bplist

■ Restoring an XML export archive

■ Troubleshooting XML export or XML import errors

■ Additional XML export and import logs

NetBackup for Oracle XML export and XML import

While Oracle RMAN performs backup, restore, and recovery of physical Oracle
database objects (data files, tablespaces, control files, and archived redo logs), the
NetBackup for Oracle XML export and XML import utilities provide backup and
restore of logical database objects (tables, users, and rows).
The XML format is used to provide a self-identifying and system-independent format
ideal for database archiving.
See “NetBackup for Oracle XML export and import archiving features” on page 298.
See “XML export archive process” on page 299.
See “XML import restore process” on page 302.
See “Sequence of operation: XML import restore” on page 303.
 XML Archiver 298
NetBackup for Oracle XML export and XML import

See “Sequence of operation: XML export archive” on page 300.

See “NetBackup for Oracle features” on page 14.

NetBackup for Oracle XML export and import archiving features

Table D-1 describes NetBackup for Oracle XML export and XML import archiving
features.

Table D-1 NetBackup for Oracle XML export and XML import archiving
features

Feature Description

System- and NetBackup for Oracle uses the eXtensible Markup Language (XML)
database-independent standard to represent relational database table data that is extracted
archive format from an Oracle database.

The eXtensible Markup Language (XML) is a universal format for

structured documents and data. The XML 1.0 standards are
produced by the World Wide Web Consortium and include the XML
Schema standard.

Unicode UTF-8 is the character set encoding generated by

NetBackup for Oracle. Standard XML processors support UTF-8.
US7ASCII is a strict subset of UTF-8.

Self-identifying archive The XML Schema standard is used to describe the table data that
format is included in an archive. In this way, the archive contains the key
to understanding the format of the data as well as the data itself.

Command line Parameter files specify the table data to include in an archive and
interfaces that allow the table data to extract from an archive for import into an Oracle
export and import at database.
row-level granularity

Restore destination NetBackup for Oracle can either restore XML data to an operating
option system directory or import the data back into the Oracle database.

Flexible archive image The NetBackup catalog contains information on the contents of the
searches archive that can be searched by using flexible search criteria, such
as tablename or user.

See “XML export archive process” on page 299.

See “XML import restore process” on page 302.
See “NetBackup for Oracle XML export and XML import” on page 297.
See “Sequence of operation: XML import restore” on page 303.
 XML Archiver 299
NetBackup for Oracle XML export and XML import

See “About NetBackup for Oracle” on page 13.

See “NetBackup for Oracle features” on page 14.

XML export archive process

Figure D-1 shows the XML export archive process.

Figure D-1 XML export archives

Command line 1

Script (bporaexp or
bporaexp64)

Table list WHERE clause

NetBackup OCI
Scheduler

2 3
Oracle DBMS
Query processor

Table metadata / Table data

4

XML generator

XML schema / XML instances

OS Directory
NetBackup

Table D-2 describes the archive activity.

 XML Archiver 300
NetBackup for Oracle XML export and XML import

Table D-2 Archive activity

Activity Process

Oracle XML archive NetBackup for Oracle extracts database table data, converts
it into XML format, and stores XML data to either of the
following types of repositories:

■ A directory
■ A storage unit

XML export NetBackup converts Oracle table data to XML format (XML
schema or metadata and XML instance or data).

Archive NetBackup stores the XML data on a NetBackup storage

unit.

bporaexp/bporaexp64 NetBackup for Oracle’s XML export utility converts Oracle

command database table data into a self-identifying XML schema
document and instance document. NetBackup archives them
or redirects them to an OS directory.

See “NetBackup for Oracle XML export and XML import” on page 297.
See “Sequence of operation: XML export archive” on page 300.
See “Sequence of operation: XML import restore” on page 303.
See “XML import restore process” on page 302.

Sequence of operation: XML export archive

Figure D-2 shows data flow.
 XML Archiver 301
NetBackup for Oracle XML export and XML import

Figure D-2 XML export archive data flow

XML schemas, XML

instances

XML schemas, XML

instances
XML generator
Option to
create XML NetBackup
files on disk

Table metadata, Table data

Oracle DBMS
Query processor
OCI

Table list WHERE clause

Script Command line

(bporaexp)
(Parameter file)

Scheduler

NetBackup

NetBackup for Oracle users or automatic schedules start the database XML export
archives. This operation is done by performing a manual backup of an Oracle policy,
by invoking a script at the command line on the client.
For an XML export archive:
■ The NetBackup for Oracle script calls the bporaexp utility with a specified
parameter file.
■ The query processor uses the parameters in the specified file to build an SQL
query for each table.
■ Oracle’s OCI API executes the queries on the Oracle database instance to be
archived.
■ The query processor passes the output (including metadata and data for a single
table or multiple tables) to the XML Generator.
 XML Archiver 302
NetBackup for Oracle XML export and XML import

■ For each table passed, the XML generator builds one or more sets of XML
schema and XML instance documents.
■ XML data streams are backed up by NetBackup.
■ Alternately, bporaexp allows the files to be saved to an operating system
directory.
See “XML export archive process” on page 299.
See “XML import restore process” on page 302.
See “NetBackup for Oracle XML export and XML import” on page 297.
See “Sequence of operation: XML export archive” on page 300.

XML import restore process

Figure D-3 shows the XML import restore process.

Figure D-3 XML import restores

OS Directory

Restore NetBackup
XML
export
XML Format

OS Directory

Table D-3 describes the restore activity.

Table D-3 Restore activity

Activity Process

Oracle XML Restore NetBackup for Oracle manages the retrieval of archived
database table data, the parsing of the XML format, and the
insertion of the data back into the Oracle database.

Restore NetBackup retrieves the XML-formatted data from the storage

unit.

XML import NetBackup for Oracle parses XML-formatted Oracle table

data and inserts data into the Oracle database.
 XML Archiver 303
NetBackup for Oracle XML export and XML import

Table D-3 Restore activity (continued)

Activity Process

bporaimp/bporamip64 NetBackup for Oracle’s XML import utility can parse the
commands XML-formatted data for re-insertion into the database or can
redirect the data to an OS directory.

See “XML export archive process” on page 299.

See “NetBackup for Oracle XML export and XML import” on page 297.
See “Sequence of operation: XML import restore” on page 303.
See “Sequence of operation: XML export archive” on page 300.
See “NetBackup for Oracle features” on page 14.

Sequence of operation: XML import restore

Figure D-4 shows data flow.
 XML Archiver 304
NetBackup for Oracle XML export and XML import

Figure D-4 XML import restore data flow

XML schemas, XML

instances

Option to
restore XML
files on disk

XML schemas, XML

instances
XML Parser NetBackup

Archive name
Table metadata,
Table data Keyword

Table name
Script
OCI XML data loader (bporaimp)
Oracle DBMS
(Parameter file)

Command line

NetBackup for Oracle users start database XML import restores by invoking a
NetBackup for Oracle script at the client command line.
For an XML import restore:
■ The NetBackup for Oracle script calls the bporaimp utility with a specified
parameter file.
■ The input parameters that identify the XML archive to restore are passed to
NetBackup.
■ NetBackup locates and reads the set of XML schema and instance documents
from the NetBackup storage unit.
■ The XML data stream is passed to an XML parser, which passes the data to
the XML data loader.
■ The XML data loader uses Oracle’s OCI API to insert the data into the database.
 XML Archiver 305
About the environment variables set by a user in the XML export parameter file

Optionally, bporaimp allows the XML data stream to bypass the XML parser
and be sent to an operating system directory. In addition, users can restore the
table metadata only into an operating system directory. bporaimp also allows
import from an operating system directory into Oracle.
See “XML export archive process” on page 299.
See “XML import restore process” on page 302.
See “NetBackup for Oracle XML export and XML import” on page 297.
See “Sequence of operation: XML export archive” on page 300.

About the environment variables set by a user in

the XML export parameter file
You can set the XML export parameter file in the Oracle user’s environment.
See “About the environment variables set by a user in the XML export parameter
file” on page 305.
Table D-4 shows the NetBackup for Oracle environment variables.

Table D-4 NetBackup for Oracle environment variables

Environment variable Purpose

NB_ORA_SERV Specifies the name of NetBackup primary server.

NB_ORA_CLIENT Specifies the name of the Oracle client.

On Windows, this variable is useful for specifying a virtual

client name in a cluster.

NB_ORA_POLICY Specifies the name of the policy to use for the Oracle backup.
To define NB_ORA_POLICY, use the RMAN PARMS
statement or send statement in Oracle shell scripts. For
example:

ALLOCATE CHANNEL ch01 TYPE 'SBT_TAPE' ;

send 'NB_ORA_POLICY=Oracle_Backup' ;
BACKUP

NB_ORA_SCHED Specifies the name of the Application Backup schedule to

use for the Oracle backup.

See “About the bp.conf file on UNIX systems” on page 96.

 XML Archiver 306
About XML export shell scripts

About XML export shell scripts

The following sections describe XML export shell scripts.
The user writes the shell scripts and they must conform to the operating system’s
shell syntax. Sample XML export and import shell scripts are installed on the client
with the NetBackup for Oracle agent. Modify these scripts to meet your individual
requirements.
See “About creating RMAN scripts manually” on page 98.
See “About storing shell scripts” on page 101.

Creating XML export scripts manually

When the database agent was initially installed, the installation software wrote
example scripts to the following locations:
■ For export:
Windows:

install_path\NetBackup\dbext\Oracle\samples\bporaexp

UNIX:

/usr/openv/netbackup/ext/db_ext/oracle/samples/bporaexp

■ For import:
Windows:

install_path\NetBackup\dbext\Oracle\samples\bporaimp

UNIX:

/usr/openv/netbackup/ext/db_ext/oracle/samples/bporaimp

The example export scripts that are installed in bporaexp are as follows:
Windows:

data_archiver_export.cmd

UNIX:

data_archiver_export.sh

data_archiver_export64.sh
 XML Archiver 307
About XML export shell scripts

bporaexp_help.param
bporaexp_partitions.param
bporaexp_table_to_files.param
bporaexp_tables.param
bporaexp_tables_rows.param

The example import scripts that are installed in bporaimp are as follows:
Windows:

data_archiver_import.cmd

UNIX:

data_archiver_import.sh

data_archiver_import64.sh

bporaimp_archive.param
bporaimp_archive_schema_to_files.param
bporaimp_archive_to_users.param
bporaimp_bfile_table.param
bporaimp_help.param
bporaimp_ignore_rows_table.param
bporaimp_large_table.param
bporaimp_list.param
bporaimp_old_archive.param
bporaimp_partitions.pram
bporaimp_table_from_files.param
bporaimp_table_to_files.param
bporaimp_table_to_user.param
bporaimp_tables.param

To use the example scripts

1 Copy the example scripts to a different directory on your client. Oracle scripts
can be located anywhere on the client.
2 Modify each script for your environment.
3 On UNIX, make sure that the su command logs into the correct user.
If you do not include an su - user (user is Oracle administrator account) in
your Oracle scripts, they do not run with the proper permissions and
environment variables. The result is problems with your database backups and
restores.
See “About XML export shell scripts” on page 306.
 XML Archiver 308
Performing an XML export archive

See “About storing shell scripts” on page 101.

See “About the NetBackup for Oracle sample scripts” on page 99.

Performing an XML export archive

The following sections describe how to perform an XML export archive.

Table D-5 Tasks and commands

Task The commands that are used to accomplish the task

Automatic backup of an As with Oracle backups using RMAN, the most convenient way to create archives that
Oracle policy consist of XML exports of data from your database is to create schedules for automatic
backups. The Oracle policy runs NetBackup for Oracle shell scripts.
When the NetBackup scheduler invokes a schedule for an automatic backup, the NetBackup
for Oracle XML export shell scripts run as follows:

■ In the same order as they appear in the file list

■ On all clients in the client list

The NetBackup for Oracle XML export shell scripts start the XML export by running the
NetBackup bporaexp or bporaexp64 utility.

Manual backup of an The administrator can use the NetBackup server software to manually run an automatic
Oracle policy backup schedule for the Oracle policy. For more information, see the NetBackup
Administrator’s Guide, Volume I.

See “Testing configuration settings for NetBackup for Oracle” on page 102.

User-directed XML The following sections describe procedures for performing user-directed XML exports.
exports from the client
■ See “Running the NetBackup for Oracle XML export script on the client” on page 308.
■ See “Running bporaexp on the client as an Oracle user” on page 309.
■ See “Writing to a directory versus writing to a storage unit” on page 310.
■ See “About bporaexp parameters” on page 311.

Running the NetBackup for Oracle XML export script on the client
You can initiate a database XML export from the operating system command prompt:
Type the full path to the shell script that performs the export. For example:
Windows:

install_path\oracle\scripts\data_archiver_export.cmd

UNIX:

/oracle/scripts/data_archiver_export.sh
 XML Archiver 309
Performing an XML export archive

The operating system shell starts the database XML export archive by running the
XML export script. The XML export script contains commands to run bporaexp.
The NetBackup for Oracle installation script installs sample scripts in the following
location:
Windows:

install_path\NetBackup\dbext\oracle\samples\bporaexp

UNIX:

/usr/openv/netbackup/ext/db_ext/oracle/samples/bporaexp

See “Performing an XML export archive” on page 308.

Running bporaexp on the client as an Oracle user

As an Oracle user you can also run the bporaexp command (bporaexp64 on some
platforms) from the operating system command prompt and specify a parameter
file.
To run bporaexp on the client as an Oracle user
1 Create a parameter file that specifies the settings that determine how the
backup is to be performed. Information is available about the bporaexp
parameters.
See “About bporaexp parameters” on page 311.
2 Run the following command to specify the parameter file:
# bporaexp [username/password] parfile = filename | help=y

3 Configure the runtime environment, because this method does not call the full
script that includes the runtime configuration.
On UNIX and Linux, check the sample scripts for runtime environment details.
See “About configuring the run-time environment” on page 90.
bporaexp creates a set of XML schema and instance documents that can be used
to archive Oracle table data. For each archive, one primary XML schema (.xsd)
document is generated. In addition, bporaexp generates a table-specific schema
(.xsd) document and a table specific instance (.xml) document for each table.
Additional files are created if the table contains LONG or LOB columns.
See “Performing an XML export archive” on page 308.
 XML Archiver 310
Performing an XML export archive

Writing to a directory versus writing to a storage unit

One important aspect of the parameter file is the DIRECTORY parameter. If you
specify the DIRECTORY parameter, the bporaexp (bporaexp64 on some platforms)
command writes the backup files to the operating system directory you specify.
NetBackup does not write the files to a storage unit.
For example, assume that the archive test1 contains one table, USER1. If the
directory parameter is specified, NetBackup creates certain files when you run
the bporaexp command.
Windows:

DIRECTORY=\db\netbackup\xml

UNIX:

DIRECTORY=/db/netbackup/xml

Table D-6 shows the files NetBackup creates when you run the command.

Table D-6 NetBackup files for example table USER1

File Content

Windows: \db\netbackup\xml\test1\test1.xsd Master XML schema for table

USER1
UNIX: /db/netbackup/xml/test1/test1.xsd

Windows: Table schema for table

\db\netbackup\xml\test1\USER1\TEST1.xsd USER1

UNIX: /db/netbackup/xml/test1/USER1/TEST1.xsd

Windows: XML document for table

\db\netbackup\xml\test1\USER1\TEST1.xml USER1

UNIX: /db/netbackup/xml/test1/USER1/TEST1.xml

If the DIRECTORY parameter is not specified, NetBackup writes the backup images
to a storage unit. A NetBackup backup set is created and cataloged under the name:
Windows:

\Oracle\XMLArchive

UNIX:

/Oracle/XMLArchive

All NetBackup for Oracle bporaexp backups are cataloged using this convention.
 XML Archiver 311
Performing an XML export archive

Alternatively, if the parameter file does not contain the DIRECTORY parameter,
NetBackup creates and catalogs the following files:
Windows:

\Oracle\XMLArchive\test1\test1.xsd
\Oracle\XMLArchive\test1\USER1\TEST1.xsd
\Oracle\XMLArchive\test1\USER1\TEST1.xml

UNIX:

/Oracle/XMLArchive/test1/test1.xsd
/Oracle/XMLArchive/test1/USER1/TEST1.xsd
/Oracle/XMLArchive/test1/USER1/TEST1.xml

In production, do not use the DIRECTORY parameter in the bporaexp parameter file.
When you write to a storage unit, NetBackup offers the features that include
searching and cataloging with the NetBackup catalog and automatic handling of
output that exceeds file system limits. With the DIRECTORY parameter, file system
limits, such as a 2 GB maximum, can cause an error.
To run bporaexp on the client, run the following command:

bporaexp [username/password] parfile = filename | help=y

On some UNIX platforms, the bporexp64 command is used.

See “Performing an XML export archive” on page 308.

About bporaexp parameters

This topic describes the available bporaexp (bporaexp64 on some platforms)
parameters.
Note the following:
■ Use the NetBackup parameters NB_ORA_SERV, NB_ORA_CLIENT, NB_ORA_POLICY,
and NB_ORA_SCHED to specify the NetBackup runtime configuration. Otherwise,
the order of precedence for the runtime configuration variable settings is used.
■ Some parameters are valid only when you write to a storage unit. Other
parameters are valid only when you write to a directory. In the following table,
the Target Location column contains either Storage Unit or Directory to indicate
whether the parameter in that row applies to writing to a storage unit or to a
directory. Parameters that are recognized when you write to a directory are
ignored when you write to a storage unit.
Table D-7 shows the available bporaexp parameters with their default values.
 XML Archiver 312
Performing an XML export archive

Table D-7 bporaexp parameters and default values

Parameter Required? Default Description Target location

CONSISTENT N N Specifies if bporaexp uses the SET Directory

TRANSACTION READ ONLY statement to
ensure that the data from all tables is
consistent to a single point in time and does
not change during the execution of the
bporaexp command. If the default of
CONSISTENT=N is used, each table is
exported as an independent transaction.

DIRECTORY N no default Optionally specifies a directory for the output Directory

of the bporaexp utility.

HELP N N Displays a help message with descriptions of Directory

bporaexp parameters. Does not export data
if HELP=Y.

KEYWORD N no default Optionally specifies a keyword phrase that Storage Unit

NetBackup associates with the image being
created by the archive operation. Values for
KEYWORD must be in double quotes.

LOG N no default Optionally specifies a file name to receive Directory

informational and error messages. If so,
messages are logged on the log file and not
displayed to the terminal display.

NAME Y no default The name of the primary XML schema file. Directory

NB_ORA_SERV N default primary Optionally specifies the name of the Storage Unit
server NetBackup primary server.

NB_ORA_CLIENT N default client Optionally specifies the name of the Storage Unit
NetBackup for Oracle client.

NB_ORA_POLICY N default Oracle Optionally specifies the name of the Storage Unit
policy NetBackup for Oracle policy.

NB_ORA_SCHED N default backup Optionally specifies the name of the backup Storage Unit
policy policy schedule to use.
schedule
 XML Archiver 313
Performing an XML export archive

Table D-7 bporaexp parameters and default values (continued)

Parameter Required? Default Description Target location

OWNER N no default Lists the Oracle schema owners to export. Directory

For each owner, the tables, partitions, and
views that are owned by that Oracle account
are exported by default. The PARTITIONS
and VIEWS parameters can be used to
exclude partitions and views.

PARTITIONS N Y Optionally specifies whether or not table Directory

partitions are included. Only valid when used
with the OWNER parameter.

QUERY N no default Selects a subset of rows from a set of tables. Directory

The value of the query parameter is a string
that contains a WHERE clause for a SQL select
statement that is applied to all tables and
table partitions listed in the TABLES
parameter.
For example, if TABLES = emp, bonus and
QUERY = "where job = ‘SALESMAN’ and
sal < 1600", two SQL statements are run:

■ SELECT*FROM emp where

job=’SALESMAN’ and sal<1600;
■ SELECT*FROM bonus where
job=’SALESMAN’ and sal<1600;

Each query that runs refers to a single table

at a time in the FROM clause, so it is illegal to
have a join in the WHERE clause.

ROW_BUFFER N 1000 Specifies the size, in rows, of the buffer used Directory
to fetch rows. Tables with LONG columns are
fetched one row at a time. The maximum
value allowed is 32767.

TABLES Y no default Lists the table names, view names, and Directory
partition names to export. The USERID must
have SELECT privilege on the tables and
views. The syntax used is:schema.table:
partition name or schema.view name
 XML Archiver 314
Browsing XML export archives using bporaimp parameters

Table D-7 bporaexp parameters and default values (continued)

Parameter Required? Default Description Target location

USERID Y no default Specifies the username/password (and Directory

optional connect string) of the user initiating
the export. If a connect string is not provided,
the ORACLE_SID environment variable is
used.

VIEWS N Y Optionally specifies whether or not views are Directory

included. Only valid when used with the
OWNER parameter.

See “Performing an XML export archive” on page 308.

Browsing XML export archives using bporaimp

parameters
To use the bporaimp (bporaimp64 on some platforms) command to browse XML
export archives created by using bporaexp (bporaexp64 on some platforms), create
a parameter file with the desired search criteria. First, set the variables LIST=Y and
USERID=username/. Only the archives created using the Oracle USERID are listed.

The Oracle password is not required. The operating system account that is running
bporaimp has access only to archives that were created using the same account.

Note: Only XML export archives created using NetBackup mode are searched.
Exports stored in an operating system directory using the DIRECTORY parameter
are not searched.

Use the NB_ORA_SERV and NB_ORA_CLIENT parameters to specify the NetBackup

server and client. Otherwise, the order of precedence for the runtime configuration
variable settings is used. You can also include the LOG parameter.
Information is available on the LIST, LOG, NB_ORA_CLIENT, NB_ORA_SERV, and USERID
parameters.
See “About bporaimp parameters” on page 318.
Table D-8 shows other parameters you can include in the parameter file.
 XML Archiver 315
Browsing XML export archives using bplist

Table D-8 Parameters you can include in a parameter file

Parameter Default Description

ARCHIVE_DATE_FROM no default Optionally specifies a start date for the

archive search. Used with
ARCHIVE_DATE_TO to specify a
range. The date format is
mm/dd/yyyy [hh:mm:ss].

ARCHIVE_DATE_TO no default Optionally specifies an end date for

the archive search. Used with
ARCHIVE_DATE_FROM to specify a
range. The date format is
mm/dd/yyyy [hh:mm:ss].

KEYWORD no default Optionally specifies a keyword phrase

for NetBackup to use when searching
for archives.

NAME no default The name of the primary XML schema

file.

FROMUSER no default Optionally specifies a

comma-separated list of table owners.

TABLES no default Optionally specifies a list of table and

partition names that were included in
an archive.

For example, assume you named the list parameter file bporaimp_list.param. At
the command prompt, type the following:

bporaimp parfile = bporaimp_list.param

Note: On some UNIX platforms, the bporaimp64 command is used.

See “Browsing XML export archives using bplist” on page 315.

See “Restoring an XML export archive” on page 317.
See “Browsing backups using the bplist command” on page 115.

Browsing XML export archives using bplist

For a higher level view of the Oracle XML export archive list, you can use the bplist
command. The result is the list of XML schema and instance document file names.
 XML Archiver 316
Browsing XML export archives using bplist

Note: Only XML export archives created using NetBackup mode are searched.
Exports stored in an operating system directory using the DIRECTORY parameter
are not searched.

The following UNIX or Linux example uses bplist to search all Oracle archives for
a client named jupiter. The sample output is produced for two archives, test1
and little_sales, where each archive has one Oracle table (test1 has
USER1.TEST1 and little_sales has USER1.LITTLE_SALES).

/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/bplist -C jupiter -t 4 -R /Oracle/XMLArch/

/Oracle/XMLArchive/test1/test1.xsd
/Oracle/XMLArchive/test1/USER1/TEST1.xsd
/Oracle/XMLArchive/test1/USER1/TEST1.xml
/Oracle/XMLArchive/little_sales/little_sales.xsd
/Oracle/XMLArchive/little_sales/USER1/LITTLE_SALES.xsd
/Oracle/XMLArchive/little_sales/USER1/LITTLE_SALES.xml
/exb_n2bm5bco_1_1392342936
/exb_mabm02ko_1_1392170136
/exb_lqbltds6_1_1392083334

The following Windows example uses bplist to search all Oracle archives for a client
named jupiter. The sample output is produced for one archive, test.

install_path\NetBackup\bin\bplist -C jupiter -t 4 -R Oracle:\XMLArch\

Oracle:\XMLArchive\test\test.xsd
Oracle:\XMLArchive\test\SCOTT\BONUS.xsd
Oracle:\XMLArchive\test\SCOTT\BONUS.xml
Oracle:\XMLArchive\test\SCOTT\DEPT.xsd
Oracle:\XMLArchive\test\SCOTT\DEPT.xml
Oracle:\XMLArchive\test\SCOTT\EMP.xsd
Oracle:\XMLArchive\test\SCOTT\EMP.xml
Oracle:\XMLArchive\test\SCOTT\SALGRADE.xsd
Oracle:\XMLArchive\test\SCOTT\SALGRADE.xml

The -t 4 on this command specifies the Oracle backups or archives. The -R

specifies the default number of directory levels to search, 999.
For more information on this command, see the bplist man page in the NetBackup
Commands Reference Guide.
See “Browsing XML export archives using bporaimp parameters” on page 314.
See “Restoring an XML export archive” on page 317.
See “Browsing backups using the bplist command” on page 115.
 XML Archiver 317
Restoring an XML export archive

Restoring an XML export archive

Before you attempt to restore an archive, make sure that the XML archive has
successfully completed. You can identify the correct archive to restore by browsing
the XML export archives. NetBackup generates an error if an archive backup history
does not exist.
The following sections describe procedures for performing user-directed restores.
See “Browsing XML export archives using bporaimp parameters” on page 314.
See “Browsing XML export archives using bplist” on page 315.
See “Running an XML import script on the client” on page 317.
See “Running bporaimp on the client in NetBackup for Oracle” on page 318.
See “About bporaimp parameters” on page 318.
See “About redirecting a restore of an XML export archive to a different client”
on page 322.

Running an XML import script on the client

You can initiate a restore from the operating system command prompt by typing
the full path to the XML import script that initiates the restore. For example:
Windows:

install_path\oracle\scripts\data_archiver_import.cmd

UNIX:

/oracle/scripts/data_archiver_import.sh

The operating system shell starts the database restore by running the XML import
script file. The XML import script file contains commands to run bporaimp
(bporaimp64 on some platforms).
The NetBackup for Oracle installation script writes sample scripts to the following
location:
Windows:

install_path\NetBackup\dbext\oracle\samples\bporaimp

UNIX:

/usr/openv/netbackup/ext/db_ext/oracle/samples/bporaimp

See “Restoring an XML export archive” on page 317.

 XML Archiver 318
Restoring an XML export archive

See “Running bporaimp on the client in NetBackup for Oracle” on page 318.
See “About bporaimp parameters” on page 318.

Running bporaimp on the client in NetBackup for Oracle

Run the bporaimp command from the operating system command line on the client
using the appropriate parameter file.
The Windows account that runs bporaimp has access only to XML export archives
that were created using the same Windows account.
The UNIX account that runs bporaimp has access only to XML export archives that
were created using the same UNIX account. Be sure to configure the runtime
environment, because this method does not call the full script that includes the
runtime configuration. Check the sample scripts for runtime environment details.
To run bporaimp on the client
◆ At the command prompt, type the bporaimp command in the following format:

bporaimp [username/password] parfile = filename | help=y

On some UNIX platforms, the bporaimp64 command is used.

See “About bporaimp parameters” on page 318.
See “Restoring an XML export archive” on page 317.
See “About XML export shell scripts” on page 306.
See “Redirecting a restore of an XML export archive to a new client using bporaimp”
on page 322.
See “Example - Using bporaimp for a redirected restore” on page 323.

About bporaimp parameters

Use the NetBackup parameters NB_ORA_SERV and NB_ORA_CLIENT to specify the
NetBackup runtime configuration. Otherwise, the order of precedence for the runtime
configuration variable settings is used.
Some parameters are valid only when writing to a storage unit. Other parameters
are valid only when writing to a directory. In the following table, the right-most column
contains either “Storage Unit” or “Directory” to indicate whether the parameter in
that row is applicable for either writing to a storage unit or to a directory. Parameters
that are recognized when writing to a directory are ignored when writing to a storage
unit.
 XML Archiver 319
Restoring an XML export archive

Table D-9 describes the bporaimp (bporaimp64 on some platforms) parameters

and default values.

Table D-9 bporaimp parameters and default values

Parameter Required? Default Description Target

location

ARCHIVE_DATE_FROM N no default Optionally specifies a start date for the archive Storage Unit
to be imported. Used with ARCHIVE_DATE_TO
to specify a range. If not used, the most recent
archive is imported. If the range used results in
more than one archive, the most recent from
the range is used. The date format is
mm/dd/yyyy [hh:mm:ss].

ARCHIVE_DATE_TO N no default Optionally specifies an end date for the archive Storage Unit
to be imported. Used with
ARCHIVE_DATE_FROM to specify a range. If
not used, the most recent archive is imported.
If the range used results in more than one
archive, the most recent from the range is used.
The date format is mm/dd/yyyy [hh:mm:ss].

BFILE_DIRECTORY Y (if any no default Specifies a directory for the output of any BFILE Directory
table being columns being imported. Oracle’s CREATE
imported has DIRECTORY command can be used to create
BFILE the DIRECTORY in Oracle, and the name should
columns) match the name used in the export file.

COMMIT N N Specifies whether bporaimp should commit Directory

after each array insert. The size of the array is
determined by ROW_BUFFER. By default,
bporaimp commits only after loading each
table, and performs a rollback when an error
occurs, before continuing with the next object.

DIRECTORY N no default Optionally specifies a directory for the input of Directory

the bporaimp utility.

FROMUSER N no default Optionally specifies a comma-separated list of Directory

users to import from an archive containing
multiple users’ tables. If not specified, all of the
tables are imported.

HELP N N Displays a help message with descriptions of Directory

bporaimp parameters.
 XML Archiver 320
Restoring an XML export archive

Table D-9 bporaimp parameters and default values (continued)

Parameter Required? Default Description Target

location

IGNORE_ROWS N N Specifies whether or not rows should be Directory

inserted into a table that is not empty. The
default is that the table already exists and that
it is empty. If it is not empty, IGNORE_ROWS =
N causes an error to be reported, and the table
is skipped with no rows inserted. IGNORE_ROWS
= Y causes rows to be inserted with errors
reported in the log file.

If IGNORE_ROWS = Y and an error such as a

primary key constraint violation occurs, no data
is inserted if COMMIT = N. However, if COMMIT
= Y, the array of rows (size determined by
ROW_BUFFER) is not inserted, but bporaimp
continues to process additional row arrays in
the order in which they were exported. To cause
all rows that do not violate a primary key
constraint to be inserted, set COMMIT = Y,
ROW_BUFFER = 1, and IGNORE_ROWS = Y.

KEYWORD N no default Optionally specifies a keyword phrase for Storage Unit

NetBackup to use when searching for archives
from which to restore files.

LIST N N LIST = Y queries the NetBackup catalog and Storage Unit

lists the archives available. Does not import the
data if LIST = Y.

LOG N no default Optionally specifies a file name to receive Directory

informational and error messages. If this
parameter is specified, messages are logged
in the log file and not displayed to the terminal
display.

NAME Y no default The name of the primary XML schema file. This Directory
parameter is required if LIST = N.

NB_ORA_SERV N default Optionally specifies the name of the NetBackup Storage Unit
primary primary server.
server

NB_ORA_CLIENT N default Optionally specifies the name of the NetBackup Storage Unit
client for Oracle client.
 XML Archiver 321
Restoring an XML export archive

Table D-9 bporaimp parameters and default values (continued)

Parameter Required? Default Description Target

location

RESTORE_SCHEMA_ONLY N N Used with RESTORE_TO_DIRECTORY to restore Storage Unit

the XML schema files only to a directory.

RESTORE_TO_DIRECTORY N no default Optionally specifies a directory for the output Storage Unit
of the bporaimp utility. If used, the XML data
is not parsed and inserted into Oracle.

ROW_BUFFER N 1000 Specifies the size, in rows, of the buffer used Directory
to insert rows. Tables with LONG or LOB
columns are inserted one row at a time. The
maximum value allowed is 32767.

TABLES N no default Optionally specifies a list of table, view, and Directory

partition names to import. If not used, all objects
in the archive are imported. The objects must
already exist, and the USERID must have
INSERT privilege on the objects. The object
names cannot be qualified with owner names,
and the FROMUSER parameter is used to specify
a particular owner. If a partition name is
specified, it indicates the exported partition only
and the rows are inserted according to the
partitioning scheme of the target table. If the
export contains partitions, and the import does
not specify them, all are inserted.

TOUSER N no default Optionally specifies a comma-separated list of Directory

users to import to that can be used with the
FROMUSER parameter to change the table
owners. The TOUSER Oracle accounts must
already exist, and the USERID must have
INSERT privilege on the tables that must also
exist.

USERID Y no default Specifies the username/password (and optional Directory

connect string) of the user initiating the import.
If a connect string is not provided, the
ORACLE_SID environment variable is used.

See “Restoring an XML export archive” on page 317.

See “Running bporaimp on the client in NetBackup for Oracle” on page 318.
See “Browsing XML export archives using bporaimp parameters” on page 314.
 XML Archiver 322
Restoring an XML export archive

See “Example - Using bporaimp for a redirected restore” on page 323.

About redirecting a restore of an XML export archive to a different

client
With NetBackup for Oracle you have the option to restore an XML export archive
to a client other than the one that originally performed the XML export. The process
of restoring data to another client is called a redirected restore.
Before you redirect the restore, see the following topic:
Figure D-5 illustrates a typical redirected restore.

Figure D-5 Redirected restore of an XML export archive to a different client

1. Client A agents are backed up.

3. The server restores client A backup

image to client B.
Server

2. Client B requests restore of client A

image to client B.

The user on client A cannot initiate a redirected restore to client B. Only the user
on client B, which is the client receiving the backup image, can initiate the redirected
restore. Any user who belongs to the database group that performed the backup
can restore it, unless the BKUP_IMAGE_PERM variable is set to USER.
See “Restoring an XML export archive” on page 317.
See “About the RMAN SEND command variables” on page 93.

Redirecting a restore of an XML export archive to a new

client using bporaimp
On UNIX and Linux, any user who belongs to the database group that performed
the archive can restore XML export archive. The BKUP_IMAGE_PERM variable
must be set to GROUP or ANY, not USER.
 XML Archiver 323
Restoring an XML export archive

If you use a non-root service user account, specific access must be allowed for that
user when you add files to the /usr/openv/netbackup/db/altnames directory.
The service user account must have full access to these files through the ownership
or group and the permissions. For example, if the service user is svcname and its
group is srvgrp, the file can have permissions of 400. If the file owner is for a
different user and group, the file permissions must allow access to the service user.
For example, 777. Equivalent permission settings must be used in a Windows
environment.
Perform the following procedure on the new client host if you want to restore XML
export archives that are owned by another client.
To redirect a restore of an XML export archive to a new client using bporaimp
1 Set the environment variables for bporaimp (bporaimp64 on some platforms)
on the new client, including ORACLE_HOME and ORACLE_SID.
2 In the bporaimp parameter file, include the following lines:

nb_ora_serv = Netbackup_server
nb_ora_client =
original_client_where_XML_export_occurred.

3 Specify any other bporaimp parameters.

See “Running bporaimp on the client in NetBackup for Oracle” on page 318.
4 Run bporaimp.
See “Example - Using bporaimp for a redirected restore” on page 323.
See “About bporaimp parameters” on page 318.
See “Restoring an XML export archive” on page 317.

Example - Using bporaimp for a redirected restore

For example, assume the following:
■ Original client is jupiter
■ New client is saturn
■ Server is jupiter
■ ORACLE_SID is test on both saturn and jupiter

■ Windows user is ora on both jupiter and saturn

■ UNIX user is ora on both jupiter and saturn
■ Archive name is sales
 XML Archiver 324
Troubleshooting XML export or XML import errors

To use bporaimp for a redirected restore (example)

1 Create the following file on server jupiter:
Windows:

install_path\NetBackup\db\altnames\saturn

UNIX:

/usr/openv/netbackup/db/altnames/saturn

2 Edit the preceding file to contain the name jupiter.

3 Log on to saturn as ora.
4 Create file bporaimp.param.
Include the following parameters:

NAME = sales
NB_ORA_SERV = jupiter
NB_ORA_CLIENT = jupiter
USERID = orauser/orapasswd

5 Run bporaimp parfile=bporaimp.param to restore sales archive to saturn

and to import the data into the test database on saturn.
See “Redirecting a restore of an XML export archive to a new client using bporaimp”
on page 322.
See “About bporaimp parameters” on page 318.
See “Restoring an XML export archive” on page 317.

Troubleshooting XML export or XML import errors

An XML export or import error can originate from NetBackup or from Oracle, as
follows:
■ On the NetBackup side, an error can be from the bporaexp or bporaimp
programs, the NetBackup server or client, or Media Manager.
■ On the Oracle side, an error can be from the target database.
Use the following steps when troubleshooting a failed operation:
■ Check the logs to determine the source of the error.
■ Troubleshoot each stage of the XML export or XML import.
The following sections describe these steps in detail.
 XML Archiver 325
Troubleshooting XML export or XML import errors

On UNIX and Linux, these sections describe the log files from the bporaexp
and bporaimp commands. The logs are created in
/usr/openv/netbackup/logs/bporaexp or
/usr/openv/netbackup/logs/bporaimp.

See “Checking the logs to determine the source of an error” on page 325.
See “About troubleshooting NetBackup for Oracle” on page 235.
See “Troubleshooting each stage of the XML export or XML import” on page 326.
See “Additional XML export and import logs” on page 329.
See “About NetBackup for Oracle troubleshooting steps” on page 235.

Checking the logs to determine the source of an error

This topic describes how to check the logs to determine the source of an error.
To check the logs
1 Check the bporaexp or bporaimp log.
If the LOG parameter is specified in the bporaexp or bporaimp command’s
parfile, the commands write logs to the file that is specified as the argument
to the LOG parameter. The commands write log information to the screen if LOG
is not specified.
For example, incorrect installation or configuration causes the following common
problems:
■ The ORACLE_HOME environment variable was not set.
■ The bporaexp or bporaimp program was unable to connect to the target
database.
When bporaexp and bporaimp are used and the backup images are written
to an operating system directory, these logs are the only source of error logging
and tracking.
2 Check the NetBackup logs.
On Windows, the first NetBackup log to check is
install_path\NetBackup\logs\bporaexp\log.mmddyy or
install_path\NetBackup\logs\bporaimp\log.mmddyy.

On UNIX, the first NetBackup log to check is

/usr/openv/netbackup/logs/bporaexp/log.mmddyy or
/usr/openv/netbackup/logs/bporaimp/log.mmddyy.

Examine these logs for any messages that show how to determine the source
of an error.
 XML Archiver 326
Troubleshooting XML export or XML import errors

The NetBackup client writes these logs and they contain the following:
■ Requests from bporaexp and bporaimp
■ Activities between bporaexp and bporaimp and NetBackup processes
If the logs do not contain any messages, the following conditions could be
present:
■ bporaexp or bporaimp terminated before service is requested from
NetBackup.
■ bphdb (if started by the scheduler or graphical user interface) did not start
the shell script successfully. Check the bphdb logs for stderr and stdout
files.
Try to run the XML export or XML import script file from the command line to
determine the problem.
On UNIX, the error is usually due to a file permission problem for bphdb itself
or for the export or the import script file.
Ensure that the full XML export or import script file name is entered correctly
in the Backup Selections list of the Oracle policy configuration. Also verify
that this script name is correct.
For more information about debug logs and reports, refer to the NetBackup
Administrator’s Guide, Volume I.
See “About troubleshooting NetBackup for Oracle” on page 235.
See “About NetBackup for Oracle troubleshooting steps” on page 235.

Troubleshooting each stage of the XML export or XML import

The information in this section does not apply to you if DIRECTORY is specified in
bporaexp or bporaimp command’s parfile.

The following explains the sequence of events for an action that bporaexp or
bporaimp initiates in NetBackup mode. This situation occurs when DIRECTORY is
not specified in the bporaexp or bporaimp command’s parfile. It suggests solutions
for the problems that can occur at each point in the sequence.
To troubleshoot by stage
1 bporaexp or bporaimp starts.

An export or import can be started in any of the following ways:

■ Command line from the system prompt.
For example:
 XML Archiver 327
Troubleshooting XML export or XML import errors

bporaexp parfile = parameter_filename

bporaimp parfile = parameter_filename

■ Manually from the NetBackup Administration Console on the primary server.

■ Automatically by an automatic export schedule.
If an error occurs now, check the bporaexp or bporaimp log.
2 bporaexp or bporaimp verifies its environment and then connects to Oracle
and NetBackup.
An Oracle environment problem, a database problem, an incorrect user ID, or
an incorrect password can cause Oracle connect errors.
A NetBackup error now is usually due to a problem with client and server
communication. Check the messages in the bprd and bpcd logs for clues.
Also verify the bp.conf entries on the UNIX or Linux client.
3 bporaexp or bporaimp issues a backup or restore request.

Before the backup or restore request proceeds, bporaexp or bporaimp

commands perform three functions:
■ Gather necessary parameters
■ The backup or restore request is sent to the NetBackup server
■ Wait until the server and client are ready to transfer data
The NetBackup client interfaces gather information from the following places:
■ The environment, including bporaexp and bporaimp parameter files.
If you use scripts, you have to generate the parameter file manually.
■ Server configuration parameters on Windows.
■ The user’s bp.conf and /usr/openv/netbackup/bp.conf files on the UNIX
or Linux client.
This information is sent to the primary server’s bprd process.
To troubleshoot a backup problem in this part of the sequence, examine the
following file:
Windows:

install_path\NetBackup\logs\bporaexp\log.mmddyy

UNIX:

/usr/openv/netbackup/logs/bporaexp/log.mmddyy
 XML Archiver 328
Troubleshooting XML export or XML import errors

If the bprd process failed, check the bprd and bpbrm logs.
During this sequence, most failures occur because of incorrect NetBackup
server or Oracle policy configuration parameters.
NetBackup can usually select the correct Oracle policy and schedules. However,
NetBackup can select a policy or schedule in error if there are several Oracle
policies in its database.
In Windows, try setting the SERVER and POLICY values in the client environment
or by setting the following bporaexp parameters:

NB_ORA_POLICY=policyname
NB_ORA_SCHED=schedule
NB_ORA_SERV=Netbackup_server
NB_ORA_CLIENT=Netbackup_client

In UNIX, try setting the SERVER and POLICY values in the bp.conf file on the
client or by setting the following bporaexp parameters:

NB_ORA_POLICY=policyname
NB_ORA_SCHED=schedule
NB_ORA_SERV=Netbackup_server
NB_ORA_CLIENT=Netbackup_client

To troubleshoot a restore, examine the following log file:

Windows:

install_path\NetBackup\logs\bporaimp\mmddyy.log

UNIX:

/usr/openv/netbackup/logs/bporaimp/log.mmddyy

Make sure that the correct NetBackup server and NetBackup client values are
used by setting the following bporaimp parameters:

NB_ORA_SERV=Netbackup_server
NB_ORA_CLIENT=Netbackup_client

Set these parameters to the same values that were used for the XML export
operation.
 XML Archiver 329
Additional XML export and import logs

4 bporaexp or bporaimp issues read or write requests to the NetBackup client,

which then transfers data to or from the NetBackup server.
bporaexp builds an SQL query for each table being archived, and it uses the
Oracle Call Interface (OCI) to run the query. The query results are translated
into XML. The XML output is passed to the NetBackup client interfaces.
bporaimp uses the reverse process. That is, XML data is restored, parsed,
and inserted into the database.
A failure here is probably due to an Oracle error, or to a NetBackup media,
network, or time-out error.
5 bporaexp or bporaimp tells the NetBackup client to close the session and
disconnects from the Oracle database.
The NetBackup client waits for the server to complete its necessary actions
(backup image verification and so on) and then exits.
See “About troubleshooting NetBackup for Oracle” on page 235.
See “Minimizing timeout failures on large database restores” on page 248.
See “Troubleshooting each stage of the backup or restore” on page 244.
See “About NetBackup for Oracle troubleshooting steps” on page 235.

Additional XML export and import logs

The bporaexp and bporaimp utilities perform error logging and tracing in the file
that is specified by the LOG parameter. The log files contain Oracle errors and other
errors that are not related to NetBackup.
When bporaexp and bporaimp are used and the backup images are written to a
storage unit, these errors are also logged in the NetBackup debug logs. These logs
appear in the following directories:
Windows:

install_path\NetBackup\logs\bporaexp
install_path\NetBackup\logs\bporaimp

UNIX and Linux:

/user/openv/netbackup/logs/bporaexp
/user/openv/netbackup/logs/bporaimp

When you use bporaexp and bporaimp and the backup images are written to an
operating system directory, the file that is specified by the LOG= parameter is the
only source of error logging and tracing.
 Appendix E
Register authorized
locations
This appendix includes the following topics:

■ Registering authorized locations used by a NetBackup database script-based

policy

Registering authorized locations used by a

NetBackup database script-based policy
During a backup, NetBackup checks for scripts in the default script location and
any authorized locations. The default, authorized script location for UNIX is
usr/openv/netbackup/ext/db_ext and for Windows is
install_path\netbackup\dbext. If the script is not in the default script location
or an authorized location, the policy job fails. You can move any script into the
default script location or any additional authorized location and NetBackup
recognizes the scripts. You need to update the policy with the script location if it
has changed. An authorized location can be a directory and NetBackup recognizes
any script within that directory. An authorized location can also be a full path to a
script if an entire directory does need to be authorized.
If the default script location does not work for your environment, use the following
procedure to enter one or more authorized locations for your scripts. Use
nbsetconfig to enter an authorized location where the scripts reside. You can also
use bpsetconfig, however this command is only available on the primary or the
media server.
 Register authorized locations 331
Registering authorized locations used by a NetBackup database script-based policy

Note: One recommendation is that scripts should not be world-writable. NetBackup

does not allow scripts to run from network or remote locations. All scripts must be
stored and run locally. Any script that is created and saved in the NetBackup db_ext
(UNIX) or dbext (Windows) location needs to be protected during a NetBackup
uninstall.
For more information about registering authorized locations and scripts, review the
knowledge base article:

To add an authorized location

1 Open a command prompt on the client.
2 Use nbsetconfig to enter values for an authorized location. The client privileged
user must run these commands.
The following examples are for paths you may configure for the Oracle agent.
Use the path that is appropriate for your agent.
■ On UNIX:

[root@client26 bin]# ./nbsetconfig

nbsetconfig>DB_SCRIPT_PATH = /Oracle/scripts
nbsetconfig>DB_SCRIPT_PATH = /db/Oracle/scripts/full_backup.sh
nbsetconfig>
<ctrl-D>

■ On Windows:

C:\Program Files\Veritas\NetBackup\bin>nbsetconfig
nbsetconfig> DB_SCRIPT_PATH=c:\db_scripts
nbsetconfig> DB_SCRIPT_PATH=e:\oracle\fullbackup\full_rman.sh
nbsetconfig>
<ctrl-Z>

Note: Review the NetBackup Command Reference Guide for options, such
as reading from a text file and remotely setting clients from a NetBackup server
using bpsetconfig. If you have a text file with the script location or authorized
locations listed, nbsetconfig or bpsetconfig can read from that text file. An
entry of DB_SCRIPT_PATH=none does not allow any script to execute on a client.
The none entry is useful if an administrator wants to completely lock down a
server from executing scripts.
 Register authorized locations 332
Registering authorized locations used by a NetBackup database script-based policy

3 (Conditional) Perform these steps on any clustered database or agent node

that can perform the backup.
4 (Conditional) Update any policy if the script location was changed to the default
or authorized location.