19 Backup Strategy and Procedures

19.2.1 Enabling Block Change Tracking

To increase performance on incremental database backups, enable block change tracking using the following command:

alter database enable block change tracking using file file_name;

If the db_create_file_dest parameter is set in the spfile or init.ora file of the database, the following command can be used:

alter database enable block change tracking;

Once you enable block change tracking, incremental database backup will use block change tracking.

For more information on block change tracking, refer to Backup and Recovery Basics in the Oracle Database 10g Release 1 (10.1) Documentation Library.

19.2.2 Enabling ARCHIVELOG Mode

By default, the Metadata Repository does not have ARCHIVELOG mode enabled. You must enable ARCHIVELOG mode, which enables the archiving of online redo logs. This will allow you to perform the recovery strategies in this book.

To enable ARCHIVELOG mode:

1. Run the following sql query to check if the flashback_recovery_area is setup:

   SQL> show parameters db_recovery
   
   

   If the flashback_recovery_area is setup, the query returns:

   Name                         Type        Value
   db_recovery_file_dest        string      /private2/AS1012Installs/AS1012Infra/
                                             flash_recovery_area
   db_recovery_file_dest_size   big integer  2G
   

   If the flashback_recovery_area is setup, then the destination specified by the db_recovery_file_dest parameter is used as the archivelog destination, and you do not need to specify the destination directory for your archives in the following step.

2. Specify the destination directory for your archives by including the initialization parameter LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_n in the initialization file. If spfile is used, then the following command can be issued:

   alter system set log_archive_dest_n="LOCATION=<backup directory>" scope=spfile;
   
   

   In the log_archive_dest_n parameter, n is a number of 1 through 10.

   If pfile is used, the following initialization file must be edited:

   For UNIX systems:

   INFRA_ORACLE_HOME/dbs/initSID.ora
   
   

   For Windows systems:

   INFRA_ORACLE_HOME\database\initSID.ora
   
   

   Change the LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_n parameter to:

   LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_n="LOCATION=<backup directory>"
   
   

   (Optional) The default filename format for archive logs is:

   • For UNIX systems:

     %t_%s.dbf
     
     

   • For Windows systems:

     ARC%S_%R.%T
     
     

   If you would like to use a different format, include the initialization parameter LOG_ARCHIVE_FORMAT in the initialization file, for example:

   LOG_ARCHIVE_FORMAT = 'log%t_%r_%s.arc'
   
   

   In the above example, t represents the thread number, r represents the reset log ID, and s represents the log sequence number.

3. Make sure that the ORACLE_HOME and ORACLE_SID (the default is orcl) environment variables are properly set.

4. Make sure that no one is using the database.

5. Perform a clean, normal shutdown of the database instance:

   INFRA_ORACLE_HOME/bin/sqlplus /nolog
   SQL> connect sys/password as sysdba
   SQL> shutdown
   
   

6. Start up the instance and mount, but do not open the database:

   SQL> startup mount;
   
   

7. Enable database ARCHIVELOG mode:

   SQL> alter database archivelog;
   
   

8. Shut down and restart the database instance:

   SQL> shutdown
   SQL> startup
   
   

9. Verify the database is now in ARCHIVELOG mode.

   Execute the following command and verify that Database log mode is Archive Mode and Automatic archival is Enabled.

   SQL> archive log list;
   Database log mode             Archive Mode
   Automatic archival            Enabled
   Archive destination           /disk1/oraHome/archive
   Oldest on-line log sequence   997
   Next log sequence to archive  999
   Current log sequence          999
   

19.2.3 Creating a Record of Your Oracle Application Server Configuration

In the event you need to restore and recover your Oracle Application Server environment, it is important to have all the necessary information at your disposal. This is especially true in the event of a hardware loss that requires you to reconstruct all or part of your Oracle Application Server environment on a new disk or host.

You should maintain an up-to-date record of your Oracle Application Server environment that includes the information listed in this section. You should keep this information both in hardcopy and electronic form. The electronic form should be stored on a host or e-mail system that is completely separate from your Oracle Application Server environment.

Your Oracle Application Server hardware and software configuration record should include:

• The following information for each host in your environment:

  • Hostname

  • Virtual hostname (if any)

  • Domain name

  • IP address

  • Hardware platform

  • Operating system release level and patch information

• The following information for each Oracle Application Server installation in your environment:

  • Installation type (For example: Infrastructure or J2EE and Web Cache)

  • Host on which the installation resides

  • User name, userid number, group name, groupid number, environment profile, and type of shell for the operating system user that owns the Oracle home (/etc/passwd and /etc/group entries)

  • Directory structure, mount points, and full path for ORACLE_HOME

  • Amount of disk space used by the installation

  • Port numbers used by the installation

    
    

    Note: ORACLE_HOME/install/portlist.ini contains the port numbers assigned during installation. However, this file is not updated if you change port numbers after installation, so you need to keep track of those changes manually.

    
    

• The following information for the Metadata Repository:

  • Database version and patch level

  • Base language

  • Character set

  • Global database name

  • SID

19.2.4 Performing an Oracle Application Server Instance Backup

This section describes how to perform various Oracle Application Server instance backups. An instance level backup backs up all the required components in an application server instance: configuration files, repositories (database or file-based) for the infrastructure and mid-tier.

Performing a Cold Backup of an Oracle Application Server Instance

Use the following command to perform a cold backup of an Oracle Application Server instance:

bkp_restore.sh -m backup_instance_cold
bkp_restore.bat -m backup_instance_cold

Performing an Incremental Cold Backup of an Oracle Application Server Instance

Use the following command to perform an incremental cold backup of an Oracle Application Server instance:

bkp_restore.sh -m backup_instance_cold_incr -l <level>
bkp_restore.bat -m backup_instance_cold_incr -l <level>

Performing an Online Backup of an Oracle Application Server Instance

Use the following command to perform an online backup of an Oracle Application Server instance:

bkp_restore.sh -m backup_instance_online 
bkp_restore.bat -m backup_instance_online

Performing an Incremental Online Backup of an Oracle Application Server Instance

Use the following command to perform an incremental online backup of an Oracle Application Server instance:

bkp_restore.sh -m backup_instance_online_incr -l <level>
bkp_restore.bat -m backup_instance_online_incr -l <level>

19.2.5 Using Oracle Enterprise Manager 10g Application Server Control Console To Perform an Oracle Application Server Instance Backup

You can use the Oracle Enterprise Manager 10g Application Server Control Console to manage backup and recovery of an Oracle Application Server instance. The Application Server Control Console provides a graphical user interface to perform backup of an instance.

From the Home page for an application server instance, click Backup/Recovery to display the Backup/Recovery page. For more information about how to backup a server instance, click Help.

19.2.6 Performing a Complete Oracle Application Server Environment Backup

This section describes how to perform a complete Oracle Application Server environment backup. A complete Oracle Application Server environment backup includes Identity Management metadata and Oracle Application Server Metadata Repository, which can be stored in the same database or different databases. There are two modes for backing up the database(s): cold backup and online backup. Before performing a cold backup on an open database, the Backup and Recovery Tool performs a clean shutdown and rolls back any ongoing changes to the database. As a result, a cold backup is a copy of the database at a consistent state. A consistent backup can be restored without recovery. An online backup does not require shutting down the repository database. There is no need to bring down your business applications, providing a higher degree of continuous availability. An online backup is a snapshot or point-in-time image of the database. When you use the Backup and Recovery Tool to restore an online backup, any ongoing changes to the database occurring during the time of the online backup will be recovered by applying the redo logs. Refer to the Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Advanced User's Guide, Section 2, "RMAN Backup Types" for more detail.

This section contains the following steps:

• Task 1: Shut Down Your Oracle Application Server Environment

• Task 2: Backup the Middle-Tier Installations

• Task 3: Backup the Infrastructure

• Task 4: Backup the Oracle System Files

• Task 5: Start Your Oracle Application Server Environment

Task 1: Shut Down Your Oracle Application Server Environment

If this is the first backup after installing the Oracle Application Server, you should take the following steps to shut down the Oracle Application Server Environment and perform a cold backup of the databases where the Identity Management metadata and the Oracle Application Server Metadata Repository are stored. If you are performing a complete Oracle Application Server environment backup after a major change, like a rolling- software upgrade, you can perform either a cold backup or an online backup of the databases. If you choose the online backup so that your business applications remain up and running, you can skip this task and proceed with Task 2 and Task 3.

1. Stop the middle-tier instances.

   Refer to Section 3.2.4, "Stopping a Middle-Tier Instance" for instructions.

2. Stop the Infrastructure.

   Refer to Section 3.2.2, "Stopping OracleAS Infrastructure" for instructions.

Task 2: Backup the Middle-Tier Installations

For each middle-tier installation in your environment:

1. Backup the middle-tier Oracle home.

   Perform a complete backup of all files in the middle-tier Oracle home using your preferred operating system command, such as tar or cpio.

   Be sure to perform this backup as root because some of the files in the Oracle home are owned by root. It is important to perform the backup so that file owners, groups, permissions, and timestamps are preserved.

   For example:

   cd MID_TIER_ORACLE_HOME
   tar cvf full_path_of_backup_file
   Backup the registry entry HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ORACLE
   
   

2. Backup the middle-tier configuration files.

   If the DCM repository type is a database, the following processes must be up:

   • The OPMN process must be up. The command opmnctl start can be used to bring it up.

   • The Oracle Internet Directory process must be up. The command opmnctl startproc ias-component=OID can be used to start this process. The Oracle Internet Directory process exists on Infrastructure (IM + MR) or IM installation. The Oracle Internet Directory process must be running to perform any backup operations on a middle tier.

   • The database must be up and running.

   • The listener process must be up.

   Perform a backup of all configuration files in the middle-tier Oracle home. You can perform this step using your own procedure or the OracleAS Backup and Recovery Tool. For example, to do this using the tool:

   • For UNIX systems:

     bkp_restore.sh -m backup_config
     
     

   • For Windows systems:

     bkp_restore.bat -m backup_config
     

   
   

   See Also: Chapter 18, "Oracle Application Server Backup and Recovery Tool" for more information.

   
   

   The reason for doing a configuration file backup immediately after backing up the entire Oracle home is that it provides a snapshot of your initial configuration files, in case you start to reconfigure your system and then would like to restore the configuration files to their original state.

   The configuration files are stored in jar files located in the directory specified by the config_backup_path parameter in the config.inp file. Two jar files are created, one for DCM-managed components and one for all the other components. The jar files are kept in sync by the timestamp incorporated in each jar file name. For example:

   config_bkp_2004-05-10_18-33-15.jar
   dcm_archive_2004-05-10_18-33-15.jar
   

Task 3: Backup the Infrastructure

1. Perform a cold database backup of the Metadata Repository.

   You can perform this step using your own procedure or the OracleAS Backup and Recovery Tool. For example, to do this using the tool:

   • For UNIX systems:

     bkp_restore.sh -m backup_cold
     or
     bkp_restore.sh -m backup_online
     
     

   • For Windows systems:

     bkp_restore.bat -m backup_cold
     or
     bkp_restore.bat -m backup_online
     
     

   Note that the tool leaves the database running when finished. Shut down the database before continuing with the rest of these steps.

   
   

   See Also: Chapter 18, "Oracle Application Server Backup and Recovery Tool" for more information

   
   

2. Backup the Infrastructure Oracle home.

   
   

   Note: If your Infrastructure is split and has Identity Management in one Oracle home, and the Metadata Repository in another Oracle home, perform this step on both Oracle homes. If your Identity Management is split between Oracle Internet Directory in one Oracle home and Single Sign-On, Delegated Administration Service, and so on in another Oracle home, you also should perform this step on each of those Oracle homes.

   
   

   Perform a complete backup of all files in the Infrastructure Oracle home using your preferred operating system command, such as tar or cpio.

   Be sure to perform this backup as root because some of the files in the Oracle home are owned by root. It is important to perform the backup so that file owners, groups, permissions, and timestamps are preserved.

   For example:

   cd INFRA_ORACLE_HOME
   tar cvf full_path_of_backup_file
   Backup the registry entry HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ORACLE 
   
   

3. Backup the Infrastructure configuration files.

   
   

   Note: If your Infrastructure is split and has Identity Management in one Oracle home, and the Metadata Repository in another Oracle home, perform this step on both Oracle homes. If your Identity Management is split between Oracle Internet Directory in one Oracle home and Single Sign-On, Delegated Administration Service, and so on in another Oracle home, you also should perform this step on each of those Oracle homes.

   
   

   If the DCM repository type is a database, the following processes must be up:

   • The OPMN process. The command opmnctl start can be used to bring it up.

   • The Oracle Internet Directory process. The command opmnctl startproc ias-component=OID can be used to start this process. The Oracle Internet Directory process exists on Infrastructure (IM + MR) or IM installation.

   • The database.

   • The listener process.

   Perform a backup of all configuration files in the Infrastructure Oracle home. You can perform this step using your own procedure or the OracleAS Backup and Recovery Tool. For example, to do this using the tool:

   • For UNIX systems:

     bkp_restore.sh -m backup_config
     
     

   • For Windows systems:

     bkp_restore.bat -m backup_config
     

   
   

   See Also: Chapter 18, "Oracle Application Server Backup and Recovery Tool" for more information.

   
   

   The reason for doing a configuration file backup immediately after backing up the entire Oracle home is that it provides a snapshot of your initial configuration files. You can use this if you start to reconfigure your system and then would like to restore the configuration files to their original state.

Task 4: Backup the Oracle System Files

On each host in your Oracle Application Server environment:

1. Make a backup of your Oracle system files using your preferred operating system command, such as tar or cpio.

   Consult your operating system-specific documentation to determine which directory contains your Oracle system files. For example, on UNIX systems, they may be in the /var/opt/oracle or /etc directory.

2. If the oraInventory directory resides outside of your Oracle Application Server Oracle home, make a backup of it using your preferred operating system command, such as tar or cpio.

   If you are not sure of the location of your oraInventory directory, you can find it in the oraInst.loc file. For example, on UNIX systems, look in /var/opt/oracle/oraInst.loc or /etc/oraInst.loc. On Windows systems, the location of the oraInventory can be obtained from the registry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ORACLE\INST_LOC

Task 5: Start Your Oracle Application Server Environment

1. Start the Infrastructure.

   Refer to Section 3.2.1, "Starting OracleAS Infrastructure" for instructions.

2. Start the middle-tier instances.

   Refer to Section 3.2.3, "Starting a Middle-Tier Instance" for instructions.

19.2.7 Performing a Configuration and Metadata Backup

Once you have performed a complete Oracle Application Server environment backup, you should perform subsequent configuration and metadata backups after every administrative change, or, if this is not possible, on a regular basis.

These backups can be performed online (while Oracle Application Server is up and running), and only contain configuration files, Identity Management metadata and the Metadata Repository.

This section describes how to perform a configuration and metadata backup of your Oracle Application Server environment. It contains the following steps:

• Task 1: Backup the Infrastructure

• Task 2: Backup the Middle-Tier Installations

Task 1: Backup the Infrastructure

1. Perform a full or incremental backup of the configuration files.

   You can perform this step using your own procedure or the OracleAS Backup and Recovery Tool. For example, to do this using the tool:

   • On UNIX systems:

     bkp_restore.sh -m backup_config
     or
     bkp_restore.sh -m backup_config_incr
     
     

   • On Windows systems:

     bkp_restore.bat -m backup_config
     or
     bkp_restore.bat -m backup_config_incr
     

   
   

   See Also: Chapter 18, "Oracle Application Server Backup and Recovery Tool" for more information

   
   

2. Perform an online database backup of the Metadata Repository. It can be a full or incremental online backup.

   You can perform this step using your own procedure or the OracleAS Backup and Recovery Tool. For example, to do this using the tool:

   • On UNIX systems:

     bkp_restore.sh -m backup_online
     or
     bkp_restore.sh -m backup_online_incr -l 2
     
     

   • On Windows systems:

     bkp_restore.bat -m backup_online
     or
     bkp_restore.bat -m backup_online_incr -l 2
     

   
   

   See Also: Chapter 18, "Oracle Application Server Backup and Recovery Tool" for more information

   
   

Task 2: Backup the Middle-Tier Installations

For each middle-tier installation in your environment, perform a full or incremental backup of configuration files. You can perform this step using your own procedure or the OracleAS Backup and Recovery Tool. For example, to do this using the tool:

• For UNIX systems:

  bkp_restore.sh -m backup_config
  or
  bkp_restore.sh -m backup_config_incr
  
  

• For Windows systems:

  bkp_restore.sh -m backup_config
  or
  bkp_restore.bat -m backup_config_incr
  

  
  

  See Also: Chapter 18, "Oracle Application Server Backup and Recovery Tool" for more information