9
Backing Up and Recovering Database Files

This chapter provides information on backing up and recovering your database.

Specific topics discussed are:

• Selecting a Backup and Recovery Tool

• Backing Up Files with OCOPY

• Recovering Files with OCOPY

Selecting a Backup and Recovery Tool

Backing up and recovering your Oracle8i database is one of the most critical operations that a database administrator (DBA) performs. For this reason, it is extremely important to choose the correct tools. The table below describes available backup and recovery tools and makes recommendations on which tool to use with your Oracle8i database:

Tool	Description	Analysis of Tool	To Use this Tool, See...
Recovery Manager (RMAN) in command line mode	Recovery Manager in command line mode is an Oracle8i tool that manages the process of backing up, restoring, and recovering files. Recovery Manager is automatically installed with Oracle Utilities. Recovery Manager uses a special PL/SQL interface to the server for invoking backup functions. The user is unaware of this interface and instead interfaces only with a command line.	Command line usage only. Must clearly understand the command line syntax described in Oracle8i Recovery Manager User's Guide and Reference before using. Backing up to tape requires an optional MML from a third-party vendor.	Chapter 2, "Database Tools Overview" for instructions on accessing this tool and Oracle8i Recovery Manager User's Guide and Reference for instructions on using this tool.
Third-party vendor products	Third-party vendors provide tape backup software that works with Backup Wizard and RMAN.	Can back up to tape. Contact your third-party vendors for additional information.	Third-party vendor documentation.
OCOPY	OCOPY is needed when performing a hot backup manually (that is, backing up a tablespace that is in offline backup mode).	Command line usage only. Can back up only to disk. Can only perform local backups.	"Backing Up Files with OCOPY" and "Recovering Files with OCOPY" in this chapter.

Note: Before performing a cold backup, and regardless of the backup tool you use, stop the Oracle Instance in order to clear locks on the database files. If you do not stop Oracle Instance, some database files may not be backed up.

Backing Up Files with OCOPY

Use OCOPY for both hot and raw database file backups of the following file types:

File	Description
File Allocation Table (FAT) files	File allocation table (FAT) files you want to back up.
Logical raw files:	A logical drive (accessed with the direct I/O) identified by the name:
	\\.\x:
	where x: is the logical drive designator.
Physical raw files	A physical hard drive (accessed with direct I/O) identified by a device name of the form:
	\\.\physicaldriveN
	where N is 0, 1, 2, and so on, representing each of the physical drives in the system.

This table describes the two copy modes in which to use OCOPY:

Copy Mode	OCOPY is used to...
Hard disk	Copy hot files to a new name and location on a hard disk where you can use an archive utility to back them up.
Multiple diskettes	Back up large hot files directly to multiple diskettes.

This table describes the syntax to use when backing up all file types to hard disk or multiple diskettes:

Copy Mode	File Type	Syntax
Hard disk	FAT files	C:\> OCOPY old_file new_file
	Logical raw	C:\> OCOPY \\.\C: new_file
	Physical raw	C:\> OCOPY \\.\physicaldriveN new_file
Multiple diskettes	FAT files	C:\> OCOPY /B hot_file a:
	Logical raw	C:\> OCOPY /B \\.\C: a:
	Physical raw	C:\> OCOPY /B \\.\physicaldriveN a:

Where...	Indicates the...
old_file	Name and location of the hot file you want to back up.
new_file	Name and location of the backup copy.
C:	Raw drive that holds a single RAW database file.
physical drive	Physical drive that holds a single RAW database file.
N	Number(s) representing each of the physical drives in the system.
hot_file	Path and filename of the hot file you want to back up.
a:	Diskette drive containing the diskette on which to save the backup copy. If the file is too large to fit on one diskette, OCOPY prompts you to insert new diskettes as needed. OCOPY catalogs the parts of the file automatically so that it can be reconstructed at a later time.
/B	Large files must be split over multiple diskettes.

Note: Always use a fresh diskette for each OCOPY procedure; do not use OCOPY to back up a file onto a diskette that contains part or all of another file backed up using OCOPY.

Recovering Files with OCOPY

The table below describes the syntax to use when recovering all file types from hard disk or multiple diskettes.

Restore From...	File Type to Restore	Syntax
Hard Disk1	FAT files	Use the Windows 98 COPY command.
	Logical raw	C:\> OCOPY new_file \\.\c:
	Physical raw	C:\> OCOPY new_file \\.\physicaldriveN
Multiple diskettes2	FAT files	C:\> OCOPY /R a: restore_dir Note: First insert the diskette containing the initial part of the backed up file.
	Logical raw	C:\> OCOPY /R a: \\.\c:
	Physical raw	C:\> OCOPY /R a: \\.\physicaldriveN

1 These are files originally backed up without the /B option. 2 These are files originally backed up with the /B option.

Where...	Indicates the...
C:	Raw drive, which holds a single RAW database file. If you use a different drive as your raw drive, substitute it for C:. OCOPY prompts you to insert diskettes as needed.
new_file	File name to which to restore the file.
physicaldrive	Physical drive that holds a single RAW database file.
N	Number(s) representing each of the physical drives in the system.
/R	Restore option.
a:	Drive containing the diskette with the backed up file.
restore_dir	Directory on the server in which to place the file. (The restored file has the same name as the original file.)