Hi folks, we are considering using Backup Exec as our Oracle backup agent. I'd be grateful for any views or experiences (good or bad) anyone's had with this software, to inform our final decision.

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Ken,

Is that a Veritas product?

If it is, is there any reason for not using RMAN?

Regards

T

Thanks for the response Tharg. Backup Exec is a Symantec product which our Windows people use to backup to a SAN - they want me to consider doing the same with our Solaris boxes. We use RMAN quite extensively in what I might describe as our more 'normal' environments!

The internet - allowing those who don't know what they're talking about to have their say.

I wondered, because I deliberately chose to avoid the RMAN plug-ins for a particular vendor, and just produce OS backup files.

A simple scripted copy then moves them to their safe storage area.  I know that most vendors charge handsomely for their products, so I question the business benefit of such software, when a free equivalent is available.

I have no technical objections to nice backup software, I just question the financial wisdom of it all.

Regards

T

Hi,
Just as long as you remember that if you do not shut down the database before copying those OS files, you could have problems if you needed to use the backup.

See this about cold backups:
http://www.shutdownabort.com/quickguides/clone_cold.php

especially the part in #5 about failing to stop the database before copying.

 

To Paraphrase:"The Help you get is proportional to the Help you give.."

Turkbear,

you misunderstand.  I'd never be that daft.

What I was alluding to was the fact that RMAN produces backup files (naturally without stopping the db) and also a backup control, spfile and relevant archive logs.

These can be written to disk (obviously) and then with a simple batch file copied away to safe storage.  I believe that the software Ken's alluding to is that which plugs in to RMAN and lets it write to a particular vendor's mass storage device (quirks and all) with neither the intervening storage time nor usage.

If your backup piece was say 30 gig, and you only have 20 odd available, your storage requirement would temporarily balloon over all available space pending the copy to NAS followed by deletion of the on-disk backup piece.  Also the system has to write all that data twice, once to disk by RMAN, and then disk to NAS by batch file.  For a few gig, this is not an issue, but if Ken has some heavyweight backup pieces, it might be enough to justify the vendor's fees.

See what I mean now Turkbear?

Regards

T

Hi,
Yep...I was hoping I had misunderstood but I have seen horrible examples of 'cold' backups of a 'hot' database leading to much sorrow ( and in one case, job loss).

Glad to be reassured.....


Thanks

To Paraphrase:"The Help you get is proportional to the Help you give.."