Backing up Oracle Databases on Linux/Unix?????

[Guest_imported]

Let me start by apologizing for my ignorance in this area. I have been reading up on the backups for a while now and there are 100 different ways to do it (it seems). My company has about 6 or 7 up and running ORACLE databases, on Linux machines, 2 by them selves and 5 on one machine. The 5 are for testing purposes for clients.
Currently, the only backup going on is to a tape drive, which from what I have read will not be of use AT ALL in recovering the database if the machine crashes. Some of the databases we can shutdown for backup, some must be running 24/7 (hot backup, or considered an inconsistent-open backup I guess?). I read about RMAN and it seems to be what I need to use. But I do not understand the settings (archivelog? on/off?)

What must I need to do to backup my data (its just the tables and data in them I am concerned about, because I can rebuild the machine and re-install ORACLE, but I need to rebuild the data if I do that) so if the machine crashes and hard-drive dies (worst case) that I can install ORACLE again and rebuild all of my tables and indexes and so-on?

If anyone would be so kind as to explain this in laymen's terms if possible... or maybe a RMAN script or something. Also, where must this back-up be (seperate HD or tape?)

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HELP!

I am grateful for your replies.

 

[ag100]

Hi,

If you have enough resources to go disk to disk, that would probably the best thing for you.. If you don't have the luxury of shutting down the databases, you can do a "hot" backup by creating a script that puts the tablespaces in backup mode and copying the files to a destination area. Once all the files are copied off, you can push the data to tape. We've been doing this for years and it's worked very well!

Backup Central's website has some scripts that can assist you in this process.. Check

http://www.backupcentral.com

Good Luck!
-ag100

 

[DebiJo]

We use RMAN to backup our Oracle DB on AIX. Archivelog must be on for RMAN to work. We do not take the DB down during the backup. Our script backs up to disk. I have another script that backs up the disk to tape.

This script calls it:
DATE=`date +%m%d%y`;export DATE
$ORACLE_HOME/bin/rman nocatalog target internal/oracle8 cmdfile $ORACLE_HOME/oraback.cmd

This is the backup script:
run {
allocate channel d1 type disk;
backup
format "/oraback/db_back%s_$DATE"
(database);
sql 'alter system archive log current';
backup
filesperset 1
format "/oraback/arch_back%s_$DATE"
(archivelog all delete input);
}

Good luck!
Debi