13 Backup Strategy and Procedures

13.2.1 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. Enable automatic archiving by editing the following initialization file:

   (UNIX) INFRA_ORACLE_HOME/dbs/init<SID>.ora
   (Windows) INFRA_ORACLE_HOME\..\admin\<SID>\pfile\init.ora
   
   

   1. (Mandatory) Enable automatic archiving each time an instance is started by including the initialization parameter LOG_ARCHIVE_START in the initialization file and set it to TRUE:

      LOG_ARCHIVE_START = TRUE
      
      

   2. (Mandatory) Specify the destination directory for your archives by including the initialization parameter LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST in the initialization file, for example:

      LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST = 'LOCATION = /disk1/oraHome/archive'
      
      

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

      %t_%s.dbf
      
      

      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 = arch%s.dbf
      
      

2. Make sure the ORACLE_HOME and ORACLE_SID (the default is asdb) environment variables are properly set.

3. Make sure nobody is using the database.

4. Perform a clean, normal shutdown of the database instance.

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

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

   SQL> startup mount;
   
   

6. Enable database ARCHIVELOG mode.

   SQL> alter database archivelog;
   
   

7. Shut down and restart the database instance.

   SQL> shutdown
   SQL> startup
   
   

8. 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	19
   Next log sequence to archive	21
   Current log sequence	21
   

13.2.2 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 email 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

13.2.3 Performing a Complete Oracle Application Server Environment Backup

This section describes how to perform a complete Oracle Application Server environment backup. It contains the following steps:

• Step 1: Shut Down Your Oracle Application Server Environment

• Step 2: Back Up the Infrastructure

• Step 3: Back Up the Middle-tier Installations

• Step 4: Back Up the DCM File-based Repository (If Required)

• Step 5: Back Up the Oracle System Files

• Step 6: Start Your Oracle Application Server Environment

Step 1: Shut Down Your Oracle Application Server Environment

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 an Infrastructure" for instructions.

Step 2: Back Up 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:

   cd INFRA_BACKUP_TOOL_DIRECTORY
   (UNIX) ./bkp_restore.pl -m backup_cold
   (Windows) perl bkp_restore.pl -m backup_cold
   
   

   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 12, "Oracle Application Server Backup and Recovery Tool" for more information

   
   

2. Back up 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.

   
   

   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 .
   
   

3. Back up 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.

   
   

   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:

   cd INFRA_BACKUP_TOOL_DIRECTORY
   (UNIX) ./bkp_restore.pl -m backup_config
   (Windows) perl bkp_restore.pl -m backup_config
   

   
   

   See Also: Chapter 12, "Oracle Application Server Backup and Recovery Tool" for more information.

   
   
   
   

   Note: The tool may report harmless error messages in some configurations. Refer to Section 12.8, "Error Messages You Can Ignore".

   
   

   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.

Step 3: Back Up the Middle-tier Installations

For each middle-tier installation in your environment:

1. Back up 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 .
   
   

2. Back up the middle-tier configuration files.

   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:

   cd MID_TIER_BACKUP_TOOL_DIRECTORY
   (UNIX) ./bkp_restore.pl -m backup_config
   (Windows) perl bkp_restore.pl -m backup_config
   

   
   

   See Also: Chapter 12, "Oracle Application Server Backup and Recovery Tool" for more information.

   
   
   
   

   Note: The tool may report harmless error message in some configurations. Refer to Section 12.8, "Error Messages You Can Ignore".

   
   

   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.

3. Create a DCM archive.

   Create a DCM archive of the middle-tier instance:

   ORACLE_HOME/dcm/bin/dcmctl createArchive -archive archive_name
   
   

   Export the archive from the DCM repository to a backup location:

   ORACLE_HOME/dcm/bin/dcmctl exportArchive -archive archive_name -f file_name.jar
   
   

   Make sure no configuration changes take place between the configuration file backup in step 2 and DCM archive in this step.

   
   

   See Also: Section 11.6.2, "Considerations for DCM Archives"

   
   

Step 4: Back Up the DCM File-based Repository (If Required)

Perform this step only if you are using a DCM file-based repository.

If you have a DCM file-based repository, it exists in one of your middle-tier installations, known as the repository host instance. You should back up (export) the DCM file-based repository by running this command in the Oracle home of the repository host instance:

ORACLE_HOME/dcm/bin/dcmctl exportRepository -file file_name

Oracle recommends you copy the repository backup file to a different host, or some other backup media. You will need this file to recover in the event of a lost host.

Step 5: Back Up 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

Step 6: Start Your Oracle Application Server Environment

1. Start the Infrastructure.

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

2. Start the middle-tier instances.

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

13.2.4 Performing an Online Backup

Once you have performed a complete Oracle Application Server environment backup, you should perform subsequent online 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 and the Metadata Repository.

This section describes how to perform an online backup of your Oracle Application Server environment. It contains the following steps:

• Step 1: Back Up the Infrastructure

• Step 2: Back Up the Middle-tier Installations

• Step 3: Back Up the DCM File-based Repository (If Required)

Step 1: Back Up the Infrastructure

1. Perform an 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:

   cd INFRA_BACKUP_TOOL_DIRECTORY
   (UNIX) ./bkp_restore.pl -m backup_config_incr
   (Windows) perl bkp_restore.pl -m backup_config_incr
   

   
   

   See Also: Chapter 12, "Oracle Application Server Backup and Recovery Tool" for more information

   
   
   
   

   Note: The tool may report harmless error message in some configurations. Refer to Section 12.8, "Error Messages You Can Ignore".

   
   

2. Perform an online 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:

   cd INFRA_BACKUP_TOOL_DIRECTORY
   (UNIX) ./bkp_restore.pl -m backup_online
   (Windows) perl bkp_restore.pl -m backup_online
   

   
   

   See Also: Chapter 12, "Oracle Application Server Backup and Recovery Tool" for more information

   
   

Step 2: Back Up the Middle-tier Installations

For each middle-tier installation in your environment:

1. Perform an 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:

   cd MID_TIER_BACKUP_TOOL_DIRECTORY
   (UNIX) ./bkp_restore.pl -m backup_config_incr
   (Windows) perl bkp_restore.pl -m backup_config_incr
   

   
   

   See Also: Chapter 12, "Oracle Application Server Backup and Recovery Tool" for more information

   
   
   
   

   Note: The tool may report harmless error message in some configurations. Refer to Section 12.8, "Error Messages You Can Ignore".

   
   

2. Create a DCM archive.

   Create a DCM archive of the middle-tier instance:

   ORACLE_HOME/dcm/bin/dcmctl createArchive -archive archive_name
   
   

   Export the archive from the DCM repository to a backup location:

   ORACLE_HOME/dcm/bin/dcmctl exportArchive -archive archive_name -f file_name.jar
   
   

   Make sure no configuration changes take place between the configuration file backup in the previous step and DCM archive in this step.

   
   

   See Also: Section 11.6.2, "Considerations for DCM Archives"

   
   

Step 3: Back Up the DCM File-based Repository (If Required)

Perform this step only if you are using a DCM file-based repository.

If you have a DCM file-based repository, it exists in one of your middle-tier installations, known as the repository host instance. You should back up (export) the DCM file-based repository by running this command in the Oracle home of the repository host instance:

ORACLE_HOME/dcm/bin/dcmctl exportRepository -file file_name

Oracle recommends you copy the repository backup file to a different host, or some other backup media. You will need this file to recover in the event of a lost host.