Re: RMAN - To Catalog or not to catalog, that is the question

  • From: <jtesta@xxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 9 Jun 2004 09:36:36 -0400 (EDT)

My 2 cents worth on the subject(ok i've implemented it, RMAN, at various
client sites).

1.  RMAN gives you the capability to do incremental block level backups,
hot backups do NOT.  Do you have to go to RMAN, heck no, but learning
something new is always kewl :).

2.  Catalog, pros/cons either way, but RMAN always writes the backups to
the controlfile.  Just make sure to backup your controlfile AFTER the
database backup is done as a separate backup command, that way the latest
backup you just completed is in there.  Here is your worst scenario(either
with or w/o a recovery catalog.  Lets assume a tape backup system(you name
it, veritas, etc),  you lost everything in DR scenario, to get that
database restored you'll need the pfile(or spfile), a controlfile to be
able to get RMAN to do the restore.  If you don't have a catalog and the
latest controlfile is gone, with 9i its easy enough to get the controlfile
restored(if you're playing with 8i, its a bit more complex but not
impossible).  Once you get the controlfile restored(you did back it up
last right?), you can now tell rman to restore the datafiles based on what
it finds in the backup section of the controlfile, and all is well.

hth some at least, if you want more detail, email me direct, i've gone
through a few of those type of DR.

joe


> We are getting ready to start using RMAN on several new 9i Linux
> databases.
> I guess the first question would be is RMAN really that much better then
> using home grown dynamic hot backup scripts?  We have developed these
> for our Oracle/NT environment and they seem to work fine.
> The second question would be should we use a recovery catalog?  The
> catalog seems to add a lot of complexity to the setup and to a disaster
> recovery plan.
>
> Thanks!
> Ron



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