NetBackup™ for Oracle Administrator's Guide

Integration with NetBackup role-based access control (RBAC)

RBAC allows the NetBackup administrator to delegate the management of Oracle operations and of Oracle assets within NetBackup to specific DBAs, which decreases the configuration burden for the NetBackup administrator.

See RBAC roles for the Oracle administrator.

Oracle database management

NetBackup automatically discovers Oracle databases in the environment. Manual discovery can also be performed. When Oracle DBAs are assigned the Default Oracle Administrator RBAC role, they can use NetBackup web UI to manage Oracle assets and their credentials. After databases are registered with credentials, an Oracle DBA can create a policy to protect Oracle assets.

Oracle CMS credentials

NetBackup supports named credentials from both the internal and the external providers for use with Oracle assets.

See Oracle credential types in the NetBackup Credential management.

Oracle Intelligent Policies

The Oracle Intelligent Policy (OIP) protects multiple Oracle databases and Data Guard databases that are spread over multiple clients. You select databases for a policy from a list of databases that are automatically discovered in the NetBackup environment. OIP does not require you to know how RMAN functions or how to use scripts. The feature is database-based and not scripting based.

Script-based policies

Script-based policies are available as an alternative to OIP. If you use the command-line interface or scripts, you must use script-based Oracle policies. These policies use Oracle's Recovery Manager (RMAN) as if NetBackup were not present.

Scheduling facilities

NetBackup scheduling facilities on the primary server can be used to schedule automatic and unattended Oracle backups.

This feature also lets you choose the times when these operations can occur. For example, to prevent interference with normal daytime operations, you can schedule your database backups to occur only at night.

Transparent Oracle and regular file system backup and restore operations

All backups and restores run simultaneously and transparently without any action from the NetBackup administrator. The database administrator, administrator, or any authorized user can run database backup and restore operations through NetBackup.

Centralized and networked backup operations

From the NetBackup primary server, you can schedule database backups or start them manually for any client or database. The Oracle databases can also reside on the hosts that are different from the devices on which NetBackup stores the backups.

Recovery points

The web UI provides recovery points from which you can easily create a clone from a database or pluggable database. If instant access is configured, you can also create an instant access database from a recovery point.

Compression

Compression increases backup performance over the network and reduces the size of the backup image that NetBackup writes to the storage unit.

Multiplexed backups and restores

NetBackup for Oracle lets you take advantage of NetBackup's multiplexing capabilities. Multiplexing directs multiple data streams to one backup device, thereby reducing the time necessary to complete the operation.

Parallel backup and restore operations

NetBackup for Oracle supports the parallel backup and restore RMAN capabilities. For example, you can run more than one tape device at a time for a single Oracle backup or restore. This capability reduces the time necessary to complete the operation.

Immediate backup

An Oracle DBA can perform an immediate backup of a database using the nboracmd command. See the NetBackup Commands Guide for details.

Support for Container and Pluggable databases

Oracle 12c introduced the container databases (CDB) and pluggable databases (PDB). The Oracle Intelligent Policy is enhanced and allows a backup to include single or multiple PDBs.

This feature also lets you select one or more Oracle 12c instances along with non-Oracle 12c instances in OIP.

Support for Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC)

The NetBackup web UI provides full support for protection of Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC) with OIP and clients at version NetBackup 8.3 or later.

NetBackup can be set up to load balance the Oracle instances. Use this feature to distribute the backup load across all of the instances and to exclude specific Oracle instances from backups.

Support for Data Guard

NetBackup has full support for the primary and the standby databases that are members of a Data Guard configuration. This feature enables a unified image cataloging system across any type of intelligent policy that protects the Data Guard configuration. A primary or a standby preference can also be configured in the policy.

See Manage a Data Guard.

Sharing the same storage units that are used for other file backups

You can share the same devices and media that are used for other backups or give Oracle exclusive use of certain devices and media. NetBackup for Oracle can use the Media Manager, disk, or Media Server Deduplication Pool (MSDP) storage units.

NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle

NetBackup Dedupe Direct for Oracle offers a lightweight plug-in for RMAN backups to MSDP storage.

The Oracle database administrator can control the whole protection and life-cycle stages without the NetBackup client. It also enables client-side deduplication to minimize network traffic and improves overall backup speed.

Support on a NetBackup appliance for backup to an appliance share (NetBackup Copilot for Oracle)

Oracle Copilot enhances the Oracle Intelligent Policy by giving you options for protecting an Oracle database using a share on a NetBackup appliance. This feature gives you better control of backups when an Oracle database backup is placed in a database share by the DBA. This feature also lets you choose a database share as the destination for the first backup copy. The backup copy is a full set of database data file copies created, incrementally updated, and protected by NetBackup. You must create a share on the appliance for this option using the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu.

Oracle backups only work on an NFS share on the NetBackup appliance.

For more information about how to set up the share, see "Creating a share from the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu" in the NetBackup 52xx and 5330 Appliance Administrator's Guide.

Delegate management of RMAN catalogs

NetBackup lets you delegate permission and management of RMAN catalogs within NetBackup, which can simplify how you manage credentials and configuration.

Support for Replication Director

Replication Director can be used to create snapshots of the Oracle database. The snapshots can then be replicated to other NetApp disk arrays or backup the snapshot to a storage unit. To use Replication Director, the Oracle database must exist on a NetApp NAS disk array. Replication Director is not supported on SAN storage at this time.

Oracle snapshot backups that use Replication Director are supported on UNIX and Linux platforms only.

NetBackup APIs

The same functionality in the web UI is also available with the NetBackup APIs.