Oracle Database migration to a remote Data Protector cell--Best practices

Executive summary

This paper provides in-depth information on how to migrate an Oracle Database from one Data

Protector cell to a different one.

Target audience

This paper is mainly aimed at system integrators and anyone trying to migrate an Oracle Database

using Data Protector. Good understanding of Oracle Recovery Manager (RMAN) and Data Protector

is recommended to follow this white paper.

Overview

The Data Protector Architecture organizes clients in cells. Each cell has its own cell Manager, which is

the central point for managing the whole cell and storing the Data Protector Internal Database (IDB).

In an Enterprise environment with large number of clients dispersed over different geographical areas,

it maybe advisable to split the environment in multiple cells. Listed below are some aspects to be

taken into account when planning your environment:

• Geographical location of the clients

• Network connections available among the clients

• Organizational grouping

For disaster recovery purposes or due to enterprise reorganizations (that is, Data center

consolidations), you may be required to host an application on a different Data Protector cell. On the

other side, backup information for an Oracle Database is stored in the Data Protector IDB and the

Oracle Control files (and Oracle Recovery Catalog, if configured).

While the Data Protector IDB stores media information, devices and channels used, and session

information, the Oracle Control files (and Recovery Catalog) store information about the objects itself,

the Oracle objects are included in every Oracle Backup set and the media contains the Backup set.

When planning to move an Oracle Database to a different Data Protector cell, the backup

information contained in both, the IDB and in the Oracle Control File, is needed to perform a

successful restore. While we can get the IDB information by importing the media in the target cell, we

need to restore the original Oracle Control File to be able to start the restore of the database.

This white paper discusses the fundamentals of Oracle Control Files, Oracle Recovery Catalog, and

Data Protector Media import. Finally, it will also cover different Oracle RMAN configuration scenarios

providing step-by-step guidance.

This paper is not intended to replace the Oracle RMAN documentation nor the Data Protector Oracle

integration documentation, but complement them.