Using Standby for cloning

[hrishy]

Originally posted by OracleDoc
*tap tap is this thing on?

you could do what we did at my last gig.
simply take a hot backup of the standby. ftp the datafiles over to your dev. Rename the database, startup using an edited controlfile from prod. Rinse and repeat as neccessary.
We did this on a nightly basis, we had a Reporting database that users could run thier reports off of instead of having to use prod.
It's particularly sweet if you're in an unsecure environment and have rsh available to use. If not use the ssh, A couple of scripts and voila` you've got yourself a nightly refresh job.

\
can i put the standby database in backupmode in all these versions

1)7.3
2)8.1.7
3)9.2

if not from which version onwards can i put the standby database in backup mode ?

regards
Hrishy

[jmodic]

You do not put *database* into backup mode, you put *tablespaces* or *datafiles* in backup mode! And you can do this in all versions at least since Oracle7.

But as far as stanby database and the backup mode is concerned, the question is irrelevant. If you put your standby database out of recovery mode, then the database is either:
- closed, nomounted or mounted
- opened read-only

In any of those states, the database is as good as "in backup mode", and you can safely perform a backup the same way as you would perform cold backup. No need (nor ability) to use BEGIN BACKUP and END BACKUP options with standby.

P.S.
Of course, we are talking strictly about physical standby here. With logical standby it's another story.

[hrishy]

Hi Jurij

Thanks for the reply..So u mean to say

1)i would shutdown the standby database (take it out of recovery mode)

2)take a cold backup of standby database

3)copy the archived logs generated during this time from the primary server and i have a valid Backup from which i cna recover

is my understanding right

regards
Hrishy

[jmodic]

Yes, except you don't need to actualy perform a shutdown of the stanbdby instance (it won't hurt if you do, though). As soon as you take it out of the recovery mode, all the datafiles are allready "cold", ie consistent, so you can back them up immediately.

And yes, if you have the archlogs from the primary (plus the backup of the controlfile of the primary) you can recover your primary database from this backup exactly the same as you would do if the backup was taken directly on the primary.

[OracleDoc]

Woahh woahh guys hold your horses.

If you have a live standby database you cannot shut it down to take a backup then bring it back up and expect everything to be all honkey dorie. If you were to do so, any changes that prod shipped over to you via redo or archive would not be able to be applied. The easiest way is to simply take a hot backup of the standby. That way anything that's shipped over can be applied while'st the hot backup is taking place.

If any of you are seriously considering using a hot standby for cloning purposes let me know and I'll contact my old client for the scripts.


shutup Jeff yes I know I should of kept them

[gopi]

Originally posted by OracleDoc

If any of you are seriously considering using a hot standby for cloning purposes let me know and I'll contact my old client for the scripts.

I beleive I have chosen my method but i would indeed want to see the scripts. northernsnow@mindspring.com Please put a clear subject line (ie cloning standby database) in the email and ignore the spam filtor message "you have been banished to the suspect folder"

[hrishy]

Originally posted by OracleDoc
Woahh woahh guys hold your horses.

If you have a live standby database you cannot shut it down to take a backup then bring it back up and expect everything to be all honkey dorie. If you were to do so, any changes that prod shipped over to you via redo or archive would not be able to be applied. The easiest way is to simply take a hot backup of the standby. That way anything that's shipped over can be applied while'st the hot backup is taking place.

If any of you are seriously considering using a hot standby for cloning purposes let me know and I'll contact my old client for the scripts.


shutup Jeff yes I know I should of kept them

Hey oracle Doc

Can you briefly outline the steps you too to offline the database backup to the standby server.

regards
Hrishy

[OracleDoc]

LOL I knew you guys were going to want them. Ok, gimmie about a week to get them for you. I'm heading out to Rome for the weekend and won't be back till Wednesday.
Better yet.. shoot me an email next week to remind me.

[jmodic]

Originally posted by OracleDoc
Woahh woahh guys hold your horses.

If you have a live standby database you cannot shut it down to take a backup then bring it back up and expect everything to be all honkey dorie. If you were to do so, any changes that prod shipped over to you via redo or archive would not be able to be applied.

So what? All changes will be applied once the standby is up again and everything will be just honkey dorie, no? Nothing lost, no harm done.

[OracleDoc]

You know, I'm feeling like an idiot now. Cause I forgot about this.

Just got done talking to my buddy at the old client site and he's like "if you're running 9i and you want to have a database that continually updated by prod just make a lodgical standby and let your users play on that".

He's right you have two standbys. A physical one ready to go incase prod $hits and a lodgical one for test/dev.