Help ... Production Database copy

[farrokhp]

We have a pretty big production database on Oracle 8i sun solaris (100+ GB).
For some test I need to have a complete copy of this database in another unix box.
What is the best way to do that.

Thanks in advance for your help

[sreddy]

Copying all the files(data/control/redo/init.ora) that constitute your 100GB database to the server you wanted and modify dbname/controlfile/archive destination parameters in init.ora and set environment variables..and start the database...in mount mode and see the locations of your files from V$control/data/logfiles and rename the file locations with new file locations. that should take care off...

Otherwise exp/imp use schema by schema that you can easily handle with pipes to save dump files...

I feel first one is best approach..I just gave you the idea...follow the steps carefully and check for the syntax.

[Edited by sreddy on 12-22-2000 at 01:03 AM]

[farrokhp]

What is your suggestion if we have a standby database. Can we toggle the standby database to an online database ( take it off from backup mode temporary) and do our test then put it back to standby ??
If it is possible tell me exactly how we can do it.

Thanks

[marist89]

Most companies have standby databases because they need the ability to bring a database up very quickly should the production DB go down. What happens if your production DB goes down during your "test"? IMHO, bad idea.

[sreddy]

You can do it, As marist89 suggest not a great idea as you are taking the risk, discarding the purpose of standby you implemented. Keep it in mind that your standby will always be in recovery mode.Of course this changes with 9i and you have got to wait for that.
Use named pipes to compress the export and ftp it over and import on to test database on new box. I don't have exact estimation of size export takes. I am exporting one big database using named pipes. If I get an idea of the compressed size of that database I can tell you.

[farrokhp]

But if I never mind to accept the risk to toggle the standby DB from recovery to onlie.
Can you tell me how exactly I can do that ? With oracle commant ? Do I need to restart the box? What happens to logs during no-standby exist? Can I impact them on standby again later ? How ?

[mhaller]

Look at the Standby Database Concepts and Administration Guide for the version of Oracle you are using.

[rmgirma]

farrokhp,
Once you activite your standby database you cannot set it to standby mode again. You will have to build a new standby Database.

[mhaller]

You can run a standby database in read-only mode and easily switch back to managed recovery mode.

[sreddy]

What rmgirma says is TRUE. The only way it works is back and forth. Say A is live db and B is your standby. When A is down you will bring up B and after fixing the problem on A, you can make A standby... If there is a problem with B again... its same procedure. Kinda this goes in cycle...