Create Backup Set

Requirements

Please ensure that the following requirements are met:

  1. Software Requirement: Database backup of Oracle 12c can be run on Windows Server 2008/ 2008 R2/ 2012/ 2012 R2/ 2016.
  2. %edition_name% Installation: Latest version of %edition_name% must be installed on the Oracle database server.
  3. Oracle Database Server Add-On Module: Make sure that the Oracle Database Server add-on module is enabled for your %edition_name% user account.
  4. Backup Quota Requirement: Make sure that your %edition_name% user account has sufficient storage quota assigned to accommodate the storage of Oracle database backup set and retention policy.
  5. Continuous backup module: The Continuous backup add-on module is required if would like to enable the continuous backup feature. For example, you can perform continuous archive log backup half-hourly or hourly, for your Oracle instance.
  6. Java heap size: The default Java heap size setting on %edition_name% is 2048MB. For Oracle database backup it is highly recommended to increase the Java heap size setting to be at least 4096MB to improve backup and restore performance. The actual heap size is dependent on amount of free memory available on your Oracle server.
  7. Temporary Directory Folder: Temporary Directory folder is used by %edition_name% for Archive Log backup and any incremental or differential delta files generated during a backup job. To ensure optimal backup/restoration performance, it is recommended that the temporary directory folder is located on a local drive with sufficient free disk space.
    The formula of calculation of disk space is as following:
    (Total Database Size * Delta Ratio) * number of backup destinations = Maximum Free Space Required
    For example: As the default Delta ratio is 50%, if the Oracle database size is 1TB and there is only one backup destination, the free space needed for temporary directory folder is 500GB.
  8. Hostname: To ensure that the restore to original location is supported, please enter 127.0.0.1 as the hostname during creating the Oracle backup set.
  9. Oracle Internal Process Checking: For the Oracle instance to run smoothly, please ensure that the internal processes for Oracle instance are working well, such as DBWO (Database Writer), LGWR (Log Writer), MMAN (Memory Manager Process), PMON (Process Monitor), PSPO (Process Spawner Process), SMON (System Monitor), CKPT (Checkpoint process (thread on Windows) that runs by default on Windows), ARCO (Archive Process (or thread on Windows)), RECO (Distributed Recovery Background Process).
    SQL> select name, description from v$bgprocess where PADDR <>'00';
    NAME     DESCRIPTION
    -----   ---------------------------------------
    PMON     process cleanup
    VKTM     Virtual Keeper of TiMe process
    GEN0     generic0
    DIAG     diagnosibility process
    DBRM     DataBase Resource Manager
    VKRM     Virtual sKeduler for Resource Manager
    PSP0     process spawner 0
    DIA0     diagnosibility process 0
    MMAN     Memory Manager
    DBW0     db writer process 0
    TMON     Transport Monitor
    ARC0     Archival Process 0
    ARC1     Archival Process 1
    ARC2     Archival Process 2
    ARC3     Archival Process 3
    LGWR     Redo etc.
    CKPT     checkpoint
    SMON     System Monitor Process
    SMCO     Space Manager Process
    RECO     distributed recovery
    LREG     Listener Registration
    CJQ0     Job Queue Coordinator
    AQPC     AQ Process Coord
    MMON     Manageability Monitor Process
    MMNL     Manageability Monitor Process 2
  10. Supported Oracle Database Server Version: Please ensure that the Oracle Database Server version is supported by %edition_name%.
    SQL> select * from v$version;
    Banner
    ---------------------------------------------------------
    Oracle Database 12c Enterprise Edition Release 12.1.0.1.0 - 64bit Production
    PL/SQL Release 12.1.0.1.0 - Production
    CORE 12.1.0.1.0 Production
    TNS for 64-bit Windows: Version 12.1.0.1.0 - Production
    NLSRTL Version 12.1.0.1.0 – Production
  11. System Identifier (SID): Check the SID through:
  12. Oracle_home path: The Oracle_home path can be checked through:
    !

    Please note that the value of the oracle_home path in init.ora file need to match the value obtained from SQL command. If the value does not match, please contact the Oracle database administrator for support.

  13. Oracle Port Number: Use netstat and tnsping to find out the port number and the default Oracle port number is 1521.
  14. Windows VSS Writer: The Windows VSS Writer is installed and running on the Oracle database server and the writer state is Stable. This can be verified by running the vssadmin list writers command.
    C:\Users\Administrator>vssadmin list writers
    vssadmin 1.1 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool
    (C) Copyright 2001-2012 Microsoft Corp.

    Writer name: 'Task Scheduler Writer'
    Writer Id: {d61d61c8-d73a-4eee-8cdd-f6f9786b7124}
    Writer Instance Id: {1bddd48e-5052-49db-9b07-b96f96727e6b}
    State: [1] Stable
    Last error: No error

    Writer name: 'VSS Metadata Store Writer'
    Writer Id: {75dfb225-e2e4-4d39-9ac9-ffaff65ddf06}
    Writer Instance Id: {088e7a7d-09a8-4cc6-a609-ad90e75ddc93}
    State: [1] Stable
    Last error: No error

    Writer name: 'Performance Counters Writer'
    Writer Id: {0bada1de-01a9-4625-8278-69e735f39dd2}
    Writer Instance Id: {f0086dda-9efc-47c5-8eb6-a944c3d09381}
    State: [1] Stable
    Last error: No error

    Writer name: 'System Writer'
    Writer Id: {e8132975-6f93-4464-a53e-1050253ae220}
    Writer Instance Id: {635755cd-b461-426c-89d1-95682a185005}
    State: [1] Stable
    Last error: No error

    Writer name: 'ASR Writer'
    Writer Id: {be000cbe-11fe-4426-9c58-531aa6355fc4}
    Writer Instance Id: {b01dbf5b-b437-48ca-882f-c7ec08ef0a50}
    State: [1] Stable
    Last error: No error

    Writer name: 'COM+ REGDB Writer'
    Writer Id: {542da469-d3e1-473c-9f4f-7847f01fc64f}
    Writer Instance Id: {8fdde399-1d13-40e7-97c5-595bbf52b291}
    State: [1] Stable
    Last error: No error

    Writer name: 'BITS Writer'
    Writer Id: {4969d978-be47-48b0-b100-f328f07ac1e0}
    Writer Instance Id: {7993a1e2-e51d-461f-b6f9-e64c93fad1ae}
    State: [1] Stable
    Last error: No error

    Writer name: 'WMI Writer'
    Writer Id: {a6ad56c2-b509-4e6c-bb19-49d8f43532f0}
    Writer Instance Id: {792c367d-1e21-4644-a63a-7d8ee4e2aaac}
    State: [1] Stable
    Last error: No error

    Writer name: 'Shadow Copy Optimization Writer'
    Writer Id: {4dc3bdd4-ab48-4d07-adb0-3bee2926fd7f}
    Writer Instance Id: {82fd1722-afcd-4f8e-95fd-8e5a2111c84c}
    State: [1] Stable
    Last error: No error

    Writer name: 'Registry Writer'
    Writer Id: {afbab4a2-367d-4d15-a586-71dbb18f8485}
    Writer Instance Id: {723e8efc-3758-40c4-aaeb-88a4f43702d3}
    State: [1] Stable
    Last error: No error
  15. TNS Listener: TNS listener must be started to enable connection to Oracle. Use the following command to check if the TNS listener has been started:
    C:\Users\Administrator>lsnrctl status
    LSNRCTL for 64-bit Windows: Version 12.1.0.1.0 - Production on 06-MAR-2018 10:46:34
    Copyright (c) 1991, 2013, Oracle. All rights reserved.
    Connecting to (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=IPC)(KEY=EXTPROC1521)))
    STATUS of the LISTENER
    ------------------------
    Alias        LISTENER
    Version      TNSLSNR for 64-bit Windows: Version 12.1.0.1.0 - Production
    Start Date   26-FEB-2018 15:20:48
    Uptime       7 days 19 hr. 25 min. 46 sec
    Trace Level   off
    Security     ON: Local OS Authentication
    SNMP         OFF
    Listener Parameter File     D:\app\oracle\product\12.1.0\dbhome_1\network\admin\listener.ora
    Listener Log File     D:\app\oracle\diag\tnslsnr\w12x-5-43\listener\alert\log.xml
    Listening Endpoints Summary...
    (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=ipc)(PIPENAME=\\.\pipe\EXTPROC1521ipc)))
    (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=w12x-5-43)(PORT=1521)))
    (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcps)(HOST=w12x-5-43)(PORT=5500))(Security=(my_wallet_directory=D:\APP\ORACLE\admin\orcl12c\xdb_wallet))(Presentation=HTTP)(Session=RAW))
    Services Summary...
    Service "CLRExtProc" has 1 instance(s).
    Instance "CLRExtProc", status UNKNOWN, has 1 handler(s) for this service...
    Service "orcl12c" has 1 instance(s).
    Instance "orcl12c", status READY, has 1 handler(s) for this service...
    Service "orcl12cXDB" has 1 instance(s).
    Instance "orcl12c", status READY, has 1 handler(s) for this service...
    Service "pdborcl12c" has 1 instance(s).
    Instance "orcl12c", status READY, has 1 handler(s) for this service...
    The command completed successfully
    If not,use the following command to start the TNS listener:
    C:\Users\Administrator>lsnrctl start
    LSNRCTL for 64-bit Windows: Version 12.1.0.1.0 - Production on 19-DEC-2017 16:34:33
    Copyright (c) 1991, 2013, Oracle. All rights reserved.
    TNS-01106: Listener using listener name LISTENER has already been started
  16. ARCHIVELOG Mode and Database Status

  17. Java Installation: Java must be installed on the Oracle Database.
    SQL > select comp_name, status from dba_registry;
    COMP_NAME                               STATUS
    ---------                               ------------
    OWB                                     VALID
    Oracle Application Express               VALID
    Oracle Enterprise Manager               VALID
    OLAP Catalog                             VALID
    Spatial                                 VALID
    Oracle Multimedia                       VALID
    Oracle XML Database                     VALID
    Oracle Text                             VALID
    Oracle Expression Filter                 VALID
    Oracle Rules Manager                     VALID
    Oracle Workspace Manager                 VALID
    Oracle Database Catalog Views           VALID
    Oracle Database Packages and Types       VALID
    JServer JAVA Virtual Machine             VALID
    Oracle XDK                               VALID
    Oracle Database Java Package             VALID
  18. Oracle Login Account for Authentication of Backup/ Restore: The Oracle system account is used to connect to Oracle.
  19. Oracle Database Volumes: Oracle Database volumes must use a file system which supports the use of VSS snapshot as %edition_name% v7 apply VSS snapshot for Oracle database backup, for example NTFS.
  20. Windows user account permission: The Windows user account must be a member of the following security groups.
  21. Oracle Database Related Windows Services: Ensure all Oracle database related services have been started.

Limitation

  1. %edition_name% does not support advanced Oracle database setups, i.e. Clusterware or RAC (Real Application Clusters), ASM (Automatic Storage Management), Data Guard etc.
  2. Oracle Database 12c is only supported on Windows platforms.
  3. Backup Source Selection:

Best Practice and Recommendation

  1. Oracle database server should be protected by regular full Database (Tablespaces, Control & Init File, Archived Logs) backup at least once per week.
  2. Archived Log backup should be run regular and backup frequency should be dependent on the transaction number of archive log. Database with more transaction should run archive log backup more frequently.
  3. For full database backup, enable scheduled backup jobs when system activity is low to achieve the best possible performance.
  4. To provide maximum data protection and flexible restore options, it is recommended to configure:
        At least one offsite or cloud destination
        At least one local destination for fast recovery
  5. Perform test restores periodically to ensure your backup is set up and performed properly. Performing recovery test can also help identify potential issues or gaps in your recovery plan. It's important that you do not try to make the test easier, as the objective of a successful test is not to demonstrate that everything is flawless. There might be flaws identified in the plan throughout the test and it is important to identify those flaws.
  6. The Restore Raw File option is for advanced Oracle user and should only be used if you have in-depth knowledge and understanding of Oracle database, otherwise you are not suggested to use this restore option as there is need of using additional Oracle technique to make manual restore. Please refer to the article of Oracle Database Backup and Recovery User's Guide for details: https://docs.oracle.com/database/121/BRADV/title.htm.

Set the details of the backup set

Name This is the name of the backup set. You can create a meaningful name for it.
Backup Type Enter the correct backup type from the drop down box.
Login ID This is the login ID. Default using system login.
Password This is the password for the system login.
Host This is the host of the Oracle server. Default using 127.0.0.1.
Port The TNS listener port for the Oracle. Default is 1521.
SID This is the Oracle SID.

To create a backup set:

  1. Type in a meaningful backup set name.
  2. Enter correct backup type, eg: Oracle Database Backup.
  3. Enter the Login ID.
  4. Enter the password.
  5. Enter the host.
  6. Enter the port.
  7. Enter the SID.
  8. Click [Next] button to continue.