DBA Planning Calendar (Oracle) 

Purpose

You can use the DBA Planning Calendar to automate Oracle database administration. This includes implementing, executing, and checking actions. It is part of CCMS: Oracle.

You can use the DBA Planning Calendar for almost all regular database administration actions. This includes tasks for which the Oracle database system must be stopped, such as offline backups.

You can only use the DBA Planning Calendar to start actions if the SAP system is up and running. You can use the BR*Tools to execute tasks such as recovery, for which the SAP system must be inactive.

All DBA activities that stop the database, such as offline backups, will terminate active SAP transactions. Schedule such activities for night runs, and warn users of the interruption using Utilities: System Messages.

In all such tasks, the DBA Planning Calendar stops the database and starts the action automatically. The SAP system is not available as long as the database is stopped. However, the SAP system itself is not stopped. Once the database is available again, the SAP system is automatically reconnected.

Prerequisites

·         Before you use the DBA Planning Calendar for the first time, check the configuration of the following:

¡        Authorizations

Make sure you have the required SAP authorizations. Also, ensure that the Oracle and operating system users are set up correctly.

¡        Alerts

You can change the default values for backup-related alerts.

¡        Profiles

Ensure that the BRBACKUP and BRARCHIVE profiles are set up correctly.

¡        Tape drives and tapes

Ensure that the required tape drives are available, and the required tapes are initialized.

For more information, see Getting Started in  CCMS with Oracle DBA.

·        You can call the DBA Planning Calendar for an Oracle system from the Central DBA Planning Calendar on a remote system using Local Calendar. If you do this, you can also manage other database systems – including non-ABAP SAP systems – from a single point.

Process Flow

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       1.      You start the DBA Planning Calendar.

You choose Administration ® CCMS ® DB administration ® DBA Planning Calendar ® Local. Alternatively, call transaction DB13.

       2.      To use a predefined action pattern for database administration, you choose Calendar ® Action pattern.

An action pattern implements a backup strategy and other database administration activities that you must regularly perform. Using a pre-defined action pattern ensures you are following the SAP standards for database activities.

Once you choose a pre-defined action pattern, the system adds the corresponding activities to the DBA Planning Calendar, and plans the background jobs that will execute the activities.

For more information, see Selecting Action Patterns (Oracle).

       3.      To make any required changes to activities or start times, you edit the pre-defined action pattern.

For more information, see:

¡        Adding Actions to Planning Calendar (Oracle)

¡        Editing or Deleting Actions (Oracle)

       4.      You check the Planning Calendar daily to make sure that scheduled activities have been executed correctly.

Here is a suggested cycle of activities for using the Calendar:

¡        Daily:

§         You start the Planning Calendar and check that the actions scheduled for the previous day were executed successfully.

For more information, see Checking the Results of Actions in the DBA Planning Calendar.

You can also choose Environment ® Backup logs to verify that your backups are adequate for a database recovery.

For more information, see Display of Backup Logs and Status: Oracle.

§         You make sure that the tapes for the next scheduled backup are installed, initialized and ready to go.

To determine which tapes are required for the next data backup and offline redo log backup, you choose the Tapes needed function in the Planning Calendar.

This function always displays the information for the next database backup or offline redo log backup, but not the information for completed or future actions.

¡        As required:

§         You warn users before an offline backup. Transactions active in the SAP system are canceled when the backup starts.

For more information, see Utilities: System Messages.

§         If any action did not run successfully, you analyze the problem and repeat the action if necessary.

For more information, see Troubleshooting: Oracle.