-m|-mode 

This BRBACKUP command option defines the file to be backed up.

Input syntax:
-m|-mode all|all_data|full|incr|<tablespace>|<file_ID>|<file_ID1>-<file_ID2>|<generic_path>|<object_list>|sap_dir|ora_dir|all_dir|partial|non_db

Default: all

You can perform a complete database backup or back up specific tablespaces or files (whether part of the database or not). You can create object lists.

You can specify what you want to back up:

·        all: Back up the whole database. This backup is not part of an incremental backup strategy.

In a structure-retaining database copy (backup_dev_type = disk_copy or disk_standby) you can retain the distribution of the sapdata directories to different drives (only for Windows).

The files of the drive d are copied to drive k, the files of the drive e are copied to the drive l and the files of the drive f are copied to the drive m.

brbackup -d disk_copy -m all,d:=k:,e:=l:,f:=m:

If you do not specify a target drive, all files are copied to the directory defined in the parameter new_db_home.

·        all_data: Back up the files of all tablespaces, except for pure index tablespaces or empty tablespaces.

·        full: Full database backup at level 0. See Complete Backups. This backup can be part of an incremental backup strategy.

·        incr: Incremental backup with RMAN. See full database backup (level 0) in Incremental Backup.

·        <tablespace>: Back up the files of one tablespace.

·        <file_ID>: Back up a data file with the specified Oracle file ID as file ID. Control files can be addressed with the file ID 0.
Online redo log files can be addressed using the file ID 0<n>, <n> is the redo log group number. To address all the online redo log files, use file ID 00. Temporary files are identified by negative numbers.

·        <file_ID1>-<file_ID2>: Back up the files specified in the file ID interval. The specified file IDs must be known in the database.

·        <generic_path>: Enter a complete path to back up the required database file, non-database file, or directory. Specify a generic path to back up all the database data files whose name starts with that path. In this case, the path must contain at least the SAPDATA_HOME directory and an additional generic specification (for example, sapdata<n>) in the path.

When you specify a directory to be backed up its contents and the names of the subdirectories are backed up. However the directory structure and the content of the subdirectories are not backed up.

·        <object list>: You can specify a list of tablespaces or files, or combine the key word all with an object list. The individual objects are separated by commas (commas only, no blanks).

·        sap_dir: With this option, you can automatically determine and save all the files of the SAP environment. This means that the following directory trees are saved: /sapmnt/<SAPSID>, /usr/sap/<SAPSID> and /usr/sap/trans. If possible, these directories should be backed separately. You can only use this option when saving to tape without verifying the backup.

·        ora_dir: With this option, you can automatically determine and save all the non-database files of the Oracle environment. This means that the directory trees are saved in <ORACLE_HOME> (except for the sapdata<n> and origlog/mirrlog directories). If possible, save these directories in a separate backup run. You can only use this option when saving to tape without verifying the backup.

·        all_dir : This is a combination of sap_dir and ora_dir (see above). It has the same effect as –m sap_dir,ora_dir.

·        partial: This is only used with the options –b, -bd, or –db. You can use it to select all files of a partial disk backup without having to explicitly specify them.

·        non_db:  This is only used with the options –b, -bd, or –db. You can use it to select non-database files of a partial disk backup without having to explicitly select them.

For UNIX systems: Start BRBACKUP to save the SAP/Oracle environment (brbackup -m sap_dir|ora_dir) under user root, as otherwise you will not have the authorizations required for the directory to be saved.

Saving and restoring under root also has the advantage that you can be sure that the settings for the user and authorizations for the files and directories will be kept after restoring.

Parameters in init<DBSID>.sap: backup_mode.

If you want to repeatedly back up several tablespaces and/or files, it might be more effective to configure parameter backup_mode of the initialization profile accordingly.