New functionality in BRBACKUP 3.0 and BRARCHIVE 3.0
---------------------------------------------------
1. Backup of non-database files and directories
--------------------------------------------
The extended syntax of the parameter backup_mode (or -m Option -
see below) allows BRBACKUP to backup non-database files and
directories. For directories, only files which lie directly in this
directory are saved - no recursive backup of the subdirectories takes
place. In addition, the definitions of subdirectories, soft links and
named pipes which lie directly in the directory to be backed up are
saved (attribute of cpio). The non-database files and directories that
are to be saved are entered in the backup_mode parameter with their
full paths.
2. Backup of individual database files or file groups
--------------------------------------------------
The smallest unit which can be saved during a BRBACKUP run was refined
from a tablespace to a database file. The files to be saved can be
accessed in the backup_mode parameter with their full path, a file ID
or a generic path name which contains at least the ORACLE home
directory. The file ID of the control file is 0 and the file ID of an
online redo log file - the redo log group number (which is also
supplied with a leading zero to distinguish it from the ORACLE file IDs
of the data files; see below). By specifying ID areas or generic path
names, groups of database files which correspond to these
specifications can be saved.
3. Extended syntax of the parameter backup_mode
--------------------------------------------
The backup_mode parameter has the following syntax:
backup_mode = all | <tablespace_name> |
<file_ID1>-<file_ID2> |
<file_ID> | <generic_path> | (<object_list>)
<file_ID> refers to the ORACLE file ID for data files. The file ID
0
identifies the control file; IDs with leading zeros identify the online
redo log files. If <generic_path> is a full path name, then a
database
file, a non-database file or a directory is saved, otherwise,
<generic_path> must contain at least the ORACLE home directory. In
this
case, all the database DATA files are chosen whose name starts with
this path. <object_list> is a list of the tablespace/file
specifications which is enclosed in parentheses and separated by
commas. The same syntax also applies to the -m|-mode BRBACKUP option
except that no parentheses are allowed.
Notes:
- The ORACLE control file is always saved if at least one
database data file is saved.
- With "all", all the database data files are saved (all the
tablespaces), and if the backup is carried out off-line then an
online redo log file of all the redo log groups is also saved.
- The keyword "all" can be combined with other specifications in an
<object_list> (for example, non-database files or directories).
- All the <file_ID>s used and all the file IDs occurring in the
area
<file_ID1>-<file_ID2> must be recognized by the database.
- Non-database files and directories must be defined with their full
path.
- When backing up directories with software compression (compress =
yes), their contents are not compressed.
- Database data files can be defined with a full or generic path. The
generic path must contain the ORACLE home directory plus an
additional generic specification such as a sapdata directory.
- online redo log files can only be explicitly accessed with the redo
log group number which must also be provided with a leading zero.
- the ORACLE control file can only be explicitly called with the file
ID 0. Saving the control file is normally unnecessary.
Examples:
backup_mode = all
Backup of the entire database.
backup_mode = (all, /usr/sap/C11/SYS/exe/run, /usr/sap/C11/SYS/profile)
Backup of the entire database, SAP executables and profiles.
backup_mode = /oracle/C11/sapdata1
Backup of all the database data files from the subdirectories of
/oracle/C11/sapdata1.
backup_mode = (1-10,01-04,0)
Backup of all the database data files with
the ORACLE file IDs between 1 and 10 inclusive, the four online redo
log files and the control file (unnecessary since database data files
are saved)
backup_mode = 0
Backup of the ORACLE control file.
backup_mode = /oracle/C11/sapdata2/ddicd_5/ddicd.data5
Backup of a database data file.
4. Verification of the BRBACKUP/BRBACHIVE backups
----------------------------------------------
The legibility and completeness of the backup can be checked with the
option -w|-verify. After completion of the backup phase, all the saved
files are imported in turn from the tape (only if the backup was made
to tape), decompressed (only if compress = yes), read by a check
program and compared with the originals. During an off-line backup with
BRBACKUP or BRARCHIVE with the options -s, -sc and ss, the file
contents are compared in binary form, and during an online backup with
BRBACKUP or BRARCHIVE with the options -sd, -scd and ssd the sizes of
the saved files are determined and checked.
5. Checking the inserted tapes
---------------------------
With the BRBACKUP/BRARCHIVE option -q|query check, in addition to the
normal query functions, you can check whether the correct tapes were
inserted in the tape units without starting a backup. You could then
make the preparations for a backup without an operator as follows:
brbackup/brarchive -q check -- request the necessary tapes
Insert the requested tapes into the tape units.
After the response "cont" -- check the inserted tapes
After this, a backup without an operator can be started on the same day
without danger of it failing due to incorrect tapes being inserted.
Caution: the tapes selected using automatic tape management on the next
day can be different, since previously blocked tapes could be unblocked
at midnight due to the set retention period.
6. Stopping BRARCHIVE, if the program was started with the option
-f|-fill
--------------------------------------------------------------
Until now, it was only possible to stop a BRBACKUP run started with
-f|-fill "softly" with CTRL-C or kill -2. This caused problems if
BRARCHIVE was started in the background, since its process ID had to be
determined. The BRARCHIVE option -f|-fill stop does this automatically
and stops the current BRARCHIVE process properly. This function creates
a log a<coded_time_stamp>.fst.
7. Extended output in BRBACKUP logs and BRARCHIVE logs
---------------------------------------------------
The new option:
-o|-output dist|time[,time|dist]
causes additional
information to be written to the detailed log. The option -o|-output
dist generates information on the distribution of files to be saved on
the data carriers to be used (tapes, hard disks). The option -o|-output
time generates additional information on the backup duration for the
individual files.
8. New init<SID>.sap parameter
---------------------------
Three new init<SID>.sap parameters were implemented to support the
Verify option (and the database restore):
cpio_in_flags - cpio options for importing the files from tape, default
-iduvB, example:
cpio_in_flags = -iduvB
uncompress_cmd - decompression command, no default, example: no
default, example:
uncompress_cmd = "uncompress -c $ > $"
tape_pos_cmd - command for positioning on the tape, no default,
example:
tape_pos_cmd = "mt -t $ fsf $"
Adjusting the profile init<SID>.sap
Database backup and backup of the SAP environment.