Walter - What you describe is the standard RMAN configuration. Box B contains the RMAN catalog, therefore it must command the backup. And so the cron job must run on Box B. But the actual backup occurs on the target machine (A in your example). If you back up to tape, you must have an MML (Media Management Library). You can also back up to disk (that is what I do). Since the actual backup occurs on the target machine, not much network traffic is involved. RMAN sends some commands, the target sends some status back, and that is about it.
Dennis Williams DBA, 80%OCP, 100% DBA Lifetouch, Inc. [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2003 4:30 PM To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L Thanks Tim, Dennis and Ron for your feedback. I appreciate it. Let me clarify what I'm seeking. In my example, I am using a centralized catalog which is on its own dedicated database/server and backups are to tape. BCV's are not involved. Normally, in my experience, RMAN backups are initiated from the target server via a cron job. But, I've seen a case where a cron job for an RMAN backup was run from a box that was different from the database server machine. I find this configuration strange and confusing because it implies this was done for a "reason" and makes life difficult to find out where all the backups are running from. In the scenario of backing up the database on box A via an rman/cron job on box B, is this particular configuration more network resource intensive and therefore slower versus the backup being initiated from the same machine as the database? If not, could someone explain why? Does this make sense? Thanks again. -w DENNIS WILLIAMS <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Walter - As RMAN was introduced in Oracle8i, that was the ideal. I think Oracle viewed RMAN as a high-level feature that would help you manage the backups for large server farms. They emphasized that the catalog was the way to go. With the catalog on another box, if the server was toasted, you could slide another system into that spot and with a couple of RMAN commands you could have that up and going again. Obviously if you use the catalog method on the box you are backing up, you must have a second instance, and even then you introduce more vulnerabilities than the configuration where the catalog is on another server. With Oracle9i, Oracle added many of the features that were only available in the catalog method to the control-file method. According to my Oracle Education Instructor John Hibbard who is pretty plugged into these things, Oracle is trying ! to emphasize that the catalog method may not suit everyone's situation and the control file method may best suit your needs. As others on this list have pointed out, not all conference speakers have gotten that message. Dennis Williams DBA, 80%OCP, 100% DBA Lifetouch, Inc. [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2003 11:55 AM To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L Hi, Can anyone think of a reason(s) why one WOULD want to backup a database from a box other than the database box itself? Are there any advantages to this kind of configuration? For example: Box-A (production db server) Box-B (rman db server) A cron job runs on Box-B which backups up the database from Box-A. Thanks in advance! -w -- Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.net -- Author: DENNIS WILLIAMS INET: [EMAIL PROTECTED] OM Fat City Network Services -- 858-538-5051 http://www.fatcity.com San Diego, California -- Mailing list and web hosting services --------------------------------------------------------------------- To REMOVE yourself from this mailing list, send an E-Mail message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (note EXACT spelling of 'ListGuru') and in the message BODY, include a line containing: UNSUB ORACLE-L (or the name of mailing list you want to be removed from). You may also send the HELP command for other information (like subscribing). -- Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.net -- Author: DENNIS WILLIAMS INET: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Fat City Network Services -- 858-538-5051 http://www.fatcity.com San Diego, California -- Mailing list and web hosting services --------------------------------------------------------------------- To REMOVE yourself from this mailing list, send an E-Mail message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (note EXACT spelling of 'ListGuru') and in the message BODY, include a line containing: UNSUB ORACLE-L (or the name of mailing list you want to be removed from). You may also send the HELP command for other information (like subscribing).
