NetBackup for SAP with Snapshot Client overview
The NetBackup for SAP Snapshot Client software consolidates a variety of snapshot-based technologies into a single, easy-to-use backup solution. When NetBackup for SAP is used with Snapshot Client, the environments that are based on Oracle are supported.
Note:
Environments that are based on MaxDB databases are not supported.
The ability to restore your environment quickly depends on your ability to back up business-critical data quickly. Backups enable you to restore your environment in the event of logical database errors or physical errors such as hardware failures or disasters. Snapshot backups enable you to minimize the length of time that a database is in backup mode or offline. Veritas recommends that customers perform online backups at least daily and offline backups once a week. Since periods of low SAP system activity are few and far between because customers tend to run long batch jobs on weekends or during night hours, snapshots make it possible to protect the data with minimal delay.
Table: NetBackup for SAP with Snapshot Client features describes the Snapshot Client features.
Table: NetBackup for SAP with Snapshot Client features
Snapshot Client feature | Description |
|---|---|
Array and software snapshot integration | Supports a variety of array and software snapshots and provides a base for all Snapshot Client solutions. |
Snapshot backups | A snapshot backup occurs when NetBackup creates a point-in-time copy of the disk volumes on which the database resides. When snapshot backup is used with Snapshot Client, NetBackup for SAP backs up Oracle objects by taking snapshot images of the component files on the local host. Later it backs up the snapshot to a storage unit. The snapshot process is nearly instantaneous; so user access to the database is not interrupted. Client operations and user access continue without interruption during the backup. The backup does not affect the performance or availability of the database. You can perform snapshot backup by using the backint command or by using RMAN proxy copy. |
Instant recovery backups | This feature makes backups available for instant recovery from disk. Instant recovery combines snapshot technology with the ability to do rapid disk-based restores. NetBackup creates the image without interrupting user access to data. The snapshot can optionally be backed up to tape or other storage long-term storage, but is retained for recovery in the short term. Instant recovery makes it possible to perform file promotion and rollback without accessing the long-term storage. Additionally for UNIX and Linux, instant recovery makes it possible to perform block-level restores. |
Off-host backups | An off-host backup shifts the burden of the backup process onto a separate backup agent, such as an alternate client or data mover. An off-host backup reduces the effect on the client's resources that a local backup ordinarily causes. The backup agent reads the data from the client disk and writes it to storage. You can perform off-host backups by using thebackint command or by using RMAN proxy. |
Block-level incremental backup and recovery | This feature is available for UNIX and Linux. Less data leads to high performance data protection. A Block-Level Incremental (BLI) Backup uses the change tracking capabilities of the Veritas File System (VxFS) Storage Checkpoint feature. In a BLI backup, only the changed blocks of data are backed up, not the entire file or file system. A BLI backup saves time, decreases the amount of backup media that is required, and significantly reduces CPU and network overhead during backups. |
RMAN proxy copy | Proxy copy is an extension to Oracle's media management API. A proxy copy is a special type of backup in which RMAN turns over control of the data transfer to the NetBackup for SAP Agent. The agent can then manage the entire data movement between the disks that contain the Oracle data files and the storage devices that NetBackup manages. With proxy copy, RMAN provides a list of files that require backup or restore to the NetBackup for SAP Agent. The NetBackup for SAP Agent determines how the data is moved. |
RMAN stream-based backups | RMAN stream-based operations are the standard way by which NetBackup for SAP implements conventional RMAN backups and restores. In a stream-based backup, NetBackup moves the data that the Oracle server process provides. NetBackup for SAP captures the data stream content that RMAN provides and stores it to media. If the user configures SAP for RMAN with multiple channels, the following occurs:
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RMAN proxy and RMAN stream-based backups intermixed | RMAN Proxy backups can be used to perform off-host snapshot-based split mirror full backups. For example, you can use RMAN proxy for weekly full backups. RMAN stream-based backups can be used to perform on-host incremental backups. In this way you can perform daily backups. NetBackup for SAP offers you the flexibility to intermix backup methods. You can specify both RMAN proxy copy off-host snapshot backups and RMAN stream-based on-host incremental backups. When you perform both types of backups, you remove the backup load from the production host during full backups. You also reduce the amount of data for incremental backups. |