Create a true incremental-forever backup for an Oracle database - Data Management

Data Disaster Recovery allows you to create a true incremental-forever backup for an Oracle database. Full backups and synthetic backups are supported to reduce backup costs and resource overheads.

Background information

The following section describes how the true incremental-forever backup feature works:

Full backup: the level-0 backup of an Oracle database by using the Recovery Manager (RMAN) tool. All data files, archived log files, server parameter files (SPFILEs), and control files in the Oracle database are backed up in a full backup.
Synthetic backup:
1. Create a snapshot and mount the snapshot to an on-premises self-managed database: The snapshot of the last full backup set or synthetic backup set is created and mounted (cloned) to the database by using the Filesystem in Userspace (FUSE) protocol.
2. Create an incremental backup: Back up data blocks that have changed after the last full backup or synthetic backup and save them as an incremental backup file.
3. Synthesize data: Execute the RMAN RECOVER COPY OF DATABASE WITH TAG 'DBS-specific tag' SQL statement to read the incremental backup data in the previous step, merge the incremental backup data into the full backup data, and then write the merge result to overwrite the snapshot of the last full backup set.
  Note
  The new full backup set that is generated after the merging operation does not affect the last full backup set.
4. Unmount the mount target of the self-managed database.

Note

You can configure the number of full backups to be performed each week in Data Disaster Recovery. Data Disaster Recovery first performs a full backup in each week, and then performs synthetic backups for the subsequent backups. After a full backup is complete in a week, the generated backup set is the starting point for the subsequent synthetic backups of the week.

The synthetic backup method provides the following benefits:

Reduced costs: This method backs up and stores less data and consumes less bandwidth for data transmission.
Lower resource consumption: Compared with a full backup, a synthetic backup requires less disk IOPS of the source database.
Support for mounting: After the snapshot of a synthetic backup set is mounted to a self-managed database, you can restore the backup data in seconds.

Prerequisites

The Oracle database version is 11 to 19.
The Oracle database uses the single-instance or Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC) architecture. Oracle databases that are in the Data Guard physical standby architecture are not supported.
The server in which the Oracle database resides uses the Linux operating system, and a backup gateway is installed on the destination server. For more information, see Install a backup gateway.
The FUSE protocol is installed on the database server.
The archive mode is enabled for the Oracle database to be backed up. For more information, see the "Enable the archive mode" section of the Prepare for physical backup of an Oracle database topic.
The SID of the destination Oracle database is obtained. For more information, see the "Obtain the SID of an Oracle database" section of the Prepare for physical backup of an Oracle database topic.
The block change tracking feature is enabled for the Oracle database.
Note
1. You can execute the SELECT status FROM v$block_change_tracking; SQL statement to check whether the block change tracking feature is enabled. By default, the feature is disabled.
  A value of ENABLED indicates that the feature is enabled. A value of DISABLED indicates that the feature is disabled.
2. You can execute the following SQL statement to enable the block change tracking feature:
```
ALTER DATABASE ENABLE BLOCK CHANGE TRACKING USING FILE <Path of the block change tracking file> REUSE;
```

Public preview statement

The true incremental-forever backup feature is in public preview. To use this feature, join the DingTalk group whose ID is 35585947.

For Oracle backup schedules that are created during the public preview period, the Backup set mode parameter must be set to Sandbox instance mount backup, and the sandbox feature is enabled by default. You can create free sandbox instances for backup schedules during the public preview period. For more information, see Copy data management.

Note

The sandbox feature cannot be disabled during the public preview period.

Step 1: Create a backup schedule

For more information, see Create a backup schedule.

Note

When you purchase a backup schedule, set the Data Source Type parameter to Oracle and the Backup Method parameter to Physical Backup.

Step 2: Configure the backup schedule

Log on to the Data Management (DMS) console V5.0.
In the top navigation bar, choose Security and Specifications (DBS) > Disaster Recovery for Data (DBS) > Backup Plan.
Note
If you use the DMS console in simple mode, move the pointer over the icon in the upper-left corner of the DMS console and choose All Features > Security and Specifications (DBS) > Disaster Recovery for Data (DBS) > Backup Plan.
On the Backup Schedules page, find the backup schedule that you want to configure and click Configure Backup Schedule in the Actions column.

In the Configure Backup Source and Destination step of the Configure Backup Schedule wizard, configure the backup source and destination, and click Next in the lower-right corner of the page.

Category	Parameter	Description
N/A	Schedule Name	The name of the backup schedule. Data Disaster Recovery automatically generates a backup schedule name. We recommend that you enter a descriptive name that is easy to identify. Backup schedule names do not need to be unique.
Backup Source Information	Backup Mode	The method that is used to back up data. By default, the backup method that you selected when you purchased the backup schedule is used. In this example, Physical Backup is used.
	Instance Region	The region where the source database is deployed.
	Backup Gateway	The backup gateway that is installed to back up data. For information about how to install a backup gateway, see Install a backup gateway.
	Data Type	The type of the source database. Default value: Oracle.
	SID	The SID of the source Oracle database. For more information, see the "Obtain the SID of an Oracle database" section of the Prepare for physical backup of an Oracle database topic.
	Database	The SQLPlus command that is used to connect to the source database. The SQLPlus command is in the following format: `Database username/Password@Instance name as sysdba`. Example: `sys/password@orcl as sysdba`. Note You can also enter `/ as sysdba`. However, if the operating system authentication is disabled for the sysdba user in your database environment, you cannot connect to the database by using the / as sysdba command. In this case, enter the `Database username/Password@Instance name as sysdba` command.
	Oracle Home	The program directory of the source database. For more information, see the "Obtain the directory in which an Oracle database is installed" section of the Prepare for physical backup of an Oracle database topic. Note This parameter is optional.
	Compliance warranty regarding cross-border data transfers	Read and agree to the compliance commitment by selecting the check box.
Backup Destination Information	Backup Storage Type	The type of storage that is used to store the backup data. Valid values: USB (recommended): Backup data is stored in Data Disaster Recovery without the need to create an Object Storage Service (OSS) bucket. You are charged based on the volume of your data that is stored in Data Disaster Recovery. For more information about the billing method, see Storage fees. OSS For User: You must create a bucket in the OSS console in advance. For more information, see Create buckets. Note In this example, USB (recommended) is selected. If you select OSS For User, you must configure the OSS Bucket Name parameter. Only the Standard storage class is supported. If the volume of data to be backed up is large, we recommend that you purchase subscription storage plans to offset fees. Data Disaster Recovery storage plans are more cost-efficient than the pay-as-you-go billing method.
Backup Destination Information	Storage Encryption	Specifies whether to encrypt the backup data. Valid values: Encrypted: recommended. Data Disaster Recovery uses AES-256 to encrypt data. The server-side encryption feature is used in OSS. When you upload an object to a bucket for which server-side encryption is enabled, OSS encrypts and stores the object. When you download the encrypted object from OSS, OSS decrypts the object and returns the decrypted object to you. For more information, see Server-side encryption. Non-encrypted: The backup data is not encrypted.

In the Edit Backup Objects step, Back Up Entire Instance is selected by default. Click Next.
Note
If you back up an entire database, the permission data and stored procedures are also backed up.

In the Configure Backup Time step, configure the parameters that are described in the following table. Then, click Next in the lower-right corner of the page.

Parameter	Description
Full-scale Backup Frequency	The frequency of the backup schedule. Valid values: Periodic Backup and Single Backup. Note If you select Periodic Backup, you must configure the Full Data Backup Recurrence, Start At, and Incremental Backup parameters.
Full Data Backup Recurrence	The days of the week on which Data Disaster Recovery runs the backup schedule. You can select one or more days of a week. Select at least one day of the week.
Start At	The start time of the backup. We recommend that you specify a point in time during off-peak hours. Example: 01:00. Note If a previous full data backup is not finished at the start time of the next backup, Data Disaster Recovery skips the next backup.
Incremental Backup	Specifies whether to enable incremental backup.
Maximum Concurrent Threads for Full Data Backup	The maximum number of concurrent threads that are available for a full backup. You can configure this parameter to adjust the backup speed. For example, you can reduce the number of backup threads to minimize impacts on the database.
Backup network speed limit	The limit on the network bandwidth. You can specify the limit based on your business requirements. Default value: `0`, which indicates that the network bandwidth is not limited. Note When you back up the production database, we recommend that you configure throttling for the backup to reduce impacts on the production database.
Transaction Log backup interval	The interval at which incremental backup is performed. Data Disaster Recovery performs incremental backup based on your configurations. If you set the interval to 10 minutes, Data Disaster Recovery performs an incremental backup every 10 minutes.
Delete Logs upon Backup Success	Specifies whether to automatically delete the archived log files that are backed up from a self-managed database. Valid values: If you select Enable, you must configure the archive log save days parameter.
archive log save days	Specifies that Data Disaster Recovery automatically deletes the log files archived before this period from a self-managed database after a successful backup. Default value: 7. If you set this parameter to the default value, Data Disaster Recovery automatically deletes the log files archived seven days ago from a self-managed database after a successful backup. This parameter is displayed only when the Delete Logs upon Backup Success parameter is set to Enable.
Enable compression	Specifies whether to enable compression during backup. Valid values: Enable: recommended. Data is compressed during backup to reduce storage space. Disable: Data is not compressed during backup.
Backup set mode	Only the Sandbox instance mount backup is supported. Data Disaster Recovery uses the RMAN tool to perform image copy backup. Backup data is streamed and sent to Object Storage Service (OSS) by using the FUSE protocol, instead of being stored in disks. After the sandbox feature is enabled, the backup data can be mounted in seconds. After the sandbox feature is enabled, backup data can be mounted within seconds. You must install the FUSE protocol on your server to ensure successful backup tasks.

In the Edit Lifecycle step, configure the lifecycle for full backup data in the Configure Full Data Backup Lifecycle section.
If you set the Incremental Backup parameter to Enable in Step 6, you must configure the lifecycle for incremental backup data. For more information about the lifecycle rules of backup data, see How do I manage the lifecycle rules of backup sets?
After the preceding configurations are complete, click Precheck in the lower-right corner of the page.
If the Precheck Passed message appears, click Start Task.

What to do next

Data Disaster Recovery allows you to restore an Oracle database to a different server, to a different directory on the source server, or to the original directory on the source server. For more information, see Restore an Oracle database from a physical backup.