Data Disaster Recovery lets you back up Oracle databases running on third-party clouds or self-managed infrastructure to Alibaba Cloud, and restore them when needed. It supports table-level and database-level backups with options for geo-redundancy and long-term archiving.
Key concepts
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Geo-redundancy | Backs up your Oracle data to a database in a different region. Restore to a cloud database or a standalone instance within the source region. |
| Long-term archiving | Retains backup data for up to ten years. After ten years, backup sets transfer to Archive Storage. |
| Backup speed limit | Caps backup throughput to reduce the impact on database performance. |
| Compressed storage | Supports Oracle native compression algorithms and the LZ4 compression algorithm. |
| Streaming backup | Writes backup data directly to Object Storage Service (OSS) without staging it on a local disk first. |
| Encryption | Transfers data over HTTPS and stores data using AES-256 encryption. |
Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure you have:
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A backup schedule with Data Source Type set to Oracle and Backup Method set to Logical Backup. To create one, see Create a backup schedule.
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Network access between Data Disaster Recovery and your Oracle instance. If a firewall or security group is configured on the host, add the Data Disaster Recovery CIDR blocks to the whitelist. Use the Set Whitelist button in the console to retrieve the CIDR blocks.
Configure a backup schedule
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Log on to the DMS console V5.0.
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In the top navigation bar, choose Security and Specifications (DBS) > Disaster Recovery for Data (DBS) > Backup Plan.
In simple mode, move the pointer over the
icon in the upper-left corner and choose All Features > Security and Specifications (DBS) > Disaster Recovery for Data (DBS) > Backup Plan. -
On the Backup Schedules page, find your backup schedule and click Configure Backup Schedule in the Actions column.
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In the Configure Backup Source and Destination step, fill in the parameters below and click Next.
For large backup volumes, consider purchasing subscription storage plans, which are more cost-efficient than pay-as-you-go pricing.
Backup source
Parameter Description Schedule Name Auto-generated. Enter a descriptive name for easier identification. Names do not need to be unique. Backup Mode Defaults to the method selected at purchase. This guide uses Logical Backup. Database Location The network path to your source Oracle database. Options: User-Created Database with Public IP Address \<IP Address:Port Number\>, ECS-Hosted Database, Express Connect DB/VPN Gateway/Intelligent Gateway, or No public network IP: Port's self-built database (accessed through the database gateway). Database Type Defaults to Oracle. Address The endpoint of your source database instance. Displayed when Database Location is set to User-Created Database with Public IP Address, Express Connect DB/VPN Gateway/Intelligent Gateway, or No public network IP (database gateway). Region The region where your source database resides. Displayed when Database Location is ECS-Hosted Database or No public network IP (database gateway). Port Number The port to connect to the source database. Default: 1521. ECS Instance ID The Elastic Compute Service (ECS) instance hosting your database. Displayed when Database Location is ECS-Hosted Database. Peer VPC The virtual private cloud (VPC) where your database runs. Displayed when Database Location is Express Connect DB/VPN Gateway/Intelligent Gateway. Gateway instance ID The database gateway ID. Displayed when Database Location is No public network IP (database gateway). SID The system identifier (SID) of the source Oracle database. Oracle Home The Oracle installation directory. Must be a standard absolute path on Windows or Linux. Database Account The username of the database account used for backup. Password The password for the database account. Click Test Connection to validate. A Test Passed message confirms connectivity. If Test Failed appears, click Check to diagnose the issue. Compliance warranty regarding cross-border data transfers Read and accept the compliance commitment by selecting the check box. Backup destination
Parameter Description Backup Storage Type DBS Storage (recommended): Stores backup data in Data Disaster Recovery directly. No OSS bucket required. Billed by data volume—see Storage fees. OSS For User: Requires an existing OSS bucket in the Standard storage class. For setup, see Create buckets. OSS Bucket Name The name of your OSS bucket. Required only when Backup Storage Type is OSS For User. Storage Encryption Encrypted (recommended): Applies AES-256 server-side encryption via OSS. Non-encrypted: Backup data is stored without encryption. 
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In the Edit Backup Objects step, select the databases or tables to back up from the Available section and click the rightwards arrow to move them to the Selected section. Click Next.
- To select everything, click Select All in the lower-left corner of the Available section. - Databases created after a backup schedule is set up are excluded by default. Add them later on the Configure Task page—see Modify backup objects. - Supported backup granularity varies by database type. See Supported database types and features.
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In the Configure Backup Time step, configure the schedule and performance parameters and click Next.
Parameter Description Full-scale Backup Frequency Periodic Backup: Runs on a recurring schedule. Single Backup: Runs once. Full Data Backup Recurrence The days of the week to run backups. Select at least one day. Required only for Periodic Backup. Start At The time to start the backup. Schedule during off-peak hours to minimize impact—for example, 01:00. If the previous backup is still running at the scheduled start time, the next backup is skipped. Incremental Backup Not supported for Oracle databases. Maximum Concurrent Threads for Full Data Backup The number of parallel threads for the backup job. Higher values increase backup speed but put more load on the database. Adjust based on your business requirements and observed database performance. Backup network speed limit The maximum network bandwidth for backup transfers, in MB/s. The default value 0 means unlimited. Set a limit if backup traffic competes with production workloads. -
In the Edit Lifecycle step, configure the retention period for full backup sets in the Configure Full Data Backup Lifecycle section.
For lifecycle management guidance, see How do I manage the lifecycle rules of backup sets?
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Click Precheck in the lower-right corner.
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When Precheck Passed appears, click Start Task.
The backup schedule is active when its status changes to Running. View ongoing and completed backup tasks on the Backup Schedules page—see View a backup schedule.
Restore backup data
Before starting a restore, verify that the destination database is running. For conflict scenarios, the default behavior renames restored objects—review the Conflict Handling parameter below before proceeding.
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Log on to the DMS console V5.0.
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In the top navigation bar, choose Security and Specifications (DBS) > Disaster Recovery for Data (DBS) > Backup Plan.
In simple mode, move the pointer over the
icon in the upper-left corner and choose All Features > Security and Specifications (DBS) > Disaster Recovery for Data (DBS) > Backup Plan. -
On the Backup Schedules page, find your backup schedule and click Manage in the Actions column.
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On the Configure Task page, click Restore Database in the upper-right corner.
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In the Set Time Restored To step of the Create Restore Task wizard, configure the destination and click Next.
Parameter Description Task Name Auto-generated. Enter a descriptive name for easier identification. Names do not need to be unique. Database Location The location of the destination database. Options: User-Created Database with Public IP Address \<IP Address:Port Number\>, ECS-Hosted Database, Express Connect DB/VPN Gateway/Intelligent Gateway, PolarDB, or No public network IP: Port's self-built database (accessed through the database gateway). Database Type Defaults to Oracle. Instance Region The region where the destination database resides. Displayed when Database Location is ECS-Hosted Database, PolarDB, or No public network IP (database gateway). Address The public endpoint of the destination database. Displayed when Database Location is User-Created Database with Public IP Address, Express Connect DB/VPN Gateway/Intelligent Gateway, or No public network IP (database gateway). Port Number The port to connect to the destination database. Not displayed when Database Location is PolarDB. ECS Instance ID The ECS instance hosting the destination database. Displayed when Database Location is ECS-Hosted Database. PolarDB Instance ID The PolarDB instance ID. Displayed when Database Location is PolarDB. Peer VPC The VPC where the destination database runs. Displayed when Database Location is Express Connect DB/VPN Gateway/Intelligent Gateway. Gateway instance ID The database gateway ID. Displayed when Database Location is No public network IP (database gateway). SID The SID of the destination Oracle database. Database Account The username of the account to connect to the destination database. Password The password for the account. Click Test Connection to validate. Compliance warranty regarding cross-border data transfers Read and accept the compliance commitment by selecting the check box. -
In the Configure Objects to Restore step, configure the following parameters and click Precheck.
Parameter Description Conflict Handling Defaults to Rename Object with the Same Name. If the restored object shares a name with an existing object in the destination, the system renames it in the format job_info_dbs_<Restore task ID>_<Timestamp>.Objects to Restore Select databases or tables from the Available section and click the rightwards arrow to add them to the Selected section. Granular restoration reduces the amount of data transferred and shortens the recovery time objective (RTO). For supported granularity, see Supported database types and features. -
When Precheck Passed appears, click Start Task.
To monitor progress, click Restore Tasks in the left-side navigation pane.
Restore duration depends on your backup schedule specifications and the size of the data being restored. See Performance tests on logical backup and physical backup for reference benchmarks.