Physically back up and restore a cross-cloud or self-managed Oracle database

Database Backup (DBS) supports physical backups for Oracle databases that run on Windows or Linux operating systems. You can back up Oracle databases with various architectures, such as single-instance databases, Data Guard physical standby databases, and Real Application Clusters (RAC) databases.

Oracle logical backups are covered in Logical backup and recovery for a cross-cloud or self-managed Oracle database.

Supported Oracle architectures for physical backup

Single-instance, single-instance Automatic Storage Management (ASM), Oracle Data Guard physical standby, and Oracle RAC.

Note

Before starting the backup, verify control files, parameter files, data files, archived logs, and redo log files as described in Query Oracle RAC files.
To back up the entire RAC database, you only need to deploy a backup gateway on any instance machine in the RAC and provide the Oracle system ID (SID) for that instance.

Prerequisites

The ARCHIVELOG mode is enabled for the Oracle database.
Enable ARCHIVELOG mode
DBS uses Oracle Recovery Manager (RMAN) for backups. ARCHIVELOG mode is disabled by default and must be enabled before you can run backups.
1. Log on to the Oracle database with the system administrator (sysdba) role using the as sysdba command.
2. Run the ARCHIVE LOG LIST command to query the current archive status of the database. A sample response is shown below:
  Database log mode No Archive Mode # No Archive Mode Automatic archival Disabled Archive destination USE_DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST Oldest online log sequence 1 Current log sequence 2
  
  Note
  If the Database log mode parameter returns Archive Mode # Archive Mode, ARCHIVELOG mode is already enabled and no further action is required to enable ARCHIVELOG mode.
3. If the ARCHIVELOG mode is not enabled, run the SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATE command to shut down the database. You cannot enable ARCHIVELOG mode when the database is in the OPEN state.
  
  Warning
  The administrator should perform this operation during off-peak hours.
4. Run the STARTUP MOUNT command to start the database in MOUNT state.
5. Run the ALTER DATABASE ARCHIVELOG command to enable ARCHIVELOG mode.
6. Run the ARCHIVE LOG LIST command again to check the archive status. A sample response is shown below:
  Databaselog mode Archive Mode # Archive Mode Automatic archival Enabled Archive destination USE_DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST Oldest online log sequence 1 Next log sequence to archive 2 Currentlog sequence 2
  
  Note
  After enabling ARCHIVELOG mode, archived logs default to the fast recovery area ($ORACLE_BASE/fast_recovery_area), which has a 4 GB default size shared with backup files and flashback logs. Increase this directory size or change the archived log path to prevent disk space issues.
7. Run the ALTER DATABASE OPEN command to open the database.
The Oracle SID is obtained.
Obtain the Oracle SID
- Linux
  Run the following command to retrieve the SID of the running Oracle database instance:
  ps -ef | grep ora_pmon_ | grep -v grep | awk -F "ora_pmon_" '{print "oracle sid: "$NF }' | grep -v print
  The following sample response indicates that the Oracle SID is orcl:
  oracle sid: orcl
- Windows
  To obtain the SID and service name of the Oracle database instance, run the following command in the Windows command-line interface:
  sc query type=service | findstr SERVICE_NAME | findstr OracleService
  The following sample response indicates that the Oracle instance SID is orcl and the service name is OracleServiceORCL:
  SERVICE_NAME: OracleServiceORCL
A backup gateway is installed on the Oracle database server. Install a backup gateway.
The database program directory is obtained.
Obtain the database program directory
1. Open the command-line interface and run the su - oracle command to switch to the Oracle user.
2. In the Oracle database, run the echo $ORACLE_HOME command to view the path of the ORACLE_HOME environment variable.
  The following sample response indicates that the ORACLE_HOME path is /opt/oracle/product/19c/dbhome_1:
  /opt/oracle/product/19c/dbhome_1
The Oracle RAC files are obtained.
Query Oracle RAC files
To ensure a successful backup, check the control files, parameter files, data files, archived logs, and redo log files before you back up an Oracle RAC. This check is not required for other architectures.
- Query redo log files
```
SELECT member FROM v$logfile WHERE type='ONLINE';
```
  Sample response: The value in the MEMBER column starts with a plus sign (+). The ASM is DBSBAKDAT1DG.
- Querying archived log files
```
SELECT name FROM v$archived_log WHERE DELETED='NO';
```
  A sample response is shown below: In this example, the value of NAME starts with + and the ASM is DBSBAKDAT1DG.
- Querying data files
```
SELECT name FROM v$datafile;
```
  Sample response: The value for VALUE starts with a plus sign (+) and the value for ASM is DBSBAKDAT1DG.
- Querying parameter files
```
SHOW parameter spfile;
```
  Sample response: The value in the VALUE column starts with a plus sign (+). The ASM is DBSBAKDAT1DG.
- Querying control files
```
SHOW parameter control_files;
```
  Sample response: The value for VALUE starts with a plus sign (+). The ASM is DBSBAKDAT1DG.

Limits

DBS Oracle physical backups rely on RMAN and control files for metadata management. Note the following limits when using DBS for physical backup or restore:

Do not configure two or more backup plans for the same Oracle database. This can cause the restoration to fail.
When you restore an Oracle database to a specific point in time, do not delete the latest full backup set that was created before that point in time. Deleting this backup set may cause the restoration to fail.

Step 1: Create a backup plan

Create a backup plan.

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 plan

Log on to the Data Management (DMS) console.
In the top navigation bar, choose Security and disaster recovery (DBS) > Data Disaster Recovery (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 disaster recovery (DBS) > Data Disaster Recovery (DBS) > Backup Plan.
Find the Backup Schedule ID for the schedule that you want to configure, and click Configure Backup Schedule in the Actions column.

On the Configure Backup Source and Destination page, specify the backup source and destination, and then click Next.

Category	Configuration	Description
None	Backup Plan Name	DBS auto-generates a name. Specify a descriptive name for easy identification. Uniqueness is not required.
Backup Source Information	Backup Mode	Defaults to the method selected during plan creation. This document covers Oracle physical backup.
	Instance Region	Select the region where the instance that you want to back up is located.
	Backup Gateway	Select the backup gateway for the destination database. Add a backup gateway.
	Database Type	The default value is Oracle.
	SID	Enter the Oracle SID of the destination database. Obtain the Oracle SID.
	Database Logon	Enter the SQLPlus command to log on to the database. The format is `database account/password@instance name as sysdba`. For example, `sys/password@orcl as sysdba`. Note* You can also enter `/ as sysdba`. If operating system authentication is disabled in the database environment, you cannot log on. In this case, use the `database account/password@instance name as sysdba` format to log on.
	Oracle Home	Enter the absolute path of ORACLE_HOME. The database program directory is obtained. Note This parameter is optional.
	Compliance Warranty Regarding Cross-border Data Transfers	Read and select the compliance commitment.
Backup Destination Information	Backup Storage Class	The storage type for the backup destination. The following options are supported: DBS Built-in Storage (Recommended): No bucket required. Data is stored automatically in DBS built-in storage. Billed by data volume stored in DBS. Storage fees. OSS For User: Requires a pre-created OSS bucket. Create a bucket in the console. Note In this example, built-in storage is selected. If you select User OSS, you must also configure the OSS Bucket Name parameter. Only the OSS Standard storage class is supported. For large data volumes, a DBS subscription storage plan offsets DBS built-in storage fees and is more cost-effective than pay-as-you-go.
Backup Destination Information	Storage Type	The storage method. The following options are supported: Encrypted (Recommended): Uses the industry-standard Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 256 algorithm for encrypted storage. OSS encrypts objects on upload and decrypts them on download automatically. Server-side encryption. Non-encrypted: Encryption is not enabled.

On the Configure Backup Objects page, Back Up Entire Instance is selected by default. Click Next.

Note
If you back up the entire database, permissions and stored procedures are also backed up.

On the Configure Backup Time page, configure the backup schedule and other parameters, and then click Next.

Configuration	Description
Full Backup Frequency	Select Periodic Backup or Single Backup as needed.
Full Backup Cycle	The days of the week on which DBS 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, DBS skips the next backup.
Incremental Backup	Specifies whether to enable incremental backup. Note When you enable this parameter, make sure that binary logging (binlog) is enabled for the destination database. Binlog is enabled by default for ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instances. For self-managed databases, you must manually enable binlog. This parameter is displayed only when you set the Full Backup Frequency parameter to Periodic Backup.
Maximum Concurrent Threads For Full 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.
Incremental Backup Interval	The interval at which incremental backup is performed. DBS performs incremental backup based on your configurations. If you set the interval to 10 minutes, DBS performs an incremental backup every 10 minutes.
Delete Logs Upon Backup Success	Specifies whether to delete the successfully backed up archived logs from the self-managed database after a backup is successful. The following options are supported: Enable: After a successful backup, automatically deletes archived logs older than the Archive Log Save Days threshold (default: 7 days) from the self-managed database. No: Do not delete the archived logs from the self-managed database.
Enable Compression	Select whether to enable compression. The following options are supported: Enable: recommended. Data is compressed during backup to reduce storage space. Disable: Data is not compressed during backup.
Backup Set Mode	Select a non-intrusive stream backup mode or a mount backup mode for restoration within seconds. The following options are supported: Non-intrusive Stream Backup Mode: Uses Oracle System Backup to Tape (SBT) to stream backups to the cloud through a virtual tape interface. Non-intrusive to the source database and uses less storage space. Sandbox Instance Mount Backup: Performs RMAN image copy backups streamed to OSS through FUSE without writing to local disk. With the sandbox feature enabled, backup data can be mounted within seconds. Note You must install FUSE on your server. Otherwise, the backup will fail.

On the Edit Lifecycle page, enter the retention period for full backup data in the built-in storage.

If you enabled Incremental Backup in the previous step, also configure the retention period for incremental backup data. Manage lifecycles.
After the preceding configurations are complete, click Precheck in the lower-right corner of the page.
After the precheck succeeds, click Start Now in the dialog box that appears.
Note
- The backup plan is successfully configured when its Status changes to Running.
- If the backup plan becomes abnormal, troubleshoot using How to fix an abnormal backup plan. If the issue persists, contact us via DingTalk group 35585947.

Data restoration

DBS supports restoring data to its original location, a new location on the same machine, or a different machine.

Log on to the Data Management (DMS) console.
In the top navigation bar, choose Security and disaster recovery (DBS) > Data Disaster Recovery (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 disaster recovery (DBS) > Data Disaster Recovery (DBS) > Backup Plan.
Find the backup plan that you want to manage and click Manage in the Actions column.
On the Configure Task page, click Restore Database in the upper-right corner.

On the Set Time Restored To page, configure the following information and click Next.

Category	Configuration	Description
None	Task Name	Auto-generated. Specify a descriptive name for easy identification. Uniqueness is not required.
Set Time Restored To	Restorable Time Range	The time range from the point in time when the first full backup set is created to the point in time when the latest full backup set is created. The database can be restored to a point in time within the time range.
Set Time Restored To	Selected Restore Time Point	Select a recovery point in time that is within the Recoverable Time Range. Note If incremental log backup is enabled, you can restore to any point in time after the backup. If incremental log backup is not enabled, you can restore to the point in time of a full backup set.
Recover Target Database	Instance Region	Select the region where the destination backup gateway is located.
	Backup Gateway	Select the destination backup gateway for restoration. Install a backup gateway.
	Database Type	The default value is Oracle.
	Endpoint	The endpoint of the destination database. The default value is `localhost`.
	Port	The port of the destination database. The default value is `1521`.
	SID	Enter the corresponding SID name. Note You can customize a parameter file in the `ORACLE_HOME/dbs` directory based on the SID name. If no parameter file is created, the system automatically creates a minimal usable parameter file to restore the Oracle database.
	Database Restore Directory	Enter the database restore directory. Note Allocate Storage Space (GB) of at least 1.3× the source instance size or 5–6× the full backup set size (backups are compressed). Log on to the console. On the Backup Plans > Backup Plan List page, click the backup plan name. On the Backup Jobs > Full Data Backup page, view the size of the full backup set. For more information, see View a backup plan.
	Database Program Directory	Enter the absolute path of `ORACLE_HOME`.
	Data Cross-border Compliance Commitment	Read and select the compliance commitment.

On the Configure Objects to Restore page, select Restore Entire Instance and then click Precheck in the lower-right corner.

Note
Currently, physical backup only supports restoring the entire instance.
After the Precheck dialog box shows Precheck Passed, click Start Task and wait for the database restoration to complete.

Note
Restoration time depends on backup plan specifications and database size. Higher-spec plans restore faster. Performance tests for logical and physical backups.
Optional: Access the database and run the following command to start the database.
```
ALTER database OPEN RESETLOGS;
```

The Oracle database is restored.

FAQ

Q: Can I back up an Oracle database to different regions at the same time for multi-region storage?

A: No. DBS uses RMAN, and RMAN metadata does not support simultaneous backups to different regions.