we have a monthly policy for database backups .
the database is a huge one about 200 GB in size and every month , we shut down the database and take a full system backup .
my question is : Is there a way to know that i have taken a valid backup, I need to do something like a test restore without actually restoring a thing
i mean not just the error log , if i want to restore the database will it start up .
in Oracle 10g RMAN can validatae a backup peice and checks if it is valid .
iam using ORALCE 9i over Solaris 9 , Veritas netbackup 5.0
Hardware :SF6800 and and T3+ Storage .
NetBackup can verify backup images (one at a time) , to guarantee that you can restore it.
Command line : see bpverify -client <CLIENTNAME> -st FULL
if you run bpverify without any option, it will verify all taken images from all clients.
Additional you can choose only the client <client> and only type <FULL>...
A good idea is to install the NetBackup Agent for Oracle Database, then
you can make a online backup from the database .... (but costs a bit)
bpverify will load the recorded Media in the drive, this can take a while..
I've tested it : (Sol9, NBU DataCenter 4.5,L9 Tape) :
root@nbu-server # bpverify -client nbu-server
Verify started Fri Jun 24 2005 09:33:21
INF - Verifying policy nbu-server-TEST, schedule Full (nbu-server_1119538208), media id DT3550, created 06/23/2005 16:50:08.
INF - Verify of policy nbu-server-TEST, schedule Full (nbu-server_1119538208) was successful.
INF - Status = successfully verified 1 of 1 images.
but does this insure that all my images are taken correctly with all the database checkpoints .?
does what u have suggested illimintaes the need for a true restore .
i was thing of actually restoring the database to a some file system and try starting it up .
You can�t verify that your Database is ok , you can verify that the "normal" backup is good....
In true, you can�t only verify your backup instead of test-restoring it.
I think your suggestion is a common practice (test restore to a other Filesystem)
I dont think that NetBackup can say that your Oracle Database is OK,
maybe you can with the additional "NetBackup Agent for Oracle".
You can verify that NetBackup can mount and read your backup.
On Monday I will ask a colleague from me , he�s a NetBackup specialist and I will post his answer here.
Some things to know:
x) Do you have the master+media server on the same server ?
x) Do you have the Shared storage option enabled
(Tape Library in a SAN) ?
x) Do you have additional licenses installed (like Oracle extension,open file backup
yes we have all of the above except the additional license , for backups we are using RMAN .
actually we have a hot backup database scipt that comes with veritas and we are doing hotbackups almost daily .
veritas uses RMAN to do the backups . it connect to it and opens the chennels and takes backup .
If your database is consistent, meaning you shutdown immediate or better, and no recovery is needed on startup (and even if it is and in archive log mode), a cold backup to tape or anything else will be very recoverable.
Personally I stopped doing cold backups years ago, and exclusively use RMAN to NetBackup. I don't even use a recovery catalog, and just back the control file up seperately at the end of the backup.