Avamar Integration with Oracle

Databases are  backed up in a number of ways, and Avamar will accommodate all of these methods:  Hot backup, cold backup, database dumps, backup/BCV.

Hot or online backup can be done while keeping the database online and in ARCHIVELOG mode.  The tablespaces are set to backupmode and the files are backed up.  These are less disruptive to the environment, and are fast and efficient using RMAN through the command line or Avamar GUI.  However, the control files and archived redo logs are stored separately and there are some additional steps required to configure RMAN.

Cold or offline backup take the database offline, backing up all data log and control files.  This is an easier method to restore from because the database is in a consistent state when backed up.  The database can be in ARCHIVELOG or NOARCHIVELOG mode, but the database is unavailable during backup.

Snapshot backup backs up the BCV (business continuance volume) or snaps.  This is the fastest restore, since the backup copy is immediately available on local disk mirror.  There are no additional host CPU resources because it is done on a proxy host, and non-supported databases with export capability are supported and there is a standard file system backup.  However, additional primary storage is required to support the split-mirror, and an additional server for the proxy is required as well.

Avamar 6.1 client supports Oracle 11g stand-alone configurations on just about every OS Oracle runs on (Windows, UNIX, Linux) and Oracle 11g HA configurations on Windows, Solaris and Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC). 

Avamar's 6.1 client also supports Automated Storage Management databases, and backup can be taken to and restored to multiple targets.  Up to 6 channels can be allocated for Oracle backup and restore in parallel.  The Oracle plugin will support offline backup, recovery catalog, RAC configs, archive logs as well as Flashback Database Recovery and Corrupt Block Recovery features.

Oracle's RMAN (Recovery Manager) is used to backup a database, tablespace or data files.  RMAN is used to initiate backup and recovery commands from the Avamar plug-in and routes them to the Avamar server.

Avamar supports full backup of all data files and archive logs, Level 0, which is similar to full but is required before using a level 1, and Level 1 backup, which backs up all database blocks changed since the last L0.  This uses BCT (Block Change Tracking) and will force a L0 if none exists, so you may want to create two backup schedules for L0 and L1 backups.