How to check if OracleDB Backup is using RMAN+TSM

[Former Member]

Hi all,

We got a new customer on board and they are using RMAN+TSM as the backup. Well, at least that is what I assume it to be. Am not the Basis Admin and we don't have access to how it was scheduled from within the SAP GUI.

From the database backup log, the command_line says it is using the one below:

brbackup -c -t offline_force -r initDEV.utl_off -u /

From the initDEV.sap file it has

backup_dev_type = rman_disk

util_par_file = ?/dbs/initDEV.utl_off

Am assuming util_par_file is getting ignored since backup_dev_type is set. util_par_file was set for Netbackup anyway when the customer was using Netbackup before. So where is it setup to use TSM?

OracleDB is Oracle9 and brbackup/brtools used is as below:

R0051I BRBACKUP 6.40 (49)

BR0055I Start of database backup: bejduxfy.afr 2012-08-07 22.00.38

BR0484I BRBACKUP log file: /oracle/DEV/sapbackup/bejduxfy.afr

BR0477I Oracle pfile /oracle/DEV/920_64/dbs/initDEV.ora created from spfile /oracle/DEV/920_64/dbs/spfileDEV.ora

RMAN configuration is as below:

using target database controlfile instead of recovery catalog

RMAN configuration parameters are:

CONFIGURE RETENTION POLICY TO REDUNDANCY 1; # default

CONFIGURE BACKUP OPTIMIZATION OFF; # default

CONFIGURE DEFAULT DEVICE TYPE TO DISK; # default

CONFIGURE CONTROLFILE AUTOBACKUP OFF; # default

CONFIGURE CONTROLFILE AUTOBACKUP FORMAT FOR DEVICE TYPE DISK TO '%F'; # default

CONFIGURE DEVICE TYPE DISK PARALLELISM 1; # default

CONFIGURE DATAFILE BACKUP COPIES FOR DEVICE TYPE DISK TO 1; # default

CONFIGURE ARCHIVELOG BACKUP COPIES FOR DEVICE TYPE DISK TO 1; # default

CONFIGURE MAXSETSIZE TO UNLIMITED; # default

CONFIGURE SNAPSHOT CONTROLFILE NAME TO '/oracle/DEV/920_64/dbs/snapcf_DEV.f'; # default

I can't find any RMAN log either which is very disappointing, is there anyway I can force SAP to generate a RMAN log somewhere? Am assuming RMAN is being called directly by brbackup because of backup_dev_type = rman_disk but how is it using the SBT_TAPE device then if it is not configured in RMAN?

I've been searching for answers for a week now ... Google et al ... please help. Any advice/feedback much appreciated.

FYI, I don't have access to the SAP GUI, only whatever is in the database server. Thanks in advance.

[Former Member]

In addition to the answers given above, you might want to check if they are doing a backup in two steps:
1) brbackup saves to disk, using rman.
2) These backup files are saved to tape by TSM.
TSM log files should tell you more.

regards

[Former Member]

Hi Jo,

That is what am suspecting.

It's like RMAN has access to some type of TSM virtual disk that are configured as SBT_TAPE

Will try and dig around for TSM logs. So far, the SA and TSM guys are not very helpful

[Former Member]

If your suspicion is true, TSM client is used to store backup files from disk to tape not rman. Therefore you does not need to configure SBT_TYPE parameter

Reagrds

Roman

[Former Member]

Hi,

to use RMAN+TSM

backup_dev_type = rman_util but not rman_disk

Also you need to configure rman_parms

Regards

Roman

[Former Member]

Hi Roman,

According to the docs,

backup_dev_type = rman_util is if you want to use backint. rman_disk is when you don't want to use backint?

[Former Member]

Please post the link to the docs you are reading. If your customer uses Data Protection for SAP one can use BACKINT interface or RMAN. For BACKINT backup_dev_type = util_file, for RMAN backup_dev_type = rman_util.

Please post backup log file for more investigation

Regards

Roman

[stefan_koehler]

Hi,

you can check these two views to get all the necessary information (if RMAN is used).

V$BACKUP_PIECE: http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E11882_01/server.112/e25513/dynviews_1058.htm#i1400367

V$RMAN_OUTPUT: http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E11882_01/server.112/e25513/dynviews_2148.htm#REFRN30305

If RMAN backup is performed with BR*Tools, the default configuration is not considered at all. The configuration itself is applied manually in the run loop. It is also pretty interesting, that an offline backup is still performed by some organizations

However if backup_dev_type is set to rman_disk no backint is used.

Regards

Stefan

[Former Member]

Hi Stefan,

Thanks for your response. Very much appreciated.

There is no V$RMAN_OUTPUT view. Oracle doc says

V$RMAN_OUTPUT displays messages reported by RMAN. This is an in-memory view and is not recorded in the controlfile. The view can hold 32768 rows

And SAP does not use a RMAN catalog. Checking V$BACKUP_PIECE. I can confirm that there are backup pieces, so RMAN is being used.

When you say

"If RMAN backup is performed with BR*Tools, the default configuration is not considered at all. The configuration itself is applied manually in the run loop. It is also pretty interesting, that an offline backup is still performed by some organizations"

How is the configuration itself applied manually? I know it is very surprising that an offline backup is still performed.

BTW, also found out that the backup is being triggered as a cron job. It is run in the script as below:

su - ${sid}adm -c "startsap db"

su - ${sid}adm -c "stopsap r3"

su - ora${sid} -c "brbackup -c -t offline_force -r init$SID.utl_off -u /; echo $?" > /var/tmp/sap_${sid}backup.out 2>&1

But I can't find how is it communicating with TSM? Still digging around ...

[stefan_koehler]

Hi,

yes the BR*Tools are not using an external RMAN catalog, but what's the matter with that in your current situation? The external RMAN catalog is just a replica of the control file content (with history and additional meta information). The view V$RMAN_OUTPUT contains no information, because of the start / shutdown by an offline backup.

How is the configuration itself applied manually?

Well as already said, it is applied in the run loop / clause. Just run the brbackup command with the trace environment (BR_TRACE 15) and you can see the RMAN call. Here is just a simple example of a run clause (http://ss64.com/ora/rman_run.html).

Have you checked the device type in V$BACKUP_PIECE? You can see where the backups are located (SBT or DISK).

Regards

Stefan