Understanding how IBM Tivoli Data Protection for Oracle (TDPO) works with RMAN

IBM Tivoli Data Protection for Oracle Database is one of the IBM TSM product family used to protect the data stored in Oracle databases. Data Protection for Oracle performs online or offline backups of Oracle 11g databases to Tivoli Storage Manager server storage. This TDP for Oracle is integrated with the RMAN Media Management API and maximizes the protection of data, thus providing a comprehensive storage management solution. Data Protection for Oracle interfaces with the Oracle Recovery Manager (RMAN) to send backup versions of Oracle databases to the Tivoli Storage Manager server.

IBM Tivoli Data Protection for Oracle Overview

Oracle Recovery Manager (RMAN) provides consistent and secure backup, restore, and recovery performance for Oracle databases. While the Oracle RMAN initiates a backup or restore, Data Protection for Oracle acts as the interface to the Tivoli Storage Manager server. The Tivoli Storage Manager server then applies administrator-defined storage management policies to the data. Data Protection for Oracle implements the Oracle defined Media Management application program interface (SBTAPI) 2.0. This SBTAPI interfaces with RMAN and translates Oracle commands into Tivoli Storage Manager API calls to the Tivoli Storage Manager server.

Also Read: How IBM TDP for MSSQL Works ?

With the use of RMAN, Data Protection for Oracle allows you to perform the following functions. Full and incremental backup function for the following while online or offline

• To use this TDP Oracle you should also install supporting Tivoli Storage Manager API Version. The required version of the Tivoli Storage Manager API is included in the Data Protection for Oracle product media. 

• Existing backups created using previous versions of Data Protection for Oracle are restorable using Data Protection for Oracle 6.3. Since IBM releases new versions in regular intervals, it is recommended to check the updated prerequisites for the latest versions.

• Backups created with Data Protection for Oracle 6.3 cannot be restored using previous versions of Data Protection for Oracle.

Also Read: TDPO installation & Configuration Steps

• Determine the appropriate Data Protection for Oracle bit size to use by identifying the bit size of your Oracle target database. For example, if you are using a 32-bit Oracle target database, you must use a 32-bit version of Data Protection for Oracle. If you are using a 64-bit Oracle target database, you must use a 64-bit version of Data Protection for Oracle. The Data Protection for Oracle bit size is not determined by the bit size of your operating system.

• Any previous version of Data Protection for Oracle or the Tivoli Storage Manager API must be uninstalled before installing a new or updated version. If you are installing a PTF version of Data Protection for Oracle, do not remove the license file from the previous version. The PTF driver does not contain a license. 

• A user with administrative authority must install Data Protection for Oracle on a Windows server where the target database resides. 

• If Data Protection for Oracle was not previously installed on your system, you can install Data Protection for Oracle into the Tivoli Storage Manager base directory of your choice. On Windows Data Protection for Oracle 32-bit installs to the \AgentOBA directory and Data Protection for Oracle 64-bit installs to the \AgentOBA64 directory under this base default directory.

• On Unix, Data Protection for Oracle 32-bit installs to the /oracle/bin directory and Data Protection for Oracle 64-bit installs to the /oracle/bin64 directory under this base default directory

New Features added in TDP Oracle V6.3

• A new query command is available to query information about backed up files With the tdposync query command, you can query the Tivoli Storage Manager server for information about database objects that have been backed up. You can obtain statistics that indicate whether a backup object was encrypted, compressed, or deduplicated.

• The tdposync utility can work with backup history information in the Oracle control file.

• The tdposync syncdb command can use the backup history information stored in the Oracle control file to synchronize the Tivoli Storage Manager database with the Oracle Recovery Manager (RMAN) backup history. Synchronization can be done with either a control file or the Oracle catalog.

• Use the send command to send additional parameters to the Tivoli Storage Manager API.

Also Read: 3 TDPO utilities to troubleshoot Oracle DB issues

• You can use the Oracle RMAN send command in an RMAN script to specify any supported Tivoli Storage Manager options, such as TCPport and TCPServeraddress, to the Tivoli Storage Manager API. Any option that is sent by using the send command takes precedence over the option specified in the options files for Data Protection for Oracle or Tivoli Storage Manager API.

• UTF-8 is added for the language locales that are already supported by Data Protection for Oracle.

• The Data Protection for Oracle Version 6.3 message catalogs are encoded in UTF-8. If you are installing the Data Protection for Oracle message catalogs for languages other than English, you must also have the appropriate iconv UTF-8 converters installed on your system. If the appropriate iconv UTF-8 converters are not installed, all Data Protection for Oracle messages are displayed in English.