Use Grid Control to Secure Backup your database to the Internet Cloud!

This is more great thought and technical leadership from Oracle. In a recent press release, read the part about secure cloud-based backup ie, backing up your production database onto an internet backup cloud (from Amazon) and you will know what I mean. Absolutely innovative and mind-boggling, this is the Oracle Secure Backup Cloud Module. You can use Grid Control to backup to the cloud using RMAN and recover your database too from the cloud.

The full press release is on :

http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/press/017521_EN?msgid=7004671

This mentions:

Oracle is also introducing a secure Cloud-based backup solution. Oracle Secure Backup Cloud Module, based on Oracle’s premier tape backup management software, Oracle Secure Backup, enables customers to use the Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) as their database backup destination. Cloud-based backups offer reliability and virtually unlimited capacity, available on-demand and with no up-front capital expenditure. The Oracle Secure Backup Cloud Module also enables encrypted data backups to help ensure complete privacy in the Cloud environment. It’s fully integrated with Oracle Recovery Manager and Oracle Enterprise Manager, providing users with familiar interfaces for Cloud-based backups.

Changing Error handling in Patch deployment procedures in Grid Control

During Patch application via Grid Control (Provisioning Pack), we can auto bring up the database up again if the patch application fails for any reason (like files in use). This was the main concern expressed recently by a group of DBAs, that if the patch application fails, the database was not being brought up. The way we fix this is as follows.

Oracle supplies deployment proceedures out of the box, such as “Patch Oracle Database”. We simply make a copy of this procedure and make our changes.

In the Grid Control Console, we go to the “Deployments” tab then select “Patching through Deployment procedures”. Now select the “Patch Oracle database”  procedure and click on “Create Like”. This is our copy we can work on.

In our copy, scroll down to the “Apply Patches” step and in its “Error Handling Mode” which is the last column, choose “contnue on error” rather than the default “Inherit (Stop on error)”. This will allow the procedure to continue even if the patch application fails, and bring up the database.

This proves that Oracle has supplied a lot of capabilities in the Provisioning pack of Grid Control.

Grid Control Workshops successful

Oracle DBAs / Database Managers / Senior Management, 

The latest news is that the series of workshops we had in Singapore have been highly 

successful with a huge number of attendants in the second and third in the series.

The fourth week is this week.

A number of Senior Dbas in my LinkedIn group of 1060+ Dbas have looked at the contents 

and said it looks like a "great" workshop series with "excellent" content, the series 

focuses on practical aspects of easing a DBA's life via Enterprise Manager Grid Control, 

such as setting up RMAN backups, applying database patches, and improving performance, 

all with the automation and ease of Grid Control.  

We can also show a combined version of the entire workshop at client premises.

Here is a recap of what we offered:

If you are based in Singapore, please feel free to attend the Oracle GRID CONTROL workshop we will be running at our Office @ 2.30 to 5pm Every Thursday starting 25th Sept. These workshops are totally free. Snacks and drinks will be provided.

S&I Oracle Core Technology Workshop Series

25th Sept : 2 hour session on Grid Control architecture and day to day Database Management using Grid Control

· Explain Grid Control architecture and scalability for multiple target monitioring and management
· Explain Grid Control multiple-level security via target groups, administrators, roles, privileges
· Overview of Grid Control Console and access to target information such as database versions, server configurations, server performance, alerts and patch notifications
· Overview of Database Home Page
· Day to day Database Administration using Grid Control
· Execution of server scripts on multiple hosts or sql scripts on multiple databases

2nd Oct: 2 hour session on Database Performance monitoring and Performance improvement using Grid Control

· Overview of Database Performance page
· Drilldown to specific performance issues and top events
· Generate stress load on the database using Swinggbench and demonstrate ADDM capabilities
· Demonstrate Advisor Central capabilites eg. Sql Tuning Advisor, Sql tuning sets

9th Oct: 2 hour session on Database RMAN Backups using Grid Control

· Overview of Database Maintenance page
· Configure RMAN settings for a database eg. controlfile autobackup, retention policy
· Setup and schedule full RMAN backups for a database
· Setup and schedule incremental RMAN backups for a database
· Setup and schedule image copy refreshes for a database

16th Oct: 2 hour session on Database Patch application using Grid Control

· Overview of Patch Deployments using Grid Control
· Critical patch advisory for databases on Grid Control
· Connect to Metalink and find a patch, download to staging area on oms server,
· After testing, deploy patch on multiple databases in an automated “lights-out” operation

Our office address is curently:

S&I Systems Ptd Ltd
298 Tiong Bahru Road
#12-01/06 Central Plaza
Singapore 168730
http://www.si-asia.com/

Please register (free) by emailing your name, title, company and contact information to
OracleAceDirector@si-asia.com

Look forward to seeing you in the workshop.