SAP Note 16682 - New features in BRBACKUP 3.0 and BRARCHIVE 3.0

Symptom:

New features in BRBACKUP 3.0 and BRARCHIVE 3.0 - these versions will be released in SAP R/3 Release 3.0.

Cause and prerequisites

Information.

Solution

New features in BRBACKUP 3.0 and BRARCHIVE 3.0
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1. Backup of non-database files and directories
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The extended syntax of the backup_mode parameter (and -m option, see further below) enables BRBACKUP to backup non-database files and directories. For directories, only files that lie directly in that directory are saved - there is no recursive backup of the subdirectories. In addition, the definitions of subdirectories, soft links, and named pipes that lie directly in the directory for backup (characteristic of cpio) are also saved. The non-database files and directories for backup are specified in the backup_mode parameter, with the full path.

2. Backing up individual database files or file groups
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The smallest unit that can be saved during a BRBACKUP run has been changed from a tablespace to a database file. The files to be saved can be specified in the backup_mode parameter will full path, Oracle file ID, or with a wildcard path name that at least includes Oracle Home. The file ID of the control file is 0 and the online redo log (the redo log group number) is assigned a leading 0 to differentiate it from the database file ID (see below).
By specifying ID areas or wildcard path names, you can save groups of database files that meet these specifications.

3. Extended syntax of backup_mode Parameter
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The backup_mode parameter has the following syntax:

backup_mode = all | | -
| | | ()

refers to the Oracle file ID for data files. File ID 0 identifies the control file, IDs with leading zeros indicate online redo logs. When is a complete path name, a database file, a non- database file, or a directory is saved; otherwise must contain at least Oracle Home. In this case, all the database DATA files are selected whose name starts with this path. is a list of the tablespace/file information, enclosed in parentheses and separated by commas. The same syntax also applies to the -m|-mode BRBACKUP Option, with the exception that parentheses are not permitted.

Comments:

• The Oracle control file is always saved whenever at least one database file is saved.

• When "all" is specified, all database data files (all tablespaces) are backed up; during online backup, an online redo log of all redo log groups is also saved.

• The key word "all" can be combined with other information in an (e.g. non-database files or directories).

• All used s and file IDs that lie in the range - must be known to the database.

• Non-database files and directories must be defined with the complete path.

• When you back up directories with software compression (compress = yes), their contents are not compressed.

• Database data files can be defined with a complete or a wildcard path. The wildcard path must contain the Oracle Home directory plus an additional wildcard specification, such as the sapdata directory.

• Online redo logs can only be addressed explicitly using the redo log group numbers, which must be provided with a leading zero.

• The Oracle control file can only be addressed explicitly with file ID 0. Saving a control file is not normally required).
  
  Examples:
  
  backup_mode = all
  Backs up the entire database
  
  backup_mode = (all, /usr/sap/C11/SYS/exe/run, /usr/sap/C11/SYS/profile)
  Backs up the entire database and the SAP executables and profiles.
  
  backup_mode = /oracle/C11/sapdata1
  Backs up all database data files from the subdirectories of
  /oracle/C11/sapdata1.
  
  backup_mode = (1-10,01-04,0)
  Backs up all database data files with Oracle file IDs between 1 and 10 (inclusive), four online redo logs, and the control file (not necessary, as database files were backed up)
  
  backup_mode = 0
  Backs up the Oracle control file
  
  backup_mode = /oracle/C11/sapdata2/ddicd_5/ddicd.data5
  Backs up one database data file
  

4. Verifying the BRBACKUP/BRBACHIVE backups
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You can verify the readability and completeness of the backup with the option -w|-verify. Once the backup phase is complete, all saved files are read from the tape in sequence (only when backed up to tape), decompressed (only when compress = yes), read by the check program, and compared with their originals. During an online backup with BRBACKUP or BRARCHIVE backup with options -s, -sc, and -ss, the file contents are compared in binary; during an online backup, in contrast, options -sd, -scd, and -ssd determine and verify the sizes of the saved files.

5. Examining the inserted tapes
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With the BRBACKUP/BRARCHIVE option "-q|query check", you can also check whether the proper tapes were inserted in the tape station without starting a backup. You could then make preparations for an operator-free backup as follows:

brbackup/brarchive -q check -- Prompts insertion of the required tapes

Insert the requested tapes in the tape stations

After the reply "cont" -- Checks the inserted tapes

You can then start an operator-free backup on the same day, without having to worry about it failing because the incorrect tapes were inserted. Important: the next day, the tapes selected by the automatic tape management may be different, as previously blocked tapes may be released at midnight based on the configured blocking duration.

6. Stopping BRARCHIVE, once started with the -f|-fill option
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Until now, when BRARCHIVE was started with option -f|-fill, the only way to stop it was with ctrl-C or kill -2. This caused problems in cases when BRARCHIVE was started in the background, since its process ID had to be determined. The BRARCHIVE option "-f|-fill stop" now does this automatically, and properly stops the running BRARCHIVE run. This function creates a log with the extender .fst.

7. Extended output in BRBACKUP and BRARCHIVE logs
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The new option:
-o|-output dist|time[,time|dist]
causes additional information to be written to the detailed log. The option "-o|-output dist" generates information about the distribution of the files for backup on the used tape/disk volumes.
The option "-o|-output time" generates additional information about the backup duration of the individual files.

8. New init.sap parameters
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To support the verify option (and restore the database), three new init.sap parameters have been introduced:

cpio_in_flags - cpio options for reading the files from tape
Default: -iduvB, Example:
cpio_in_flags = -iduvB

uncompress_cmd - command for decompression
No default, Example:
uncompress_cmd = "uncompress -c $ > $"

tape_pos_cmd - Command for positioning on tape
No default, Example:
tape_pos_cmd = "mt -t $ fsf $"