Data Replication

Dsrt

Baseband Member
Messages
51
Ok, some background real quick.

We are running Dell PowerEdge Servers with Windows Server 2003 Standard which houses our main oracle database. We just purchased a NetApp storage facility so we can replicate the data for disaster recovery.

I have the LUNS set up pointing to each server, but what I'm lacking is the software needed to replicate the data from the server to the NetApp product. I'm not sure what type of software I should actually be looking for, so some cheaper brand names would be very helpful.

I am very new to SAN/NAS technology so I'm not completely sure I have it set up correctly.

If there's anyone willing to spend a little bit of time with me to make sure this is working as it should, that would be great.

Thanks ahead of time.
 
Symantec Backup Exec (BE) with an Oracle Agent license(s). Basically you install BE on your SAN/NAS and then tell it to install the Oracle Agent License to your Dell Servers with Oracle DB. Another nice thing about it is that as you add more servers you can just purchase a license for that particular server. I.E. Exchange, PHP, Linux, Windows (file server) ... you can even configure it to backup Active Directory if you're using it in your Windows Environment. You won't need to purchase the main core Backup Exec ... just individual server licenses for that particular server role.

I know you said you were looking for cheaper brands ... Symantec isn't exactly cheap/free, but relatively inexpensive for a business. Around $700 for BE and I think around $250 per agent license.

There certainly are other software options available, I just don't have any experience with them ... or have not had any luck with other backup software.

I know this sounds like I'm pitching them, but Symantec has a suite of options for backing up data. Software that takes "snapshots" of your data throughout the workday ... as often as you specify.

I haven't had any bad experiences with BE. If anything ... go take a look at it and get some idea of how it works and then research for other backup software that runs similarly that will fit your budget and needs.
 
Hmmm...it appears I have a new technology to learn.

We are running a NetApp which is just a box with a bunch of harddrives in it and Storevault is the software that is used to manage it.

While it has a computer name and IP and is pingable on the network, the only way I know of to connect to it is using the Storevault management software. So installing anything to the NetApp isn't something I'm familiar with.

As I already said in my first post, SAN/NAS is new to me and I don't even know if this thing is set up correctly. I'm used to doing things the old fashioned way, with tapes. haha The NetApp doesn't operate like a normal computer/server setup from what I've seen.

I have looked at the NetApp site and you have to go through their courses that are outrageously priced and StoreVault has a help menu that I've followed to the letter, but I'm still lost. Maybe you may know of some sites that will help me work through this sharp learning curve that I appear to have run into.

Thank you for your reply, it's much appreciated.
 
When purchasing your NetApp ... they didn't include a tech support contract or 30-60 day free tech support? I'd only heard about NetApp, but never read in depth about it ... let alone worked with it. A quick glimpse on their www it appears to be an all inclusive solution - Hardware & Backup Software rolled into one. Am I wrong? Looks to me like once NetApp hardware is running you login to it's gui interface and configure it to backup data from whatever server you tell it to. So I may have been way off in my first post suggesting 3rd party software.
I would find out if there is some form of startup tech support offered by NetApp.
What specific model unit do you have of NetApp?

Is this similar (if not exactly like) the gui you see for NetApp? It's a link for Safari books, but if you scroll down you see a couple of NetApp gui screenshots: http://my.safaribooksonline.com/0738499757/ch18lev1sec2
 
I'm running the S500.

From what I have gathered, StoreVault is the management software. It just seems like more is needed in order to accomplish anything else.

Unfortunatly, this product was purchased several months back, so we no longer have support for it.

I think I'll email them and see if I can't figure something out through them. This is really annoying. haha

Thanks for your assistance.
 
I'm running the S500.

From what I have gathered, StoreVault is the management software. It just seems like more is needed in order to accomplish anything else.

I wonder if there is some kind of "agent" client software that needs to be installed on the various servers you want to backup, in order to communicate with StoreVault on the NetApp. In other words ... does StoreVault send out a little exe that is installed on an Exchange Server for example?

Here's a link I found that describes your hardware and software from a tester's perspective: http://windowsitpro.com/article/articleid/95847/storevault-s500.html

And here's a paragraph that caught my eye:

Installing NetApp storage appliances is typically pretty easy-this isn't the first time I've configured and tested one. (See "Network Attached Storage," May 2001, InstantDoc ID 20389, for my review of five NAS devices, including the NetApp F840.) Installing the S500 was as easy as plugging it in and connecting two network cables. You configure the appliance by using StoreVault Manager, which I installed on a workstation. StoreVault Manager is easy to navigate, with many context-sensitive menus and pop-ups, as Web Figure 1 shows. When I powered up the S500, it acquired a DHCP-assigned IP address. StoreVault Manager discovered the S500, let me log on to it, and launched a configuration wizard. The only glitch occurred when I tried to join an Active Directory (AD) domain, where the wizard hung. Instead, I configured the S500 as a workgroup member, and it came right up. Later, with the help of a NetApp technician, I corrected the problem and joined an AD domain.

I noticed the final bit about AD. If you're running AD you might need to do some special steps as pointed out by this writer.

Here's another link for "Setting up a NetApp StoreVault for the first time": http://www.takeabyte.com.au/2008/07/setup-netapp-storevault-first-time/

I noticed a screenshot about needing licenses for various options like Windows File Sharing, Unix File Sharing, SnapRestore ... etc. Do you have the required licenses for your environment?
 
Ya, I had a couple issues getting on my AD domain, but I finally got it.

I have it on the network with a static IP, it is pingable from everywhere on the network both via IP addy and FQDN.

There is a Windows protocol driver that has to be installed on each server in order for the NetApp to see the server. That has been completed successfully and I have created LUN's for each server that I want to back up.

I will go through this article and see if I missed anything. For the most part, it was very easy to set up, just like they said...it's the rest that seems to be kicking my ass. lol

Thanks.

Ok, think I have things worked out.

I finally got ahold of a tech that is going to come out and take a look at it tomorrow.

He was saying I needed to set up an iSCSI SAN which of course we don't have the license for (even though it was explained to them what we wanted to do in the first place). So that would be why I can't seem to get the data from point A to point B.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll have all my issues answered. :)
 
He was saying I needed to set up an iSCSI SAN which of course we don't have the license for (even though it was explained to them what we wanted to do in the first place). So that would be why I can't seem to get the data from point A to point B.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll have all my issues answered. :)

Right on! Glad you were able to get a tech to come out and give you a hand. I was beginning to wonder if it was an "agent"-type licensing issue that was holding you up. Hopefully, that is all it is and it gets fixed tomorrow. Let me know how it turns out.
 
I think that backup exec is the way to do it -best way.

If you wanted a completely free tool for getting snapshots of the database you could use something like RMAN, though this is actually a recovery manager, not a backup tool.
or there are plenty of ways to backup oracle databases, you can find out about them here.
http://www.orafaq.com/wiki/Oracle_database_Backup_and_Recovery_FAQ

I'm assuming that you just want the SAN to hold copies of your database?
so you'd just do regular hot backups by script and have them moved there by the same script.
 
Cool, thanks Root for your input, that helps a lot.

Ok, finally figured out what was missing.

You have to go into the iSCSI connector on each server and connect it to the NetApp. Once that was done, you can go into the disk management area of the server and you'll see the LUN you created in the StoreVault management software. You can format it, share it out, etc, just like it was an actual physical drive on the server.

I'm a much happier camper now that I have that small, essential piece of information. haha

Thanks for all your help.
 
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