Oracle International Corporation

Steven Wertheimer

Muthu Olagappan

Raymond Guzman

William E Fisher

William Bridge

Chris Plakyda

Senad Dizdar

Debjyoti Roy

Juan R Loaiza

Gregory Pongracz

Anand Beldalker

Venky Nagaraja Rao

Sriram Nagaraja Rao

Beldalker Anand

Amit Ganesh

Bipul Sinha

J William Lee

Dmitry Mikhailovich Potapov

Alok Pareek

Wei Ming Hu

Wanli Yang

Francisco Sanchez

Vladimir Begun

Alexander Hwang

Shen-Ban Meng

According to embodiments described herein, a backup server maintains backup data for a set of data, which includes data for a first block and a second block. Backup data for the first and second block include backup data for a plurality of versions of the first and second block. A distinct watermark is stored for each version of the first block and each version of the second block. In response to a request to perform a restoration operation on the set of data, a particular version of the first block and a particular version of the second block are selected to use in the restoration operation by comparing a restoration target with the watermarks of the version of the first block and second block. The selected version of the first block has a different watermark than the selected version of the second block.

Virtual full backups

A method, apparatus, and system for centralized tape management are provided for databases. A centralized availability machine or disk and tape backup server maintains working backup data for a plurality of database management systems (DBMSs) based on receiving, from each of the plurality of DBMSs, differential incremental updates. The updates may be at the database block level, with an index maintained to identify different versions of the blocks for snapshot recovery. The availability machine then determines a utilization schedule for distributing the working backup data to a plurality of tapes using a plurality of tape drives, and stores the working backup data as archived backup data on the plurality of tapes according to the utilization schedule. By placing each DBMS within a protection policy that indicates criteria to meet business goals with respect to tape backups, the utilization schedule can automatically schedule tape backup jobs with optimized hardware resource assignments.

Centralized tape management for databases

Techniques for cooperative storage management are described. According to embodiments described herein, a storage server stores backup data for a plurality of client systems, including a first client system and one or more other client systems. The storage server receives a request from the first client system to store new backup data. In response to the request from the first client system, the storage server determines which backup data to delete to make space for the new backup data based, at least in part, on retention duration goals associated with the one or more other client systems. The retention duration goals indicate that the client desires to be able to recover data at least as old as a specified age. The storage server may also determine which backup data to delete based, at least in part, on respective minimum space parameter values for the other client systems.

Cooperative storage management

Space on disk, designated for storage of recovery files is automatically managed so as to not exceed a predetermined limit. Specifically, after creation of information to be stored in a new recovery file, an automatic check is made to see if creation of the new recovery file will cause the space to exceed the limit. If so, at least one recovery file currently in the space is deleted. The new recovery file is automatically created, when the space occupied by existing recovery files becomes sufficiently small to accommodate the new file without exceeding the limit. The recovery file(s) deleted to make room for the new recovery file may be automatically identified in accordance with a user-specified policy. Such a policy may be used to automatically identify a subset of recovery files available for deletion, well ahead of time, i.e. prior to a need for deletion arises.

Automated disk-oriented backups

A method and apparatus for creating a target database on a target platform based on a source database on a source platform is provided. A target database is created on the target platform based on data, metadata (for example, data in the system tablespace and control files), and external objects (for example, password files and externally stored tables) comprised within the source database. Data and metadata stored in tablespaces of the source database are converted to the format compatible with the target platform. The conversion of the data and metadata may be performed either at the source database or the target database. Redo information and undo information of the source database are not copied from the source database to the target database. Certain files, e.g., a password files, and links to externally stored object may be recreated on the target database.

Cross-platform transportable database

A method and apparatus identifies backup files that will restore a file in a transactional system. A reset stamp and filename is used to identify all backup files of the file having the filename since the file was last restored. A smaller number of files necessary to restore the file are selected from these backup files by sorting the list of files and selecting certain files in sort order. If necessary, earlier reset stamps are identified and more files are identified and selected, until a file is selected that contains a full backup or datafile copy of the file. For the backup files selected, information such as the location of the file is stored in the order in which the backup files are selected. The information, such as the location of each file selected, is provided in an order that is the reverse of the order in which the files were selected so that the oldest file is listed first. The files may be restored in the order provided.

Method and apparatus for identifying files used to restore a file

A system and method backs up computer files to backup drives connected to multiple computer systems. Each file in a backup set is allocated to one or more backup subsets for each of the multiple computer systems. The files can be allocated in an even number across each subset, allocated to evenly spread the number of bytes to each subset, or, using the capacity of each of the multiple computer systems, allocated so that each computer system can complete backing up the files allocated to it in approximately the same amount of time. The system can restrict the number of bytes continuously required from a single disk by one of the backup machines from exceeding a threshold limit. Each of the multiple computer systems is then directed to, and the computer systems do, back up files in one or more subsets, which may be allocated to that computer system.

Method and apparatus for efficiently backing up files using multiple

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Kentfield, CA, United States of America

Steven Wertheimer