You can back up Oracle RAC databases, the control file, log files, the server parameter file, or Oracle datafiles and tablespaces. You can back up the database when it is online or offline. If the database must be accessible and you have a small backup window, run a series of online backups for different database portions.
Full Backups
Oracle RAC full backups include the entire database and the control file. A full backup is the most comprehensive backup and is the baseline for incremental backups. Full backups of online databases include the log files. An offline full backup is a cold backup for Oracle RAC databases.
If you have configured RMAN backup optimization for an Oracle instance, then the Commvault software permanently turns off optimization the first time that you perform a full backup or selective online full backup from the CommCell Console. This behavior ensures that the backups contain all the Oracle RAC data files and that you can success fully restore the backups.
Incremental Backups
An Oracle RAC incremental backup contains the changed data from the last full backup. Incremental backups use less media and resources than full backups.
In a cumulative level n backup, only the data that differs from the most recent backup at level n-1 or lower, is backed up.
Data in Backups
The following data is included in Oracle RAC backups:
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The Oracle database files that include datafiles (*.dbf) and backup control files (*.ctl)
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The archived redo logs
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The parameter files (SP File)
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The block changes tracking file
The following data is not included in an Oracle RAC backup:
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Oracle Cluster Voting Disk
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Oracle Cluster Registry (OCR)
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OCR Log Files