Frequently Asked Questions

Which Oracle versions does IDrive^® 360 support?

IDrive 360 currently supports backup and restore for the following Oracle versions:

• Oracle 12c (12.2)
• Oracle 11g
• Oracle 10g
• Oracle 9i

Are there any special settings I should be aware of while performing backup or restore using the IDrive^® 360 desktop application?

Yes. When performing Oracle server backup or restore using the IDrive 360 desktop application, ensure the following settings are in place:

1. The Oracle database selected for backup must be in the ARCHIVELOG mode.
2. For remote backup, select the temporary directory on the computer where the Oracle server service is running. Ensure that the selected temporary directory is mapped from a remote location and has sufficient disk space to hold the Oracle server backup resources.
3. You must have the SYSDBA privileges.

How do I back up Oracle databases?

To back up your Oracle server,

1. Sign in to the IDrive 360 desktop application and click 'Server Backup'. A slider menu appears.
2. Click 'Oracle'. The Oracle connection screen appears with 'Oracle backup' selected by default.
3. Provide the Oracle server authentication details when prompted, and click 'Login to Oracle Server'.
   

   Note: The user must have SYSDBA privileges. To grant SYSDBA privileges, use the following command:
   SQL> grant sysdba to <user>

4. Select 'Online Backup', 'Local Backup', or 'IDrive^® 360 Express™ Backup'.

   Note: ‘Online Backup’ stores the data in IDrive 360 cloud. ‘Local Backup’ and ‘IDrive^® 360 Express™ Backup’ store the data on a local drive.

5. Select the databases from the list and specify a temporary path for the local backup.

   Note:

   (a) Ensure that the selected temporary directory path on the local computer has sufficient disk space for the Oracle backup resources.

   (b) Select the temporary location on the computer running the Oracle server service. For remote/network backups, select a temporary location on the server where the Oracle server is running.

   (c) When the local backup starts, a ‘.ServerBackup’ folder is created automatically.

6. Click 'Schedule Now'. The 'Scheduler' window appears, where you can schedule the backup or run it immediately.
   
   

   Note: The backup set name begins with ‘IDOracleServerBkset’, followed by the Database SID - for example, if the SID is JOHN, the backup job name will be ‘IDOracleServerBkset (JOHN_DB)’.

You can consult your Oracle DBA for details on configuration parameters.

Does IDrive^® 360 support backup of Oracle server running on Linux/Unix?

Yes. IDrive 360 supports the backup of Oracle servers running on Linux and Unix operating systems.

To back up,

1. Install the Oracle Client on a Windows computer and configure the Oracle Client and Oracle Server, in addition to the Oracle Server running on your Linux/Unix machine.
2. Download and install the IDrive 360 desktop application on the Windows computer where the Oracle Client is installed.
3. Share a folder on the Linux/Unix system and map it as a drive on the Windows machine.
4. During Oracle Server backup, select the mapped drive as the temporary directory to hold the Oracle Server backup resources. Ensure that the selected directory has sufficient space and privileges and is mapped from the Linux/Unix machine.
5. Schedule the Oracle Server backup as per the required frequency.

Does IDrive^® 360 perform incremental backup of Oracle databases?

Yes. IDrive 360 supports incremental backups of Oracle databases.

Can I back up Oracle server databases located at a remote location using the IDrive 360 desktop application?

Yes. You can back up Oracle server databases located at a remote location. To do this, select a temporary directory on the computer where the Oracle server service is running. Ensure that the directory is mapped from the remote location and has sufficient space to store the Oracle server backup resources.

How do I convert the database to the ARCHIVELOG Mode?

To perform Oracle server database backup, you must set the database to ARCHIVELOG Mode.

To enable ARCHIVELOG Mode using Oracle Recovery Manager (RMAN):

1. RMAN> connect target <username>/<PWD>@<SID>[connect to your Oracle database];
2. RMAN> shutdown immediate;
3. RMAN> startup mount;
4. RMAN> sql 'alter database archivelog';
5. RMAN> alter database open

Can I back up databases from multiple Oracle server instances using IDrive^® 360?

Yes. IDrive 360 supports backing up databases from multiple Oracle server instances.

Can I select a network location for the Oracle server backup?

Yes. The IDrive 360 desktop application allows you to select a network location for the temporary backup directory during remote Oracle server backups. Select the temporary directory on the computer where the Oracle server service is running. Ensure that the selected directory is mapped from the remote computer and has sufficient space to hold the Oracle server backup resources.

Where and how should I select the remote backup location?

Select the temporary directory on the remote computer where the Oracle server service is running. Ensure that the directory is mapped to the local machine and has sufficient space to hold the Oracle server backup resources.

I am receiving an error message for insufficient privileges while performing the Oracle server backup. Why?

This error occurs when the logged-in Oracle user does not have sufficient privileges to perform backup or restore operations.

To resolve this issue, assign SYSDBA privileges to the user using the following command:

SQL>grant sysdba to <user>

Can I perform Oracle server backup in Mirror Path mode?

No. Oracle server backups do not support the Mirror Path mode. Even if Mirror Path is selected, the backup is processed in Relative Path mode.

Can I add or modify the files in the 'IDORACLEBackup' folder?

No. Adding or modifying files in the ‘IDORACLEBackup’ folder is not recommended. Any changes to the contents of this folder can affect Oracle server restore operations.

Can I remove the 'IDORACLEBackup' folder from my local computer after completing the Oracle server backup to my IDrive^® 360 account?

Yes. You can remove the ‘IDORACLEBackup’ folder from your local computer after the Oracle server backup is successfully completed to your IDrive 360 account. However, deleting this folder will disable local incremental backups of your Oracle server databases.

How do I restore my Oracle database to the Oracle server?

To restore your Oracle database,

1. Sign in to the IDrive 360 desktop application and click 'Restore'.
2. Select 'Online Restore', 'Local Restore', or 'IDrive^® 360 Express™ Restore'.
3. Locate and select the ‘IDORACLEBackup' folder from your IDrive 360 account or local drive.

   Note: If ‘Local Restore’ is selected, you can choose the required version from the 'Version' list.

4. Click 'Restore Now' to restore the ‘IDORACLEBackup' folder to the local computer.

   Note: The restored 'IDORACLEBackup' folder must be in the same path as during the original backup.

   
5. After the folder is restored, click 'Server Backup'. A slider menu appears.
6. Click 'Oracle'. The Oracle connection screen appears.
7. Click 'Oracle restore'.
8. Provide the required Oracle server authentication details when prompted and click 'Login to Oracle Server'.
9. Browse and select the 'IDORACLEBackup' folder (restored earlier).
10. Select the databases you want to restore to your Oracle server.
11. Click 'Restore Now'.

Where should I place the 'IDORACLEBackup' folder to perform a network or remote Oracle server database restore?

Place the ‘IDORACLEBackup’ folder in a temporary location on the computer where the Oracle server service is running. Ensure that the folder is in the same path as it was during the backup operation.

How do I restore the Oracle database to a different server?

To restore the Oracle database to a different server, you must perform a manual restore using the RMAN (Recovery Manager) tool. The required details, such as the DBID of the backup database and the original backup filename, can be found in the ‘IBOracle database DB.ini’ file located in the IDrive 360 backupset folder.