Frequently Asked Questions

Which Oracle versions does IDrive^® 360 support?

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

• Oracle 18c
• Oracle 19c
• Oracle 21c
• Oracle 23c (23ai)

Note: Only single-instance configurations are supported.

Are there any prerequisites or configuration requirements needed to perform Oracle database backup and restore using IDrive^® 360?

Yes. For the IDrive 360 application to perform backup and restore operations successfully, the following prerequisites and configurations are required:

Database Requirements

• Only single-instance Oracle database configurations are supported.
• Backup and restore operations are supported for only Container Databases (CBDs).
• Pluggable databases (PDBs) are not backed up or restored individually; they are backed up as a part of Container Database (CDB).
• The database must be in OPEN state.
• The database must be running in ARCHIVELOG mode.
• Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC) are not supported.

Connection Requirements

• The user performing backup/restore operations must have SYSDBA privileges.
• The host string must be entered in the EZCONNECT format:
  <host_name>:<port_name>/<service_name>
  For e.g. 192.165.1.234:1521/ORCL

NOTE:

• Starting with Oracle Database 12c (12.1.0.2), the non-CDB architecture (non-multitenant architecture) is deprecated.
• Configuration and feature availability may vary based on the Oracle database version and Oracle's official documentation.
• You may coordinate with your Oracle Database Administrator to get details on the configuration parameters and proper environment setup.

How do I back up Oracle databases?

To backup your Oracle server,

1. Sign in to the IDrive 360 application and click 'Server Backup'. A slider menu will appear. Select 'Oracle'.
2. The Oracle Connection screen appears. The Oracle Backup tab will be selected by default.
3. Provide the Oracle Instance authentication information when prompted. Enter the Host String in the EZCONNECT format:
   <host name>:<port name>/<service name>
   For e.g. 192.168.1.245:1521/ORCL
   Click 'Connect to Oracle'.
   NOTE: Ensure that the user has SYSDBA privileges.
   
4. Select 'Online Backup', 'Local Backup', or 'IDrive^® 360 Express™ Backup'.

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

5. Select the Container Database (CDB) 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'. The 'Scheduler' is displayed where you can schedule the backup for any future day and time or perform an immediate backup of the selected Container Database.
   
   

   Note: For an easy identification of the Oracle backup set, the name of the backup set will begin with 'IDORACLEBkset' followed by the Database Host String and backup type.
   
   For e.g. if the host string is 192.168.1.235:1521, then the name of the backup job will be IDORACLEBkset(192.168.1.235:1521_DB)[Local].
   
   You may consult your Oracle Database Administrator to obtain details on the configuration parameters.

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

Yes, IDrive 360 performs incremental backup of Oracle databases.

How do I convert the database to the ARCHIVELOG Mode?

It is important to convert the Oracle database to ARCHIVELOG mode before backup for ensuring data integrity and seamless database operations. To enable ARCHIVELOG mode using Oracle Recovery Manager (RMAN):

1. RMAN> connect target <username>/<password>@<service name>;
2. RMAN> shutdown immediate;
3. RMAN> startup mount;
4. RMAN> alter database archivelog;
5. RMAN> alter database open;

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

Yes, IDrive 360 allows you to back up multiple Oracle server instances by configuring each instance separately with its own connection details (host, port and service name). Since only single-instance database configurations are supported, IDrive 360 connects to one instance at a time and the associated Container Database (CDB) is backed up as a whole.

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

This error occurs when you have logged into the Oracle server as a user who does not have sufficient privileges to perform backup and restore operations. To grant SYSDBA privileges, use the following command:

SQL> GRANT SYSDBA TO <user>

Can I perform Oracle server backup in Mirror Path mode?

No. Mirror Path mode is not supported for Oracle database backups. All Oracle database backups are stored using a relative, application-managed directory structure, as required by RMAN-based backup operations.

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

No. It is recommended that you do not add, delete or modify any files in the IDORACLEBackup folder. This folder stores Oracle backup data and metadata. Any modifications to its contents may compromise the integrity of the backup and could affect the Oracle server restore operations.

Can I choose a shared or mapped drive as the destination for the Oracle server backup?

No. A shared or mapped drive cannot be selected as the destination for your Oracle server backup.

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

You may remove the IDORACLEBackup folder from your local computer after a successful backup to your IDrive 360 account. However, deleting this folder will disable local incremental backups of the Oracle database and all subsequent backups will be performed as full backups.

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'.

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

To restore the Oracle database to a different server, you should manually operate the RMAN tool. To obtain details of the DB such as DBID, original backup filename, TAGNAME etc, you need to refer to the ini file found in the IDORACLEBackup folder.