Oracle 9.2.0.4.0 & Windows 2000 backup

[parker]

Hello!

We have recently installed vSphere 6 environment, where we have two windows 2000 server virtual machines with Oracle 9.2 running.
I'd like to use Veeam 8 for backups. We have possibility to stop the databases nightly for backup-operations, but I cannot find appropriate configuration for Veeam.

Application aware processing (VSS) is not supported on win2000, so the pre-freeze and post-thaw scripts cannot be activated (we received error "Guest OS win2000ServGuest is not supported" when testing the credentials).

We could use net stop batch file for stopping the db before backup and net start to start it up again, but how to trigger the batch files in vm before backup with Veeam software?

[veremin]

We could use net stop batch file for stopping the db before backup and net start to start it up again, but how to trigger the batch files in vm before backup with Veeam software?

It might be scheduled task (Windows Task Scheduler) that initiates oracle specific commands and then proceeds to running VB&R backup job.

By the way, what's the reason of using an obsolete operating system that reached end of its lifecycle several years ago?

Thanks.

[dellock6]

Well, VSS is not available neither in Oracle 9.2, that is another old database, so Vladimir I think the two (OS and database) are walking hand by hand in terms of age. Probably there's some legacy application using that Oracle.
The problem also is that Powershell is NOT supported in Windows 2000, so also this option is not available. Maybe one possible idea could be to use remote code execution via pstools, running from the Veeam server (supposing it's a modern OS) with a script that does 3 things:
- psexec that runs a remote script into the win2000 machine to put the database on hot backup mode
- via powershell runs the VM backup
- psexec again to end hot backup mode

I've never tried this but it would be the thing I'd try probably, if the upgrade of OS and Oracle is not an option.

[veremin]

To clarify I was not talking about initiating everything from Windows 2000 VM, but rather from backup server itself. So, I'm along the same line with: scheduled task on backup server that establishes connection to the said VM, runs required commands inside it, then, proceeds to starting backup job (Start-VBRJob -Job $Job), etc. Thanks.

[parker]

Thank you for your answers.
We are investigating the upgrade possibilities for OS and also for Ora, but currently, this is the situation, Win2ksrv and Ora 9.2.
The Veeam software is located in a new, dedicated win2008R2-server, and runs the backups to local disks.

Our software developer created a batch that shuts down the oracle instance every night and starts it again in the morning, so now I have a window for backups in "clean" environment.

1) If I have understood correctly, enabling vmware tools quiescence for backup is the correct and safest way with closed Oracle database & running windows 2000?

2) We are soon virtualizing also one win2003-server with SQL-server. I'm planning on shutting down the SQL for backup runs. Is the VSS natively supported on windows 2003, or should it be enabled from OS?

[veremin]

1) If I have understood correctly, enabling vmware tools quiescence for backup is the correct and safest way with closed Oracle database & running windows 2000?

If the corresponding VM is powered off (developer's batch script), you can even disable VMware tools quiescence, since you're going to backup shutdown VM.

Is the VSS natively supported on windows 2003, or should it be enabled from OS?

Should be supported natively.

Thanks.

[parker]

If the corresponding VM is powered off (developer's batch script), you can even disable VMware tools quiescence, since you're going to backup shutdown VM.

1) The corresponding VM is powered ON and Windows 2000 Server remains ON, only Oracle database and corresponding services will be shutted down with the batch script. Tools quiescence is enabled.

2) For the backup configuration of SQL in Windows 2003 server, as precaution SQL database will be shutted down, VM / Windows remains ON, tools quiescence will be enabled.

So backup is in both cases with running VM's, only databases are shutted down. Would this ensure clean backups with stable databases?

[veremin]

Would this ensure clean backups with stable databases?

Yep, as no transactions would be happening at the time of backup.

[parker]

How about the transaction logs truncating for MS SQL server 2008 in win2003server? Can this setting be disabled (do not truncate logs), as the SQL db will be shutted down for backup (windows/VM remains up and running)?

[veremin]

You seem to have already disabled Application Aware Image Processing for that VM, thus, no VSS application specific logic would be performed, including logs truncation.

[parker]

In the Windows 2003 server we have the application aware processing enabled, because it is supported by the OS. And in the settings, the SQL logs truncation was enabled yesterday, but we received errors:

Code: Select all

"Login: administrator
29.6.2015 18:58:47   5880                      Truncating SQL logs
29.6.2015 18:58:47   5880                              Enumerating SQL instances
29.6.2015 18:58:47   5880                                  Opening registry path: [SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server]
29.6.2015 18:58:47   5880                                  SQL instance found: [MSSQLSERVER].
29.6.2015 18:58:47   5880                                  SQL instance found: [BKUPEXEC].
29.6.2015 18:58:47   5880                              Enumerating SQL instances. Ok.
29.6.2015 18:58:47   5880                              Truncating database logs (SQL instance: xxx\MSSQLSERVER). User: administrator
29.6.2015 18:59:04   5880  WARN                            OpenFromInitializationString failed with error code 0x80004005.
29.6.2015 18:59:04   5880                              Truncating database logs (SQL instance: xxx\MSSQLSERVER). User: administrator. Failed.
29.6.2015 18:59:04   5880  WARN                    Cannot truncate SQL logs for instance: xxx\MSSQLSERVER.
29.6.2015 18:59:04   5880  WARN                        OpenFromInitializationString failed. [[DBNETLIB][ConnectionOpen (Connect()).]SQL Server does not exist or access denied.]"

As stated before, the SQL server was stopped during this backup test.
So, I have two options

1) to find the reason for these errors and fix them, and continue with truncating enabled
2) to disable the truncating

If there is no harm in disabling the truncating, this would be easier solution for me, as I did not find the cause of this error today

[Vitaliy S.]

The reason for access denied error could be described over here, please take a look > Latest Patch broke transaction log truncation

How about the transaction logs truncating for MS SQL server 2008 in win2003server? Can this setting be disabled (do not truncate logs), as the SQL db will be shutted down for backup (windows/VM remains up and running)?

If SQL Server Instance is not available during backup job running, logs will not be truncated. If your database are running in Full recovery mode, you should truncate logs manually or via SQL Server Management studio, otherwise these logs will fill up all the free space on the server.