Restoring File-system Backups with Oracle Secure Backup

Learning Objective

After completing this topic, you should be able to

recognize how to restore file-system backups with OSB

1. Browsing a backup catalog

The administrative server maintains a catalog in which it stores metadata relating to
backup and restore operations for the administrative domain. Oracle Secure Backup,
abbreviated as OSB, maintains a discrete backup catalog for each client in your
administrative domain.

Graphic
The Restore page of the OSB Web tool is opened.

Supplement
Selecting the link title opens the resource in a new browser window.

Learning Aid
Use the learning aid Style considerations for more information on the style
considerations for the Oracle 11g Database used in this course.
When you browse a backup catalog, OSB presents the data in the form of a file-system
tree, just as it appeared on the client from which the data was saved. For example, if you
backed up the /home/myfile.dat file located on myhost, the backup catalog for myhost
represents the contents of the backup image as /home/myfile.dat.

Graphic
The Restore: Backup Catalog page is opened.
At the root of the backup catalog is the superdirectory, which contains all files and
directories saved from the uppermost file-system level. The superdirectory provides you
with a starting point from which you can access every top-level file-system object stored
in the backup catalog. For Windows clients, this superdirectory contains drive identifiers,
such as the C drive.

Graphic
The superdirectory that lists all the file-system objects is opened.
You can restore files to the original location or to an alternative location. The end-user
restore ability is based on user-level permissions.
OSB automatically recalls tapes located at alternate locations for the restore operation.
(The restore job remains in a pending state until tapes are returned to an accessible tape
device.) Fast restoration from the tape is accomplished using the tape position data
obtained during the backup operation.
With OSB, you can restore data in two different ways:
catalog-based restore and
Catalog-based restore involves browsing backup catalogs for the file-system objects. After
you have located their names and selected the instances to restore, you can direct OSB to
perform the restore operation.
The catalog offers two options to restore the required files tree-style (browsing of all
backups) and multiple query options (for fast identification of required files).
raw restore
Using raw restore involves knowing the names of the file-system objects of interest and the
secondary storage location (volume ID and backup image file number) in which they are
stored.

Question
Which statements accurately describe restoring the file-system data?
Options:
1.

You can restore files to the original location

2.

OSB automatically recalls tapes located at alternate locations for the restore
operation

3.

An end user must have admin permissions to restore the file-system data

4.

You must know the names of the file-system objects to restore them

Answer
Option 1: This option is correct. You can restore the file-system data to the
original location or to an alternative location.

Option 2: This option is correct. OSB automatically recalls tapes located at

alternate locations for the restore operation. The restore job remains in a pending
state until tapes are returned to an accessible tape device.
Option 3: This option is incorrect. The end-user restore ability is based on userlevel permissions. But the end user doesnt necessarily need admin permissions.
Option 4: This option is incorrect. You can restore file-system files with OSB using
a catalog-based restore operation or directly from the media. Restoring directly
from the media requires you to know the names of the file-system objects of
interest and the secondary storage location in which they are stored.
Correct answer(s):
1. You can restore files to the original location
2. OSB automatically recalls tapes located at alternate locations for the restore
operation
You can use the OSB Web tool to restore your saved files. You do this from the Restore
page. To access the Restore page from the Web tool Home page, click the Restore tab
on the menu bar.

Graphic
The Restore page contains two links in the Operations section Backup Catalog
and Directly from Media.
Perform the following steps to list all backups of a client by using the OSB Web tool:
1. click Backup Catalog and select any host from the Host Name list box on the Restore: Backup
Catalog page
The host edrsr12p1 is selected.
2. click the Browse Host button to display the Browse Host page
3. drill down to the file or directory for which you want to display the available backups on the Browse Host
edrsr12p1 page
The List Host Backups button is added in this page. And the page contains the files lab_03_01_05.sh,
lab_04_02_03.sh, and lab_04_02_06.sh.
4. click the List Host Backups button to open the Properties page, and
5. close the Properties page when you've finished viewing it and to return to the Browse Host
edrsr12p1page
The Properties page lists the details of Host Backups Backup ID, Backup date & time, Volume ID,

Volume tag, File number, File section, Requested level, Client, Device, Program version, Volume
creation, Include path, and Actual level.

2. Creating a restore request

To browse a backup catalog for a data restore operation, you perform a sequence of
steps. From the Web tool Home page, click the Restore tab on the menu bar. The
Restore page appears. On the Restore page, click the Backup Catalog link in the
Operations section.
Next perform the following steps on the Restore: Backup Catalog page:
1. Select the client from which the data was originally saved, in the Host Name list box.
The host edrsr12p1 is selected.
2. Select one or more data selectors from the Data Selector list box.
The data selector latest is selected.
3. Select a View mode Inclusive or Exact.
The Inclusive option is selected.
4. Optionally, enter the path name of the directory that you want to browse in the Path field. If you do not do
this, Oracle Secure Backup, abbreviated as OSB, displays the uppermost directory that it has backed up,
for the selected client.
No path is entered in the Path field.
5. Click the Browse Host button to display the Browse Host page with the selected directory.
On the Browse Host edrsr12p1 page, click a directory name to make it your current
directory and view its contents. You can repeat this operation many times to find the data
that you want to restore. You can choose a directory to restore (and all its contents), or
you can choose to restore individual files.

Graphic
The directory contains the files lab_03_01_05.sh, lab_04_02_03.sh, and
lab_04_02_06.sh.
You can change the data selector, and then click Apply to redisplay the page. You can
also change the view mode without leaving this page.
Then select the checkbox next to the name of each file-system file or directory that you
want to restore. Doing so creates an OSB restore request for each instance of the file
identified by the data selector. And to learn the identity of those instances, view the object
property page by clicking the adjacent Properties button.

OSB displays the object Properties page. Close the page when you've finished viewing it
and to return to the Browse Host page by clicking the Close button.

Graphic
The page lists file properties such as Name, Backup ID, Mode & protection, Last
modified, and Size.
On the Browse Host edrsr12p1 page, after you have selected the objects that you want to
be restored, click the Add button.

Graphic
The files lab_03_01_05.sh and lab_04_02_03.sh are selected.
The Restore: Restore > New Restore page appears. In each section of this page, you
enter the required details.
Alternate path
You can enter an alternative path name for each file or directory to restore, in the Alternate
path text box. This step is optional.
The original path name of each object that youve previously selected appears on the
lower-left portion of this page. To its right is the Alternate path text box. If you leave this text
box blank, OSB restores the data using its original name.
Device
To perform the restore operation, select the Device option and select a tape drive to use.
This step is optional. By default, OSB automatically selects the tape drive to use.
The device vt is selected from the Device list box.
Privileged restore
Select your restore mode unprivileged or privileged. The unprivileged mode is the default
mode, which is currently selected. An unprivileged restore operation runs under your UNIX
user identity or Windows account identity, as configured in your OSB user profile.
The privileged mode uses the root or administrator accounts. (You must have appropriate
rights to choose this option.)
The unprivileged restore mode is specified by selecting the No radio button and the
privileged restore mode by selecting the Yes radio button.
Obtar option(s)
Enter one or more obtar options in the Obtar option(s) field. For example, -J enables
debug output and provides a high level of detail in the job transcript.

No high speed positioning

Select the No high speed positioning checkbox if you do not want to use the available
position data to speed up the restore operation.
NDMP incremental restore
Select the NDMP incremental restore checkbox to direct certain Network Attached
Storage, also known as NAS, data servers to apply incremental restore rules. Typically,
recoveries are additive each file and directory restored from a full or incremental backup
is added to its destination directory.
When you select the NDMP incremental restore checkbox, NAS data servers that
implement this feature restore each directory to its exact state as of the last incremental
backup image applied during the restore job. Files that were deleted before the last
incremental backup are deleted by the NAS data service upon restore of that incremental
backup.
Select the Replace existing files option to overwrite any existing files with those restored
from the backup image. Alternatively, select the Keep existing files option to keep any
existing files instead of the default overwriting them with files from the backup image.
If you are restoring to a Windows system, select the Replace in use files option to
replace in use files with those from the backup image. Windows deletes each in use file
when the last user closes it. Alternatively, select the Keep in use files option to leave any
in use Windows file unchanged. Then click OK.
OSB displays the Restore: Backup Catalog > edrsr12p1 page. The restore request that
youve made appears in the Restore items list box. OSB displays related messages in the
status area.

Graphic
The following message is displayed:
Success: file(s) added to restore list.
Submitting a restore request initiates the creation of an OSB job. You perform a sequence
of steps to send catalog-based restore requests to the scheduler by using the OSB Web
tool.
From the Restore: Browse Restore Catalog page, select any host from the Host Name list
box. Next click the Browse Host button.

Graphic

The host EDRSR14P1 is selected.

OSB displays the Restore: Backup Catalog > EDRSR14P1 page. Click Go.
The Web tool sends to the scheduler each restore request that appears in the Restore
items list box.

Graphic
The Restore items section on this page lists the host, EDRSR14P1, and its
path, /home/oracle/labs/test.txt.
A message appears in the status area for each request acknowledged by the scheduler.
The message can say, for example, 1 catalog restore request item submitted; job id is
admin/3, or 2 catalog restore request items submitted; job id is admin/2.
OSB deletes each restore request upon its acceptance by the scheduler. As a result, the
Restore items list box is empty upon completion of the Go operation.
To view the status of your job, perform the following actions:

Graphic
The OSB Web tool Home page is opened.
1. navigate to the Manage page and click the Jobs link
Other available links are Volumes, Backup Images, Backup Sections, Checkpoints, and
Daemons.
2. select file system restore in the Types list box, and
Other available items are file system backup, dataset, Oracle backup, Oracle restore, scan control, media
movement, and duplication.
3. click Apply to view the output of your job
The output displays the following message:
Success: options updated.

Summary
In this topic, you've learned to restore file-system backups with OSB.

Managing Your Oracle Secure Backup Domain

Learning Objective

After completing this topic, you should be able to

recognize how to manage an OSB domain

1. Managing OSB daemons

To oversee data protection activities among diverse hosts, devices, and databases, you
define an administrative domain. There must be only one administrative server for each
administrative domain.
The administrative server contains two components:

Oracle Secure Backup, abbreviated as OSB, catalog is a directory structure with host-specific
subdirectories. This means the contents vary depending on the roles you assign to the host. An
administrative server has a central catalog with configuration and metadata.

Daemons (or services) are processes that run in the background and perform OSB operations on
behalf of an application. Some daemons run continuously; others run only to perform a specific
work and then exit when they have finished.
The OSB daemons actively participate in managing backup and restore operations.
observiced
On the administrative server, the observiced daemon runs jobs (such as backup and
restore operations) on the request of the obscheduled daemon, cleans up old log files
and transcripts, and provides access to the OSB configuration data to other hosts in the
domain.
The observiced daemon starts the obscheduled daemon and the web server during
initialization. When running on a client or media server, the observiced daemon is
primarily responsible for invoking OSB programs in response to a request from the
administrative server.
On all hosts, the observiced daemon is usually started as a part of system startup and
runs continuously. On UNIX and Linux, the startup is usually performed through entries
in /etc/init.d, whereas on a Windows host, the observiced daemon is started by Service
Control Manager.
obscheduled
The obscheduled daemon initiates scheduled events and manages jobs. This daemon
receives job creation requests from obtool users and from the system backup to tape, also

known as SBT, interface in response to Recovery Manager, commonly known as RMAN,

commands.
obixd
The obixd daemon manages the backup catalog. One instance of this daemon runs for
each client whenever the contents of that clients catalog must be read or updated.
obhttpd
The obhttpd daemon is the Apache web server daemon. It provides the Web tool GUI for
OSB.
obndmpd
The obndmpd daemon implements the Network Data Management Protocol, commonly
known as NDMP, tape service and provides media services to remote clients. It is
launched by the observiced daemon in response to client requests to open a channel to
a tape drive that is not locally connected to the client.
obrobotd
The obrobotd daemon is launched by the observiced daemon in response to requests
to manipulate tapes in a tape library. One instance of the obrobotd daemon runs for each
tape library whenever the services of that tape library are required.
obproxyd
The obproxyd daemon verifies user access for system backup to tape, also known as
SBT, backup and restore operations. The proxy daemon runs on the host that contains the
SBT library accessed during the operations. The invocation of the proxy daemon is
platform specific.
The proxy daemon uses the operating system user identity of the process invoking the
SBT library and the local host name to determine the OSB user account for the backup
operation. If preauthorization exists for the OS user and host, and if the associated OSB
user is permitted to perform RMAN backups, login to OSB is permitted.
On a host that is running the Windows operating system, only the observiced daemon
runs as a Windows service. The other OSB daemons do not run as services.

Question
Which OSB daemon is responsible for verifying the user access for the SBT library
accessed operations?
Options:
1.

obproxyd

2.

observiced

3.

obndmpd

4.

obrobotd

Answer
Option 1: This option is correct. The obproxyd daemon verifies user access for
SBT backup and restore operations. The proxy daemon runs on the host that
contains the SBT library accessed during the operations.
Option 2: This option is incorrect. The observiced daemon starts the
obscheduled daemon and the web server during initialization.
Option 3: This option is incorrect. The obndmpd daemon implements the NDMP
tape service and provides media services to remote clients.
Option 4: This option is incorrect. The obrobotd daemon is launched by the
observiced daemon in response to requests to manipulate tapes in a tape
library.
Correct answer(s):
1. obproxyd
The OSB daemons respond to a common set of control commands. Sending control
commands to daemons is an infrequently performed task that you would typically perform
only under the guidance of Oracle Support Services.
There are four daemon control commands:

dump to direct the daemon to dump the internal state information into its log file

reinitialize to direct the daemon to reread the configuration data from the file system

debugon to direct the daemon to generate extra information to its log file, and

debugoff to cancel the previous debugon command and this is the default state
To send a command to a daemon, you perform the following steps:

Graphic
The OSB Web tool Home page is opened.

1. click the Manage tab from the Web tool Home page
2. click the Daemons link in the Maintenance section of the Manage page
Other available links in this section are Jobs, Volumes, Backup Images, Backup Sections, and
Checkpoints.
3. select a daemon from the Type drop-down list on the Manage: Daemons page
The observiced daemon is selected.
4. select the host on which the daemon is running from the Host drop-down list
The host edrsr4p1 is selected.
5. select a command from the Command drop-down list, and
The command dump is selected.
6. click Apply to accept your selections

2. Managing defaults and policies

Defaults and policies are configuration data that control how Oracle Secure Backup,
abbreviated as OSB, operates within an administrative domain. The data is maintained on
the administrative server. OSB is preconfigured with a set of defaults and policies for fast
deployment in most environments.
OSB policies are grouped into several policy classes. Each policy class contains policies
that describe a particular area of OSB operations.
Different types of policies are

daemon

device

index

log

media

naming, and

NDMP
Remaining types of policies are

operations

scheduler

security, and

testing
To modify the policies settings by using the Web tool, you perform the following steps:

Graphic
The Configure page is opened.
1. select the Defaults and Policies link under the Advanced section on the Configure page
Other available links under the Advanced section are Classes and Job Summaries.
2. click the name of the policy you want to modify, and
The policy operations is selected from the Policy list in the Configure: Defaults and Policies page.
3. make any required changes
Finally, click any one of the three buttons Apply, OK, or Cancel. Click Apply to remain
in the same page. Click OK to save the changes and return to the Configure page. Click
Cancel to avoid the operation and navigate back one page.
On the Configure: Defaults and Policies > Operations page, for example, you can set
operation policies to specify the following:

whether OSB updates the backup history data every time a client host is backed up
This can be specified by selecting an option from the Auto history drop-down list. The yes option is
currently selected.

whether OSB creates volume and backup image labels for a new backup image whenever it
backs up the data, and
This can be specified by selecting an option from the Auto label drop-down list. The yes option is
currently selected.

whether OSB performs block-level verification after each backup section is completed
This can be specified by selecting an option from the Backup Image recheck level drop-down list.
The none option is currently selected.
You can also set additional options to apply to scheduler-dispatched backup and restore
operations, such as enabling diagnostic output mode with the obtar -J option.

Graphic

This is specified in the fields Backup options and Restore options. Currently,
both the fields contain the value (none).

3. Managing OSB catalogs

The Oracle Secure Backup, abbreviated as OSB, catalog is a collection of backup
metadata catalogs and configuration files. They are centrally located on the administrative
server in a hierarchical file system under the OSB_Home directory.
There are four primary catalogs.
File-system backup metadata catalog
In the file-system backup metadata catalog, file-system backup metadata is stored for
each client in the indices.cur catalog (also known as the index database). Thus, if the
administrative server has 100 clients, it has 100 indices.cur files. The indices.cur
file is located in this directory.
The directory path is the following:
/usr/local/oracle/backup/admin/history/host/host_name
Piece catalog
The Oracle Database backup piece metadata is stored in the sbtpiece.dat and
sbtpiece.idx files.
Volumes catalog
In the volumes catalog, a listing of all tapes that contain backups registered with the OSB
catalog is stored in the volumes.dat and volumes.idx files. When a tape is
overwritten, the volumes catalog is immediately updated.
Backup sections catalog
In the backup sections catalog, information about backup sections is stored in the
archives.dat and archives.idx files. This information is important when a backup
spans multiple volumes.
The piece, volumes, and backup sections catalogs are located in this directory.

Graphic
The directory path is the following:
/usr/local/oracle/backup/admin/state/general/
After volumes have been overwritten or unlabeled, the backup metadata is no longer
needed. The index daemon automatically removes the backup metadata from the catalog
at the interval set by the indexcleanupfrequency index policy. The default is 21 days.

Question
Which pair of files contains a list of all tapes that contain backups registered with
the OSB catalog?
Options:
1.

volumes.idx and volumes.dat

2.

archives.idx and archives.dat

3.

sbtpiece.idx and sbtpiece.dat

Answer
Option 1: This option is correct. The volumes.dat and volumes.idx files
contain a list of all tapes that contain backups registered with the OSB catalog.
When a tape is overwritten, the volumes catalog is immediately updated.
Option 2: This option is incorrect. Information about backup sections is stored in
the archives.dat and archives.idx files.
Option 3: This option is incorrect. The Oracle Database backup piece metadata is
stored in the sbtpiece.dat and sbtpiece.idx files.
Correct answer(s):
1. volumes.idx and volumes.dat
The OSB home directory is created on every host where you install OSB, although the
contents of the directory vary depending on the roles that you assigned to the host.
These are the installed directories for an administrative server, on a Linux operating
system. Some of the directories contain executable files or information related to storage
devices.

Graphic
The directories that contain executable files are bin, etc, device, lib,
tools.linux32, .drv.linux32, .bin.linux32, .etc.linux32, and .lib.linux32. In addition to
these directories, the administrative server contains admin, apache, help, man,
and samples directories.
OSB maintains its own centralized catalog on the administrative server. The OSB catalog
contains all the information used to define the configuration, and also the metadata
relating to your backup and restore operations.

OSB organizes its catalog in a hierarchical way. The admin directory contains the
administrative domain catalogs.
Preconfigured catalog backup contains four elements:

OSB-CATALOG-MF media family all catalog backups will be written to the same tapes

OSB-CATALOG-SUM job summary daily reports are emailed to users, showing the status of the
catalog backup

OSB-CATALOG-DS dataset all directories and files of the OSB catalog are defined for the filesystem backup, and

OSB-CATALOG-SCHED schedule the schedule determines the timing for the catalog backup
The primary catalog backup configuration settings have been defined. Only one step
remains that require user intervention edit the OSB-CATALOG-SCHED trigger
specifying when the backup should be performed.
If you do not want to use the preconfigured recommended catalog backup specifications,
you can create your own by performing the following steps:
1. create a dataset that includes the OSB home directory, /etc/obconfig file, and /usr/etc/ob directory

2. create a backup request, either on-demand or scheduled

3. submit the backup request to the scheduler, and
4. store the volume set in a known location
You will need the catalog backup only in unusual, difficult circumstances, so you should
make special provisions when storing the backup:

storing the volume set in a known location so that the tapes can be retrieved without having to
look up which volumes were used to store the backup and

configuring the operations/backupoptions policy to use the -v option (if you've configured
a scheduled backup)
Configuring the operations/backupoptions policy generates a full transcript and
lists all the files that are backed up. Then you can save the transcript along with the
tapes.
For additional protection, you can back up the /usr/etc/ob directory, which is the job
transcript directory.

You may also want to save a copy of the SCSI parameters that are used to create the
device special files for your tape devices. This can help you to reconfigure the tape
devices during disaster recovery of your administrative server. The parameter
specifications should be saved along with the volumes that contain the catalog backup.

Summary
In this topic, you've learned to manage the Oracle Secure Backup, abbreviated as OSB,
domain.

Using Data Restore and Preconfigured Catalog Backup

Learning Objectives

After completing this topic, you should be able to

restore file-system data

perform a preconfigured OSB catalog backup

Exercise overview
You have noticed that the files from one of your directories are missing and you want to
use an Oracle Secure Backup restore operation to restore the files. Also, as it is best
practice to perform regular unencrypted backups for your OSB catalog, you want to do so
using the predefined OSB catalog backup. You need to review the preconfigured
elements, set a time trigger to activate the catalog backup, and confirm a successful
backup.
In this exercise, you're required to restore directory files and view the associated job
properties, view preconfigured elements, set a trigger, and complete a backup.
This involves the following tasks:

submitting a restore request

viewing job properties

viewing media and datasets

viewing the job summary

editing a trigger

reviewing jobs

Task 1: Submitting a restore request

You have noticed that the contents of one of your directories are missing. You want to
restore the missing files. Restore the contents of the /home/oracle/labs directory using the
backup catalog. Browse the localhost2 host to get to the labs directory. Add this directory
to the restore job and view the restore list and browse options. Then submit the restore
request to the scheduler.

Steps list
Instructions
1. Click Restore
2. Click Backup Catalog
3. Select localhost2 from the Host Name list box and click Browse Host
4. Click the home hyperlink
5. Click the oracle hyperlink
6. Select the labs checkbox and click Add
7. Click OK
8. Click the Show restore list and browse options hyperlink
9. Click Go

Task 2: Viewing job properties

You want to monitor the progress of your restore request. Access the Manage Jobs page
and display all active, complete, and pending file system restore jobs. Then view the
properties of the admin/2 restore job.

Steps list
Instructions
1. Click Manage
2. Click Jobs
3. Select the Active, Complete, and Pending checkboxes
4. Select file system restore from the Types list box
5. Click Apply
6. Select the admin/2 restore job
7. Click Show Properties

Task 3: Viewing media and datasets

Before configuring a catalog backup, you want to review some of the preconfigured
elements. Access the Configure Media Families page. Edit the OSB-CATALOG-MF media

family to view its information. Click Cancel to return to the previous page without making
any configuration changes. Access the Backup Datasets page and open the OSBCATALOG-DS dataset. Click Cancel to return to the previous page without making any
configure changes.

Steps list
Instructions
1. Click Configure
2. Click Media Families
3. Select OSB-CATALOG-MF and click Edit
4. Click Cancel
5. Click Backup
6. Click Datasets
7. Select OSB-CATALOG-DS and click Open
8. Click Cancel

Task 4: Viewing the job summary

You also want to view the preconfigured job summary. Access the Configure Job
Summaries page and edit the OSB-CATALOG-SUM job summary. View its information
and click Cancel to return to the previous page without making any changes.

Steps list
Instructions
1. Click Configure
2. Click Job Summaries
3. Select OSB-CATALOG-SUM and click Edit
4. Click Cancel

Task 5: Editing a trigger

You want to view the preconfigured schedule and edit its trigger. Access the Backup
Schedules page and edit the OSB-CATALOG-SCHED schedule. Edit the trigger to initiate
catalog backups. Specify that the backup should occur daily at 3:45. When complete,
preview the trigger schedule.

Steps list
Instructions
1. Click Backup
2. Click Schedules
3. Select OSB-CATALOG-SCHED and click Edit
4. Click Triggers
5. Select 03 from the hours drop-down list and select 45 from the minutes drop down list
6. Select the Select daily checkbox
7. Click Add
8. Click Preview

Task 6: Reviewing jobs

You now want to review your completed jobs. Access the Manage Jobs page and display
all active, complete, and pending file system backup and dataset jobs. Then view the
transcript for the OSB-CATALOG-DS job.

Steps list
Instructions
1. Click Manage
2. Click Jobs
3. Select the Active, Complete, and Pending checkboxes
4. Select file system backup from the Types list box
5. Select dataset from the Types list box and click Apply
6. Select dataset OSB-CATALOG-DS
7. Click Show Transcript

Managing the Oracle Secure Backup Infrastructure

Learning Objective

After completing this topic, you should be able to

recognize how to manage the OSB infrastructure

1. Adding clients and media servers

Adding clients may be your most common management task. You can perform it with the
mkhost obtool command or the OSB Web tool.
In the Web tool, click Configure, and then click Hosts.
Then, on the Configure: Hosts page, click the Add button.

Graphic
In addition to the Add button, there are also the Edit, Remove, Rename, Update,
and Ping buttons on this page. It also displays the host details, such as host
name, status, and role in the columns Host Name, Status, and Roles.
On the Configure: Hosts > New Hosts page, you then perform the following steps:
1. Enter a host name of your choice in the Host field. The name must be unique among all Oracle
Secure Backup, also known as OSB, host names.
2. Optionally, enter one IP interface name in the IP interface name(s) field. If you leave this blank, OSB uses
the name of the host you specified in the Host field as the resolvable IP name for the host.
3. Select a status from the Status drop-down list. Your choices are in service and not in service. The in
service choice indicates that the server is logically available for backup and restore operations. And the
not in service choice indicates that the server is unavailable.
Currently, in service is selected in the Status drop-down list.
4. Select one or more administrative domain roles for the host from the Roles list box.
The administrative domain roles available are client, admin, and mediaserver.
5. Select an access method for the host (if applicable) from the Access method drop-down list. Your choices
are ob and NDMP.
The ob method is selected in the Access method drop-down list.

Note
Select the Suppress communication with host checkbox if you want to add a
(standalone) server to the administrative domain.
Removing hosts from your administrative domain includes that the backup catalog is also
removed. The key store remains, so that your backups from that host remain valid.
To add media servers, first from the Administrative Server page, click the link
corresponding to the number of configured Media Servers under the Resources section in
the administrative domain.

Graphic
Other available resources are Media Families, Volumes, Devices, Interrupted
Operations, and Waiting Operations.
The link takes you to the Media Servers page from which you can manage your media
servers. On the Media Servers page, click Add to add a new media server to your
administrative domain.
To configure a new media server on the Add Media Server page, perform the following
steps:
1. Enter the name by which you want to refer to the host in the Name field. The host name that you
choose must be unique among all OSB host names.
The name edrsr14p1 is entered in the Name field.
2. Optionally, enter one IP interface name in the DNS Hostname(s) or IP Address(es) field. If you leave this
blank, OSB uses the name you assigned to the host in the Name field as the resolvable IP name for the
host.
The IP interface name entered is 139.185.35.114.
Then select a status from the Status drop-down list. Your choices are In Service and Not
In Service. In Service indicates that the server is logically available to perform backup
and restore operations. Not In Service indicates that the server is logically unavailable to
perform backup or restore operations.

Graphic
Currently, In Service is selected.
Next select an access method for the host (if applicable) from the Access Mode dropdown list. Your choices are Native and NDMP.
In the Native method, the host contains a local installation of OSB. And in the NDMP
method, the host is accessed through the OSB RPC protocol (plus NDMP) or solely
through Network Data Management Protocol, commonly known as NDMP.
Finally, select the Suppress communication with host checkbox if you want to add a
host to the administrative domain that is not yet connected to the network and click OK.

Graphic
Currently, Native is selected in the Access Mode drop-down list.

The NDMP defines a common architecture for backups of heterogeneous file servers on
a network. NDMP allows administrators to back up data using any combination of
compliant network-attached servers, backup devices, and management applications.
With NDMP, network congestion is minimized because the data path and control path are
separated. Backups can occur locally from file servers directly to tape drives whereas
management occurs centrally.
NDMP is commonly used by Network Attached Storage, also known as NAS, devices,
which are also known as filers, to perform backup and restore operations without
requiring an OSB installation on the appliance.
The filer communicates with the backup software through NDMP. This model is very
different from the classic backup model, which requires the installation of an agent or
backup software component on each host to communicate and perform backup and
restore operations as directed by the backup software server.
NAS devices can be a client or media server but not an administrative server.
If you select NDMP in the Access Mode drop-down list on the Add Media Server page,
you must also specify additional options for your new host on the NDMP Settings page.
First select an authentication type from the Authentication Type drop-down list. The
authentication type defines the way in which OSB authenticates itself to the NDMP
server. Typically, you should use the Negotiated default setting.
There are five Authentication Type options.
Negotiated
The Negotiated option instructs OSB to negotiate with the NDMP server to determine the
best authentication mode to use.
Default
The Default option uses the value of the Authentication type for the NDMP policy.
None
The None option attempts to use the NDMP server from OSB without providing
authentication data (this is usually unsuccessful).
Text
The Text option uses plain (unencrypted) text to authenticate.
MD5
The MD5 option uses the MD5 digest algorithm to authenticate.

Next enter a username in the Username field. The username is used to authenticate OSB
to this NDMP server.
Other NDMP settings that you can enter on this page are Password, Backup Type,
Protocol Version, and Port. Enter the values which are appropriate for your environment.

Graphic
The name root is entered in the Username field. The Password section has two
radio buttons Use Default Password and Use This Password. The Use Default
Password option is selected. The NDMP protocol has three public versions, called
2, 3, and 4. However, it is recommended to allow OSB to choose the protocol
version that the server proposes when the connection is established. And to do
this, from the Protocol Version drop-down list, the option As Proposed By Server is
selected. If the port is not set, then the default port (10000) is used.

2. Adding devices
A device is a tape drive or library. You can add new devices in one of two ways:

By automatically discovering them. Oracle Secure Backup, also known as OSB, can
automatically discover and configure secondary storage devices connected to certain types of
NDMP servers, such as Network Appliance filers.
By adding them manually to define devices that cannot be automatically discovered.
On the Devices page, click either Add Library or Add Drive to add a new device to your
configuration.

Graphic
In addition to the Add Library and Add Drive buttons, there are also the Go, Edit,
and Remove buttons. You can view details of all devices or perform an operation
using the View drop-down list. There are also Actions and Drive Actions dropdown lists in which View Device Details and Reuse Volume are selected
respectively. The Devices page lists the device details in a table with columns
Select, Name, Type, Slot Number, Status, State, Maintenance, Media Server,
Vendor, and Firmware.
When you add a tape library device to your configuration, you must specify the device
type, its attachment, and its OSB name in the Add Library page.

Graphic

These details are specified using the Name field and the Status drop-down list.
Suppose you want to add a tape drive that is part of your tape library to your
configuration. In this case, in addition to the type, attachment, and name, you must
specify the corresponding tape library as well as the data transfer element, abbreviated
as DTE, of the tape drive in the Add Drive page.
OSB identifies each tape drive within a tape library by its DTE number. A DTE must be
specified if the library is specified.

Graphic
DETs are also called as Slot Numbers. They are the physical position of tape
drive(s) in a library. They are numbered starting from 1.
You can also use the mkdev obtool command to add an OSB device object to your
administrative domain configuration. For example, you run these commands in the obtool
command to add the devices tape drive and tape library.

Code
ob> mkdev --type library --attach hasun20:/dev/obl0 tc-lib
ob> mkdev --type tape --library tc-lib --dte 1 --attach
hasun20:/dev/obt0
tc-tape
ob> lsdev
ob> mkdev --type library --attach hasun20:/dev/obl0 tc-lib
This example code shows you how to add a tape library device to your configuration. You
must specify the device type, its attachment, and its OSB name.
ob> mkdev --type tape --library tc-lib --dte 1 --attach
hasun20:/dev/obt0
tc-tape
This example code shows you how to add a tape drive that is part of your tape library to
your configuration. In addition to the type, attachment, and name, you must specify the
corresponding tape library as well as the DTE, of the tape drive. OSB identifies each tape
drive within a tape library by its DTE number. A DTE must be specified if the library is
specified.
ob> lsdev
This example code displays the current configuration for both devices.
This is the output of the lsdev command, which displays the current configuration for
both devices.

Code
library
tc-lib in service
drive 1 tc-tape in service
Unlike SCSI, which is a host-centric protocol, Fiber Channel libraries and tape drives are
typically shared among multiple OSB media servers. A Fiber Channel-attached tape drive
or tape library often has multiple attachments, one for each host that can directly access
it.
You can specify multiple attach points when creating a device with the mkdev or chdev
obtool commands, the Web tool, or Enterprise Manager. Multiple attach points enable you
to attach the same device to multiple hosts on a network.

Question
Which statements accurately describe adding devices in OSB?
Options:
1.

All devices can be automatically discovered

2.

Devices can be added manually

3.

obtool can be used to add devices

4.

SCSI devices are shared among multiple OSB media servers

Answer
Option 1: This option is incorrect. OSB can automatically discover and configure
secondary storage devices connected to certain types of NDMP servers, such as
Network Appliance filers.
Option 2: This option is correct. Devices that cannot be automatically discovered
can be added manually. On the Devices page, click either Add Library or Add
Drive to add a new device to your configuration.
Option 3: This option is correct. You can use the obtool mkdev command to add
an OSB device object to your administrative domain configuration.
Option 4: This option is incorrect. Unlike SCSI, which is a host-centric protocol,
Fiber Channel libraries and tape drives are typically shared among multiple OSB
media servers.
Correct answer(s):

2. Devices can be added manually

3. obtool can be used to add devices
Libraries and tape devices attached to Network Attached Storage, also known as NAS,
filers are automatically configured by the operating system on which the NAS device runs.
Both SCSI device and Fiber Channel configuration occur automatically and require no
input from the user.
OSB can detect changes in device configuration for some types of these NDMPaccessed hosts and on the basis of this information, automatically update the device
configuration in the administrative domain.
However, NAS tape libraries and tape drives must first be made accessible to the OSB
software. This is accomplished by performing device discovery on each of the NAS filers
in the administrative domain. You can discover devices by using Enterprise Manager, the
OSB Web tool, or obtool commands. OSB detects multiple hosts connected to the same
device by comparing the serial numbers reported by the operating system.

Graphic
In the OSB Web tool, the device discovery is specified in the Media Servers page,
which is currently opened. This is done by selecting Discover NDMP Devices from
the Actions drop-down list. Other options are Verify Connectivity, Resynchronize
Settings, and Edit Media Server Devices.
You can discover devices using this obtool command.

Code
ob> discoverdev --verbose --host
edrsr12p1

Question
What are the characteristics of device discovery on NDMP hosts?
Options:
1.

OSB can detect changes in device configuration for all NDMP-accessed hosts

2.

Devices attached to NAS filers should be manually configured on the OS running the
NAS device

3.

OSB can detect multiple hosts connected to the same device

4.

NAS tape libraries must first be made accessible to the OSB software

Answer
Option 1: This option is incorrect. OSB can detect changes in device
configuration for some types of these NDMP-accessed hosts and on the basis of
this information, automatically update the device configuration in the
administrative domain.
Option 2: This option is incorrect. Libraries and tape devices attached to NAS
filers are automatically configured by the operating system on which the NAS
device runs.
Option 3: This option is correct. OSB detects multiple hosts connected to the
same device by comparing the serial numbers reported by the operating system.
Option 4: This option is correct. NAS tape libraries and tape drives must first be
made accessible to the OSB software. This is accomplished by performing device
discovery on each of the NAS filers in the administrative domain.
Correct answer(s):
3. OSB can detect multiple hosts connected to the same device
4. NAS tape libraries must first be made accessible to the OSB software

3. Managing devices
To manage devices, from the Administrative Server page, you can click the Manage link
corresponding to the Devices label in the Resources section.
This takes you to the Devices page where you have the options Add Library and Add
Drive. You can also select an existing device and click Edit or Remove to perform those
actions on that device.
A tape must be mounted in the drive before you can write to it. Mounting a volume means
logically preparing a tape volume in a drive to be read or written.

Graphic
And existing device is selected by clicking the radio button in the Select column
corresponding to the device in the Name column.
Unlike tape devices, OSB will refuse to communicate with a tape library that it does not
recognize. For example, a tape library whose product ID does not appear in this file.

Graphic

The path of the file is the following:

OSB_Home/devices/ob_robots

Note
Many things can go wrong when trying to control an unknown tape library.
To view the tape library properties, perform the following steps in Enterprise Manager:

Graphic
The Devices page is opened.
1. Click the name of a tape library in the Select column on the Devices page and click Edit.
The tape library vlib is selected.
2. The Edit Library page is displayed, showing the properties of the selected tape library. The device
attachment information is displayed at the bottom of the page. Click Show Advanced Settings to view
the additional properties for the device.
You can make changes to the tape library configuration in the Library Settings section of
the Edit Library page and then click one of the following buttons:

Graphic
The Hide Advanced Settings link appears in this page.

OK to save the changes and return to the Devices page

Cancel to avoid the operation and move back one page, and

Add to configure device attachments in the Attachments section

To view tape library or tape drive properties using the Web tool interface, you can select a
tape library or tape drive in the main text box on the Manage: Libraries page and click
Show Properties.

Graphic
Other buttons on the page are Error Log, List Volumes, and Apply.
To view the tape drive properties, perform the following steps:

1. on the Manage: Libraries page, select a tape drive in the main text box and click Show
Properties
The tape drive drive (1) is selected.
2. the Web tool displays a page with the properties for the tape drive that you selected on the Device
Properties page, and
3. click Close to return to the Manage: Devices page
To manage volumes, you can access the Volumes page from the Administrative Server
page by clicking the Details link to the right of the Volumes label in the Resources
section.
You can use the Volumes page to display a list of all volumes associated with an
administrative server.
To display the volumes, you must first specify a filter option. You do so by using the
Search section. In the example, the filter option limits the volumes displayed to only those
for the RMAN-DEFAULT media family. For a listing of all volumes, select the All option
from the Filter By drop-down list and then click Go.

Graphic
In addition to the All option, other options are Media Families, Volume IDs, Volume
Set IDs, Barcode, and Attributes.
The Results table identifies the Volume ID and other important information related to your
volumes. You can view all the backup sections in a selected volume by clicking the
Backup Sections button.
Use the Backup Sections page to display the sections of a backup. A backup section is
that portion of a backup image that fits on one physical volume. The Sections table
displays the Backup Level, Client Host, Volume Set Creation Time, and Attributes for
each section.

Summary
In this topic, you've learned to manage the OSB infrastructure.