Configuring the Protected Database for Backup and Redo Failover

After you configure replication for Backup and Redo Failover, the protected database administrator should perform the tasks in this section so that the protected database can send backups to the primary Recovery Appliance under normal conditions, and to the alternate Recovery Appliance during a planned or unplanned outage.

Task 1: Configure sqlnet.ora to point to the wallet location

Ensure that the sqlnet.ora file contains the location of the Oracle wallet.

The following example shows how the wallet location entry should appear:

SQLNET.WALLET_OVERRIDE = true
WALLET_LOCATION = 
(SOURCE = 
    (METHOD = FILE)
    (METHOD_DATA =
      (DIRECTORY = /u01/app/oracle/product/12.1.0/dbhome_1/dbs/zdlra)
   )
  )

Task 2: Create an auto-login wallet in the location specified in sqlnet.ora

The following example creates an auto-login wallet in the directory specified in "Task 1: Configure sqlnet.ora to point to the wallet location":

$ mkstore -wrl /u01/app/oracle/product/12.1.0/dbhome_1/dbs/zdlra/ -createALO

Task 3: Add the credentials for the primary and alternate Recovery Appliances to the wallet

In this task the protected database administrator adds credentials for the primary and alternate appliances using the VPC user you created in "Task 1: Create a VPC user account and a replication user account on the primary Recovery Appliance" to the wallet.

The following examples add the vpcuser credentials for the primary appliance rapribrf-scan.acme.com:1521/rapri:dedicated and the alternate appliance raaltbrf-scan.acme.com:1521/raalt:dedicated to the wallet on the protected database:

$ mkstore -wrl /u01/app/oracle/product/12.1.0/dbhome_1/dbs/zdlra/ -createCredential "rapribrf-scan.acme.com:1521/rapri:dedicated" "vpcuser" "pwd"
$ mkstore -wrl /u01/app/oracle/product/12.1.0/dbhome_1/dbs/zdlra/ -createCredential "raaltbrf-scan.acme.com:1521/raalt:dedicated" "vpcuser" "pwd"

Task 4: Register the database with the alternate Recovery Appliance and back up the control file

For this task, the protected database administrator performs steps 1 and 2, and the Recovery Appliance administrator performs step 3.

To register the database and back up the control file:

Using RMAN, connect to the protected database as TARGET and to the alternate Recovery Appliance catalog as CATALOG, and then run the REGISTER DATABASE command.
After the REGISTER DATABASE command is completed, back up the current control file to the alternate appliance:
```
BACKUP DEVICE TYPE SBT CURRENT CONTROLFILE;
```
Verify that the control file backup was replicated from the alternate appliance to the primary appliance.

Task 5: Ensure that the database is registered with the primary Recovery Appliance

This step is to confirm that the protected database is registered with the primary appliance. Because replication is configured when the database is registered with the alternate appliance in the previous task, the database should automatically be registered with the primary appliance.

To confirm registration with the primary appliance:

In RMAN, connect to the database using the primary appliance credentials in the CATALOG connect string.

rman TARGET / CATALOG /@rapribrf-scan.acme.com:1521/rapri:dedicated
Run the REGISTER DATABASE command.

The following error should display:
```
RMAN-20002: target database already registered in recovery catalog
```

Note:

The protected database administrator must also create a separate RMAN backup script that directs backups to the alternate Recovery Appliance when the primary appliance is not available, and redirects backups to the primary appliance when it is back in service. This script must connect to the alternate Recovery Appliance catalog and have the CONFIGURE CHANNEL or ALLOCATE CHANNEL command with credential_alias set to the alternate appliance. See Zero Data Loss Recovery Appliance Protected Database Configuration Guide for an example of how to create an RMAN backup script for the Recovery Appliance.
To send real time redo to the alternate Recovery Appliance during the outage of the primary appliance, an additional log archive destination must be defined as an ALTERNATE for the log archive destination used to connect to the primary appliance. The connect string must be defined in the Oracle auto-login wallet, similar to the connect string required for the primary appliance, and using the same VPC user (although the password may be different). See Data Guard Concepts and Administration for an example of how to use the ALTERNATE attribute to automatically fail over to a alternate remote destination.