Protected Databases and Recovery Appliance Architecture

1.2.1 Protected Databases and Recovery Appliance Architecture

Figure 1-1 illustrates the Recovery Appliance environment. Multiple protected databases are backed up to a Recovery Appliance using an incremental-forever backup strategy. You can also configure protected databases to transfer real-time redo data to the Recovery Appliance. The Recovery Appliance environment can include protected databases from Oracle AI Database and all versions back to Oracle Database 10g. To enable protected databases to access and store backups to the Recovery Appliance, you must configure databases.

Figure 1-1 Recovery Appliance Architecture and Protected Databases

Description of "Figure 1-1 Recovery Appliance Architecture and Protected Databases"

The Recovery Appliance receives incremental backups and redo data from multiple protected databases. It continuously validates backups at the Oracle block level thus assuring recoverability of data. Backups are compressed to optimize storage utilization before they are stored in the delta store. The delta store is the sum total of all Recovery Appliance storage that is used to store protected database backup data. All data file and archived redo log backups are stored in the delta store. Recovery Appliance creates virtual full backups of the protected database, which is a complete database image as of one distinct point in time.

The Recovery Appliance metadata database is the Oracle database that runs inside of the Recovery Appliance. It stores configuration data such as definitions, protection policy definitions, and client database definitions. The metadata database also stores backup metadata and contains the Recovery Appliance catalog.

Oracle Secure Backup, the tape management component of Recovery Appliance, is preinstalled on the Recovery Appliance and is used to archive backups to an attached tape library.

Note:

Oracle Secure Backup (OSB) 19.1 desupport was announced on May 1, 2026 with premier support end date on September 30, 2027. See My Oracle Support note PNEWS3035 for more information. Please refer to Lifetime Support Policy: Oracle Technology Products for updated support timeframes.

Oracle recommends that database backups to cloud take advantage of Oracle Database Zero Data Loss Cloud Protect, which uses Oracle Zero Data Loss Autonomous Recovery Service in OCI. Cloud Protect offers an efficient incremental forever backup strategy, real-time transaction protection, logically air-gapped immutable backups, and fast, point-in-time recovery.

For customers who require database backups to Amazon S3, Oracle Database Cloud Backup for Amazon S3 may be used. This offering is similar to Oracle Secure Backup Cloud Module in that it is fully integrated with Recovery Manager (RMAN) and enables you to back up your Oracle database to Amazon S3. You can exchange your Oracle Secure Backup license for an Oracle Database Cloud Backup for Amazon S3 license on a 1:1 basis. See Oracle Database Cloud Backup for Amazon S3 for more information.

As with Oracle Secure Backup Cloud Module, Oracle Database Cloud Backup for Amazon S3 can be used free of charge on Oracle Zero Data Loss Recovery Appliance (ZDLRA) for the sole purpose of backing up data to and restoring data from S3-compatible storage devices that are in the same campus as ZDLRA.

Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control (Cloud Control) provides a unified backup management interface for the entire life cycle of backups. You can use Cloud Control to back up, recover, and report on protected databases.

As part of the disaster recovery strategy, Recovery Appliance can replicate protected database backups to other Recovery Appliances. When you configure replication, a Recovery Appliance (called the upstream Recovery Appliance) forwards backups to another Recovery Appliance (called the downstream Recovery Appliance). Recovery Appliance supports a wide variety of replication topologies.