Back Up a Database Using the Console

This article explains how to manage backups in the Recovery Service and the Object Storage using the Console.

For more information about backups, see Back Up and Recovery in Base Database Service.

Required IAM Policy

To use Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, you must be granted security access in a policy by an administrator. This access is required whether you're using the Console or the REST API with an SDK, CLI, or other tool. If you get a message that you don’t have permission or are unauthorized, verify with your administrator what type of access you have and which compartment to work in.

If you're new to policies, see Getting Started with Policies and Common Policies.

Related Topics

Navigate to the List of Standalone Backups for Your Current Compartment

Perform the following steps to navigate to the list of standalone backups in your compartment.

  1. Open the navigation menu. Select Oracle Database, then select Oracle Base Database.
  2. Under Resources, click Standalone Backups. A list of standalone backups is displayed.

Configure Automatic Backups for a Database

When you start a DB system, you can optionally enable automatic backups for the initial database. Use this procedure to configure or disable automatic backups after the database is created.

Note:

Switching the backup destination will trigger an immediate full backup by default. This full backup cannot be rescheduled.
  1. Open the navigation menu. Select Oracle Database, then select Oracle Base Database.
  2. Select your Compartment. A list of DB systems is displayed.
  3. In the list of DB systems, click the name of the DB system that contains the database for which you want to configure automatic backups.
  4. The details of the DB system followed by a list of databases are displayed.
  5. In the list of databases, click the name of the database for which you want to configure automatic backups.
  6. The details of the database are displayed.
  7. On the Database Details page, in the Database information tab, the Backup details indicate whether automatic backups are enabled. When backups are enabled, the details also indicate the selected backup retention period.
  8. To configure automatic backups, on the Database Details page, click Configure automatic backups.
  9. In the Configure database backups dialog, check or uncheck Enable automatic backups, as applicable. If you are enabling automatic backups, you can select to configure Recovery Service or Object Storage as the Backup destination.
    Your choice to use Recovery Service as the backup destination depends on the available limits in your tenancy and the available capacity in the specific region. The following restrictions apply to all regions when you enable automatic backups and want to use Recovery Service as the backup destination:
    • If you have available limits and if there is available capacity in the region, then your choices are Recovery Service (default) and Object Storage.
    • If you have exhausted the default limits for the Recovery Service, then you can only use Object Storage. However, you can make an additional limits request and then use Recovery Service.
    • If there is no available capacity in the region, then you can use only Object Storage. However, after the required capacity becomes available in the region, you can seamlessly switch from Object Storage to Recovery Storage.
    • Ampere A1 shape-based DB systems can only be backed up in the Object Storage.
    • Oracle Database 23c can only be backed up in the Object Storage.
  10. If Recovery Service is selected as the Backup destination, you can configure the following options:

    • Protection policy: You can select from one of the preset protection policies or a custom policy. The system automatically deletes your backups at the end of your chosen protection policy recovery window.

      The following retention periods are available for Recovery Service. The retention periods (in days) are defined in the Recovery Service protection policy.
      • Bronze (14 days)
      • Silver (35 days) (default)
      • Gold (65 days)
      • Platinum (95 days)
      • Custom (User defined protection policy)

    • Real-time data protection: Real-time protection is the continuous transfer of redo changes from a protected database to Recovery Service. This reduces data loss and provides a recovery point objective (RPO) near 0. This is an extra cost option.

    • Deletion options after database termination: You can use the following options to retain managed database backups after the database is terminated. These options can also help restore the database from backups in case of accidental or malicious damage to the database.

      • Retain backups according to the retention period: When a database is terminated, the automatic database backups associated with the terminated database and all of its resources will be removed at the end of the specified retention period.
      • Retain backups for 72 hours, then delete: When a database is terminated, the automatic database backups associated with the terminated database and all of its resources will be retained for 72 hours and then deleted. The backups are retained for 72 hours to safeguard against accidental deletion by the user.
    • Scheduled day for initial backup: Select a day of the week for the initial backup to begin.
    • Scheduled time for initial backup (UTC): Select a time for the initial backup to begin. The initial backup could start at any time or within the chosen two-hour scheduling window.
    • Scheduled time for daily backup (UTC): Select a time for the daily backup to begin. The daily backup could start at any time or within the chosen two-hour scheduling window.
    • Take the first backup immediately: A full backup is an operating system backup of all data files and the control file that constitute an Oracle Database. A full backup must also include the parameter files associated with the database. You can take a database backup when the database is shut down or while the database is open. You must not typically take a backup after an instance failure or other unusual circumstances. If you select to defer the initial backup, your database may not be recoverable in the event of a database failure.
  11. If Object Storage is selected as the Backup destination, you can configure the following options:

    • Backup retention period: If you select to enable automatic backups, you can select a policy with one of the preset retention periods. The system automatically deletes your incremental backups at the end of your chosen retention period. You can change the backup retention period after provisioning.

      The following retention periods are available for Object Storage.
      • 7 days
      • 15 days
      • 30 days (default)
      • 45 days
      • 60 days
    • Scheduled day for full backup: Select a day of the week for the initial and future full backups to begin.
    • Scheduled time for full backup (UTC): Select a time for the full backup to begin. The full backup could start at any time or within the chosen two-hour scheduling window.
    • Scheduled time for incremental backup (UTC): Select a time for the incremental backup to begin. The incremental backup could start at any time or within the chosen two-hour scheduling window.
    • Take the first backup immediately: A full backup is an operating system backup of all data files and the control file that constitute an Oracle Database. A full backup must also include the parameter files associated with the database. You can take a database backup when the database is shut down or while the database is open. You must not typically take a backup after an instance failure or other unusual circumstances. If you select to defer the initial backup, your database may not be recoverable in the event of a database failure.
  12. Click Save changes.
  13. The Database Details page displays the automatic backup status and details in the Backup section.

Configure Automatic Backups for a Standby Database

  1. Open the navigation menu. Select Oracle Database, then select Oracle Base Database.
  2. Select your Compartment. A list of DB systems is displayed.
  3. In the list of DB systems, click the name of the DB system containing the primary database of the standby database for which you want to configure automatic backups.
  4. The details of the DB system followed by a list of databases are displayed.
  5. In the list of databases, click the name of the primary database.
  6. Under Resources, click Data Guard associations.
  7. In the list of standby databases, click the name of the database for which you want to configure automatic backups.
  8. The details of the database are displayed.
  9. On the Database Details page, in the Database information tab, the Backup details indicate whether automatic backups are enabled. When backups are enabled, the details also indicate the selected backup retention period.
  10. To configure automatic backups, on the Database Details page, click Configure automatic backups.
  11. In the Configure automatic backups dialog, check or uncheck Enable automatic backups, as applicable. If you are enabling automatic backups, Object Storage is configured as the Backup destination.

    Note:

    • Only Object Storage can be configured as the backup destination.
    • If automatic backup is enabled on the primary database and the backup destination is Autonomous Recovery Service, then you cannot enable backup on the standby database.
    • If automatic backup is enabled on the primary database and the backup destination is Object Storage, then you can enable backup on the standby database.
    • If automatic backup is disabled on the primary database, you can enable backup on the standby database.
  12. Backup retention period: If you select to enable automatic backups, you can select a policy with one of the preset retention periods. The system automatically deletes your incremental backups at the end of your chosen retention period. You can change the backup retention period after provisioning.
    The following retention periods are available for Object Storage.
    • 7 days
    • 15 days
    • 30 days (default)
    • 45 days
    • 60 days
  13. Deletion options after database termination: You can use the following options to retain managed database backups after the database is terminated. These options can also help restore the database from backups in case of accidental or malicious damage to the database.
    • Retain backups according to the retention period: When a database is terminated, the automatic database backups associated with the terminated database and all of its resources will be removed at the end of the specified retention period.
    • Retain backups for 72 hours, then delete: When a database is terminated, the automatic database backups associated with the terminated database and all of its resources will be retained for 72 hours and then deleted. The backups are retained for 72 hours to safeguard against accidental deletion by the user.
  14. Scheduled day for full backup: Select a day of the week for the initial and future full backups to begin.
  15. Scheduled time for full backup (UTC): Select a time for the full backup to begin. The full backup could start at any time or within the chosen two-hour scheduling window.
  16. Scheduled time for incremental backup (UTC): Select a time for the incremental backup to begin. The incremental backup could start at any time or within the chosen two-hour scheduling window.
  17. Take the first backup immediately: A full backup is an operating system backup of all data files and the control file that constitute an Oracle Database. A full backup must also include the parameter files associated with the database. You can take a database backup when the database is shut down or while the database is open. You must not typically take a backup after an instance failure or other unusual circumstances. If you select to defer the initial backup, your database may not be recoverable in the event of a database failure.
  18. Click Save changes.
  19. The Database Details page displays the automatic backup status and details in the Backup section.

Create an On-Demand Backup of a Database

Perform the following steps to create an on-demand backup of a database.

Note:

Object Storage creates a full backup, while the Recovery Service creates an incremental backup of the database.
  1. Open the navigation menu. Select Oracle Database, then select Oracle Base Database.
  2. Select your Compartment. A list of DB systems is displayed.
  3. In the list of DB systems, click the name of the DB system that contains the database for which you want to create an on-demand full backup.
  4. The details of the DB system followed by a list of databases are displayed.
  5. In the list of databases, click the name of the database for which you want to create an on-demand full backup.
  6. The details of the database are displayed.
  7. Under Resources, click Backups. A list of backups is displayed.
  8. Click Create backup.
  9. Provide a name for the backup database.
  10. Click Create backup.

View Details of a Protected Database

Perform the following steps to view the details of the protected database using the Console.

  1. Open the navigation menu. Select Oracle Database, then select Oracle Base Database.
  2. Select your Compartment. A list of DB systems is displayed.
  3. In the list of DB systems, click the name of the DB system that contains the database for which you want to configure automatic backups.
  4. The details of the DB system followed by a list of databases are displayed.
  5. In the list of databases, click the name of the database for which you want to configure automatic backups.
  6. The details of the database are displayed.
  7. On the Database Details page, in the Database information tab, the Backup details indicate whether automatic backups are enabled. When backups are enabled, the details also indicate the chosen backup details.
  8. Click the Recovery Service link in the backup destination to view the details of the protected database.

For more information, see Managing Protected Databases.

View Status of a Backup

Perform the following steps to view the backup status of a database.

  1. Open the navigation menu. Select Oracle Database, then select Oracle Base Database.
  2. Select your Compartment. A list of DB systems is displayed.
  3. In the list of DB systems, click the name of the DB system that contains the database for which you want to view the backup status.
  4. The details of the DB system followed by a list of databases are displayed.
  5. In the list of databases, click the name of the database for which you want to view the backup status.
  6. The details of the database are displayed.
  7. Under Resources, click Backups. A list of backups is displayed.
  8. The State column displays the status of the backup.
  9. The following are the various states of the backup: Active, Creating, Canceled, Canceling, or Failed.

Cancel a Backup

Perform the following steps to cancel a backup of a database.

Note:

Only backups in the Creating state can be canceled.
  1. Open the navigation menu. Select Oracle Database, then select Oracle Base Database.
  2. Open the navigation menu. Select Oracle Database, then select Oracle Base Database.
  3. In the list of DB systems, click the name of the DB system that contains the database for which you want to cancel the backup.
  4. The details of the DB system followed by a list of databases are displayed.
  5. In the list of databases, click the name of the database for which you want to cancel the backup.
  6. The details of the database are displayed.
  7. Under Resources, click Backups. A list of backups is displayed.
  8. The State column displays the status of the backup. The following are the various states of the backup: Active, Creating, Canceled, Canceling, or Failed.
  9. In the list of backups, click the Actions menu for the backup you want to cancel.
  10. Click Cancel backup and confirm when prompted.
  11. The status of the backup changes to Canceling.

If the cancel backup fails, in the Work requests pane under Resources, you will see a line item called Cancel database backup in Failed state. There will also be a work request for the backup initiated by Create database backup that will reflect the state of the backup operation.

Delete Full Backups of a Database

Perform the following steps to delete the full backup of a database.

Note:

You cannot explicitly delete automatic backups. Unless you terminate the database, automatic backups remain in the Recovery Service and Object Storage for the number of days specified by the user, after which time they are automatically deleted.
  1. Open the navigation menu. Select Oracle Database, then select Oracle Base Database.
  2. Select your Compartment. A list of DB systems is displayed.
  3. In the list of DB systems, click the name of the DB system that contains the database for which you want to delete the backup.
  4. The details of the DB system followed by a list of databases are displayed.
  5. In the list of databases, click the name of the database for which you want to delete the backup.
  6. The details of the database are displayed.
  7. Under Resources, click Backups. A list of backups is displayed.
  8. In the list of backups, click the Actions menu for the backup you want to delete.
  9. Click Delete and confirm when prompted.

Delete Standalone Backups of a Database

Perform the following steps to delete a standalone backup of a database.

  1. Open the navigation menu. Select Oracle Database, then select Oracle Base Database.
  2. Under Resources, click Standalone Backups. A list of standalone backups is displayed.
  3. In the list of standalone backups, click the Actions menu for the backup you want to delete.
  4. Click Delete and confirm when prompted.