RMAN scripts & variables/parameters

Question

Hi
We are using RMAN with TSM. There are a number of 9i and 8i databases. I tried to set the environment up to with as few scripts as possible to cover the variety of databases. I provide various variables/parameters to handle the differences between the various databases.
In the 9i environment I "CONFIGURE" as much as possible to avoid setting changes in the actual backup script. That gives me a fairly clean generic backup script which also avoids manual channel allocations ie :
run
backup incremental level=0
not backed up since time='SYSDATE-(8/24)'
check logical
filesperset=4
format='/LVL0_%d_%T_%U'
(database include current controlfile)
plus archivelog format '/ARC_%d_%T_%U' delete all input;
However due to the lack of "CONFIGURE" in 8i I cannot configure automatic channels. Therefor my script has to change to :
run
allocate channel ch01 type 'sbt_tape' parms 'ENV=(TDPO_OPTFILE=/usr/tivoli/tsm/client/oracle/bin/tdpo_${ORACLE_SID}.opt)';
allocate channel ch02 type 'sbt_tape' parms 'ENV=(TDPO_OPTFILE=/usr/tivoli/tsm/client/oracle/bin/tdpo_${ORACLE_SID}.opt)';
allocate channel ch03 type 'sbt_tape' parms 'ENV=(TDPO_OPTFILE=/usr/tivoli/tsm/client/oracle/bin/tdpo_${ORACLE_SID}.opt)';
allocate channel ch04 type 'sbt_tape' parms 'ENV=(TDPO_OPTFILE=/usr/tivoli/tsm/client/oracle/bin/tdpo_${ORACLE_SID}.opt)';
backup incremental level=0
check logical
filesperset=4
format='/LVL0_%d_%T_%U'
(database include current controlfile)
(archivelog all format '/ARC_%d_%T_%U' delete input);
release channel ch01;
release channel ch02;
release channel ch03;
release channel ch04;
I have multiple database instances on the same server & would like to have a single generic script with a variable/parameter to change the "tdpo.opt" file for each instance. The alternate is to have a complete set of scripts for each DB instance with everything hard coded.
The question is : Can I pass variables/parameters to a RMAN script? If yes, how do I go about it?
Maybe there are other ideas out there to do this. The key to me in this whole execise is to reduce maintenance & increase flexibility.
Your responses will be appreciated
CM

Answer 1

I was hoping to get away from building part of the backup script ie the channel allocation in the RMAN statement.Don't know how you expect to do this when it's required for 8i databases ?
Well since you are looking to accommodate 8i & 9i database and you need to manually allocate channels for the 8i databases, then you could configure your script to include an IF..THEN block that will run one set of RUN commands if the database name that is passed in is in a certain list and run the other RUN block if it isn't. You could maintain two "here document" blocks, one for 8i and one for 9i. Therefore, all of the commands can reside in one generic script.
For example, you could configure your single, generic script as:
# add your logic checking here to see if a 9i database sid
# was passed in as a parameter.  If so run the following code
rman target / log=${sid}bkp_log append << !1
run
backup incremental level=0
not backed up since time='SYSDATE-(8/24)'
check logical
filesperset=4
format='/LVL0_%d_%T_%U'
(database include current controlfile)
plus archivelog format '/ARC_%d_%T_%U' delete all input;
!1
# if not run the following (ie. 8i databases)
rman target / log=${sid}bkp_log append << !2
run
allocate channel ch01 type 'sbt_tape' parms 'ENV=(TDPO_OPTFILE=/usr/tivoli/tsm/client/oracle/bin/tdpo_${ORACLE_SID}.opt)';
allocate channel ch02 type 'sbt_tape' parms 'ENV=(TDPO_OPTFILE=/usr/tivoli/tsm/client/oracle/bin/tdpo_${ORACLE_SID}.opt)';
allocate channel ch03 type 'sbt_tape' parms 'ENV=(TDPO_OPTFILE=/usr/tivoli/tsm/client/oracle/bin/tdpo_${ORACLE_SID}.opt)';
allocate channel ch04 type 'sbt_tape' parms 'ENV=(TDPO_OPTFILE=/usr/tivoli/tsm/client/oracle/bin/tdpo_${ORACLE_SID}.opt)';
backup incremental level=0
check logical
filesperset=4
format='/LVL0_%d_%T_%U'
(database include current controlfile)
(archivelog all format '/ARC_%d_%T_%U' delete input);
release channel ch01;
release channel ch02;
release channel ch03;
release channel ch04;
!2then you could call this generic script with the appropriate command line parameters.
Hope I'm following your explanation/requirement.