Is it possible to do DB restore from FS backup ?

Question

Hi All,
I would like to share issue which I have confronted recently......Here is the scenario
We have taken cold backup of DB ( sizing to 900 gb) to disk, via RMAN. We took FS(file system) backup of that disk backup to tape using Legato MML. There was request to restore the DB using same backup and to be hosted in different server. We had two options:
1) do a FS restore to the target ( in same directory structure) and proceed with restore using RMAN
2) do SCP of all backup sets to the target ( in same directory structure) and proceed with restore using RMAN
We opted first one, but it was time consuming....I believe other one also time demanding.
I doubt whether its possible to do DB restore directly from ( FS backup of disk backup to tape) tape rather than doing FS restore and doing DB restore?
I appreciate your reply at the earliest, we are expecting one more such request in near future
Regards
Amjath

Answer 1

Hi Amjath,
Timewise your san migration will be (much) faster compared with the tape backup and restore.
Anyway after you have configured rman, the fra and the nmo the (coldbackup) procedure would be:
Make a backup to the fra:
connect target /;
connect catalog rman/define_pwd@define_rcv;
shutdown immediate ;
startup mount ;
backup database;
alter database open;
Backup the fra to tape:
connect target /;
connect catalog rman/define_pwd@define_rcv;
run
allocate channel c1 type 'SBT_TAPE';
allocate channel c2 type 'SBT_TAPE';
backup recovery area;
release channel c1;
release channel c2;
On the second server
connect target /;
connect catalog rman/define_pwd@define_rcv;
# could be you need to set the dbid
# set dbid = define_dbid;
STARTUP NOMOUNT;
run
allocate channel c1 type 'SBT_TAPE';
allocate channel c2 type 'SBT_TAPE';
restore controlfile;
sql 'alter database mount';
restore database;
sql 'alter database open resetlogs';
release channel c1;
release channel c2;
Regards,
Tycho