`CLONING`

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The CLONING section of the IBM® Storage Protect Snapshot profile contains parameters that are used for cloning operations. The parameters are independent of the storage device or application.

The following lists provide the parameters, a description of each parameter, and default values for the CLONING section.

The following parameters apply to Oracle in an SAP environment databases:

CLONE_TARGET_DATABASE_TYPE

This parameter identifies the installation type that is on the clone system. For SAP environments on Oracle, specify AUTO:

AUTO: AUTO is the default value for this parameter.

Default: AUTO.
Advanced mode only: Yes.

DEVICE_CLASS

This required parameter identifies the device class to use when you are cloning a database. The following code sample provides an example of how to specify options for this parameter:

DEVICE_CLASS <device class> USE_FOR_CLONING <list of clone database names>

There is an optional conditions statement that can be used. The following code sample includes an example of how to use the conditions statement. When you use the condition statement, use the following syntax:


[USE_AT <days of week>] [FROM <time> TO <time>]

The time period that is specified cannot span midnight for a device class. If a device class time period is required to span midnight, you must specify two time periods for the device class. The first time period must end with a value 1 minute before midnight and the second time period must start at midnight. The following example shows how to specify a time period that spans midnight for a device class:

DEVICE_CLASS <myClass1> USE_FOR_CLONING CL1 FROM 20:00 TO 23:59 
DEVICE_CLASS <myClass2> USE_FOR_CLONING CL2 FROM 00:00 TO 06:00

If multiple DEVICE_CLASS statements are used, ensure that a unique 1-to-1 relation between the clone database name and the device class exists.

Default: Not applicable.
Advanced mode only: No.

ENHANCED_PARTITIONING

The ENHANCED_PARTITIONING parameter is used to control processing when extra file systems that are not database files are specified by the FLASH_DIR_LIST parameter in a cloning operation. IBM Storage Protect Snapshot fails, when a file system that is specified by the FLASH_DIR_LIST parameter contains symbolic links that point to a file system on a different volume group that is not part of the snapshot operation. Set the ENHANCED_PARTITIONING parameter to NO to ensure that symbolic links if present are not processed. You must manually add this parameter to the IBM Storage Protect Snapshot profile file. The following list identifies the possible options:

YES: Use this option to ensure that IBM Storage Protect Snapshot processes all symbolic links of files or directories that are specified in the FLASH_DIR_LIST profile parameter.
NO: Use this option to ensure that IBM Storage Protect Snapshot does not process symbolic links of files or directories that are specified in the FLASH_DIR_LIST profile parameter.

Default: YES
Advanced mode only: Yes.

FLASH_DIR_LIST

This parameter is used to include files systems that are not part of the database files in the snapshot operation. For example, when you are cloning an SAP Advanced Business Application Programming and Oracle Java™ system, the Java instance is not part of the database files. A clone of the Java instance is created along with the clone of the database. In this scenario, use the FLASH_DIR_LIST parameter to include the Java instance directories.

Inside the file, specify one fully qualified file or directory on each line. IBM Storage Protect Snapshot uses the snapshot function to snapshot the complete volume groups where the specified files or directories are located.

The default value is an empty list. This value prevents extra volumes from participating in the snapshot operation.

Default: By default, no file name is specified.
Advanced mode only: Yes.

DATABASE_SCHEMA

When a clone database is created from the production database, the database schema does not change. The clone database uses the database schema that is used by the production database. The DATABASE_SCHEMA parameter is used to specify the database schema. For Oracle in an SAP environment databases, the DATABASE_SCHEMA parameter is optional. The default database schema is determined by the dbs_ora_schema environment variable. This environment variable is set on the production database instance owner environment.

If these environment variables are not set, the default database schema value is SAPR3. When the DATABASE_SCHEMA parameter is used for a Oracle in an SAP environment database, the specified database schema value overrides all default database schema values. The DATABASE_SCHEMA parameter is evaluated when the following conditions exist:

A processing script is used with the preproc_clone or postproc_clone command.
The refresh_clone command is entered with the -X or -Y cloning parameter.
The create_clone command is entered with the -Y cloning parameter.

Default: The default value is determined by environment variables.
Advanced mode only: Yes.

NEGATIVE_LIST

The NEGATIVE_LIST parameter is used to control processing when files that are not associated with the database are stored within the same file system that is used for the backup and restore operations. This parameter is required. The following list identifies the options:

NO_CHECK: Use this option to not check for extra files. The operation ignores any additional files that are identified. When you use this option and data is restored, all files that are on the file system or volume group are overwritten.
WARN: Use this option to receive a warning message for each file that is identified on the volume, but not part of the snapshot operation. The processing continues. When you use this option and data is restored, all files that are on the file system or volume group are overwritten.
ERROR: Use this option to receive an error message for each file that is discovered on the volume, but not part of the snapshot operation. The processing ends.
filename: Use this option to back up and restore files that are not part of the database tablespace files. Using this option includes files in the snapshot operations. When you use this option, specify the fully qualified names of the files and directories. Use one line for each entry. When these files are identified, processing continues. When other files are identified, but not part of the database tablespace files or identified in the NEGATIVE_LIST file, processing ends. Any directory that is listed in the NEGATIVE_LIST file is processed recursively. For example, all files within the directory, including subdirectories, are processed during a backup or restore request.

Default: There is no default for this required parameter.
Advanced mode only: Yes.

TIMEOUT_FLASH

This parameter specifies the maximum time, in seconds, that the database agent waits for a response to the management agent call during the flash phase. If the database agent does not receive a response within the specified time, an error message is displayed. This parameter allows the maximum time to be specified for a database to be suspended. This parameter also implies the maximum time when JFS2 file systems can be frozen. When the timeout is reached, the file systems thaw, the database is resumed, and the backup operation ends with an error. The minimum value for TIMEOUT_FLASH is 5 seconds.

Default: The default value is 120 seconds.
Advanced mode only: Yes

TIMEOUT_<PHASE>

Specify the maximum time (in seconds) that the database agent waits for a response to the management agent call during the <phase> phase. If the database agent does not receive a response within the specified time, the cloning operation ends and an error message is displayed. The default value is 3600 seconds.

You can specify one of these phase values for a snapshot backup. For example: TIMEOUT_PREPARE

PARTITION
PREPARE
VERIFY
CLOSE

Advanced mode only: Yes.

The following parameters apply:

OVERWRITE_DATABASE_PARAMETER_FILE

This parameter is included in the OFFLOAD section of the configuration profile. The parameter specifies whether the database configuration file on the clone server is overwritten with the file from the production server. The parameter value in the OFFLOAD section is not applicable to cloning operations and is ignored.

To copy the database configuration file from the production system to the clone system, specify this parameter in the CLONING section of the configuration profile. The IBM Storage Protect Snapshot software requires two database configuration files to be available in the clone instance on the clone system. The default database configuration file name is <$ORACLE_HOME>/dbs/init<$ORACLE_SID>.ora

In the scenario where the production system is <$ORACLE_SID>=P01 and the clone system is <$ORACLE_SID>=C01, the following database configuration files are required:

/oracle/C01/102_64/dbs/initP01.ora
/oracle/C01/102_64/dbs/initC01.ora

The initP01.ora file is used during the cloning process to recover the database that is used in the snapshot operation on the clone system. The initC01.ora file is used to rename and start the clone database.

Specify one of the following values:

YES

Copy the database configuration file from the production system to the clone system. The following processes occur:

The clone database configuration file initP01.ora is copied on the clone system. The existing file, /oracle/C01/102_64/dbs/initP01.ora, is overwritten. If the production database uses a binary Oracle Server Parameter file (SPFILE), then it is dumped to a temporary pfile and copied to the clone system.
If the production database is configured to use a binary Oracle SPFILE, do not specify a value for the TARGET_DATABASE_PARAMETER_FILE parameter. In this scenario, the default database configuration file name <$ORACLE_HOME>/dbs/init<$ORACLE_SID>.ora is used on the clone system.
The clone database configuration file /oracle/C01/102_64/dbs/initP01.ora is copied to /oracle/C01/102_64/dbs/initC01.ora. The existing file, /oracle/C01/102_64/dbs/initC01.ora, is overwritten. All occurrences of P01 in this file are renamed to C01.

NO

Do not copy the database configuration file from the production system to the clone system. This value requires that the database configuration files /oracle/C01/102_64/dbs/initP01.ora and /oracle/C01/102_64/dbs/initC01.ora are available on the clone system. You must verify that these files are available and are valid.

If the name of the database configuration file on the production database is not the default file name, <$ORACLE_HOME>/dbs/init<$ORACLE_SID>.ora, use the TARGET_DATABASE_PARAMETER_FILE parameter, in the CLONING section, to specify the correct name. In this scenario, the clone database configuration file name is created by replacing the <$ORACLE_SID> value of the production database with the name of the clone database.

Default: YES
Advanced mode only: Yes.

TARGET_DATABASE_PARAMETER_FILE

This parameter is included in the ORACLE section of the configuration profile.

The parameter specifies the database configuration file name. The parameter value in the ORACLE section is not applicable to cloning operations and is ignored.

Specify this parameter in the CLONING section of the profile to identify the name of the Oracle parameter file for the production database. Enter the fully resolved path and file name of the Oracle parameter file for the production database. By default, the file name of the Oracle parameter file for the production database is initSID.ora. This file must be a text-based Oracle parameter file (PFILE) and not a binary Oracle SPFILE. The default value is <$ORACLE_HOME>/dbs/init<$ORACLE_SID>.ora. If the production database is configured to use a binary Oracle SPFILE, this file is automatically detected and this parameter must not be specified.

Default: <$ORACLE_HOME>/dbs/init<$ORACLE_SID>.ora
Advanced mode only: Yes.

VOLUME_MGR

LVM: This input is the default value.

Default: LVM
Advanced mode only: No.