Step-by-Step App Consistent Oracle Database Copy Creation (local and remote)

Step By Step

ECX auto-discovers databases and enables copies only of eligible databases. To be eligible for ECX copy, the Oracle database needs to be residing on a supported storage platform. With ECX, application owners do not need to be concerned about storage infrastructure.
ECX creates application-consistent Oracle database copies without the need to build and maintain complex RMAN scripts. 

A typical ECX Oracle database copy creation workflow consists of the following steps:

• Auto-injects a lightweight component into the standalone Oracle Server(s) or one of the Oracle RAC server node(s) running database instance to be copied
• Discovers storage volume mapping to selected Oracle database(s) and logs
• Places the Oracle database in hot backup mode 
• Automatically creates consistency group for related storage volumes
• Creates application-consistent copy of the consistency group
• Takes the Oracle database out of hot backup mode (typically within a few seconds of entering the hot backup mode)
• Optionally creates log copies into the mount points specified
• Optionally creates selected masked copies using masking tools for secure DevOps use
• Catalogs Oracle copies into the catalog and optionally records details in the RMAN recovery catalog 
• Optionally replaces the application-consistent copy to a remote location leveraging storage replication
• Cleans up auto-injected components from the Oracle server node

ECX creates and uses in-place copies, so no data is physically moved. Replication to off-host storage is performed by leveraging storage replication, which reduces the amount of impact on Oracle Servers and Databases. ECX generated application-consistent copies are both space and time efficient. With the same ease, a DBA can automate the creation of remote copies for DR use cases.