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SnapCenter Software 5.0

Types of backup supported for Oracle databases

Contributors netapp-jsnyder thrisun

Backup type specifies the type of backup that you want to create. SnapCenter supports online and offline backup types for Oracle databases.

Online backup

A backup that is created when the database is in the online state is called an online backup. Also called a hot backup, an online backup enables you to create a backup of the database without shutting it down.

As part of online backup, you can create a backup of the following files:

  • Data files and control files only

  • Archive log files only (the database is not brought to backup mode in this scenario)

  • Full database that includes data files, control files, and archive log files

Offline backup

A backup created when the database is either in a mounted or shutdown state is called an offline backup. An offline backup is also called a cold backup. You can include only data files and control files in offline backups. You can create either an offline mount or offline shutdown backup.

  • When creating an offline mount backup, you must ensure that the database is in a mounted state.

    If the database is in any other state, the backup operation fails.

  • When creating an offline shutdown backup, the database can be in any state.

    The database state is changed to the required state to create a backup. After creating the backup, the database state is reverted to the original state.