1-14

Configuration of Oracle 10g Data guard

Posted by Pavan DBA on October 24, 2009

Primary Database Requirements for Data Guard:

Environment:
Operating System: Linux
Database Version: 9.2.0.4
Primary Database: prod
Secondary Database: prod2

FORCE LOGGING must be enabled:

SQL> select force_logging from v$database;
SQL> alter database force logging;

ARCHIVELOG mode and automatic archiving must be enabled:

SQL> archive log list
MAXLOGFILES >= (2 * Current Redo Log Groups) + 1:

SQL> select records_used “Current Groups”,records_total “Max Groups” from

v$controlfile_record_section where type = ‘REDO LOG’;

listener.ora Additions:
Define the standby database SID on the standby site:
(SID_DESC=
(SID_NAME=PROD2)
(ORACLE_HOME=/pgms/oracle/product/v9204)
)
(in $ORACLE_HOME/network/admin/listener.ora)

tnsnames.ora Additions:
Define the standby database connect string on the primary site:
myserver_prod2 =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS =(PROTOCOL = TCP) (Host = 123.45.67.89) — whatever host IP
has PROD2(Port = 1521)
) )
(CONNECT_DATA = (SID = PROD2) ) )
(define myserver_prod and myserver_prod2 on both primary and standby sites
for quick switchovers)

sqlnet.ora and /etc/oratab Additions:

Enable dead connection detection on the primary and standby sites:
sqlnet.expire_time=2
(in $ORACLE_HOME/network/admin/sqlnet.ora)
Add the standby database’s entry to /etc/oratab on the standby site:
PROD2:/pgms/oracle/product/v9204:N

Standby Database Parameter File:

Create the initPROD2.ora parameter file to be used for the standby database (done from
primary database):
 2-14

If you’re primary is using a spfile:

sqlplus “/ as sysdba”
SQL> create pfile=’$ORACLE_HOME/dbs/initPROD2.ora’from spfile;
Else, if your primary is using a pfile:
cp -p $ORACLE_HOME/dbs/initPROD.ora
$ORACLE_HOME/dbs/initPROD2.ora

Note: We will be modifying both the primary and standby parameter files to handle being in
either the primary or the standby mode for quick switchovers.

Standby Database Parameters (changes in copy of primary’s values):

Change pathnames, such as control_files, background_dump_dest,core_dump_dest,
user_dump_dest, and audit_file_dest, and add:
# log_archive_dest = /orcl/oradata/PROD2/archivelogs
log_archive_dest_1 = ‘LOCATION=/orcl/oradata/PROD2/archivelogs MANDATORY’
# for switchover
log_archive_dest_state_1 = ENABLE # for switchover
log_archive_dest_2 = ‘SERVICE=myserver_prod LGWR SYNC’ # for switchover
log_archive_dest_state_2 = ENABLE # for switchover
standby_archive_dest = /orcl/oradata/PROD2/archivelogs
standby_file_management = AUTO # or MANUAL for raw devices
remote_archive_enable = TRUE # TRUE or RECEIVE, change RECEIVE to SEND on
switchover
instance_name = PROD2
lock_name_space = PROD2 # use when primary and standby on same system;
same as instance_name
fal_server = myserver_prod # “fal” is Fetch Archive Log, for log gap
resolution
fal_client = myserver_prod2
db_file_name_convert = (‘/PROD/’,’/PROD2/’)
log_file_name_convert = (‘/PROD/’,’/PROD2/’)

Primary Database Parameters (changes in primary’s values):

#log_archive_dest = /orcl/oradata/PROD/archivelogs
log_archive_dest_1 = ‘LOCATION=/orcl/oradata/PROD/archivelogs MANDATORY’
log_archive_dest_state_1 = ENABLE
log_archive_dest_2 = ‘SERVICE=myserver_prod2 LGWR SYNC’
log_archive_dest_state_2 = ENABLE
standby_archive_dest = /orcl/oradata/PROD/archivelogs # for switchover
standby_file_management = AUTO # for switchover; or MANUAL for raw devices
remote_archive_enable = TRUE # TRUE or SEND, change SEND to RECEIVE on
switchover
instance_name = PROD
lock_name_space = PROD # use when primary and standby on same system; same
as instance_name
fal_server = myserver_prod2 # for switchover
fal_client = myserver_prod # for switchover
db_file_name_convert = (‘/PROD2/’,’/PROD/’) # for switchover
log_file_name_convert = (‘/PROD2/’,’/PROD/’) # for switchover

(If primary uses spfile, wait until after the standby databasefiles are copied/created to make
these parameter changes.)

Standby Database Datafiles, etc.

Create the standby control file from the primary database:
SQL> alter database create standby controlfile as
 3-14

‘/orcl/oradata/PROD2/ctrl_PROD_01.ctl’;
Shut down the primary database and copy or FTP its datafiles, redo log files, and the just-
created standby parameter file and standby control file, to the standby site.
Copy the standby control file on the standby site to the other file names listed in the
control_files init.ora parameter.

Create the standby’s password file, if needed, on the standby site:

$ orapwd file=$ORACLE_HOME/dbs/orapwPROD2 password=<sys password>
entries=5

Reload the listener on the primary and standby sites:

$ lsnrctl reload

Standby Database Startup:

Start the standby database in nomount mode, create the spfile if wanted, mount the standby
database, and change to managed recovery:
$ . oraenv PROD2
$ sqlplus “/ as sysdba”
SQL> create spfile from pfile;
SQL> startup nomount
SQL> alter database mount standby database;
SQL> alter database recover managed standby database disconnect from
session;
SQL> exit

Primary Database Startup:

If your primary is using an spfile, set the primary database parameters in the spfile as listed
earlier. Sample “alter system” commands are shown below:

SQL> startup nomount

SQL> alter system reset log_archive_dest scope=spfile sid=’*’;
SQL> alter system set log_archive_dest_1 =
‘LOCATION=/orcl/oradata/PROD/archivelogs MANDATORY’ scope=spfile;… etc
SQL> shutdown

Start up the primary database with the new parameters:

SQL> startup

Start archiving to the standby database by issuing a log switch:

SQL> alter system switch logfile;

You now have a working standby database for your primary database

Add Standby Redo Log Groups to Standby Database

Create standby redo log groups on standby database (start with next group number; create one
more group than current number of groups) after switching out of managed recovery mode:
SQL> sqlplus “/ as sysdba”
SQL> alter database recover managed standby database cancel;
SQL> alter database open read only;
SQL> select max(group#) maxgroup from v$logfile;
SQL> select max(bytes) / 1024 “size (K)” from v$log;

SQL> alter database add standby logfile group 4

(‘/orcl/oradata/PROD2/stby_log_PROD_4A.rdo’,’/orcl/oradata/PROD2/stby_log_P
ROD_4B.rdo’) size 4096K; … etc …
 4-14

SQL> column member format a55

SQL> select vs.group#,vs.bytes,vl.member from v$standby_log vs,v$logfile vl
where vs.group# = vl.group# order by vs.group#,vl.member;

Add Tempfile To Standby

Add a tempfile to the standby database for switchover or read-only access, then, switch back
to managed recovery:

SQL> alter tablespace temp add tempfile

‘/data/oradata/PROD2/temp_PROD_01.dbf’ size 400064K reuse;

SQL> alter database recover managed standby database disconnect from

session;
SQL> select * from v$tempfile;
SQL> exit

Add Standby Redo Log Groups to Primary Database

Create standby logfile groups on the primary database for switchovers (start with next group
number; create one more group than current number of groups):

$ sqlplus “/ as sysdba”
SQL> select max(group#) maxgroup from v$logfile;
SQL> select max(bytes) / 1024 “size (K)” from v$log;

SQL> alter database add standby logfile group 4

(‘/orcl/oradata/PROD/stby_log_PROD_4A.rdo’,
‘/orcl/oradata/PROD/stby_log_PROD_4B.rdo’) size 4096K; … etc …

SQL> column member format a55

SQL> select vs.group#,vs.bytes,vl.member from v$standby_log vs, v$logfile
vl where vs.group# = vl.group# order by vs.group#,vl.member;

Switch to Maximum Availability Protection Mode

Switch to the desired “maximum availability” protection mode on the primary database (from
the default “maximum performance”):

SQL> select value from v$parameter where name = ‘log_archive_dest_2′; —

must show LGWR SYNC
SQL> shutdown normal
SQL> startup mount
SQL> alter database set standby database to maximize availability;
SQL> alter database open;
SQL> select protection_mode from v$database;

Test Updates Propagating to Standby

Try some edits on the primary and check to see that the changes made it to the standby:
On the primary:
SQL> update spriden set spriden_first_name = ‘James’ where spriden_pidm =
1234 and spriden_change_ind is null;
SQL> commit;
SQL> alter system switch logfile;

On the standby (wait a few seconds first):

SQL> alter database recover managed standby database cancel;
SQL> alter database open read only;
 5-14

SQL> select * from spriden where spriden_pidm = 1234 and spriden_change_ind

is null;
SQL> alter database recover managed standby database disconnect from
session;

Running Reports with a Standby

Set standby to Read Only to run reports:
SQL> alter database recover managed standby database cancel;
SQL> alter database open read only;
SQL> @myreport.sql
SQL> alter database recover managed standby database disconnect from
session;

Shutdown and Startup for Standby Database

To shut down a standby database:
If in read-only access, switch back to managed recovery (after terminating any other active
sessions):
SQL> alter database recover managed standby database disconnect from
session;
Cancel managed recovery and shutdown:
SQL> alter database recover managed standby database cancel;
SQL> shutdown immediate

To start up a standby database:

SQL> startup nomount
SQL> alter database mount standby database;
SQL> alter database recover managed standby database disconnect from
session;

Switchover – Swapping Primary and Standby

End all activities on the primary and standby database.

On the primary (switchover status should show “TO STANDBY”):

SQL> select database_role,switchover_status from v$database;
SQL> alter database commit to switchover to physical standby;
SQL> shutdown immediate
SQL> startup nomount
SQL> alter database mount standby database;

On the standby (switchover status should show “SWITCHOVER PENDING”):

SQL> select database_role,switchover_status from v$database;
SQL> alter database commit to switchover to primary;
SQL> shutdown normal
SQL> startup

On the primary:
SQL> alter database recover managed standby database disconnect from
session;

On the standby:
SQL> alter system archive log current;
Change tnsnames.ora entry on all servers to swap the connect strings (myserver_prod and
myserver_prod2).

Failover – Standby Becomes Primary

 6-14

End all activities on the standby database.

May need to resolve redo log gaps (not shown here).

On the standby:
SQL> alter database recover managed standby database finish;
SQL> alter database commit to switchover to primary;
SQL> shutdown immediate
SQL> startup

Change tnsnames.ora entry on all servers to point the primary connect string to the standby
database.

New standby needs to be created. Old primary is no longer functional.

Monitoring Standby Database
select count(*) from v$archive_gap;

This query detects gaps in the logs that have been received. If any rows are returned by this
query then there is a gap in the sequence numbers of the logs that have been received.
This gap must be resolved before logs can be applied.

SELECT decode(count(*),0,0,1) FROM v$managed_standby WHERE (PROCESS=’ARCH’

AND STATUS NOT
IN (‘CONNECTED’)) OR (PROCESS=’MRP0′ AND STATUS NOT IN
(‘WAIT_FOR_LOG’,’APPLYING_LOG’))
OR (PROCESS=’RFS’ AND STATUS NOT IN (‘IDLE’,’RECEIVING’));

This query detects bad statuses. When a bad status is present this query will return a “1″.
The ‘ARCH’ process should always be ‘CONNECTED’. The ‘MRP0′ process should always
be waiting for a log or applying a log, and when this is not true it will report the error in the
status. The ‘RFS’ process exists when the Primary is connected to the Standby and should
always be ‘IDLE’ or ‘RECEIVING’.

SELECT DECODE(COUNT(DISTINCT PROCESS),3,0,1)

FROM v$managed_standby;

This query detects missing processes. If we do not have exactly 3 distinct processes then
there is a problem, and this query will return a “1″.
The most likely process to be missing is the ‘RFS’ which is the connection to the Primary
database. You must resolve the problem preventing the Primary from connecting to the
Standby before this process will start running again.
Verify all STANDBY PROCESSES are running normally on the STANDBY database.

SELECT PROCESS,STATUS,RESETLOG_ID,SEQUENCE#,ACTIVE_AGENTS
FROM V$MANAGED_STANDBY ;

A query with good results follows proving all processes are connected with normal statuses.

SELECT SEQUENCE#, FIRST_TIME, NEXT_TIME, APPLIED

FROM V$ARCHIVED_LOG
WHERE FIRST_TIME > TRUNC(SYSDATE)
ORDER BY SEQUENCE#;

Data guard Related View

 7-14

V$DATABASE
PROTECTION_LEVEL: current protection mode setting.
FS_FAILOVER_STATUS: synchronization status
DBA_LOGSTDBY_UNSUPPORTED: unsupported tables.
DBA_LOGSTDBY_EVENTS: monitor transaction activity.
V$LOG: Redo log changed.
V$MANAGED_STANDBY : Recovery progress.

Oracle Data Guard Concept

Oracle Data Guard is one of the most effective and comprehensive data availability,
data protection and disaster recovery solutions available today for enterprise data.

Oracle Data Guard is the management, monitoring, and automation software infrastructure
that creates, maintains, and monitors one or more standby databases to protect enterprise data
from failures, disasters, errors, and corruptions.

Data Guard maintains these standby databases as transitional consistent copies of the
production database. These standby databases can be located at remote disaster recovery sites
thousands of miles away from the production data centre, or they may be located in the same
city, same campus, or even in the same building. If the production database becomes
unavailable because of a planned or an unplanned outage, Data Guard can switch any standby
database to the production role, thus minimizing the downtime associated with the outage,
and preventing any data loss.

Available as a feature of the Enterprise Edition of the Oracle Database, Data Guard can be
used in combination with other Oracle High Availability (HA) solutions such as Real
Application Clusters (RAC), Oracle Flashback and Oracle Recovery Manager (RMAN), to
provide a very high level of data protection and data availability that is unprecedented in the
industry.

The following diagram presents a hi-level overview of Oracle Data Guard.

Overview of Oracle Data Guard Functional Components

Data Guard Configuration:

A Data Guard configuration consists of one production (or primary) database and up to nine
standby databases. The databases in a Data Guard configuration are connected by Oracle Net
and may be dispersed geographically. There are no restrictions on where the databases are
located, provided that they can communicate with each other. However, for disaster recovery,
 8-14

it is recommended that the standby databases are hosted at sites that are geographically
separated from the primary site.

Redo Apply and SQL Apply:

A standby database is initially created from a backup copy of the primary database. Once
created, Data Guard automatically maintains the standby database as a transactional
consistent copy of the primary database by transmitting primary database redo data to the
standby system and then applying the redo logs to the standby database.
Data Guard provides two methods to apply this redo data to the standby database and keep it
transactional consistent with the primary, and these methods correspond to the two types of
standby databases supported by Data Guard.

 Redo Apply, used for physical standby databases

 SQL Apply, used for logical standby databases

A physical standby database provides a physically identical copy of the primary database,
with on-disk database structures that are identical to the primary database on a block-for-
block basis. The database schemas, including indexes are the same. The Redo Apply
technology applies redoes data on the physical standby database using standard Oracle media
recovery techniques.

A logical standby database contains the same logical information as the production database,
although the physical organization and structure of the data can be different. The SQL apply
technology keeps the logical standby database synchronized with the primary database by
transforming the data in the redo logs received from the primary database into SQL
statements and then executing the SQL statements on the standby database. This makes it
possible for the logical standby database to be accessed for queries and reporting purposes at
the same time the SQL is being applied to it. Thus, a logical standby database can be used
concurrently for data protection and reporting.

Role Management:
Using Data Guard, the role of a database can be switched from a primary role to a standby
role and vice versa, ensuring no data loss in the process, and minimizing downtime. There are
two kinds of role transitions – a switchover and a failover. A switchover is a role reversal
between the primary database and one of its standby databases. This is typically done for
planned maintenance of the primary system. During a switchover, the primary database
transitions to a standby role and the standby database transitions to the primary role. The
transition occurs without having to re-create either database. A failover is an irreversible
transition of a standby database to the primary role. This is only done in the event of a
catastrophic failure of the primary database, which is assumed to be lost and to be used again
in the Data Guard configuration, it must be re-instantiated as a standby from the new primary.

Data Guard Protection Modes:

In some situations, a business cannot afford to lose data at any cost. In other situations, some
applications require maximum database performance and can tolerate a potential loss of data.
Data Guard provides three distinct modes of data protection to satisfy these varied
requirements:
 Maximum Protection— This mode offers the highest level of data protection. Data is
synchronously transmitted to the standby database from the primary database and
transactions are not committed on the primary database unless the redo data is
 9-14

available on at least one standby database configured in this mode. If the last standby
database configured in this mode becomes unavailable, processing stops on the
primary database. This mode ensures no-data-loss.
 Maximum Availability— This mode is similar to the maximum protection mode,
including zero data loss. However, if a standby database becomes unavailable (for
example, because of network connectivity problems), processing continues on the
primary database. When the fault is corrected, the standby database is automatically
resynchronized with the primary database.
 Maximum Performance— This mode offers slightly less data protection on the
primary database, but higher performance than maximum availability mode. In this
mode, as the primary database processes transactions, redo data is asynchronously
shipped to the standby database. The commit operation of the primary database does
not wait for the standby database to acknowledge receipt of redo data before
completing write operations on the primary database. If any standby destination
becomes unavailable, processing continues on the primary database and there is little
effect on primary database performance.

Data Guard Broker:

The Oracle Data Guard Broker is a distributed management framework that automates and
centralizes the creation, maintenance, and monitoring of Data Guard configurations. All
management operations can be performed either through Oracle Enterprise Manager, which
uses the Broker, or through the Broker’s specialized command-line interface (DGMGRL).

Data Guard Architecture Diagram

The following diagram shows an overview of the Oracle Data Guard architecture.
 10-14

What’s New in Oracle Data Guard 10g Release 2?

This section will highlight some of the key new features of Oracle Data Guard 10g Release 2.
For details into these features, please refer to the following:

Fast-Start Failover
This capability allows Data Guard to automatically, and quickly fail over to a previously
chosen, synchronized standby database in the event of loss of the primary database, without
requiring any manual steps to invoke the failover, and without incurring any data loss.
Following a fast-start failover, once the old primary database is repaired, Data Guard
automatically reinstates it to be a standby database. This act restores high availability to the
Data Guard configuration.

Improved Redo Transmission

Several enhancements have been made in the redo transmission architecture to make sure
redo data generated on the primary database can be transmitted as quickly and efficiently as
possible to the standby database(s).

Easy conversion of a physical standby database to a reporting database

A physical standby database can be activated as a primary database, opened read/write for
reporting purposes, and then flashed back to a point in the past to be easily converted back to
a physical standby database. At this point, Data Guard automatically synchronizes the
standby database with the primary database. This allows the physical standby database to be
utilized for read/write reporting and cloning activities.

Automatic deletion of applied archived redo log files in logical standby databases
Archived logs, once they are applied on the logical standby database, are automatically
deleted, reducing storage consumption on the logical standby and improving Data Guard
manageability. Physical standby databases have already had this functionality since Oracle
Database 10g Release 1, with Flash Recovery Area.

Fine-grained monitoring of Data Guard configurations

 11-14

Oracle Enterprise Manager has been enhanced to provide granular, up-to-date monitoring of
Data Guard configurations, so that administrators may make an informed and expedient
decision regarding managing this configuration.

What’s New in Oracle Data Guard 10g Release 1?

This section will highlight some of the key new features of Oracle Data Guard 10g Release 1.
For details into these features, please refer to the following:

General New Features:

Real Time Apply:

With this feature, redo data can be applied on the standby database (whether Redo Apply or
SQL Apply) as soon as they have written to a Standby Redo Log (SRL). Prior releases of
Data Guard require this redo data to be archived at the standby database in the form of
archivelogs before they can be applied.

The Real Time Apply feature allows standby databases to be closely synchronized with the
primary database, enabling up-to-date and real-time reporting (especially for Data Guard
SQL Apply). This also enables faster switchover and failover times, which in turn reduces
planned and unplanned downtime for the business.

The impact of a disaster is often measured in terms of Recovery Point Objective (RPO – i.e.
how much data can a business afford to lose in the event of a disaster) and Recovery Time
Objective (RTO – i.e. how much time a business can afford to be down in the event of a
disaster). With Oracle Data Guard, when Maximum Protection is used in combination with
Real Time Apply, businesses get the benefits of both zero data loss as well as minimal
downtime in the event of a disaster and this makes Oracle Data Guard the only solution
available today with the best RPO and RTO benefits for a business.

Integration with Flashback Database:

Data Guard in 10g has been integrated with the Flashback family of features to bring the
Flashback feature benefits to a Data Guard configuration.

One such benefit is human error protection. In Oracle9i, administrators may configure Data
Guard with an apply delay to protect standby databases from possible logical data corruptions
that occurred on the primary database. The side-effects of such delays are that any reporting
that gets done on the standby database is done on old data, and switchover/failover gets
delayed because the accumulated logs have to be applied first. In Data Guard 10g, with the
Real Time Apply feature, such delayed-reporting or delayed-switchover/failover issues do not
exist, and – if logical corruptions do land up affecting both the primary and standby database,
the administrator may decide to use Flashback Database on both the primary and standby
databases to quickly revert the databases to an earlier point-in-time to back out such user
errors.

Another benefit that such integration provides is during failovers. In releases prior to 10g,
following any failover operation, the old primary database must be recreated (as a new
standby database) from a backup of the new primary database, if the administrator intends to
bring it back in the Data Guard configuration. This may be an issue when the database sizes
are fairly large, and the primary/standby databases are hundreds/thousands of miles away.
However, in Data Guard 10g, after the primary server fault is repaired, the primary database
 12-14

may simply be brought up in mounted mode, “flashed back” (using flashback database) to
the SCN at which the failover occurred, and then brought back as a standby database in the
Data Guard configuration. No re-instantiation is required.

SQL Apply New Features:

Zero Downtime Instantiation:
Logical standby database can now be created from an online backup of the primary database,
without shutting down or quiescing the primary database, as was the case in prior releases.
No shutdown of the primary system implies production downtime is eliminated, and no
quiesce implies no waiting for quiescing to take effect and no dependence on Resource
Manager.

Rolling Upgrades:
Oracle Database 10g supports database software upgrades (from Oracle Database 10g
Patchset 1 onwards) in a rolling fashion, with near zero database downtime, by using Data
Guard SQL Apply. The steps involve upgrading the logical standby database to the next
release, running in a mixed mode to test and validate the upgrade, doing a role reversal by
switching over to the upgraded database, and then finally upgrading the old primary database.
While running in a mixed mode for testing purpose, the upgrade can be aborted and the
software downgraded, without data loss. For additional data protection during these steps, a
second standby database may be used.

By supporting rolling upgrades with minimal downtimes, Data Guard reduces the large
maintenance windows typical of many administrative tasks, and enables the 24×7 operation
of the business.

Additional Datatypes:
SQL Apply now supports the following additional data types.
 NCLOB
 LONG
 LONG RAW
 BINARY_FLOAT
 BINARY_DOUBLE
 IOT-s (without overflows and without LOB columns)

This support for additional datatypes allows logical standby databases to recover and protect
a wider variety of data, thus increasing the overall database protection and recovery options
for Data Guard.

Enterprise Manager / Data Guard Broker New Features:

RAC Support:
It is now possible to use the Data Guard Broker, and the Broker’s Command Line Interface
(DGMGRL), as well as Enterprise Manager, to create and manage Data Guard configurations
that contain RAC primary and RAC standby databases. In Oracle9i, such administration is
possible only through SQL*Plus. In Data Guard 10g, Data Guard Broker interfaces with
Oracle Clusterware such that it has control over critical operations during specific Data
Guard state transitions, such as switchovers, failovers, protection mode changes and state
changes.
Simplified Browser-based Interface
 13-14

Administration of a Data Guard configuration can be done through the new streamlined
browser-based HTML interface of Enterprise Manager that enables complete standby
database lifecycle management. The focus of such streamlined administration is on:
 Ease of use.
 Management based on best practices.
 Pre-built integration with other HA features.

Data Guard Benefits

Disaster recovery and high availability
Data Guard provides an efficient and comprehensive disaster recovery and high availability
solution. Automatic failover and easy-to-manage switchover capabilities allow quick role
reversals between primary and standby databases, minimizing the downtime of the primary
database for planned and unplanned outages.

Complete data protection

A standby database also provides an effective safeguard against data corruptions and user
errors. Storage level physical corruptions on the primary database do not propagate to the
standby database. Similarly, logical corruptions or user errors that cause the primary database
to be permanently damaged can be resolved. Finally, the redo data is validated at the time it is
received at the standby database and further when applied to the standby database.

Efficient utilization of system resources

A physical standby database can be used for backups and read-only reporting, thereby
reducing the primary database workload and saving valuable CPU and I/O cycles. In Oracle
Database 10g Release 2, a physical standby database can also be easily converted back and
forth between being a physical standby database and an open read/write database. A logical
standby database allows its tables to be simultaneously available for read-only access while
they are updated from the primary database. A logical standby database also allows users to
perform data manipulation operations on tables that are not updated from the primary
database. Finally, additional indexes and materialized views can be created in the logical
standby database for better reporting performance.

Flexibility in data protection to balance availability against performance requirements

Oracle Data Guard offers the maximum protection, maximum availability, and maximum
performance modes to help enterprises balance data availability against system performance
requirements.

Protection from communication failures

If network connectivity is lost between the primary and one or more standby databases, redo
data cannot be sent from the primary to those standby databases. Once connectivity is re-
established, the missing redo data is automatically detected by Data Guard and the necessary
archive logs are automatically transmitted to the standby databases. The standby databases
are resynchronized with the primary database, with no manual intervention by the
administrator.

Centralized and simple management

Data Guard Broker automates the management and monitoring tasks across the multiple
databases in a Data Guard configuration. Administrators may use either Oracle Enterprise
Manager or the Broker’s own specialized command-line interface (DGMGRL) to take
advantage of this integrated management framework.
 14-14

Integrated with Oracle database Data Guard is available as an integrated feature of the
Oracle Database (Enterprise Edition) at no extra cost.
http://pavandba.com/2009/10/24/configuration-of-oracle-10g-data-guard/