EMC Corporation has announced new EMC Data Domain Boost (DD Boost) integration with Oracle Recovery Manager (RMAN). DD Boost software provides advanced integration between EMC Data Domain deduplication storage systems and applications for faster, more efficient backup and recovery. The DD Boost software distributes part of the deduplication process to the Oracle database server and enables RMAN to directly manage Data Domain replication.
"This is important because with this new announcement, it really brings complete control of Oracle backup and disaster recovery to the Oracle database administrators. That is the real focus of this announcement - to expand the capabilities that an Oracle DBA can have to a consolidated infrastructure for both backup and replication of those backups for disaster recovery purposes," Rob Emsley, senior director of product marketing for EMC's Backup Recovery Systems division, tells 5 Minute Briefing.
According to EMC, most Oracle DBAs prefer using Oracle RMAN for direct control of database backup and recovery, and work with their storage administrators to provision primary storage capacity to support the backup of their databases, which can result in inefficient and siloed Oracle backup infrastructures. Data Domain solves this inefficiency by providing a single consolidated backup solution that integrates with Oracle RMAN as well as third party backup applications. For years, Data Domain systems have been providing effective backup for Oracle through RMAN using the NFS (Network File System) protocol. By directly integrating Data Domain systems with Oracle RMAN via DD Boost, EMC says it will enable higher manageability, functionality and performance-and put them directly into the hands of Oracle administrators.
According to EMC, DD Boost increases Oracle backup performance up to 50% and enables more backups with existing resources by reducing the data transferred and associated LAN bandwidth requirements up to 99% and by reducing the load on the Oracle server during backup by 20-40%. In addition, the company says, DD Boost simplifies the database recovery process by enabling DBAs to manage onsite and offsite backup copies by controlling Data Domain replication from RMAN with full catalog consistency.
"We are really expanding our support of application backup utilities by supporting DD Boost integrated with Oracle RMAN - and that is really the way that we drive the ability for the Oracle database to be backed up by either a backup application integrated with DD Boost or [now] allowing the Oracle database administrator to effectively give himself that complete control of the backup process using Oracle RMAN alone, without a backup application often being in the equation," says Emsley.
"We find that some customers will use the backup application, some customers will only use Oracle RMAN and allow all of the protection to be performed by the Oracle DBAs, and then some customers will actually use both," Emsley notes. "So, at the end of the day, no matter which method you use, you make use of the DD Boost, you make use of Data Domain, and because of those capabilities, you can have this complete control of not only the local backup but also the remote backup as well."
The end result, he notes, is that "it really delivers the centralized administration of the entire process from the position of the DBA," says Emsley. Additional information about EMC can be found at www.EMC.com.