Oracle Essentials: Oracle9i, Oracle8i and Oracle8, Second Edition

Chapter 10. Oracle and High Availability

The data stored in the databases of your organization’s computer systems is extremely valuable. In many cases, this data represents your most valuable asset. Protecting this asset is crucial for any Oracle site.

As a DBA, system administrator, or system architect, you’ll probably have to use a variety of options and techniques to ensure that your data is adequately protected from a catastrophe. Of course, implementing proper backup operations is the foundation of any disaster-prevention strategy, but there are other ways to avoid a variety of disasters, from simple disk failures to a complete failure of your primary site.

Computer hardware is, by and large, extremely reliable, which may make it easy for you to postpone thinking about disaster recovery. Most software is also very reliable, and the Oracle database protects the integrity of its data even in the event of a software failure. However, components and software will, at times, fail, and the more are components involved, the greater the likelihood of a disaster.

The difference between an inconvenience and a disaster is the presence or absence of adequate disaster recovery plans, so it’s best to understand all of the options available with Oracle so you can choose the best approach for your particular site.

With Oracle, you can guarantee that your precious data is highly available. Some of the facets of a high-availability solution are part of the Oracle software, such as Oracle’s ...