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Dbvisit - The ultimate Oracle Standby Database solution

Dbvisit Changes

1. Dbvisit now allows the Oracle admin directories on standby to be different from the primary database during creation of the Standby Database.

1. Dbvisit does not pick up the correct sequence for RAC on the standby when NLS is set to Spanish.
2. Fix issue with quotes around multiple email addresses: can't extract address at ..
3. Improve obtaining asmcmd version for Windows.
4. Dbvisit does not pick up the archive log destination when NLS is set to Spanish during graceful switchover.
5. Create standby database may fail in Oracle 8i due to long tablespace names. This has been fixed.
6. Update check and add more tracing to determine if previous Dbvisit process is still running.
7. Update dbvisit help text.
8. If Dbvisit is unable to create Windows Oracle service during creation of standby database, Dbvisit will suggest to create the service manually.
9. Ignore the following SQLPLUS error message when creating Dbvisit repository using dbvisit_setup:
   Error accessing PRODUCT_USER_PROFILE
   Warning: Product user profile information not loaded!
   You may need to run PUPBLD.SQL as SYSTEM
10. Dbvisit will detect if ORACLE_HOME_DR is set to a non-existing or not valid directory on the standby server when creating a standby database and display a warning.
11. Dbvisit may not correctly detect the creation of Oracle Windows service in other languages during creation of standby database. This has been fixed.

5.2.20 (11 January 2009)

New features:

1. Add ENCRYPT_PASSWDS variable to specify if all passwords should be stored encrypted in the DDC file or not. To change the setting run dbvisit_setup and choose option 6.
2. Add SWITCHOVER_WAIT_IN_SEC to control how long Dbvisit waits between each checkpoint iteration for graceful switchover. Total time Dbvisit waits for each checkpoint is set by SWITCHOVER_TIMEOUT_IN_SEC.

1. When standby redo logs are using OMF, graceful switchover may fail. This has been fixed.
2. When log_archive_format on Windows contains %S, the sequence number can be truncated by Oracle. Ensure that Dbvisit also truncates the number the same way.
3. Running dbvisit_setup: Update Dbvisit Database configuration (DDC) file may error for older DDC files.
4. Improve error message for ORA-27048.
5. Improve error message for creation of standby when datafile contains spaces.
6. Improve message for error 5005 when standby controlfile does not contain the archive log sequence.

5.2.18 (24 November 2009)

New features:

1. Allow for multiple archive log destinations in AMM (Archive Management Module) processing (AMM_PROCESS_MULTIPLE_ARCH_DEST).
2. Improve restartability of standby database creation. Standby Database is now shutdown after all the standby database parameters are obtained.
3. Graceful switchover synchronisation process now includes retries if there are network issues.
4. Improve remote checksum processing. If remote checksum process fails, then only checksum process is repeated, not the whole transfer process.
5. Allow for decimal numbers for DAYS_TO_KEEP_ARCHSOURCE and DAYS_TO_KEEP_ARCHDEST. For example 3.5 days.
6. Detect Oracle XE admin location for Linux.
7. Check for Standby archive log destination during graceful switchover. If location does not exist, then exit as switchover will not be successful.
8. Reduce number of trace file that Dbvisit keeps on server: NUM_TRACE_TO_KEEP = 100, DAYS_TO_KEEP_TRACE = 10
9. Check that Database is in archivelog mode.
10. Allow for Database which has been recovered with point-in-time recovery with resetlogs where SCN may be lower than current SCN.
11. Allow for "-" in the DDC file. Example: dbv_prod-vm2.env

1. Improve duplicate archive log handling for OMF files. Include a unique identifier to ensure the same file does not get renamed more than once.
2. Add check for ORA-00342: archived log does not have expected resetlogs SCN.
3. If same archive log is needed more than once by standby database for non RAC, ensure archive log can be compressed.
4. Allow for multiple NLS_LANGUAGE setting during RAC processing.
5. Add 24hour time clock to trace file.
6. Fixed calling AMM from dbv_functions -A
7. Improve error message in Windows if during standby database creation the standby database fails to start.
8. Fixed issue if first_change# is displayed as float, then graceful switchover was not successful.
9. Allow for different instance_name to database_name for graceful switchover.
10. Notify if create standby database process is not able to remove file on standby database.
11. Allow for %d log_archive_format.
12. Check and report if "ORA-00332: archived log is too small" is found.

5.2.16 (18 September 2009)

New features:

1. Graceful Switchover for ASM and RAC. RAC database will become a single instance database during switchover. After switchover database can be converted to a RAC database again.
   Note: The Oracle ASM instance needs to be version 11gR1 or higher. The Oracle database itself can be Oracle 10g or higher.
2. Upgrade Bitvise WinSSHD to 4.28 and Tunnelier to 4.29 for Windows only.
3. Improve error message when standby fails to start during standby database creation.
4. Add message to remove old archives when activating standby database.
5. Add smtp authentication and other advanced Mail settings.
   See MAILCFG_AUTH_USE and MAILCFG_AUTH_PASSWD settings.
6. Attach trace files to email when Dbvisit errors to forward to Dbvisit support. Set filesize limit of 768000 bytes for attachments.
7. Database files are tested for correct location during creation of standby database. If not correct then user is asked to rename them.
8. Standby redo log names are tested for correct location during graceful switchover.
9. Add variable SEND_MAIL_FLAG_DR to turn off mailing from standby server.
10. Add ability to manually email trace files as attachments with option:
    dbv_functions -m tracefilename

1. Check if Oracle database admin directories exists before creating the standby database.
2. Fixed Dbvisit repository create error in Oracle 8i.
3. Add check for ORA-00344: unable to re-create online log when activating standby database.

5.2.15 (20 July 2009)

Fixes:

1. Create standby database fix. If the size of the tablespace is displayed as a float instead of number, then the insert into the Dbvisit repository fails. This has been fixed.
2. Improve error message when controlfile is a backup controlfile.
3. If the word export is used too many times in the DDC file, then assumes the DDC file is from Dbvisit version 3. This has been fixed.
4. Improve message when standby database has insufficient SGA size.

5.2.14 (12 June 2009)

New features:

1. Provide the ability to logon with sys user and password. This can be used when sysdba logon without password cannot be used or when SQLNET.AUTHENTICATION_SERVICES= (NTS) cannot be set.
2. Improve message for error 837, sqlplus not found.
3. Improve message for ORA-01031: insufficient privileges.

5.2.13 (3 May 2009)

Fixes:

1. Fix issue with removing trace files on standby server. If the ORACLE_SID on the standby is different to the ORACLE_SID on primary primary server then trace files were not removed. This is now fixed.
2. Graceful Switchover may fail in Oracle 9i with error: ORA-00271: there are no logs that need archiving. This has been fixed.

5.2.12 (21 April 2009)

New features:

1. Provide improved feedback when PATH setting is not correct for Windows.

1. Include 5.2 User Manual for Windows Installer.

5.2.11 (6 April 2009) (pre-release)

New features:

1. Automatically creates standby database from primary database. Standby database can be created from normal file system database, or from ASM or RAC databases. To create standby database run dbvisit_setup and choose option 7.
2. Automatically run command dbv_oraStartStop update_ddc_file after activation of standby database to automatically reverse Dbvisit settings to enable instant reversing of the Dbvisit process (after standby database is rebuild).

5.1.28 (6 April 2009)

Fixes:

1. Add specific SP2-0734 error.
2. Ignore set pause on setting in login.sql.

5.1.27 (20 March 2009)

New features:

1. Add variable SEND_HEARTBEAT_DR to allow to turn off heartbeat separately for standby server. SEND_HEARTBEAT is used for the primary server.
2. Display message to add tempfile(s) to database when open in READ ONLY mode and after activation of standby database.

1. Dbvisit fails to obtain ASM archive log when ASM flash recovery is used.
2. Change default srvctl.exe to srvctl.bat for Windows Rac.
3. Allow for German language feedback in Oracle RAC.
4. Graceful switchover, in some cases the new primary database does not require recovery although the Oracle feedback specifies that it does stopping graceful switchover processing. This has been fixed.

5.1.26 (8 December 2008)

New features:

1. Add a workaround for Oracle bug "Create Control File fails with ORA-600 [kccscf_1]" during graceful switchover. See metalink: 387210.1
2. Added SUCCESS_MAILTO, to be able to separate the success emails from the failure emails. If this is set to an email address, then all successful Dbvisit emails will be sent to this email address. Failure or unsuccessful emails will be to the email address specified by ADMINS.
3. Added variables:
   MAILSUBJECT_PREFIX_LOG_GAP_REPORT
   MAILSUBJECT_PREFIX_SUCCESSFUL
   MAILSUBJECT_PREFIX_HEARTBEAT
   These variables can be used to set a prefix for the email subject line. This can then be used to set filtering rules for emails.

1. Correctly identify the log file when using ASM and the archive is no longer available through v$archive_log.
2. Fix undefined subroutine message in dbv_functions.
3. For Oracle 8i only: Create controlfile may fail under Graceful Switchover.

5.1.25 (1 September 2008)

New features:

1. Add dbv_function -Q to replace current standby controfiles on standby database with new standby controlfile from primary database.
2. Add graceful switchover check to ensure redo log numbers are the same between primary and standby databases.
3. Add variable ALERT_IF_STDBY_READ_ONLY. This determines whether to alert or not if Dbvisit is run on the standby server and standby database is in READ ONLY mode.

Fixes:

1. Allow for Oracle feedback in German to be interpreted correctly.
2. Correctly interpret ORA-01115 error (IO error reading block from file).
3. Fix for RAC TAKEOVER_SID, destination host not correctly obtained in some circumstances.
4. Fix for graceful switchover when data files are in ASM but redo files are not. Dbvisit would incorrectly error that redo files are in ASM.

5.1.24 (28 July 2008)

New features:

1. Add variable APPLY_DELAY_LAG_MINUTES. This creates a time delay between the archiving of a redo log at the primary database and the application of the archive log on the standby database. Note that the archive logs are still transferred to the standby server as normal without delay.
2. Add variabiable TRANSFER_LOG_GAP_THRESHOLD to report on the difference between the last archived sequence on the primary and the last sequence transferred to the standby server.
3. Add variables AMM_START_AFTER_EACH_APPLY and AMM_START_AFTER_EACH_TRANSFER Normally the Archive Management Module (AMM) to manage the archive log files is started at the end of Dbvisit processing. These variables allows the AMM module to be started during Dbvisit processing. This may be necessary due to space restrictions. Use with caution! Archives may be deleted before being applied.
4. Add variable AMM_PERC_FULL_WAIT_MILLISEC. This is used in the Archive Management Module (AMM) to ensure that the percentage full disk space displays the correct value. For some volume managers it takes a little time to display the correct status after files have been removed. This variables ensures there is some delay before Dbvisit calculates the free space again. Default is 250 milliseconds.
5. Add variable AUTO_START_STANDBY_DB. Automatically start the standby database if standby database is down and dbvisit -i or dbvisit -R command is given on the primary server. These Dbvisit commands require the standby database to be up.

Fixes:

1. Add autoextend settings to creation of OMF tempfile.
2. Fix upgrade issue from version 4.0. to 5.1.
3. Fix add datafile issue for Oracle 8 and 9 introduced in 5.1.23.

5.1.23 (19 June 2008)

New features:

1. Add new database connection mode which is determined by variables DB_CONNECTION_MODE and DB_CONNECTION_MODE_DR. The database connection modes are:
   Dedicated: By default Dbvisit connects with the dedicated connection mode. The dedicated connection mode initiates a database connection each time information is requested from the database. The connection is closed after each request.
   Shared: A database connection is opened once at the start of Dbvisit. This connection is used (shared) for all information requested from the database. At the end of Dbvisit processing, the connection is closed.
2. Added option LOGGING_LEVEL=important to limit the messages being logged to the Dbvisit log file (dbvisit.hist).
3. Improved the feedback when Dbvisit cannot find the correct archive log file to transfer.
4. Specify that dbv_oraStartStop update_ddc_file command should be run after activate standby database command.

Fixes:

1. Fix issue during Graceful Switchover if an OMF tempfile is used. The tempfile is no longer created with storage information.
2. In rare cases, Dbvisit may wait indefinitely on a archive log file that is in use. This has been fixed.
3. Ensure dbv_functions -N option to display transfer table works correctly when using multiple databases.
4. AMM threshold processing does not stop after reaching specified threshold percentage. This has been fixed. Note that Dbvisit will always ensure the archive has transferred before deleting.

5.1.22 (Internal release)

New features:

1. Add CHECKPOINT option of Ignore. This disables checkpoint processing completely and will not force the generation of a new archive log file.
2. Add new method to obtain filesystem disk space information for Unix and Linux. The external df command is not longer required. This is only used in the Dbvisit archive log management module (AMM).

Fixes:

1. Improved error message for error 460 if no archive log file is found on server.

5.1.21 (3 April 2008)

New features:

1. Improve error message when an incorrect tablespace is chosen during installation.
2. Do not error when Oracle gives warning message: "Error accessing PRODUCT_USER_PROFILE", unless ALERT_ON_WARNING = Yes. Default is ALERT_ON_WARNING = No.
3. Dbvisit log files (dbvisit.hist and arch_management.log) are now managed according to LOG_FILE_ROTATE_MAX and LOG_FILE_SIZE_MAX_MB settings.
4. Use SHA-1 digest algorithm as default for checksum calculation.

Fixes:

1. Correctly interpret ORA-01122 error.
2. Fix message: undefined call to apa_add_datafile.
3. Fix graceful switchover issue when ORACLE_SID on the standby database is different to ORACLE_SID on the primary server.
4. Fix applying one log file at a time for RAC standby database.

5.1.20 (19 February 2008)

New features:

1. Allow for a standby database control file which was not created at the same time as the standby database.
2. Allow for an alternative internal method to find the last archived log.
3. Allow for tracing of Bitvise sftpc and sexec software (Windows Only).
4. Improve performance of internal checksum routine.
5. Allow for external checksum utility for Windows.
6. Add option to dbvisit_setup to check for repository version.
7. Enable the use of RESYNCH_SEQ_OFFSET = 0
8. Add setting MAILCFG_SMTP_SERVER_DR to allow for different smtp server for standby server.

Fixes:

1. dbvisit_setup does not write or update DDC file if option "No review of all variables" is chosen. This is now fixed.
2. Alert if temp directory does not exist.
3. Improved error message if ORACLE_HOME is not found on standby server.
4. Windows 2000 fix for executing Bitvise sftpc copy function.
5. Fix date stamp in email headers when using internal Dbvisit mail. Date was one day behind server date.
6. Activate standby database command in batch mode does not activate the standby database, but opens the standby database in READ ONLY mode. The activate command in interactive mode does work. This has been fixed.
7. Database tempfile does not get applied to the new primary database during switchover in some cases. This has been fixed.
8. If temp directory contains spaces then graceful switchover will stop (Windows only). This has been fixed.
9. Resolve core dump issue on AIX.

5.1.19 (15 January 2008)

New features:

1. Automatic trace file management. Trace files will be deleted according to new Dbvisit Database Configuration (DDC) settings NUM_TRACE_TO_KEEP and DAYS_TO_KEEP_TRACE. Default settings are: NUM_TRACE_TO_KEEP=200 and DAYS_TO_KEEP_TRACE=15 Least restrictive setting applies between DAYS_TO_KEEP_TRACE and NUM_TRACE_TO_KEEP. To turn off, set to 0.
2. Graceful switchover - If standby database redo log name format is in OMF format and primary database is non OMF format, then use primary database name redo format.
3. AMM processing now ignores the following directories: lost+found,onlinelog,backupset,autobackup,backuppiece,flashbacklog, imagecopy,controlfile,datafile.
4. Added variable INITIATE_DBVISIT_ON_STANDBY. Default = No. Setting this to Yes will initiate Dbvisit on the standby server as the last step of running Dbvisit on the primary server. Setting this to Yes, will mean Dbvisit should no longer be scheduled on the standby server (as it is now initiated from the primary server). Dbvisit will no longer function as two independent processes with independent alerting and a new strategy must be in place to ensure that notification is received in case of a failure. It is therefore recommended to set ARCHIVE_LOG_GAP_THRESHOLD and to schedule the Dbvisit archive log gap report (dbvisit -i) on the primary to alert if the standby database gets too far behind the primary database.
5. Added variable ARCHIVE_LOG_GAP_THRESHOLD. Default = 0. Dbvisit will alert if the archive log gap from the Dbvisit archive log gap report (dbvisit -i) exceeds this value (ARCHIVE_LOG_GAP_THRESHOLD). To turn off alerting, set ARCHIVE_LOG_GAP_THRESHOLD to 0.
6. Added variable SEND_LOG_GAP_WITH_HEARTBEAT. Default = No. Determines if the Dbvisit archive log gap report will be included in the daily heartbeat email.
7. Unix/Linux only. Add initial network setup test. If remote shell method, or network is not configured correctly, Dbvisit will provide more detailed error message.

Fixes:

1. Graceful Switchover processing fix with more than 9 redo log groups. Controlfile was not created correctly.
2. Allow for ORACLE_SID length > 9 characters.
3. For some terminal types the enter key had to be pressed before Dbvisit displayed more license information when updating the license.

• Simple to install and configure.
• Completely hands-off Oracle Standby Database management.
• Database does not need to be shutdown or restarted to install Dbvisit.
• No extra init.ora or spfile parameters needed.
• Precise Control over updates (snapshots).
• Dbvisit will automatically recover from database and network failures.
• Database role switching.

• Oracle databases running with Dbvisit are fully supported by Oracle.
• Full technical support and updates are provided for Dbvisit.