Managing Archives log files (using AMM instead of RMAN)

[Arjen Visser]

Question:
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I have configured Dbvisit Standby setup successfully. On my primary database I have been using RMAN to backup my primary database and archives. Since my archive destination is not very huge, I am deleting the archives on a daily basis with the following command.

delete noprompt archivelog all;

Since I have configured Dbvisit Standby, kindly suggest me, whether I can use the above command to remove my archives. If so, kindly confirm me, whether my logs will be shipped to the standby server, before rman deletes the archives. I have scheduled every 10 minutes to ship my archive to the standby server.

Answer:
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We would recommend you use the Dbvisit Standby Archive Management Module (AMM) to manage the archives for you instead of RMAN.
The archives can be managed by Dbvisit Standby on both the primary and standby servers.

To setup the AMM, run dbvisit_setup and choose option 3. Here you can specify the difference settings for the AMM.
The main settings are for the primary server:
DAYS_TO_KEEP_ARCHSOURCE = This is the number of days to keep an archive log.
NUM_ARCHSOURCE_TO_KEEP = The number of archives to keep on the disk.
THRESHOLD_ARCHSOURCE = Specify the threshold in percentage of how much disk space may be taken up by archive log files.

The standby server has the following settings:
DAYS_TO_KEEP_ARCHDEST = This is the number of days to keep an archive log.
NUM_ARCHDEST_TO_KEEP = The number of archives to keep on the disk.
THRESHOLD_ARCHDEST = Specify the threshold in percentage of how much disk space may be taken up by archive log files.

We suggest that you accept the defaults as they should be adequate in most cases.

The AMM settings are part of the Dbvisit Standby Database Configuration (DDC) file.

The AMM is automatically run as part of Dbvisit Standby. The AMM ensures that the archive logs have been transferred before deleting them on the primary server, and on the standby server it ensures that the archives are applied to the standby database before deleting them.

As you will no longer be using RMAN to delete the archive logs, you will need to let RMAN know that you have deleted the archive log files. Schedule this command once a week to update RMAN:
RMAN> crosscheck archivelog all;
RMAN> list expired archivelog all;
RMAN> delete expired archivelog all;

[peddler]

How does Dbvisit Standby maintain the archive log destination when threshold is reached? On primary, does it delete all archive logs that were transferred or does it delete just enough archive logs to keep the disk utilization below the threshold?

[Arjen Visser]

On the primary when the threshold is reached, Dbvisit Standby will only remove archives if DELETE_ARCHSOURCE=Y.
If DELETE_ARCHSOURCE=N and the threshold is reached, Dbvisit Standby will send an alert.
If DELETE_ARCHSOURCE=Y and the threshold is reached, Dbvisit Standby will only delete enough archive logs to keep the disk utilization below the threshold.

On the standby server the setting is DELETE_ARCHDEST.

[nestor]

Hello,

I have the next parameters:

ARCHSOURCE_MANAGEMENT = Yes
DAYS_TO_KEEP_ARCHSOURCE = 5
NUM_ARCHSOURCE_TO_KEEP = 0
THRESHOLD_ARCHSOURCE = 80
DELETE_ARCHSOURCE = Yes


And my filesystem is 90% used.


But no archivelog are deleted!!!!!!

WHY?

Thankss, and best regards.

[Mike Donovan]

Hello nestor,

Have you only recently installed Dbvisit Standby?
How often is it scheduled to run?

One possible reason for the logs not being deleted is that Dbvisit Standby ensures that the archive log files have been transferred by Dbvisit Standby to the standby before it deletes any archive log files - using a double-check specified by the parameter AMM_CHECK_TRANSFERRED.

So if Dbvisit Standby is not removing the archive log files it could be because the archive log file(s) have not been transferred by Dbvisit Standby to the standby server - and Dbvisit Standby having only been installed recently is one reason for this.

Please see the following post for more information about this, and a workaround:
http://www.dbvisit.com/forums/showthread.php?t=239

Let us know if you need any further assistance.

[nestor]

Hello Mike,

In Dbvisit Standby Database Configuration (DDC) file, i haven't the parameter AMM_CHECK_TRANSFERRED.

I installed it 3 weeks ago.

And the scheduled runs every 10 minutes in node1 and node2 (RAC).
00,10,20,30,40,50 -> node1 and node2 (RAC)
05,15,25,35,45,55 -> standby


Thanks so much.

Regards.

[Arjen Visser]

Hello Nestor,
Currenty Dbvisit Standby does not manage archive logs that are stored in ASM. As you are using RAC, the archive logs will be based in ASM.

You can verify this by checking the AMM (Dbvisit Standby Archive Management Module) log which is called arch_management.log. This log will be located in the Dbvisit Standby log directory specified by setting LOGDIR.

You will have to configure RMAN to manage the logs for you on the pirmary server. You can still use Dbvisit Standby to manage the archive logs on the standby server.

We are planning to include managing archive logs in ASM in a future release of Dbvisit Standby.

Kind regards

[nestor]

Hi Arjen,

Yes, I have Rac + asm. Then, i understand it.

Thanks very much.

Best Regardsss