Overview of Recovery Appliance Backup Module

The Recovery Appliance backup module is an Oracle-supplied SBT library that functions as a media management library. RMAN uses the Recovery Appliance backup module to transfer backup data over the network to the Recovery Appliance. The backup module is referenced when allocating or configuring an RMAN SBT channel for backup or recovery operations to the Recovery Appliance. All backups to the Recovery Appliance, and all restores of complete backup sets, are performed by means of this backup module.

Install Location for the Recovery Appliance Backup Module

The Recovery Appliance backup module must be installed in the following locations:

In the Oracle home of every protected database that uses RMAN to backup protected databases to Recovery Appliance

If a particular Oracle home is used by more than one protected database, then the backup module must be installed only once in this Oracle home.
On every upstream Recovery Appliance that sends backups to downstream Recovery Appliances in replication environments

The library for the Recovery Appliance backup module, libra.so, is preinstalled on Recovery Appliance. However, the Oracle wallet containing the replication user credentials must be created on the upstream Recovery Appliance.

Recovery Appliance Backup Module Configuration File

The Recovery Appliance backup module configuration file contains the configuration settings that are used when protected databases communicate with the Recovery Appliance. The configuration file is created automatically when the Recovery Appliance backup module is installed on the protected database host.

You can also set some Recovery Appliance backup module configuration parameters inline, while configuring or allocating RMAN SBT channels for the Recovery Appliance, as shown in Example 3-3 and Example 3-4.

Configuration Parameters for the Recovery Appliance Backup Module

Table 3-1 describes the configuration parameters that are used when installing the Recovery Appliance backup module. These parameters are used by protected databases while backing up to and restoring from Recovery Appliance.

Table 3-1 Recovery Appliance Backup Module Installer Parameters

Parameter Name	Mandatory/Optional	Description
dbUser	Mandatory	User name of the Recovery Appliance user who has the privileges required to connect to, send, and receive backups for the protected database
dbPass	Mandatory	Password for the `dbUser` user
host	Mandatory	SCAN host name of the Recovery Appliance
port	Mandatory	Listener port number of the Recovery Appliance metadata database
serviceName	Mandatory	Service name of the Recovery Appliance metadata database
walletDir	Mandatory	Location of the Oracle wallet that stores the Recovery Appliance user credentials and the proxy information used to connect to the Recovery Appliance. Note: If an Oracle wallet already exists in this directory, then the Recovery Appliance backup module installer overwrites the existing wallet.
proxyHost	Optional	Host name or IP address and TCP port of a proxy server through which to make an HTTP connection to the Recovery Appliance, in the form host:port.
configFile	Optional	Location of the configuration file that stores the configuration parameters for the Recovery Appliance backup module. The default location on Linux/UNIX is `$ORACLE_HOME/dbs/raORACLE_SID.ora`. On Windows, the default location is `$ORACLE_HOME\database\raORACLE_SID.ora`.
libDir	Optional	Location where the shared library for the Recovery Appliance backup module is stored. This library is used to transfer backup data over the network to the Recovery Appliance. It is recommended that you store the shared library in `$ORACLE_HOME/lib` on Linux/UNIX and in `$ORACLE_HOME\database\lib` on Windows. When you omit this parameter, the installer does not download the shared library. Downloading the library is not required only when you regenerate the Oracle wallet and configuration file in an Oracle home where the backup module was previously installed.
libPlatform	Optional	Platform name of the protected database host on which the Recovery Appliance backup module needs to be installed. Typically, the Recovery Appliance backup module installer automatically determines the platform on which it is run. You need to set this parameter only if the installer displays an error indicating the platform cannot be determined. Valid values for platform name are: linux64, windows64, solaris_sparc64, solaris_sparcx64, zlinux64, aix_ppc64, and hpux_ia64.
argFile	Optional	File from which the remaining command-line parameters must be read during the Recovery Appliance backup module installation.