Backing up the Oracle GoldenGate Environment
After you start Oracle GoldenGate processing, an effective backup routine is critical to preserving the state of processing in the event of a failure. Unless the Oracle GoldenGate working files can be restored, the entire replication environment must be re-instantiated, complete with new initial loads.
As a best practice, include the entire Oracle GoldenGate home installation in your backup routines. There are too many critical sub-directories, as well as files and programs at the root of the directory, to keep track of separately. In any event, the most critical files are those that consume the vast majority of backup space, and therefore it makes sense just to back up the entire installation directory for fast, simple recovery.