Smart Database Technology

Dbvisit Replicate 6.0.16 has been released. Although this is a minor release in terms of the version, there is actually a lot of changes under the bonnet.

In this version there is a lot more integration with RMAN when creating the standby database and with graceful switchover. By using more RMAN features when creating the standby database, it allows Dbvisit Standby to be a lot more flexible and smarter in creating the standby database. Even though we recommend keeping the standby database the same structure and format as the primary database, it is possible with Dbvisit Standby to create a completely different standby database structure when compared to the primary database. With the previous version of Dbvisit Standby each datafile had to be renamed individually, with Dbvisit Standby 6.0.16 only the different locations have to be specified so the setup has been made a lot easier.

The complete changes in Dbvisit Standby 6.0.16 are:
Changes:

1. New Create Standby Database (CSD) functionality which improves the overall ability to create different standby databases configurations.
   CSD now makes use of the following parameters:
   - db_file_name_convert
   - log_file_name_convert
2. Improved graceful switchover functionality. Existing controlfile is re-used for primary database and is no longer rebuild. Graceful switchover allows for more differences between primary and standby database.
3. Provide silent install for dbvisit_install. This installs product with all default values accepted. Type “dbvisit_install -?” for details.
4. Non existent directories on the standby server are automatically created as much as possible by Dbvisit Standby during creation of the standby database.

Fixes:

1. Issue with adding own ORACLE_SID and ORACLE_HOME in web interface – fixed.
2. Dbvisit temp p2x-* directories not cleaned up for HP-UX and AIX – fixed.
3. Improve locking mechanism in rare cases when archive log file just arrives at the standby server and is 0 size and is picked up by Dbvisit Standby on the standby server.
4. Improved tracing of Dbvserver.
5. Obtain ORACLE_HOME and ORACLE_SID from registry for Windows 2008R2.

Tim Hall has done a review of Dbvisit Standby 6.0.16 which can be found here: Oracle-base Blog

Dbvisit Standby can be downloaded from here

Dbvisit Replicate 2.2 has been released and includes the following new features:

1. LOB support. Dbvisit Replicate now supports LOB datatypes.
2. Improved startup speed of dbvrep executable. The startup speed of the Dbvisit Replicate executable has been improved.
3. RAC support for node shutdown/startup. A RAC instance can be shutdown, and Dbvisit Replicate will continue to replicate when connected to the active instance.
4. One-to-many support. One source database can now have multiple target databases. This can be easily setup in the new setup wizard.

Dbvisit Replicate can be downloaded for a 30 day trial from here

Dbvisit Replicate offers Oracle-to-Oracle real time replication. It also supports Oracle-to-MySQL and Oracle-to-SQLServer. Dbvisit Replicate is simple to use and is a smart alternative to Golden Gate and Oracle Streams.

We have released Dbvisit Replicate version 2.1 on 6 December 2011

Dbvisit Replicate 2.1 has many great new features which include:

1. New easier to use setup wizard
2. Data type support extended to RAW, BFILE, TIMESTAMPs, INTERVALs
3. Support for AIX
4. Support for Solaris SPARC
5. Support for partitioning
6. Added Resolve conflict as ROLLBACK option
7. Support for non-ordered redo logs/multiple redo streams (11.2 default feature)
8. Improved network outage handling
9. ASM instance name auto detection for RAC to enable RAC node failover
10. Improved User documentation

We are particularly proud of our new setup wizard, which makes the installation process even easier and robust. We hope you like it and look forward to your feedback.

Please look forward to another release with even more features in early January. However now is a great time to download and try the latest version Dbvisit Replicate!

To download please go to: http://www.dbvisit.com/products/downloads/

6.0.10 – (2 September 2011)
New features:

1. Remove dependance on asmcmd to allow for separate Grid install.
2. Graceful Switchover on Windows with ASM now supported.
3. New END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENT.
4. New Dbvisit Logo.

Fixes:

1. In case FRA enabled Dbvisit only searched for an archive to transfer under date subdirectories but not directly under ARCHSOURCEn directories – fixed
2. Attached incorrect PDF User manual – fixed.
3. Remove PFILE setting. This is now obsolete.
4. Display a warning message for Graceful Switchover on Windows to configure Windows service with STARTMODE=MANUAL.
5. Fix minor bugs in functions to stop and start primary and standby databases.
6. Fixed issue with Graceful Switchover and RAC introduced with version 6.0.08 to deal with issue when threads are closed.
7. In some cases Graceful Switchover with RAC may want to transfer compressed archives and this fails – fixed.
8. Scheduler displayed wrong timestamp in email – fixed.
9. Dbvisit does not cope with commas in oracle parameter values when creating a standby database – fixed.

Download from http://www.dbvisit.com/download.php

6.0.08 (9 August 2011)

New features:

1. Extend Dbvisit functionality to cope with closed threads in RAC
   environment.

2. AMM module is now called regardless of the fact some archive logs reside
   in ASM on the source, to process multiple archive destinations. ASM
   archive locations are skipped.

3. If log archive destination is not set up for the database, use default
   values of ORACLE_HOME/dbs/arch or ORACLE_HOME\rdbms, for versions 10.2+.

4. Separate checkpoint and log switch; Dbvisit now does not perform
   checkpoint during normal processing, only a log switch (if required).

Fixes:

1. Global FLASH_DIR_NUM default value changed from 40 to 7.
2. When parsing a value for log_archive_dest*, check if extra attributes
   like MANDATORY etc are separated not only by a space but by a comma.

Download from http://www.dbvisit.com/download.php

6.0.06 (16 July 2011)
New features:

1. CSD (create standby database) now compares Dbvisit Standby installation between primary and standby and copies executables from primary if different.
2. Improved algorithm of searching for ASM archive logs in multiple locations, and under FRA-style date directories, to be shipped to the standby.
3. Allow one-way communication of Dbvisit Standby from primary to standby for ultra secure configurations which only allow one-way traffic. Set BLIND=Y to enforce this, but there is reduced Dbvisit Standby functionality (no checkums, no log gap reporting, no Resync and no creation of standby database options available).

Fixes:

1. Dbvisit Standby could not cope with Oracle reserved words used for tablespace names in SQL statements (like INDEX) – fixed.
2. Dbvisit Standby restarted a database in restricted mode during shutdown that potentially lead to generating extra archive logs and issues during graceful switchover – fixed.
3. Global variable LOGDIR set to value of LOGDIR_DR on the standby server.
4. Queries of dictionary tables called by ora_list_dictionary function altered to format the display of checkpoint_change#.
5. Dbvserver scheduler was leaving behind zombie processes – fixed

Dbvisit Standby can be downloaded from http://www.dbvisit.com/dbvisit_download.php

For more information please on Dbvisit Standby please see http://www.dbvisit.com/dbvisit_new_features.php

Dbvisit has been renamed to Dbvisit Standby

The elegant and feature-rich web-based GUI for Dbvisit Standby has now been released for all platforms.

New features for GUI:

1. Web-based interface using build in web-server named Dbvserver. Dbvisit Standby can be now be run through: – traditional command line interface (CLI) or – graphical user interface (GUI) through browser. Dbvserver needs to be started to enable the Dbvisit Standby interface through the browser.
   On Linux/Unix type dbvserverd to start Dbvserver.
   On Windows start the Dbvserver Windows service to start Dbvserver.

2. Dbvserver includes a full scheduler to be able to schedule Dbvisit Standby. An external scheduler such as cron are no longer required.
   Dbvisit is now installed into a new subdirectory called “standby” under the main “dbvisit” directory.

3. Full web-based access to the Dbvisit logs on the primary and standby server. Full access to the Oracle alert log throug the web browser.
4. Graphical reports showing key information about the standby database process such as lag, compression ratio, size of transfer, time taken for transfers, total redo per day, and total transfers per day.

For more information please see http://www.dbvisit.com/dbvisit_new_features.php

6.0.04 (9 June 2011)
New features:

1. Variable SEND_HEARTBEAT2_TIME24 made redundant. Multiple times to send a heartbeat message separated by colon can be specified by variable SEND_HEARTBEAT_TIME24
2. Provide user feedback that Dbvisit is running the silent archive log gap report.
3. Release for all platforms.

Fixes:

1. Dbvisit could not locate trace files while running AMM module in windows environment – fixed
2. When running -R, do not run silent inspect (RUN_INSPECT=Yes) as this meant Dbvisit is contacting the standby database twice.
3. Compatibility with IE9 resolved.

Dbvisit Standby can be downloaded from http://www.dbvisit.com/dbvisit_download.php

Our Dbvisit web based version (Dbvisit Standby version 6.0) was scheduled to be released in April. Unfortunately this has been delayed while we try and resolve all remaining issues to ensure a stable version when we do release.

We are hoping to have Dbvisit Standby released at the end of May 2011.

Here is a preview of the reporting capability of Dbvisit Standby version 6.0.

Dbvisit version Dbvisit 5.3.12 has been released. The complete list of new features and fixes are below.

New features:

1. Automatically run Dbvisit archive log gap (dbvisit -i) when Dbvisit is run on the primary server. Can be turned off with variable RUN_INSPECT.
2. Remove temporary Dbvisit files and closing shared database session after creation of standby database.
3. Archive management log name can now be set in DDC file with ARCHSOURCE_LOG and ARCHDEST_LOG. If not set then default value is _arch_management.log
4. Global RECOVERY_PARALLELISM introduced to control parallelism for database recovery.

Fixes:

1. Misleading message regarding the DDC file name when BINDIR set to wrong location – fixed.
2. Extra comma removed from an sql query to obtain DDR version.
3. Dbvisit errors when the last non archived sequence cannot be obtained from data dictionary on the primary – fixed by setting sequence as max archived sequence +1.
4. Improved locking introduced to control locking when previous version of dbvisit executable is still running.
5. Do not send log gap report when TRANSFER_LOG table empty or with -R option – this disables copying installation to the standby.
6. Global RECOVER_NOPARALLEL11 made redundant and removed.
7. A query to obtain log_archive_dest for Oracle 8/9 changed to accommodate various values that optimizer_mode can be set to.
8. Global variables related to a server role (primary or standby) rather than a server name, are now not reversed after Graceful Switchover (GS).
9. Dbvisit does not handle creating standby database with filesystem OMF files using transportable media – fixed. Now uses RMAN COPY command instead of operating system COPY command.
10. Bug with with managing trace file. Managing archives and traces should be separate and should not interfere or be dependent upon each other – fixed.

Dbvisit can be downloaded from http://www.dbvisit.com/dbvisit_download.php

Dbvisit version Dbvisit 5.3.10 has been released. The complete list of new features and fixes are below.

New features:

1. Introduced new variable ARCHTMP to enable temporary location of ASM archives on primary server before transport. This is different from the location specified by ARCHDEST.
2. Increased searchability for Dbvisit to find archive log files in ASM.
3. Improved performance for validating files by checking unique paths only during creation of standby database.
4. Improved algorithm of recovering new primary database during last stage of graceful switchover. Allows primary database archive logs with a different format from the standby archive logs. This is usually the case when log_archive_dest on primary points to a name of an ASM diskgroup.
5. Support of %%ORACLE_SID%% variable in log_archive_format for Windows.
6. Improved algorithm of finding archive log destinations on the primary server.

Fixes:

1. When ARCH_ALT_LOCATION is set to a valid directory on the primary server, Dbvisit should only check this directory for archives to transfer to the standby server – fixed.
2. Dbvisit failed to manage trace files on Windows platform – fixed.
3. Reverse variables ORACLE_SID_ASM and ORACLE_SID_ASM_DEST after Graceful Switchover.
4. During graceful switchover in RAC, Dbvisit may not ship all subsequent archives after RAC instance shutdown – fixed.
5. Avoid shipping duplicate archive during graceful switchover – fixed.
6. Record thread# into Dbvisit repository table for single thread databases.
7. Dbvisit no longer does multiple log switches on the RAC instance during graceful switchover when RAC_TAKEOVER=Y and one RAC node is down.
8. Allow for mixed language messages generated by Oracle server during standby database recovery.
9. Recover standby database with a APPLY_DELAY_LAG_MINUTES clause issue – fixed.
10. Verify directory existence on remote server issue – fixed.
11. Issue with WIN_SERVICE_WAIT for Windows that resulted in reducing the WIN_SERVICE_WAIT value by 5 seconds automatically – fixed.

Dbvisit can be downloaded from http://www.dbvisit.com/dbvisit_download.php