System downtime and data loss through hardware or disk failure, system corruption, theft and fire or flood damage, power failure or human error is something that you hope your organisation will never have to deal with. However, it happens far more regularly than many think and can prove incredibly costly for organisations without a fully operational Disaster Recovery strategy in place.

How the organisation backs up data is core to the Disaster recovery strategy and it is around this issue that most of the big choices will be made. These choices will of course be influenced by the level of Disaster Recovery that the organisation needs: the size, importance and ‘replaceability’ of the system and its data; and how much of that data the organisation can afford to lose.

1) Consider the impact that system corruption, failure or damage would have on the organisation

The first question to ask during the development of a Disaster Recovery strategy is ‘how much can we afford to lose?’ Consider how a system failure would impact on the business and how quickly the system would be required to be restored back to full capacity. This should help you set criteria based on the two core aspects of your strategy:

• ‘Recovery Point Objective’ [RPO] – the amount of data loss that is acceptable to the company, or that the company can cope with.
• ‘Recovery Time Objective’ [RTO] – the duration of time and service level within which the system must be restored after a disaster in order to avoid unacceptable levels of damage to business continuity.

Once RPO and RTO values are ascertained, you should be able to conclude how much should be invested in protection for IT systems against the risk of failure.

For example, a company selling high value products like cars will probably have a very low RPO. If each individual transaction is attributed with a high value, storing accurate copies of data prior to a system failure or other disaster is a valuable exercise. Conversely, supermarkets’ system handle a high volume of low value transactions and would have a higher RPO, as the organisation can probably afford to lose up to a few days worth of transactions.

2) Decide whether the cost of a Disaster Recovery strategy is justified

If the cost of backing up systems and data is more than the value of the systems and data themselves, it makes more sense to simply redo any lost work rather than strive to back it all up. However, this approach to Disaster Recovery is becoming increasingly rare, as most organisation are coming to understand that lost data is not always replaceable and data loss has more than just a financial impact.

3) Consider your backup options

Once the organisation has established a policy around the amount of data it can afford to lose and the time within which restoration is required, choices regarding the mode of backup can be made. An appropriate balance between the speed at which systems must be restored back to normal; the complexity of protection required and the level of investment that can be made must be achieved.

• Standby Servers

Standby servers protect against the loss of data transactions and system downtime through server failure.

They are secondary servers that are loaded with an exact copy of the database sitting on the primary server and can be brought online in the event of primary production server failures or scheduled maintenance work. Users can continue working on the database with minimal disruption.

The implementation of a standby server involves: the creation of the database and continual log backups on the primary server; the creation and maintenance of the standby server through backup and restoration of the database sitting on the primary server; the ability to bring the standby server online in the event of a primary server failure.

Verdict? A relatively simple set up, but fairly expensive. This arrangement involves purchasing twice the amount of hardware and software and does not protect against on-site ‘disasters’ such as fire, flood, power failures, etc.

• Tape Backups

Offsite tape backup is still one of the most common approaches to disaster recovery. Magnetic backup tapes are run at stipulated intervals and then physically transferred to a remote location for safety. Tapes can be recalled in the event of an on-site system failure and are used to recover the database system to the point at which that tape was used for backup.

Tapes are small and portable, which means they lend themselves to simple Disaster Recovery strategies such as taking backups home each evening. They also require a fairly low level of initial investment. However, recovery can be an issue: the equipment used for recovery has to replicate the equipment used in production and the recovery procedure needs to be tested regularly to ensure that backups are being performed correctly and that recording is even taking place.

Verdict? As tapes are sequential, access times can be poor and restoration times slow. Tapes can also deteriorate. Whilst some will say that tape backups are an essential element of a disaster recovery strategy, others will argue that disk-based backups and other more modern technologies can replace tape backups entirely. Whilst you may not wish to use tape backups as the sole method of disaster recovery, they can still be used for archiving data and can therefore prove effective for retaining data long-term.

• Disk-based Production Data Backups

The cost of disk-based storage is still higher than that of tape, but it is reducing rapidly.

Using disk-based storage to take direct copies of production data and sending them to a different, remote site protects against on-site disaster: it effectively means that all of your eggs are not in one basket.

With a disk backup strategy, a complete copy of the existing database systems is taken and stored off-site. In the event of system failure, this exact system replica can be used to get the systems back up and running very quickly without the need for any reinstallation.

Disk backup is quick and it can also be automated to take data continuously; every thirty minutes; or every hour; or even when a certain number of changes have been made.

Periodic Replication involves disk backups in the form of ‘snapshots’ being taken periodically, transferred to an off-site location and archived as new snapshots come in. Much like a system restore for the average PC, you can choose to restore the database systems to a point at which everything was known to be working without issue. This method offers protection against any on-site issues or errors. However, depending on the gap in time between the last snapshot and system failure, a significant amount of processes can be lost.

Continuous data replication means that the data copy off-site is almost a ‘real-time’ copy. In the event of a server failure or other unforeseen incident, systems can quickly be returned to full working order using the remote disk backup. If your critical applications typically process a high volume of transactions, only a small amount of data will ever be lost simply because the data copies are so current.

The regularity of data copies that continuous replication involves is also responsible for a negative of this method. Any mistakes made at the primary site will be replicated. There are ways to overcome this issue, but ‘fixes’ such as the implementation of a tape-based system running parallel to the disk backups are rather impractical.

Verdict? Disk space is cheaper than it used to be and, whilst disk-based backup systems still cost more than tape, they are much more versatile and can be used to restore the system much faster than tape. How effective a disk-based backup strategy is for your organisation very much depends on typical transaction volume and the way in which the timing of the backups is managed.

• Hosted Server Backups

Remote hosted backup services are steadily becoming one of the most popular methods of system and data backup. System information can be transferred to a remote location quickly and easily, and without need to purchase any extra hardware or licences. Hosted backup services offer protection against fires, floods and other such ‘disasters’, as all system information is stored in an off-site secure facility.

The risk associated with trusting a third party with the privacy and integrity of backed up data is minimal. Service providers dedicate all of their resources to ensuring data is transferred and kept in the most secure conditions. The in-house skills of hosted backup service providers make hardware failures incredibly unlikely, as any potential issues are pre-empted and resolved long before they threaten hosted data environments.

Verdict? ‘Real-time’ system copies and the added protection of off-site storage are a given with hosted server backups. Provided you take care in choosing your hosted backup provider and ensure that the company you choose has the correct security measures in place, the up to date system copy will be fit to facilitate a full system restore with hardly any data loss, usually within minutes.

4) Other Quick Tips

• If you are using tape backups, always verify your storage media, preferably using the backup software as it is written to the tape. If you are unable to verify it as it is written to tape, schedule a check after a certain number of backups to ensure that the data is being backed up correctly. Also, make sure tapes are stored properly, at separate locations in protective containers.
• Again, when using backup tapes, remember that there is much more to consider in an emergency restore than just the backup tapes themselves. You will need boot disks or CDs for all of your key systems with the correct OS components and network/tape drivers to make the system functional and able to extract the contents of backup tapes. Would you be able to find all of these at short notice?
• Whatever strategy you choose, make sure that everyone is aware of the backup strategy and is comfortable with their role in it. For example, if you are using tape backups, keep a detailed log of tapes’ locations and contents, and designate certain individuals to source them in required. If you are using a remote hosted backup service, designate someone to manage that relationship. This person should have the service provider’s details and will simply need to call them to instigate a full system restore.
• Contact Xynomix for further information and advice on backup strategies for your IT systems here, or visit http://www.xynomix.com/oracle-consultancy/xynomix-disaster-recovery

IT Managers across the board are expected to have their work cut out to reduce emissions and increase the efficiency of IT systems pending parliamentary approval of the legislation.

At a time when many businesses are battling to reduce carbon emissions and introduce more environmentally friendly measures, the new CRC legislation will raise further awareness in large organisations to encourage changes in business behaviour and infrastructure.

As the running of IT hardware alone can account for a significant portion of a business’s overall energy usage, IT departments in particular will be under pressure to reduce their systems’ energy usage whilst maintaining a uniform level of system performance.

Between 1st April and 30th September 2010, UK-based organisations must either register as a CRC participant or disclose the company’s 2008 electricity consumption.  If half-hourly metred electricity usage is over a stipulated level, the organisation will qualify for the scheme.

The legislation will be policed by the Environment Agency, who will undertake desk-based and on-site audits depending on requirement.

More information can be found at: http://www.decc.gov.uk

Where can I get help to improve my organisation’s energy performance?

The Department of Energy and Climate Change suggests that help to devise a carbon-abatement strategy should be sought from either The Carbon Trust or Salix.

A number of useful case studies detailing how organisations such as B&Q and Bristol City Council have prepared for the scheme are provided at: http://www.decc.gov.uk

Where can I get help from an IT perspective?

There are a number of ways in which energy efficiency can be improved across IT systems through better use of hardware, software and database technologies.

As database specialists, Xynomix naturally focus on the hardware and database technologies that can be used to achieve CRC compliance.

Oracle database users in particular have many technologies available that can be utilised to help prepare for the new legislation:

• Oracle virtualisation and clustering technologies can reduce the amount of hardware required to run large volume, reliable data centres

[Oracle VM can be downloaded free of charge here: http://edelivery.oracle.com/oraclevm]

• Compression, partitioning, virtualization and server consolidation allows organisations to save energy, meet corporate environment responsibilities and cut system management and storage costs
• Oracle WebLogic based Application Grids improve runtime infrastructure pooling and allocation, and improve the deployment of physical resources
• System upgrades can include more energy efficient servers and storage, reducing emissions and energy usage costs
• Hosted Disaster Recovery solutions can halve the amount of hardware required to securely backup entire IT systems

The list goes on…

Please Contact Us for more information on reducing energy usage throughout your IT systems

For more information on the CRC scheme, visit: http://www.decc.gov.uk

Xynomix deliver Support, Managed Services and Consultancy to Oracle users and have recently incorporated the ‘Xynomix Disaster Recovery’ solution to a portfolio of services designed to deliver maximum database availability.

This particular ‘DR’ solution provides clients with a real-time backup of their entire database infrastructure that is stored off-site in a dedicated and secure virtual ‘Cloud’ environment.

Key benefits of the solution include:

• Zero data loss
• Database recovery time of less than 30 minutes, 24×7x365
• No requirement for hardware or licence investment

Says Xynomix Marketing Executive, Jules Pedersen:

“Protecting valuable data is a huge priority for SME’s in particular, but at the moment, available budget for purchasing the necessary hardware for traditional DR solutions is just not there. Besides, standby servers and tape backups do not offer much protection against on-site ‘disasters’.

Xynomix’ solution ticks all of the boxes: secure; off-site; cost-effective and reliable”

The company is keen to discuss Disaster Recovery options, including the virtual ‘Xynomix Disaster Recovery’ solution, with any Oracle database users that are looking to implement an effective DR strategy on a restricted budget.

For more information, please visit: http://www.xynomix.com/oracle-consultancy/xynomix-disaster-recovery

To achieve a wholly supportive, productive relationship with your Oracle and/or SQL Server support provider, it is important to:

1) Define how you want the contract to work.

Do you want a stock of pre-paid hours that can be drawn upon throughout the year when needed?

Or an ongoing contract that would allow you to define the hours of cover that you need and use unlimited ‘Second-Line’ support within those hours?

Perhaps a combination of contracted working hours support and a pre-paid pool of support to be drawn on out of hours?

Whatever your requirements, make sure that your ‘Second-Line’ Support solution fits them exactly. There is no reason that at all that your Oracle Database Support provider could not deliver support to your exact specifications. If they can’t, you could end up paying over the odds for Oracle and SQL Server support that you don’t use.

Tip: Check how much you will save on ad-hoc support hours/days by pre-paying. There should be a small saving at least!

2) Establish strict Service Level Agreements [SLAs] with your support provider.

For contracted ‘Second-Line’ Support in hours, you should be looking at a guaranteed response time set at around 30 minutes.

3) Make sure you can get in touch with the company quickly and easily.

If you have to wade through the typical talking and transfers of a call centre, the time it takes for you to receive any support will be greatly extended. In cases where support concerns a critical Oracle or SQL Server database environment, this delay can cost the business money.

Make sure that your support providers give you a direct, standard rate telephone number that will get you straight through to an Oracle or SQL Server DBA.

4) Ensure that the support provider you choose offers genuine 24×7 support.

Even if you don’t need access to 24×7 assistance yet, you never know when an issue with your Oracle or SQL Server database environment may arise. The last thing you want to do is engage one company for in-hours support only to find you will have to go elsewhere if an emergency occurs out of hours.

5) Make sure support can be delivered as securely and effectively remotely as it would be on-site.

An effective and secure connection method to your Oracle and SQL Server databases should be used to deliver remote support. Xynomix deliver remote ‘Second-Line’ Support functions such as health checks, Oracle and SQL Server installations and database upgrades over a guaranteed secure Virtual Private Network [VPN], which is as safe and effective as an on-site DBA connecting to perform administration from inside your building.

The support required could be an extra pair of hands, some extra Oracle or SQL Server skills, or some extra Oracle and/or SQL Server knowledge.

If there is a gap in internal skills, knowledge or manpower, ‘Second-Line Support’ plugs that gap. It’s that simple.

Examples of ‘Second-Line Support’ include:

• DBA Cover for DBA’s that are off sick or on holiday for any period of time. This can usually be delivered on-site or remotely with varying cost implications.
• Project Assistance and Consultancy for specific projects where extra manpower, skills and knowledge are required. Assistance can be delivered for projects such as: Business Intelligence and Reporting solutions; Implementation of Backup and Recovery solutions; Planning and Implementing Virtualisation Projects; Oracle and SQL Server database Installations and Support; Planning and Implementing Clustering Projects; Unix/Linux and Windows Operating System Support and System Health Checks.
• Up to 24×7x365 ‘always open’ helpdesk that can be used by internal DBA teams as an advice line, or even to request remote assistance from an on-duty Oracle or SQL Server DBA.   
• Undertaking basic tasks to free up DBA time for more involved projects, with regular contracted remote database performance tuning, patching and health checking delivered by your ‘Second-Line Support’ provider.

How is ‘Second-Line’ Support useful?

 ‘Second-Line Support’ for Oracle and/or SQL Server database allows organisations to maintain a consistent standard of database operation regardless of dips in DBA manpower, skills and workload.

It essentially allows you to borrow DBA resource for as long as you need it, pay for what you use, and stop using it as soon as the work is done.

How can ‘Second-Line’ Support for Oracle and SQL Server database be delivered?

‘Second-Line’ Support is usually delivered on a contractual or an ad-hoc basis, either by telephone if the support required is advice or guidance, or by remote database connection if the support required involves work on the database.

Remote work should be delivered securely. Xynomix deliver remote ‘Second-Line’ Support functions such as health checks, Oracle and SQL Server installations and database upgrades over a guaranteed secure Virtual Private Network [VPN]. This is as safe and effective as an on-site DBA connecting to perform administration from inside your building.

 
Monday 1st February marked the official entrance of Microsoft’s Azure Cloud technology into the cloud computing market.

Azure Cloud technology has been in beta testing for the past year following an initial development period of more than two years. Customers and developers alike can now utilise the SQL Azure hosted database, developing and deploying on Windows’ Azure operating system.

As yet, relatively few of Microsoft’s own properties have been migrated to the Azure Cloud: Windows Hotmail, Exchange Online and Xbox Live are a few of the major Microsoft facilities that are yet to be moved.

However, according to a number of sources, ‘tens of thousands’ of services and applications are already running on Azure, spanning from small pilot apps to larger commercial investments.

In conjunction with a number of partners, Microsoft has been working hard to deliver availability of open source tools for Azure. Uptake by developers is expected to be gradual over the next few years.

Whilst Azure is currently often used as an ‘overflow’ capacity to be used on top of existing technology, a number of independent testing projects have deemed the Azure Cloud platform reliable.

Greater functionality has been promised for 2010, including:

• A ‘Virtual Machine Roles’ feature to provide administrator control of a Windows Server virtual machine
• Availability of SQL Server features such as reporting and analytics
• Live Services components

With the Azure Cloud, Microsoft has tried to provide coders with familiarity in terms of operating environment, middleware and development infrastructure for ‘physical’ or Cloud-based applications alike. It may take some time, but general thoughts are that, with Azure Cloud, Microsoft is capable of competing for a significant chunk of the Cloud IT spend.

The Oracle Database with RAC technology, which was running on a 5-node IBM system p 570 cluster with Power 6 processors, achieved a new world record on the SAP Sales and Distribution-Parrallel Standard Application Benchmark running on the SAP ERP 6.0 application.

It was also concluded during testing that Oracle Real Application Cluster technology, or ‘RAC’, is cutting edge in terms of the near linear scalability and high availability it can deliver even when utilising advanced SAP applications.

SAP, or Systems Applications and Products, offer ERP solutions that are designed to assimilate information from various points within an industry and deliver it to one point.   

In light of Oracle’s findings, it seems that the levels of scalability and availability offered by Oracle Database and Oracle RAC position the technology as an ideal platform for deployments of SAP, and indeed other ERP solutions.

Source: Oracle

Below are a few hints and tips that should help make the decision about which type of support to go for and what you can expect from it.

What to look for in a support contract for Oracle and/or SQL Server Database systems?

1) Define your requirements: “Do I need an Oracle/SQL Server support contract?”

Assess:

• The criticality of your systems
• The DBA resource that you have available to draw on
• The number of projects that you may need to action in the coming year

If the database systems that you run are mission-critical, a fully managed service of some level will probably be beneficial.

DBA teams are often capable of administering database systems internally. However, they are usually unable to monitor and manage systems 24/7 and occasionally need a helping hand in terms of skills or sheer manpower. If an issue arises out of hours, or a number of issues arise within the database, problems can bottleneck and system management can quickly spiral out of control.

Fact: Over 90% of Xynomix’ support customers have strong internal DBA teams.

If there are no key projects planned for the coming year and the database environment is in good health, the chances are that systems should run fairly smoothly. DBA teams should be able to manage the system effectively and without a great deal of stress.

However, if a number of projects are scheduled, instant access to a readily-available team of external DBAs with a broad skillset can be invaluable.

Tip: Make sure that your support provider is able to work on all variations of SQL Server and Oracle, from Oracle 6 to the latest version [currently 11g R2].

2) Set your budgets and expectations: “What level of support can I expect from the budget available?”

Oracle and/or SQL Server support contracts can vary from ad-hoc support, where a pool of DBA time can be drawn upon as required, to full remote monitoring and management services. The extent of support and budget allocated will depend heavily on the criticality of the database systems.

Ad-hoc support contracts usually take the form of a pre-paid pool of days that can be accessed during times when extra DBA skills are needed. The benefit of an ad-hoc support contract over buying consultancy days ‘as and when’ is simple: DBA day rates work out significantly cheaper.

Full remote monitoring and management services are suited to organisations that operate mission-critical systems and require virtually non-existent downtime.

Full Oracle and/or SQL Server Support can be engaged to monitor systems 24/7, 365 days per year. For this type of support, Xynomix  set a perfectly achievable target of 99.9% uptime for mission-critical systems. Other Oracle and SQL Server support providers will also set their own targets.

Expectations of a full monitoring and management support service can be justifiably high and they will not always take up a huge chunk of your budget.

Achieving virtually non-existent downtime requires in-depth knowledge of all Oracle versions and technologies, including 11g and Oracle RAC technology.

Tip: Ensure that you set strict SLAs and make sure that your service provider adheres to them.

3) What should be included as part of a full monitoring and management support contract?

Your provider’s fully managed service should be designed to alleviate business pains around all aspects of Oracle and/or SQL Server, from day to day maintenance requirements to the monitoring and management of mission-critical database systems 24×7×365.

The service should involve the application of 24×7x365 remote, proactive performance monitoring and management technologies to database systems, probably through a Secure Site-Site VPN Connection, and the continual management of database infrastructure for optimal performance, resilience and availability.

Backup Administration and Management should be taken care of, along with the Monitoring and Management of Security. Your dedicated DBA resource should always be available. For example, if any issues should arise, Xynomix’ ‘Always Open’ support desk is available up to 24×7x365.

If you have any questions regarding support for Oracle Database Support and/or SQL Server, please do not hesitate to contact Xynomix on 0845 222 9600 or click here to contact us through our web form.

Many IT departments are still under a great deal of pressure to cut costs whilst maintaining, or even improving, system performance. DBA resources can become stretched as organisations work to administer existing and new systems; monitor security and administer backup and recovery solutions; install updated versions of technologies; deal with database problems; and work to implement new technologies and concepts such as database clustering and virtualisation.

IT managers are faced with a question: Can I reduce the overall cost of database and OS administration, and monitoring and management whilst maintaining or even improving system performance?

According to Xynomix, the answer is an unequivocal ‘yes’.

A fully managed service delivered by a third party like Xynomix can:

• Reduce the overall running cost of Oracle
• Reduce the risk to revenue through unplanned downtime
• Significantly improve on existing skill sets
• Increase Query Power and Speed of Database Systems
• Increase Productivity through Integrated Applications and a robust Infrastructure

However, a fully managed service is not always financially viable. In this case, the skills of internal DBA teams must be significantly drawn upon, leading to expensive overtime costs and exhausted employees.

According to Xynomix Marketing Executive, Jules Pedersen, engaging with Xynomix to deliver support to internal DBA teams can not only improve system efficiency and remove pressure from internal DBA teams, but can also reduce overall expenditure on system management:

“Xynomix have been helping DBA teams to deliver successful database projects and effective database and operating system management since 2002. We can lend our Oracle and SQL Server skills to IT departments on a project-specific or ongoing basis, acting as a pool of DBA knowledge and manpower that can be drawn upon by IT Managers to support DBA teams when required.  Projects are finished quickly and effectively, which results in happy DBA teams and healthy systems”

Xynomix’ ‘DBA Support’ is most commonly called upon to deliver:

• Seamless Oracle, SQL Server and Unix/Linux installation and support
• Assistance with the design and implementation of cluster technology
• Backup and Recovery Solutions
• Cutting edge business intelligence and reporting solutions
• Successful virtualisation projects
• System Health Checks

A host of some of the world’s most successful companies are taking advantage of Oracle 11g’s enhanced features for grid computing, storage management and administration.

Agenor Technology, the Ministry of Justice and Grupo Elektra are just a few of the new Oracle customers currently utilising 11g functionality.

Following the launch of Oracle Database 11g Release 2, Oracle have achieved a significant market share, with almost half of the entire relational database market using Oracle products.

Customers cite some of the most appealing features of Oracle Database 11g as:

• Enhanced application performance
• Lower overall IT costs
• Increased reliability
• Extreme scalability

Launched in September 2009, Oracle Exadata V2 is already in use at customer sites on an international scale: current Exadata customers include Amtrak, the Automobile Association of the UK and Screwfix.

Developed in conjunction with Sun Microsystems, features of Oracle Exadata V2 include:

• Extreme data warehousing performance
• Excellent performance in OLTP environments
• 10x average table compression for data warehouse data
• Faster access to business information
• ’Exadata Smart Flash Cache’ [Intelligent integration of flash storage with a database]

Utilised together, the second releases of Oracle 11g and Oracle Exadata provide users with highly a scalable database technology environment that delivers extreme performance at a relatively low cost.

Resources: Oracle

For more information on the latest information about Oracle Database 11g and Oracle Exadata V2, contact your Oracle Expert Xynomix.