BRTOOLS with tape continuation for large database

[Former Member]

Hello,

I have a R/3 database of 2TB which needs to be copied onto a new staging server for upgrade.

The problem I am facing is that I dont have any space in the SAN(storage) for taking the backup on disk.

So the only option I have is to take backups on tape.

Even tried backup with compress mode on tape but ended up with CPIO error for handling larger than 2GB files(note 20577).

And Since the database size is 2TB and the tapes I have hold 800GB I would have to use multiple tapes.

Since my some of the files in the database like *DATA_1 range between 6GB to 10GB CPIO cannot

handle files larger than 2GB as per note 20577.

So I had to change the parameter tape_copy_cmd = dd in init<sid>.sap.

But DD will end once the end of tape is reached with a error message thereby failing my backup.

Please help me get out of this situation.

Regards,

Guru

[fjhernanz · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Please check the 'Sequential backup' section in the backup guide. If its not possible to use a tape with a big capacity, you could use this method instead.

You would need to add/ modify the following parameter in init<sid>.ora :

1. volume_backup

2. tape_address

3.tape_address_rew

4.exec_parallel

You'll find more info about these parameters in www.help.sap.com and in the backup guide itself.

Br,

Javier

[volker_borowski2]

Hi,

if you do not use compression, set initSID.sap parameter TAPE_SIZE to 750000M.

Brbackup will prompt you then for change of tapes after the tapesize reached.

Do "brbackup -q" first, it should give you information how to label the tapes before you start.

if you use hardware compression, do a "brbackup -k only" first to determine the

compression ration. If it is i.e. 3.6, you might get away with two tapes.

Volker