A New ZDLRA feature can help you migrate to a new ZDLRA

 A new feature was included in the 19.2.1.1.2 ZDLRA software release to help you migrate your backup strategy when moving to a new ZDLRA.

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Update March, 2025  ----> Release 23.1 of ZDLRA software 

A new feature was added to this release "Rack Migration assistant".

What this means is that a new parameter is available with ADD_REPLICATION_SERVER called copyall_backups. This will replicate all existing backups making it much easier to just migrate to the new ZDLRA.

Parameter	Description
copyall_backups	When adding a replication server to a protection policy with copyall_backups set to TRUE, all backups for each of the databases are chosen for initial replication to the downstream Recovery Appliance. If set to FALSE the most recent level 0 including archivelogs and control files are replicated.

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This feature allows you to continue to access your older backups during the cut-over period directly from the new ZDLRA.  You point your database restore to the the new ZDLRA  and it will automagically access the older backups if necessary. Once the cutover period has passed, the old ZDLRA can be retired.

I am going to walk through the steps.

1. Configure new ZDLRA

• Add the new ZDLRA to OEM - The first step is to ensure that the new ZDLRA has been registered within your OEM environment. This will allow it to be managed, and of course monitored.

• Add a replication VPC user to the new ZDLRA. This will be used to connect from the old ZDLRA.
• Add the VPC users on the new ZDLRA that match the old ZDLRA

• Configure policies on new ZDLRA to match old ZDLRA.

          This can done by dynamically executing DBMS_RA.CREATE_PROTECTION_POLICY. 

           Current protection policy information can be read from the RA_PROTECTION_POLICY view.

• Add databases to proper protection policies on new ZDLRA.

        This can be done by dynamically executing DBMS_RA.ADD_DB. 

        Current database information can be read from the RA_DATABASE view.

• Grant the replication VPC user access to all databases for replication.

        This can be done by dynamically executing DBMS_RA.GRANT_DB_ACCESS

        The current list of databases can be read from the RA_DATABASE view.

• Grant the VPC users access to the database for backups/restores

        This can be by dynamically executing DBMS_RA.GRANT_DB_ACCESS

        The current list of grants can be read from the RA_DB_ACCESS view

• Create a replication server on the old ZDLRA that points to the new ZDLRA
• Add the protection policies on the old ZDLRA to the replication server created previously..

NOTE: When these steps are completed, the old ZDLRA will replicate the most recent L0 to the new ZDLRA, and will then replicate all new incremental backups and archive logs.

2. Switch to new ZDLRA for backups

• Update the wallet on all clients to include the VPC user/Scan listener of the new ZDLRA.

• Update the real-time redo configuration (if using real-time redo) to point to the new ZDLRA.

• Update backup jobs to open channels to the new ZDLRA

• Remove the VPC replication user from the new ZDLRA  

• Drop the replication server on the old ZDLRA

NOTE: The backups will begin with an incremental backup based on the contents of the new ZDLRA and will properly create a "virtual full". Archive logs will automatically pick up with the sequence number following the last log replicated from the old ZDLRA.

3 . Configure "Read-Only Mode" replication to old ZDLRA

• Add a replication VPC user on the old ZDLRA. This will be used to connect from the new ZDLRA.

• Create a replication server from new ZDLRA to the old ZDLRA

• Grant the replication VPC user on the old ZDLRA access to all databases for replication.

        This can be done by dynamically executing DBMS_RA.GRANT_DB_ACCESS

        The current list of databases can be read from the RA_DATABASE view.

• Add a replication server for each policy that includes the "Read-Only" flag set to "YES".

NOTE: this will allow the new ZDLRA to pull backups from the old ZDLRA that only exist on the old ZDLRA.

4 . Retire old ZDLRA after cutover period

• Remove replication server from new ZDLRA that points to old ZDLRA

NOTE: The old ZDLRA can now be decommissioned.

That's all there is to it. This will allow you to restore from the new ZDLRA, and not have to keep track of which backups are on which appliance during the cutover window !