XClone from Babboo.com is a very automated answer for cloning Oracle databases and Oracle functions. As far as I’ve been capable of decide these guys are the one firm that clones each and accomplishes it in a completely automated vogue.
The Problem
To me, it is a very simple query and I can really draw on two related and well timed points I’ve been going through. Over the final two years I’ve been working for a shopper that frequently asks for me to “build” check programs from manufacturing in order that numerous units of efficiency monitoring or software testing might be finished. This may be very laborious and time consuming for me. More usually than I wish to admit, these duties require me to work unusual hours of the evening simply so these programs might be out there by 7:00am.
The different drawback I’ve is the promotion of databases from growth, to Test or Integration, then to QA, and at last to Production. This staging and promotion mannequin is difficult to take care of, particularly when the integrity of these numerous cloned databases should be maintained throughout a number of testing eventualities.
This is a REAL drawback for me that exist day by day. There are occasions I’m constructing as much as 5 or 6 databases every single day simply to maintain up with the requests. To date, I’ve finished all of this by scripting and only recently have been capable of schedule a few of it by cron and AT. But even after scheduling and scripting most of this course of, I nonetheless spend 60% of my day doing cloning operations which do not simply embrace a database copy however migration of schemas and knowledge. I’ve little or no time or vitality to decide to different DBA duties. So YES, this is a matter as I simply can’t get out of the trenches.
Getting XClone Installed
I sometimes do not go this a lot into element for any of the merchandise I’ve reviewed prior to now however since XClone was really easy to put in I assumed it is likely to be useful if I gave a slight blow by blow of my expertise. I ought to assume that you just too may get XClone up and operating in a couple of minutes as I did. Hey if you cannot give Babboo a name, they’re greater than keen to take the decision and you’re going to get some nice response simply as I’ve gotten. As at all times, you’ll be able to submit your questions right here and I can even give it my finest shot.
Run the Wizard
After the obtain, a easy click on of the mouse spawns an Install Shield wizard. Just as I hope you’d anticipate. Click subsequent, settle for the license settlement, click on subsequent once more, give your important data, select the standard set up possibility, subsequent once more, and phew, you might be off and operating the installer. I’ve really tried this a number of totally different occasions and have gone by the un-install procedures as properly. Everything works simply as prescribed for laying down the software program and eradicating it. This could seem a small level however I personally hate software program that lingers round.
You would possibly wish to learn a bit of documentation
Now it is a level the place I made my first mistake. I, like many techies wish to set up and rise up and operating with out studying any documentation. This is the place understanding a bit of bit about how the product works and studying a bit of documentation goes a great distance. Like many, if not all, merchandise XClone is a shopper server software that has a shopper piece and a server piece. As such try to be anticipated to put in not solely the shopper software program but additionally some server code.
UGH! Don’t overlook the license key
By going by the Install Shield wizard you principally put in the shopper piece. But for those who did not learn any of the documentation and did not learn any of the knowledge on the Babboo obtain web page you’d have missed the half the place you want to get a license key. So for those who missed this return to the obtain web page and there’s a hyperlink for requesting a FREE License key on the proper hand menu. Don’t fear, that is all automated and you will not get a name from a salesman. What you’re going to get is a straightforward electronic mail that comprises the license key in an attachment. Just comply with the e-mail’s instructions for putting in the license key.
Install the XClone Server Software
Installing the shopper items of a toolset at all times appear to be the best. It is these server items that we are likely to dread. Mostly as a result of we’ve got to get our toes moist and we get paranoid about touching our treasured database servers. I feel Babboo has at the least made this course of as easy and painless as potential. The course of is so simple as unzipping some information, setting an setting variable (Unix solely), and operating a script to start out the server agent. Don’t actually know the way a lot simpler it could possibly be.
Now let’s set up the XClone Server Software
In the default listing for the shopper software program, “C:Program FilesBabbooXCloneservers” you will discover a listing for Windows and one for Unix. Each listing has a .zip or .tar file for his or her respective working programs. Unzip or untar these information and try the readme.txt information in them earlier than continuing. I personally unzipped straight to my C: listing and on Linux to my /tmp listing.
In my first set up I really went by the directions for Windows and it labored like a champ with no points. Well really the service would not mechanically begin after set up so you’ll have to begin the service by hand the primary time or else re-boot your system as it’s set to computerized. Not a giant deal however it did trigger me to scratch my head for a bit when attempting to get the shopper to speak to the server. I additionally examined out the uninstall script for this service and it additionally eliminated the service. Thank you once more Babboo as I hate lingering software program that may’t be eliminated with out a full rebuild.
It can also be a very good level to notice that not as soon as in the course of the set up did my Firewall ask me to permit exterior sending of data. This to me is a superb “feature” that I do know many different software program distributors within the database trade nonetheless ship again important data out of your machines.
Ok, final weekend I constructed out a brand new SUSE Linux field that I assumed I’d additionally attempt placing the XClone server agent on. After studying the supplied readme.txt file, Okay, you caught me, I did not learn the entire thing. But the steps are fairly simple to get this operating on Linux/Unix. Just keep in mind you want to be the basis person to do that set up. After un-tarring the XCloneServer tar file you have to to edit the file named XClone.env to inform XClone the place Java exists on the machine. If you do not know the place that is put in in your system you would possibly be capable of get away with having a look at your present setting variables. Mine was set in a variable named JAVA_BINDIR.
Then Issue the next beneath the basis account and XClone Server ought to begin. ./XClonectl begin
A small verification you are able to do is difficulty the identical command with the cease possibility. If it really was operating you’re going to get a sound cease message. If not you’re going to get a line of output that states the XClonectl couldn’t discover any job management. More than probably you’ll simply must re-edit and alter the place your Java exists.
Using XClone – Let’s XClone Something
When beginning XClone for the primary time, you have to to outline a grasp database occasion which you’ll be cloning from. For XClone it is a easy technique of answering a number of questions by a wizard. Such as giving the occasion identify, the Oracle model, giving a node definition for the server your grasp occasion resides on. And consists of nothing greater than giving IP deal with, hostname, port quantity for the XClone server agent, area identify, working system, and an ORACLE_HOME. This is very similar to you’d do to arrange your Oracle TNS data. I additionally preferred that there’s additionally a fast little check button to validate the connection data you’ve got simply entered. This checks the connection from the XClone shopper to the XClone server agent. The first time I did this I had forgotten to start out my XClone server and thus I obtained an error. So simply ensure you have began your XClone server. If you bounced your server you might also wish to verify that the server began after the reboot.
If you comply with the entire course of within the QuickStart Guide, and scan your grasp occasion’s setting, what you’ll now have is an entire definition of your grasp setting that may now be cloned. I’d recommend you check out what XClone discovered by the scan course of and add or change the parts that will likely be cloned if want be. But since XClone discovered all the pieces in my present setting I did not want so as to add or change something.
Onto the Clone
The first time I ran XClone I made a decision to comply with the QuickStart Guide to the letter. At which era I created a Full Environment Clone. This replicated all my Oracle software program and my grasp database. It was fast and painless. This time by I’m going to only attempt the choice to clone a database with out the Oracle software program. This is named a Shared Environment clone the place the clone created will really be sharing the Oracle binaries with different situations. This is one factor I actually like about XClone. It is so configurable and provides so many choices, but is easy to make use of. It may be very configurable and can principally suite any Oracle set up’s wants. But extra of that within the subsequent two posts after at this time.
So after dragging my grasp occasion icon into the “Cloning Area” I’m prompted with the query of which sort of clone to supply, I choose Shared Environment Clone. After this, by one other wizard, you might be prompted with numerous parameters that outline the setting you might be cloning to. Not to fret about too many questions although. About all you want to do is give the identify for the brand new occasion. XClone will translate this and pre-fill all the opposite variables wanted. Of course you would change these variables that XClone comes up with, which is good, however I’ve discovered that it actually is not crucial in most situations. All I actually modified was my TNS port quantity for the brand new occasion. After being given a re-cap / Action Summary, all that’s wanted is a click on on the Finish button and let the cloning start. At this level you’ll be able to simply sit again and watch. Or go get your self a cup of espresso as XClone now will do all the pieces for you. Since I’m doing this clone of a comparatively small database, I like to sit down and watch the output within the show display.
Now the last word check is validating the brand new setting. Can I connect with it? Are all of the information in place? Do I’ve a entry in TNS? How does my oratab file look? Well all I can say is that all the pieces I checked out was in its’ place, and able to use. I did not must do anything. Another profit right here is that this configuration to clone between my grasp and this new outlined node has been saved to make use of later. I can schedule it to occur each time I need and XClone will simply do the work. How simple is that? Personally I’ve by no means had a cloning session for a database be so environment friendly and straightforward to make use of. To do that all by hand is a factor of the previous. At least for me!
Cloning Oracle Schemas
Many retailers needn’t clone full database environments or databases. Some solely must clone schemas from one database to a different. Well, XClone has this feature so I assumed I’d give {that a} do this time.
The cloning session begins principally the identical means. I’ll drag my grasp database occasion into the “cloning zone” however when prompted for the clone kind I’ll select “Schema Clone”. Since I’ve already a number of clones on the market, from the drop down listing of vacation spot situations I’ll select a kind of. Cool, a brand new display I have not seen but. I’m now prompted with a display that’s asking me for export/import parameters. I can both export/import by typical strategies or use transportable tablespaces. I can then, by a choose listing click on on any variety of Schema Owners from my supply/grasp database occasion. This represents the “From User” from the Oracle export utility. Just maintain down the key and choose as many as I need. I’m additionally given the choice to pick out from a listing for my “To User” import possibility. Since it is a clone and my person would not exist on the vacation spot I simply select the following button. This will trigger XClone to create the person. Under the superior choices there may be one to additionally delete the person if it already exists so play with warning.
The cloning session will present the output of the complete session, together with creating the person, export utility, and import utility. One factor I did discover, which is accessible in all cloning classes, is that you could insert scripts to run throughout totally different components of the cloning session. Creating a person is only one case the place you would possibly wish to do that as issues like setting default and short-term tablespaces is one thing it would be best to regulate. The good factor being that XClone warned me about this.
Wrap-Up
I’ve labored in quite a lot of database retailers in my days. Some of them required me to create database environments on the drop of a hat. Others didn’t. But those that did they anticipated these new database environments to be created shortly and effortlessly. What they did not know is that it really takes lots of time behind the scenes to do correctly, well timed, and with out error. Typically once I labored in a majority of these retailers the cloning perform of my job took anyplace from 40-70 % of my time. And it was a full time job each time I made a decision to attempt to develop an actual set of procedures that have been repeatable. Where these procedures ever full? Did they supply an entire answer? No they did not! It was at all times a “work in progress” that I attempted to cover from my managers.
Well, my hat is off to Babboo.com and XClone. I do know I can use this device. XClone is what I wish to consider as a full-service cloning answer for Oracle Database environments. As I’ve stated, I’ve cloned database environments earlier than by scripts and by quite a lot of Oracle kind utilities. All of which weren’t an entire answer to cloning, took me many hours to get working, and simply had too many items and interfaces to place collectively correctly.
XClone alternatively has put collectively in a single full package deal an exquisite assortment of cloning methods and choices that may clone not solely Oracle databases but additionally Oracle software program, together with the Oracle Applications.
Remember cloning isn’t just copying datafiles and brining up the identical occasion elsewhere in your community. XClone permits you to translate your database setting into one other setting and really make it a special database setting. If you consider it, it is a very highly effective proposition. After all if you will make a replica of manufacturing right into a QA setting, why would you wish to name it PROD. This easy rename of a database is simply the tip of the iceberg that XClone does throughout its cloning course of.
The QuickStart Guide given may be very simple to comply with and can get you up and operating in a short time. And the User Guide as a number of examples that may stroll you thru any kind of clone it’s possible you’ll must do. If I had one other week to play with this device I most likely would.
Plus there are different nice internals to this product that I actually did not point out. For occasion you’ll be able to create cloning profiles, schedule your clones to run mechanically, an exterior API to name XClone, and good backup and restore utilities simply in case you do not have one but.
If you end up replicating or copying databases round your group you’ll be able to profit from an actual cloning answer comparable to XClone.
If you have not taken a take a look at XClone but I’d encourage you to exit the Babboo.com web site and search for your self. Better but, obtain the free trial and go clone one thing.
Take a glance: www.babboo.com
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