For Database Administrators (DBAs) managing multi-terabyte Oracle databases, the backup window isn't just a challenge—it's a crisis of scale. As single datafiles balloon into terabytes, sequential backup processes, even robust ones, create a massive bottleneck. It’s a classic problem: one huge file forces multiple backup channels to sit idle, waiting for the massive file to finish, leading to wasted resources and painfully slow operations.
The Bottleneck: Why Massive Datafiles Break Traditional Backups
Traditionally, Oracle RMAN backs up datafiles as single units. If you have a massive datafile, a single backup channel is responsible for reading and writing that entire file. Even if you have ample channels, they sit idle waiting for that one file to finish. This leads to inefficient resource utilization and extended backup windows that threaten your Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
The Intelligent Fix: Automated Multi-Section Backups
We’re revolutionizing Oracle data protection with the rollout of intelligent Multi-Section Backup support for the Phoenix Oracle SBT client. This isn't just about applying a native RMAN feature; it's about automating performance at scale.
Multi-section backup is the foundation: it uses Oracle RMAN to divide a large datafile into smaller, parallel-processable sections. This allows multiple channels to work simultaneously on different parts of the same file. For example, a 1TB datafile could be split into ten 100GB sections, each backed up independently.
Beyond Native: The Power of Automation
While RMAN supports this feature, manual implementation is complex and prone to human error. Our solution introduces a sophisticated algorithm that automatically determines the optimal section size for your specific environment, ensuring maximum efficiency without manual tuning.
Our intelligent "Section Size Calculation" includes:
Skew Detection: The system automatically identifies files that are disproportionately large, contributing to most of your total database size.
Channel Optimization: Calculations are normalized against channel counts (e.g., a minimum of 24) to guarantee effective parallel execution.
Future-Proofing: A built-in multiplier ($1.5x$) anticipates future database growth, keeping your configuration stable and optimized as data expands.
Best Practice Adherence: We strictly follow Oracle's recommendations, ensuring files are limited to 16 sections and that the minimum section size is maintained at 1GB.
The Payoff: Speed, RTO Reduction, and Resilience at Scale
By engineering this intelligent feature across the entire protection stack (Agent, SBT Client, and RMAN script generation), we deliver tangible, bottom-line benefits:
Drastically Reduce Backup Windows: Parallelizing the processing of your largest datafiles cuts down the time needed for full backups.
Achieve Faster Recovery (Lower RTO): The benefits extend beyond backup. During a restore, multiple channels can simultaneously restore different sections, significantly improving your Recovery Time Objective (RTO) for large databases.
Ensure Enhanced Scalability: The system seamlessly handles databases of any size—from gigabytes to multi-terabyte monsters—by efficiently distributing work across all available backup channels.
Boost Resilience: Fault tolerance is improved, because if one section fails during transfer, the rest continues processing, minimizing disruption.
How It Works in Practice
When the feature is enabled, the Phoenix agent handles the complexity for you:
Calculation: The agent derives the optimal section size based on your database topology and channel count.
Script Generation: It automatically injects the necessary syntax into the RMAN script.
Execution: RMAN creates separate backup pieces for each section.
Naming & Tracking: The system uses enhanced naming conventions—tracking Section and Copy IDs—to ensure full integrity during restores.
Conclusion
You shouldn't have to choose between database growth and fast data protection. The new, intelligent Multi-Section Backups combine the native power of Oracle parallelization with automated efficiency. It’s a solution that ensures your largest Oracle environments are protected faster, smarter, and with unmatched simplicity. To know more, visit Druva for Oracle Data Protection. Take a free trial now!