Oracle releases disaster recovery software

Oracle Corp. announced new software Wednesday designed to make it easier for companies to maintain a backup copy of their database, with the goal of preserving data in the event of a system failure, human error or natural disaster.

Called Data Guard, the application was originally scheduled for release with Oracle 9i, the next major upgrade to Oracle's database, scheduled for release by June 30. The company decided to offer a version for users of its current database, Oracle 8i, because it's "one of those fundamental technologies" that all businesses can benefit from, said George Demarest, director of product marketing for Oracle 9i.

Data Guard is used to help maintain a replica of a company's primary database, with the goal of keeping important data available and intact in the event of a disaster. Coming soon after a large earthquake shook Seattle and in the midst of a chronic power shortage which has led to blackouts in parts of California, the release of the software is timely.

However, the version of Data Guard being offered to 8i users isn't as complete as the one that will ship with Oracle 9i, Demarest acknowledged. The software released today can maintain a "physical standby" database, which contains the same data as a company's primary database but can be used only for read-only operations. Only the version of Data Guard that will ship with Oracle 9i supports the maintenance of a "logical standby" database, or one that supports both read and write access.

One analyst said that's a significant drawback.

"It's the logical capability that really represents the enhancement, that's what makes it really useful and lets you get double-duty from the (standby) database," said Jon Rubin, a senior research analyst with Gartner Group Inc.

Data Guard for Oracle 8i is still a valuable tool, primarily because it automates many of the time-consuming steps that database administrators must take to switch over to the standby database, Demarest said. Oracle's existing tool for maintaining a standby database requires administrators to perform as many as 20 manual steps in order to switch to the backup database, he said.

"Data Guard provides a sort of push-button interface for managing that remote copy, and easily enables you to switch back and forth," he said. Data Guard also includes a feature called Zero Data Loss Log Transport, which helps ensure that the standby database is kept fully up to date in the event that a failure occurs.

Despite Oracle's assertion that it is acting in the interests of its users, Rubin had his own theory about why Oracle chose to offer Data Guard in advance of 9i's release. One of Oracle's software partners, Quest Software Inc. of Irvine, California, has enjoyed increasingly strong sales lately for SharePlex, a database backup product that performs a very similar function to Data Guard.

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