OracleEMCSnapClone

• Snap Clone provides ‘thin provisioning’ enabling a self service user to create rapid and space efficient clones of large databases in just a few minutes. Snap Clone leverages the underlying “Copy on Write” feature provided by storage vendor.

Enterprise Manager 12c Snap Clone instant database cloning allows administrators to create fully functional copies of databases using the capabilities of the underlying storage layer.

Ok. so we'll talk more about that - what is self-service so important in the DB world?

It's a great way for DBAs to leverage storage replicas to create database clones quickly and efficiently - without having to call the storage group.

Enabling Clone via self service paradigm enables users to request clones when they need it without needing to bother system, storage or DB admins.

This technology is particularly useful for large scale functional testing on data that does not require extensive updates or changes.

It also significantly reduces storage footprint

You will need a TimeFinder license on VMAX2. TimeFinder is licensed both by capacity and by full frame.

Description of Snap Clone from Oracle's Web site https://blogs.oracle...

“Oracle just did a great webcast on this functionality, it’s the first one listed here: http://www.ioug.org/...”

@cmosoares Thank you Carlos...

Thanks Carlos! Another great link is to the recent webinar about this integration: https://oracleevents...

Snap Clone leverages the underlying “Copy on Write” feature provided by storage vendor.

Snap Clone is essentially thin cloning - providing dramatic storage and time savings when creating clones

RMAN based cloning performs complete backup of the database. There are no time or space savings associated with RMAN Cloning.

Snap Clones (thin provisioning) is often useful for pre-production activities such as testing, dev, reporting, etc. where not many updates are required.

Full cloning (RMAN) is useful for backups, performance testing, etc.

Good news is EM12c provides automation and self service capabilities around both full and thin cloning options.

With Snap Clone you will be able to create space efficient clones of large databases in just a few minutes

Traditionally, DBAs don't get to leverage storage copy-on-write ad-hoc (therefore, they'll often use RMAN to create db clones). This integration makes a difference.

RMAN for backup...Snap Clone for operational copies - makes sense...

as a pure-play, Oracle Database only, cloning tool EM12c with SnapClone is excellent, the argument to use other tools and methods is licensing cost and customers need to extend copy management to the application

Oracle and EMC have worked together for over 20 years and have an active engaged relationship where we continue to invest heavily

Oracle and EMC have actively collaborated on the development of the Snap Clone support for EMC.

Jointly we do engineering validations, have best practices and solutions as well as joint technology centers where we can showcase the joint solutions

personally, I am disappointed when I see Larry Ellison keynoting with bizarre claims against EMC hardware, this SnapClone integration is a fabulous example of EMC and Oracle cooperation that has been happening for 2 decades! :)

Joe Tucci called Safra his "good friend" at #OOW - Joe or Safra can you confirm :-)

I work on the systems side in Oracle. We work pretty closely with EMC. They receive the first Beta SPARC systems. We do a lot of joint work with EMC. Great relationship at the engineering level

Obviously we compete and will continue to compete on the storage side of Oracle.

By using EMC storage the Test Master clones are created in the most efficient way, and can leverage EMC storage capabilities such as multi-tier storage. For example, the clones are created using copy-on-write storage replications and therefore consume mi

Snap Clone offers direct support for EMC storage. A major benefit is this is the only solution to support DBs on ASM.

The direct hardware certification also provides performance and scalabilty benefits.

@mpenaoracle big thank you to Oracle's @sharmanpete for describing that http://bit.ly/1zky8v...

supporting ASM is so important to DBAs today, as long time DBA I was almost wishing i was still out there doing it when I read Pete's blog

Certainly great advantages for using EMC storage – from multiple tiers (say, Production on Flash storage and Test Master clones on FC or SATA), offload the copy activities from the host, instant refresh of the Test Master with TimeFinder, etc.

minimal capacity. The clones can be pointed to reside on a different storage tier than Production. For example, Production can be leveraging Flash drives while the Clones can use FC or SATA drives.

Yes. Supports SAN and NAS storage devices

Snap Clone supports multiple storage models - we offer a generic, agnostic mode that works with most NAS or SAN storage.

We also offer 'hardware' solutions - certified for key storage vendors. We recently certified hardware support for EMC.

It is supported on EMC VMAX and VNX arrays

The EMC integration with Snap Clone currently supports VMAX and VNX storage arrays. Future releases are expected to include support for additional storage array models, such as VMAX3.

originally SnapClone only supported NetApp and Sun ZFSSA natively, it was then extended to Database Clones on NFS with a ZFS layer

@Yes, PowerPath is supported. The following multipath software options are supported

EMC PowerPath (PowerPath 5.6+) on Linux platformsMPxIO and EMC PowerPath on Solaris platforms

PowerPath is currently supported. Device Map will be supported in next upcoming release.

Red Hat Linux correct?

Powerpath is supported. Will be supporting device-mapper (DM) multi pathing solutions shortly

Oracle Linux and Red Hat Linux

MPxIO multi pathing solution on Solaris

MPXIO is also supported