ASM: Copy files To and from – ASM

Hello,

In this post, we will look different ways of copying Files between OS and ASM.

Before to that we see what are the tools available for the same.

• XML DB - enables file transfer since Oracle 10gR1

XML DB creates a virtual folder /sys/asm and makes it accessible via ftp or http. You will see how to use XML DB features for transferring files between file system and ASM using the virtual /sys/asm folder. In order to use this feature for file transfer XML DB needs to be installed and configured

Full details available here: http://docs.oracle.com/cd/B28359_01/server.111/b31107/asmfiles.htm#BABJCCEI

• ASMCMD cp command since Oracle 11g

Starting with 11G asmcmd is further enhanced and one of the benefits is cp. ASMCMD cp command can be used to copy both locally and remotely in the following directions:

• ASM->FS
• FS->ASM
• ASM-ASM
  

ASMCMD [+] > cp +data/orcl/datafile/TEST.267.78569634 /mybackups/example.bak

copying +data/orcl/datafile/TEST.267.78569634 -> /mybackups/example.bak

ASMCMD [+] > cp /mybackups/test.txt +data/orcl/datafile/test.txt

copying /mybackups/examples.bak -> +data/orcl/datafile/myexamples.bak

ASMCMD [+] > cp +data/orcl/datafile/TEST.267.78569634 sys@server.asminstance:/home/oracle

ASMCMD [+] > cp +data/orcl/datafile/TEST.267.78569634 sys/passwd@server.asminstance:/home/oracle

ASMCMD [+] > cp sys@server.asminstance:/home/oracle +data/orcl/datafile/file

• DBMS_FILE_TRANSFER package - allowed transfer between ASM/FS since 10gR2

DBMS_FILE_TRANSFER package is available since Oracle 10gR1 and since 10gR2 supports transferring files as follows:

• ASM->ASM
• FS->ASM
• FS->FS
• FS->ASM
  

Let's create a directory pointing to a file system

CREATE OR REPLACE DIRECTORY fs_dir AS '/home/oracle/stage_file';

Let's create a directory pointing to ASM

CREATE OR REPLACE DIRECTORY ASM_dir AS '+DATA/tst';

to copy example.txt file from ASM to a /home/oracle/stage_file directory.

SQL> exec dbms_file_transfer.COPY_FILE('asm_dir','example.txt','fs_dir','example.txt');

PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.

-Thanks

Geek DBA