Glossary

API

Application programming interface.  An agreed-upon set of library routines to accomplish a computer task.

autochanger

A device that has the ability to move media among various components located in the device including slots, media drives, media access ports, and transports.  Jukeboxes automate the media loading, labeling, and mounting administrative burden during backups and recovers.

Backup Catalog

Information about completed Oracle backups, stored in the external database.  See online indexes for the equivalent NetWorker mechanism.

backup group

A NetWorker client or group of clients configured to start backing up files to the NetWorker server at a designated time of day.

bootstrap

At the end of a backup, NetWorker saves the server's media database, NetWorker configuration files, and part of the server index to a special save set named bootstrap. The bootstrap provides vital information needed for recovering from a disk crash, so be sure to save the printouts generated from the bootstrap backup.

database administrator

The person responsible for database maintenance tasks, such as setting up relational tables and security.

daemon

A program that is not invoked explicitly, but lies dormant waiting for a specified condition or a combination of conditions to occur.

directive

Instruction to maximize the efficiency of a backup and to handle special files.

Enterprise Backup Utility (EBU)

An intelligent interface to Oracle databases, which works with third-party media management products (such as BusinesSuite Module for Oracle) to back up and restore all types of Oracle database files.

fileserver

A machine with disks that provides file storage services to other machines on the network.

filesystem

1.  A sub-tree of a UNIX file tree that is on a specific disk partition or other mount point.  2.  A method for storing files.

instance

The combination of Oracle processes that run each time a database is started.

jukebox

See autochanger.

listener

The Oracle TNS interface that enables an Oracle7 Server to accept client connections.

media manager

The NetWorker component that tracks save sets to backup volumes.

media recovery

The Oracle term for database roll forward using redo logs.

online indexes

The databases located on a NetWorker server that contain all the information pertaining to the client backups and backup volumes, such as pathnames of backed-up files.

Oracle7 Server

A system running an Oracle7 RDBMS.

Oracle Backup Utility client

A machine that can access backup and recover services from a NetWorker server.  Clients may be workstations, PCs, or fileservers with gigabytes of data.

Oracle Backup Utility server

A machine on a network running the NetWorker software, containing online indexes, and providing the backup and recover services to clients on a network.

preconfigured

The initial default selections or configurations for several NetWorker features.

RDBMS

An acronym for relational database management system.

recover

1.  A NetWorker command to browse the server index and recover files from a backup volume to a client's disk.  2.  An Oracle term for applying redo logs to roll forward.

resources

A resource represents a component of the NetWorker software that describes the NetWorker server and its clients. Devices, schedules, clients, groups, and pools are all examples of NetWorker resources. Each resource contains a list of attributes, defining the values to use for the configured NetWorker resource. Use the nwadmin or nsradmin program to configure NetWorker resources.

restore

An Oracle term for the replacement of individual data files from backup media.

RPC

An acronym for remote procedure call, a protocol that allows a program running on one host to execute code on another host without needing explicitly coded instructions.

save set

A set of files or a filesystem backed up onto backup media using NetWorker.

shell prompt

The UNIX command-line prompt, either % or $ (or # for superuser).

SID

An acronym for Oracle System Identifier, a unique name for an Oracle database instance. This value is typically set in the ORACLE_SID environment variable.

SQL

An acronym for Structured Query Language.

SQL*Net

An Oracle TNS-based application that enables client machines to access, modify, and store data on Oracle7 servers.

storage manager

An application that manages the storage devices and media used for Enterprise Backup Utility backup and restore requests. BusinesSuite Module for Oracle is a storage manager that connects NetWorker to the Enterprise Backup Utility.

superuser

A UNIX user with root privileges.

system administrator

The person normally responsible for installing, configuring, and maintaining machines on a network, and NetWorker.

target database

The Oracle database you want to protect by backing it up with NetWorker.

TNS

An acronym for Transparent Network Substrate, Oracle networking technology that provides a single interface to all standard network protocols.

volume

A unit of backup media, such as a magnetic tape or an optical disk.

volume pools

A feature that allows you to sort your backup data to selected backup volumes.  A volume pool contains a collection of backup volumes that have specific data sorted during the backup process.