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SrikanthS - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Manager - Technical at Sify Technologies
Real User
Top 10
Reliable solution to use for DC to DR replication
Pros and Cons
  • "The most important feature is that if I want to test the database at the disaster recovery site, I can take a snapshot, test it, and then revert it back to the original state without needing to restore the complete database from the primary data center to the disaster recovery."
  • "They may need to include the monitoring and the alerting part in Data Guard."

What is our primary use case?

We moved from on-premises to a private cloud.

Only our ERP admins use this solution, so it's about five people.

What is most valuable?

The most important feature is that if I want to test the database at the disaster recovery site, I can take a snapshot, test it, and then revert it back to the original state without needing to restore the complete database from the primary data center to the disaster recovery.

What needs improvement?

They may need to include the monitoring and the alerting part in Data Guard. In case there is a delay in the sync from the primary to the DR site, it is going against more than the expected RTO or the RPO, we should be able to get an alert or see it in the dashboard.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for three years.

Buyer's Guide
Oracle Data Guard
October 2024
Learn what your peers think about Oracle Data Guard. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2024.
814,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is good. It's very reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is good. If we want to add more databases, we are able to do it without any issues.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

The initial solution we used was a basic solution that involved manually copying the logs from the primary to the secondary site, and there was no automation.

How was the initial setup?

Initial setup is of medium difficulty if you know how to use Oracle Data Guard. Implementation took three days.

What about the implementation team?

Implementation was done in-house. We only had a maximum of three people deploying the solution. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The cost is expensive.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution 10 out of 10.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Oz Pozner - PeerSpot reviewer
Head of Product - CloudHome at Bynet
Real User
Reliable, cost-sensitive, and helpful for disaster recovery
Pros and Cons
  • "Backup and application continuity are most valuable."
  • "The usage of block storage devices in the cloud or migration of a type of storage from one site to another site can be improved. Currently, we have to use multi-node to single node because of the lack of storage support on the Azure side. It did not really work. Our DBA had to spend a lot of time tweaking the Data Guard tools, or the underlying Oracle VMs, to make sure that Data Guard would run on top of different types of storage. So, if it can support transporting or getting from one type of storage to another type of storage in a different site or a different technology, it would be very helpful."

What is our primary use case?

We use it for application disaster recovery. It is deployed on-prem, and one side is our side, and the second side is Microsoft Azure.

What is most valuable?

Backup and application continuity are most valuable.

What needs improvement?

The usage of block storage devices in the cloud or migration of a type of storage from one site to another site can be improved. Currently, we have to use multi-node to single node because of the lack of storage support on the Azure side. It did not really work. Our DBA had to spend a lot of time tweaking the Data Guard tools, or the underlying Oracle VMs, to make sure that Data Guard would run on top of different types of storage. So, if it can support transporting or getting from one type of storage to another type of storage in a different site or a different technology, it would be very helpful.

Its support should also be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with this solution for the last two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

If one is most stable, I'd rate it a two out of five. We were facing some issues. It isn't something that you set up and then go to sleep for two years. We have to maintain it and tweak it several times, but it is still very good in terms of stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is very scalable and reliable. 

How are customer service and support?

I would rate it a two out of five. It is not very good. There are a lot of community guides, but Oracle documentation is not straightforward, specifically when you use one site as the cloud site and one site as your on-prem site. If one is the best, in the cloud arena, I would rate them a two out of five. There is some community support, and there is some Oracle support, but they still have room to improve.

How was the initial setup?

It was complex. My DBA had a difficult time. If five represents the most complex, I would rate it a five out of five in terms of complexity. 

It required multiple experts. It required Microsoft support, our own system experts, and an external DBA to make the transition work. It took us two weeks to move from one Data Guard replication to another Data Guard replication.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It is not a cheap product, but if you look at the price, features, availability, scalability, and maturity, it is a very good product. 

What other advice do I have?

Involve Oracle as early as you can and do a version upgrade to the latest DB version before you try to migrate to the cloud. First, do all the migrations that you need to do locally in your Oracle database, and only after that, do a cloud migration.

I would rate it an eight out of 10. It is quite reliable, but there are problems. It is not perfect. There is a monopoly of technology, and this is the only cost-sensitive product around. The other products are either very expensive or not reliable.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Oracle Data Guard
October 2024
Learn what your peers think about Oracle Data Guard. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2024.
814,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.
DBA Team Lead at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Top 20
Requires minimum maintenance, is stable, and is scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is the flashback standby, which allows us to test without scrapping the database."
  • "The initial setup is complex."

What is our primary use case?

Oracle Data Guard is a critical part of our business applications. The solution helps protect our data from accidental or unauthorized changes.

The solution can be deployed on-prem and on the cloud.

How has it helped my organization?

The solution has helped improve our organization by making the data more accessible quicker.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the flashback standby, which allows us to test without scrapping the database.

What needs improvement?

I would like the ability to use the read-only format from other sites for more reporting not only for disasters but also to offload the workloads on our production site. This will require some investment.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for 15 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I give the stability a nine out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I previously used Dell EMC RecoverPoint. Oracle Data Guard is more native to the database, so it will have better features, better flexibility, and be easy to operate or activate in terms of disaster. The solution has also reduced the traffic of the network. EMC RecoverPoint used too much data to be transferred, but with Oracle Data Guard less data will be transferred.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is complex. I give the setup a two out of ten.

We tested internally and then configured the Oracle Data Guard according to the procedures we found from the published Oracle site. We then deployed the solution. The deployment takes around four months and requires three people.

What about the implementation team?

We use the experts who are there for the provisioning of the Cloud infrastructure, but most of the implementation is completed by our technical team.

What was our ROI?

We have seen a return on investment because the solution is available almost instantly, making it a worthwhile investment.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There is no set cost for the solution. The cost of the Oracle license will depend on the negotiations with Oracle. The license is costly compared with other database systems.

The license includes primary support, patches, and technical support.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We evaluated CloudEndure but it did not meet our requirements.

What other advice do I have?

I give the solution a nine out of ten.

The maintenance is completed in-house but is rarely required. We monitor the solution with the help of our operation team.

Oracle Data Guard can allow us to enhance our system by making each of our databases, primary and standby, usable at the same time. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Computer Engineer at Nestle
Real User
A robust and efficient solution that scales easily
Pros and Cons
  • "Technical support is very good. If at any time we write a ticket, we get the appropriate answer on time."
  • "The database administration needs improvement. With Oracle, we have a lot of features for administrating data, but it might be too many. It needs to be simplified. It should be automated. Looking at Enterprise Manager, there are too many KPIs in place."

What is our primary use case?

We have a couple of Oracle systems that are attached to different types of applications.
In terms of Data Guard, we use it for factory monitoring.

What is most valuable?

We like Oracle because the solution is very robust. It's also efficient for queries and is easy to scale.

What needs improvement?

The database administration needs improvement. With Oracle, we have a lot of features for administrating data, but it might be too many. It needs to be simplified. It should be automated. Looking at Enterprise Manager, there are too many KPIs in place. Directly on-site, we do not need to choose all of them. Administration, generally speaking, needs to be improved.

Oracle should also continue to simplify the upgrade using Data Guard. We have already seen reduced outage timing any time we are doing upgrade, so maybe they are heading in that direction, but it can always be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for more than 10 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of the solution is good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of the solution is good. We have roughly 1,000 users right now.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is very good. If at any time we write a ticket, we get the appropriate answer on time. 

How was the initial setup?

The set is straightforward but it is dependent on the audience you have. Internally, we have experienced DBAs, so deploying Oracle is straightforward. If we had to do the same job for an external company it could be complex. 

What about the implementation team?

Previously we were doing the set up ourselves. Now, for more than a decade, we work with a third party, and we delegate the deployment, the support, and the maintenance of the Oracle Database.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing of Oracle is average. It's not inexpensive but it's okay.

What other advice do I have?

Currently, we are using the on-premise version on the solution.

I would rate this solution eight out of ten. I would recommend the solution because it is a good product and it's working fine. But I'm not sure if it's suitable for every consideration or any environment.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Deputy General Manager - Information Technology at a pharma/biotech company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Stable but buggy with issues stemming from a P1 fix
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution can scale as needed."
  • "Overall, there are some operational issues that need to be dealt with."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution to have the peer site and a copy of it available in our global data center.

What is most valuable?

The installation process is straightforward. 

The solution is stable and the performance is good. 

The solution can scale as needed. 

What needs improvement?

Recently we had a P1 case that we needed to raise. There were so many other problems that cropped out of it when we were trying to execute a fix. 

Overall, there are some operational issues that need to be dealt with. 

The solution should be more secure from a protection perspective. 

There may be some bugs in the solution right now. 

For how long have I used the solution?

We've used the solution for eight to ten instances. It's been a few years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The performance and stability are great. It doesn't crash or freeze. I find it to be a reliable product. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I would say that the solution is scalable. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so. 

We have about 3,000 users on the solution right now.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is not overly difficult. It's not complex. It's very easy, very straightforward. 

I cannot recall the exact amount of time the actual deployment took. 

We have some engineers that can handle the setup process. We have eight or nine that can handle deployment or maintenance tasks. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We pay a yearly licensing fee to Oracle. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I also looked at MySQL as a potential option before choosing this solution. 

What other advice do I have?

I'd rate the solution at a five out of ten. We've recently had some issues and aren't very satisfied with it right now. 

At this point, I would not recommend it to others. It might be too buggy for most people. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Cloud Expert | DevOps | Oracle Consultant at confidential
Consultant
The monitor can predict if you have any issues or develop actions to find a solution
Pros and Cons
  • "Oracle Data Guard is a free solution. When you apply for Enterprise Manager, it comes for free with the solution."
  • "Oracle Data Guard is stable, but you need to keep monitoring the system all the time. You need to keep monitoring the archives."

What is our primary use case?

Data focus is the main issue. Most of the features of a new database still go to an Oracle administration section.

How has it helped my organization?

The monitor can predict if you have any issues or develop actions to find a solution for them.

What is most valuable?

We use the product for data recovery.

What needs improvement?

There is always room for improvement. This product needs some improvement in administration. I would love to see something that makes monitoring much easier. 

The product needs some of the GUI tools so there is no need for all the long process.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the Oracle Data Guard ( /products/oracle-data-guard-reviews ) for 14 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Oracle Data Guard is stable, but you need to keep monitoring the system all the time. You need to keep monitoring the archives. If some of the archives have been deleted, you need to do it manually. It is a lot of work pressure and a lot of monitoring. 

You need to do the dummy work every day just to ensure that Oracle Data Guard is working at the point when you need it.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability with Oracle Data Guard is not straightforward, i.e. the configuration.

We use two different kinds in that case of data guard. You cannot keep looking at the overhead of the projection servers. Oracle Data Guard should know what you are doing. This is the problem. For migrations, it can be a long time.

How are customer service and technical support?

For Oracle tech support, you do it yourself. When you open a ticket, it can take time to solve it. Often you can find a bug that went unreported.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. Just follow the documentation. For our present situation, it was dependent on the project and the database files. 

Sometimes the setup took one day, sometimes only one hour. It was depending on the size of the database. It could be very fast for me.

What about the implementation team?

I did the implementation of Oracle Data Guard by myself.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Oracle Data Guard is a free solution. When you apply for Enterprise Manager, it comes for free with the solution. When you apply an enterprise solution to a database, you have to pay. It depends on the connotation of the project and what you need for the protocol.

What other advice do I have?

Keep monitoring. This is the problem with the product. You have to keep monitoring the system all the time, just to avoid the interruption from the archive mode.

I am going to give Oracle Data Guard a seven out of ten. It still needs improvements. When you are doing the troubleshooting there are no monitoring tools. You have to keep watching the log all the time. Also, for the configuration, if you miss one of the backlogs, you have to re-issue again. Re-issuing is not easy. It's a long process to do it.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner.
PeerSpot user
Oracledb677 - PeerSpot reviewer
Oracledb677Oracle DBA Customer Capacity Leader at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Real User

I don't quite agree with "you have to keep monitoring the system all the time". Monitoring is just part of any Oracle database or system. You implement monitoring of your databases with Cloud Control and that automatically includes Data Guard monitoring. If you define your monitoring templates and incident rules in Cloud Control appropriately, the monitoring work will all be done by Oracle, not you. You can configure Cloud Control to send a mail to you whenever there a Data Guard problem, or have an incident created, or have a text sent to DBA team, or a corrective action fired, etc. Monitoring should not be a burden! However, troubleshooting DG whenever there is a problem can be more tricky. But most of time a simple "disable configuration; enable configuration;" solves synchronization problems.

We created an interactive script to create a Data Guard. Therefore, the time required to create a DG is roughly the time needed to clone the primary database. The script does everything, including changing files tnsnames.ora, listener.ora, etc. Invest some time in scripting and creating Data Guard databases will become as easy as creating a standalone database.

Claudio Augusto Rosa David - PeerSpot reviewer
Specialist Database Management at Claranet
MSP
Top 10
A scalable solution with high deployment costs
Pros and Cons
  • "Oracle Data Guard is scalable. I rate it a ten out of ten."
  • "The deployment cost is expensive."

What needs improvement?

The deployment cost is expensive. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the product for ten years. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Oracle Data Guard is scalable. I rate it a ten out of ten. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Oracle DBA Section Head at a security firm with 11-50 employees
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
A stable disaster recovery solution that helps during a crisis in the primary database
Pros and Cons
  • "Oracle Data Guard has a nice feature called the DataGuard snapshot to open the solution in the read-write mode and make some changes to the database."
  • "Sometimes, the technical support team takes time to respond."

What is our primary use case?

I use Oracle Data Guard as a DR (disaster recovery) solution. Usually, I use the free license Data Guard, which is called the physical Data Guard.

What is most valuable?

Oracle Data Guard has a nice feature called the DataGuard snapshot to open the solution in the read-write mode and make some changes to the database. When you finish your work, you can do a rollback to the point that you started the snapshot and continue working.

What needs improvement?

Sometimes, the technical support team takes time to respond.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Oracle Data Guard for ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate Oracle Data Guard a nine out of ten for stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I rate Oracle Data Guard a nine out of ten for scalability.

How are customer service and support?

Sometimes, the technical support team responds quickly; other times, they take time to respond. Usually, the first response or action from the Oracle site on my service request is rapid.

How was the initial setup?

The solution’s initial setup is straightforward.

What about the implementation team?

The solution's deployment time may vary according to factors like the database, storage, size, network facilities, and security. On average, the deployment takes three days.

What other advice do I have?

Oracle Data Guard provides DR and acts as a high-availability solution in case of a crisis in the primary database.

Overall, I rate Oracle Data Guard a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Oracle Data Guard Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: October 2024
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free Oracle Data Guard Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.