Disk Utilization on Oracle Server

@Geert Gruwez:

Yes, backups and exports are running around the same time than the alert.  Backups run beginning at 9:01 PM and exports run beginning at 10:01 PM.  Also, automated RMAN script is running deletion of backups at 10:01 PM.  I changed the schedule for deletes to run at 1:01 AM and for full exports to run at 5:01 AM.

This kind of alert started a couple of days after automation of full exports was put in place.  

All of tasks running above are automated scripts that I put in place via Task Scheduler.

@slightwv:

If you can, please tell me how I can go about finding out what process is using a lot of disk I/O?  Is there a Windows utility for this?  This is running on Windows Server 2008 R2.

To anyone:

What disk is affected by this?  The server has a dedicated disk for backups and another one where the exports go, data pump directory.   Are either one or those two disk that are experiencing high I/O?

Thanks.

Windows has several utilities that can do this.  Task Manager for one.  Sysinternals also has several.  I think Process Monitor can do it.

Just not sure what ones can be executed in more of a batch mode.  Check with your System Administrator. They should have some idea.

>> Are either one or those two disk that are experiencing high I/O?

It is in the original message:  "R:"

slightwv:

>>Are either one or those two disk that are experiencing high I/O?

I would say yes to that.  The R drive is where the backups and deletion of backups happen.  
I remember that that disk, the R one, was increased in size at some point.  I wonder if that is the reason why Oracle shows it as "2 R" in the alert.

I will try some of those utilities you suggested.

Thanks.

2 R is actually the way Oracle classifies the disk.  Starting with 0.  In this order, the R drive is disk 2.  This is why it shows as "2 R" in the alert.

Also, I think we have found what is causing the problem.  It is like the two of you stated.  I have automated full backups via an RMAN script using Task Scheduler.  This is scheduled to run as of 9:01 PM every night.  It is 11:40 PM, and it is still running.  I believe this is what is causing the alert.  

As soon as it ends, I will disable it.  I wonder why it takes so long to complete.  I guess I will have to start thinking about incremental backups to soften the load.

I did a manual copy of a 13.4MB file from the disk where the data files are to the backup disk. It took about 00:01 of a second to copy.  I did a manual copy, however.  I did not use Task Scheduler.

I was also checking that this has been happening since the 10th of this month.  Before that, backing up the database took no more than 19 minutes.

I disabled the process, and I am expecting it no alert tonight.

I will look into your suggestion on Block Change Tracking and incremental backups.

Thanks.

>>It took about 00:01 of a second to copy.  I did a manual copy, however

Guess that was too small of a file.  What I was wanting you to take from that exercise was a rough estimate on raw disk times to perform the backup.

For example:
If the disks can copy 1 gig in 1 minute, then at a minimum a 100 Gig database would take 100 minutes.

>>this has been happening since the 10th of this month

Was the new 'export' process the only thing that changed?

Full backups were causing this problem.

Thanks to you both.

>>causing this problem.

I don't see 98% disk utilization during backups as a 'problem'.

It is only a problem is backups are done during a busy time and the busy disks are actually causing application issues.

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