About HARD Initiative

HARD Initiative

The HARD Initiative - Hardware Assisted Resilient Data - is a comprehensive guideline by Oracle for providing a powerful data protection function to Oracle databases to be used in SAN environments.

A SAN environment has a hierarchical structure consisting of various types of hardware or software. Data in databases go through a large number of components such as OS drivers, HBAs (Host Bus Adapters), switching devices, and storage directors before it becomes free from database control and written in disks.

Although each software and device ensures sufficient reliability by using various types of checks, if corruption of data occurs and if the data bypasses all the checks, it is written as it is in disks.

It is also possible that operational mistakes such as improper program startup or incorrect cabling lead to incorrect outputs to the database.

When such corruption occurs, it will not be detected until the data is read, and in some cases, this may lead to unrecoverable problems causing serious damage to company systems.

Data Trusty for Oracle

SystemGlobe Data Trusty for Oracle executes end-to-end checks between Oracle database control and the NEC Storage S series to provide a high reliability function with dramatically improved data integrity.

In SystemGlobe Data Trusty for Oracle, not only data check at the transmission level, but also high-level logical check in accordance with Oracle database structures is executed to realize ultimate reliability in preventing all kinds of data destruction.

The database protection function by SystemGlobe Data Trusty for Oracle has passed the certification test provided by the HARD Initiative.

In SystemGlobe Data Trusty for Oracle, checksum verification can be conducted with the following Oracle files:

  1. Data files
  2. Control files
  3. REDO log files

SystemGlobe Data Trusty for Oracle can also be used with the variable block size function used when Oracle databases access files, or with Volume Management Software.

SystemGlobe Data Trusty for Oracle can be used with HP-UX 11.0 and HP-UX 11i.

Test result

NEC obtained the HARD test kit from Oracle, combined the NEC Storage S series and Data Trusty for Oracle, tested the effectiveness of data protection under various conditions requested by the HARD Initiative, and passed the test.

Achievement

Details of the HARD verification using disk array devices of the NEC Storage S series are published as the following White Paper: