FlashArray ActiveDR is a continuous, near synchronous storage replication solution. It provides always-on storage replication that maintains up-to-date secondary copies with minimal impact on primary performance.
While not integrated directly with Oracle Database, ActiveDR offers seamless cooperation—enabling Oracle environments to benefit from fast, reliable disaster recovery without changes to the database stack. By replicating data continuously at the storage level, ActiveDR supports near zero recovery point objectives and rapid failover capabilities.
This solution includes the following:
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Oracle databases running on either bare metal or virtual machines
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FlashArray storage using block storage protocols
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A local or wide area network between arrays
Solution Benefits
ActiveDR offers unique advantages for Oracle customers looking to strengthen their disaster recovery strategy with storage-level replication that complements Oracle-native capabilities.
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Included with FlashArray: ActiveDR is available at no additional cost, offering immediate DR value without requiring extra licensing.
Note: Oracle Data Guard does not require additional licensing, but Active Data Guard does. -
Complementary to Oracle Database solutions: ActiveDR operates at the storage level and can be used alongside Oracle Data Guard to offer an added layer of resilience. For example, while Data Guard replicates at the database layer, ActiveDR ensures storage-level protection across sites, providing options for broader failover and recovery scenarios.
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No need for Oracle on the standby site: Because ActiveDR replicates volumes directly, there's no requirement to run Oracle on the DR target until a failover is initiated. This reduces infrastructure and licensing overhead for organizations that prefer to defer Oracle instantiation until necessary.
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Efficient data transfer: Unlike Oracle Data Guard, which typically does not compress data during transport, ActiveDR uses built-in compression. In testing, ActiveDR data packages were smaller than uncompressed Oracle redo streams, reducing bandwidth usage and improving replication efficiency.
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Minimal impact on production environments: ActiveDR offloads replication to the FlashArray system, introducing no additional CPU load on the Oracle Database. In contrast, Data Guard processing has been observed to consume up to ~3% CPU in certain environments.
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Simple and non-disruptive testing: ActiveDR supports test failovers that do not interrupt replication or impact RPO/ RTO metrics. This allows teams to validate recovery workflows without impacting production or backup SLAs.
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Fast and flexible failovers: With a single command, administrators can fail over Oracle-protected volumes, including all associated snapshots, enabling rapid recovery at the storage level.
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Near-zero recovery point objectives: Continuous asynchronous replication ensures that Oracle data is kept nearly up to date on the secondary array, enabling rapid and precise recovery after a failure.
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Supports remote Oracle use cases: Replicated volumes can be easily made available to Oracle instances or RAC clusters at secondary sites, simplifying recovery operations without rigid networking or distance limitations.