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Oracle RAC - SQL for the DBID and the BACKUP_EXEC account

category: solutionz · date: 2016-12-31 · updated: 2026-10-02 · author: LALA

Oracle RAC Solution · Config document · referenced from Backup Exec server and RAC backup

note<DB_ADMIN_PASSWORD> and <BACKUP_EXEC_DB_PASSWORD> are placeholders, and the DBID 1234567890 in the output is a made-up value of the right shape. The account created here ended up unused; do not copy its grants without a reason.

The SQL*Plus statements that read the database identifier (needed for the name of the virtual node, RAC-clsopdb-1234567890) and create the database account BACKUP_EXEC with the privileges meant for Backup Exec.

ItemValue
Run ona node of the cluster, as oracle (su - oracle)
ToolSQL*Plus, started with sqlplus / as sysdba; the notes start it three times, once before each connect
Connectionssystem for the query and the account, sys as SYSDBA for the last grant
Database version at the timeOracle Database 11.2.0.4 Standard Edition, RAC

The commands

The -- comment lines are mine; the statements are as typed, with the SQL> prompt of the notes left out.

sql
-- [6.0] read the DBID
connect system/<DB_ADMIN_PASSWORD>@clsopdb;
select DBID, NAME from v$database;

-- [6.1] create the account for Backup Exec and give it its roles
connect system/<DB_ADMIN_PASSWORD>@clsopdb;
CREATE USER BACKUP_EXEC IDENTIFIED BY <BACKUP_EXEC_DB_PASSWORD>;
GRANT UNLIMITED TABLESPACE TO BACKUP_EXEC;
GRANT AQ_ADMINISTRATOR_ROLE TO BACKUP_EXEC;
GRANT CONNECT TO BACKUP_EXEC;
ALTER USER BACKUP_EXEC DEFAULT ROLE ALL;
ALTER USER BACKUP_EXEC DEFAULT TABLESPACE SYSTEM;
disconnect

-- [6.1] SYSDBA can only be granted by a SYSDBA session
connect sys/<DB_ADMIN_PASSWORD>@clsopdb as sysdba;
GRANT SYSDBA TO BACKUP_EXEC;

The output

The notes keep the answer Connected. after the first two connect statements and the result of the query; the second Connected. in the fence belongs to the connect of step [6.1]. No output of the CREATE, GRANT and ALTER statements is recorded, and none of the third connect.

output 7 lines
Connected.

      DBID NAME
---------- ---------
1234567890 CLSDB

Connected.

Reading it

StatementEffect
select DBID, NAME from v$databaseThe identifier and the name of the database; Backup Exec builds the virtual node name from them
GRANT UNLIMITED TABLESPACENo quota limit in any tablespace
GRANT AQ_ADMINISTRATOR_ROLEThe Advanced Queuing administrator role
GRANT CONNECTThe right to create a session
ALTER USER … DEFAULT ROLE ALLAll granted roles are active at logon
ALTER USER … DEFAULT TABLESPACE SYSTEMThe account's default tablespace is SYSTEM
GRANT SYSDBAThe administrative privilege, granted in a session of sys as SYSDBA

Two things in it need a remark. The session connects to clsopdb and the query prints the database name CLSDB: the Backup Exec notes use clsopdb everywhere, the rest of the notes clsdb, and nothing in them says how the two relate. And the account was never used: Backup Exec did not work with clsopdb/BACKUP_EXEC as the database credential and sys was set instead, as told in Backup Exec server and RAC backup.

Checked against Backup Exec 25.1 and Oracle AI Database 26ai

As builtToday
DBID read from v$database for the name of the virtual nodeUnchanged: the name is RAC-<database name>-<database ID>
A dedicated account with GRANT SYSDBABackup Exec documents that for databases before 12c the user for the RMAN connection is SYS with SYSDBA, which is why this account could not be used on 11.2
SYSDBA for backupSince Oracle Database 12c the SYSBACKUP privilege, a subset of SYSDBA, is recommended for backup and recovery, granted to an account created for it; Backup Exec requires SYSBACKUP for 12c and later
AQ_ADMINISTRATOR_ROLE, UNLIMITED TABLESPACE, DEFAULT TABLESPACE SYSTEMNot asked for by the current Backup Exec guide

On a current database the account would be created with GRANT SYSBACKUP and nothing else from this list.

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