11g Active Data Guard - enabling Real-Time Query

Active Data Guard is a good new feature in 11g (although requires a license) which enables us to query the Standby database while redo logs are being applied to it. In earlier releases, we had to stop the log apply, open the database in read only mode and then start the log apply again when the database was taken out of the read only mode.

With Oracle 11g Active Data Guard, we can make use of our standby site to offload reporting and query type applications while at the same time not compromising on the high availability aspect.

How do we enable Active Data Guard?

If we are not using the Data Guard Broker, we need to open the standby database, set it in read only mode and then start the managed recovery as shown below.

SQL> shutdown immediate;
Database closed.
Database dismounted.
ORACLE instance shut down.

SQL> startup
ORACLE instance started.

Total System Global Area 1069252608 bytes
Fixed Size 2154936 bytes
Variable Size 847257160 bytes
Database Buffers 213909504 bytes
Redo Buffers 5931008 bytes
Database mounted.
Database opened.

SQL> recover managed standby database using current logfile disconnect;