Oracle Data Guard training
Standby databases and disaster recovery, done right. Build a physical standby from scratch, configure redo transport and real-time apply, run clean switchovers and failovers, automate them with Fast-Start Failover, and manage it all through the Data Guard Broker — on Oracle 26ai and 19c.
- Weekend or weekday batches · morning or evening slots · check upcoming schedule →
- Hands-on labs on a real primary & standby — Physical Standby Creation, Redo Transport & Real-Time Apply, Switchover & Failover, Fast-Start Failover, Active Data Guard, the Data Guard Broker & PDB-Level Data Guard on 26ai
- Certificate + lifetime recordings in your student portal
What this course is about
Oracle Data Guard is how production Oracle databases survive a disaster. It maintains one or more synchronised standby copies of your database, continuously shipping and applying redo so that if the primary site is lost, a standby can take over with little or no data loss and minimal downtime. Every serious Oracle estate runs Data Guard for disaster recovery and high availability — and being able to configure it, switch over cleanly and fail over under pressure is a core skill employers look for in a senior DBA.
This is a live, instructor-led course built around a working primary-and-standby pair. You won't just watch slides — you'll build a physical standby from scratch, configure redo transport and real-time apply, perform a planned switchover and an unplanned failover, automate failover with Fast-Start Failover, open the standby read-only with Active Data Guard, and diagnose redo gaps and apply lag when they happen. Every session is taught live by our senior Oracle DBA instructors, who have run Data Guard on real production systems for over a decade.
What you'll be able to do
- Explain Data Guard architecture and the protection modes
- Build a physical standby database from a primary
- Configure redo transport and real-time apply
- Perform a planned switchover and switch back
- Carry out a failover and configure Fast-Start Failover (FSFO)
- Use a snapshot standby and open a standby with Active Data Guard
- Manage the whole configuration with the Data Guard Broker and DGMGRL
- Diagnose redo gaps, apply lag and transport issues in production
Course syllabus
1Data Guard concepts & protection modes1 session · 2 hrs
- What Data Guard is and where it fits in DR and HA
- Primary and standby roles
- Physical vs logical standby
- Protection modes: Maximum Protection, Availability, Performance
- Redo transport: SYNC vs ASYNC
- Choosing the right mode for your RPO / RTO
- Data Guard architecture changes in Oracle 26ai
2Physical standby creation1 session · 2 hrs
- Prerequisites — archivelog mode, force logging, standby redo logs
- Preparing the primary database for Data Guard
- Creating a physical standby with RMAN duplicate (from active database)
- Parameter setup: db_unique_name, log_archive_dest, FAL
- tnsnames and listener configuration for both sites
- Starting managed recovery on the standby
- Verifying the standby is in sync
3Redo transport & real-time apply1 session · 2 hrs
- How redo transport services move redo to the standby
- Standby redo logs and why they matter
- Real-time apply vs archived-log apply
- Managed Recovery Process (MRP) on the standby
- Monitoring transport and apply with v$ views
- Redo Apply tuning and parallelism
- Detecting and resolving redo gaps with FAL
4Switchover & switchback1 session · 2 hrs
- What a switchover is and when to use it
- Pre-switchover health checks
- Performing a planned role transition
- Switching the standby to primary and back again
- Validating the new roles after switchover
- Switchover for planned maintenance and migrations
- Common switchover errors and how to clear them
5Failover & Fast-Start Failover (FSFO)1 session · 2 hrs
- Failover vs switchover — when each applies
- Performing a manual failover after a primary loss
- Reinstating a failed primary as a new standby (flashback)
- Fast-Start Failover (FSFO) concepts
- The Observer and automatic failover
- FSFO thresholds and configuration
- Testing failover safely in the lab
6Snapshot & Active Data Guard1 session · 2 hrs
- Snapshot standby — open the standby read-write for testing
- Converting between physical and snapshot standby
- Active Data Guard — read-only access while applying redo
- Offloading reporting and backups to the standby
- Real-time query and far sync concepts
- Use cases for Active Data Guard in production
- Licensing awareness for Active Data Guard
7Data Guard Broker (DGMGRL) & troubleshooting1 session · 2 hrs
- What the Data Guard Broker gives you
- Enabling the Broker and creating a configuration
- Managing roles and switchover/failover from DGMGRL
- Broker-managed Fast-Start Failover
- Validating configuration health with the Broker
- Diagnosing transport lag, apply lag and gaps
- Reading the alert log and Broker logs to fix common issues
8PDB-level Data Guard (new in 26ai)1 session · 2 hrs
- Multitenant and Data Guard — the traditional CDB-level model
- PDB-level Data Guard — protecting individual PDBs (new in 26ai)
- Per-PDB role transitions
- Use cases for granular standby protection
- Configuring and managing per-PDB standby
- How PDB-level Data Guard fits with the Broker
- What changes when you move from 19c to 26ai
Who it's for
This course is for working Oracle DBAs who own disaster recovery and high availability, or who want to. You'll get the most out of it if you're already comfortable with core Oracle administration — instances, redo, archivelog and RMAN — since Data Guard builds directly on those foundations. No prior Data Guard experience is required; we start from concepts and build a real primary-and-standby configuration together. It's also ideal preparation for DR-focused interviews and for any DBA about to take responsibility for a standby estate.
Program benefits
- Live instructor-ledLive sessions taught by our senior Oracle DBA instructors, not recordings
- Session recordingsEvery session saved to your student portal
- Module assignmentsHands-on tasks after each module to lock in skills
- Session documentationDetailed notes provided for every session
- WhatsApp supportFast doubt-clearing help between sessions
- Software & patchesEverything you need for hands-on practice
- Interview prepCurated Q&A to get you interview-ready
- Completion certificateAwarded when you finish the course
What learners say
I built my first physical standby live in the second session and did a full switchover by the end of the course. When we actually had to fail over at work, I knew exactly what to do. That confidence alone was worth the fee.
AAThe Fast-Start Failover and Observer sessions were brilliant. The instructor explained the Broker so clearly that DGMGRL finally stopped being scary. We even reinstated a failed primary with flashback in the lab.
AJThe PDB-level Data Guard module in 26ai is something I hadn't seen covered anywhere else. Hands-on, current and directly useful — and the recordings stay in the portal so I can revise before any real failover.
MLFrequently asked questions
Do I need two machines to practise Data Guard?
Do I need prior Data Guard experience?
Which versions does the course cover?
Are the live sessions recorded?
When do batches run, and how do I pay?
Make disaster recovery your strength
Join the next live Data Guard batch and build a real standby — redo transport, switchover, failover and the Broker — the production way, with lifetime recordings and real mentorship.