Oracle HeatWave MySQL is a fully managed database service on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) designed for secure, cloud-native application development. It is the only MySQL service that utilizes HeatWave, an integrated, high-performance, in-memory query accelerator. HeatWave enables direct analytics on operational MySQL databases, eliminating the need for separate analytics databases and complex integrations. This dramatically boosts performance for analytics and mixed workloads. Fully optimized for OCI, it is built, managed, and supported by Oracle’s OCI and MySQL engineering teams.

Recognizing the growing demand for robust disaster recovery (DR) solutions, Oracle HeatWave MySQL allows users to copy database backups across OCI regions within their tenancy. This capability significantly strengthens the disaster recovery framework for applications relying on HeatWave MySQL. However, managing backup and restore processes manually during the DR process can be time-consuming and complex. This is where OCI Full Stack Disaster Recovery (DR) comes into play.

OCI Full Stack DR service offers an automated, single-click solution to orchestrate compute, database, and application transition across OCI regions globally. With OCI Full Stack DR, businesses can recover HeatWave MySQL databases alongside their associated applications and infrastructure.

 

Figure 1: Cross-region DR workflow for HeatWave MySQL using Full Stack DR
Figure 1: Cross-region DR workflow for HeatWave MySQL using Full Stack DR   

             

It is important to note that this backup-and-restore-driven DR strategy is particularly suited for non-critical applications with flexible Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and Recovery

 

Cold DR Architecture and Recovery Workflow

Below are the considerations for the architecture

  • Since this is a Cold DR (backup and restore) approach, it is best suited for applications with lenient Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO)
  • OCI Full Stack DR serves as an orchestration engine to execute scripts that internally utilize HeatWave MySQL APIs for database recovery.

Full Stack DR relies on custom scripts to handle the copy, creation, and restoration of backups. These scripts are integrated into the Full Stack DR plan with specific recovery steps, executed in a defined sequence based on the DR strategy—such as switchover, failover, or DR test drill operations.

Figure 2: Cross-region DR architecture with HeatWave MySQL and application
Figure 2: Cross-region DR architecture with HeatWave MySQL and application 

                         

For more details, please refer to the tutorial, which has step-by-step details to automate Oracle HeatWave MySQL Database Cold DR using OCI Full Stack DR. Oracle EMEA OCI specialist Antoun Moubarak has put this solution together.

Conclusion

In conclusion, automating Cold Disaster Recovery for Oracle HeatWave MySQL using OCI Full Stack DR offers a streamlined and cost-effective approach for non-mission critical applications. By leveraging Full Stack DR’s orchestration capabilities, businesses can enhance continuity with minimal manual intervention while maintaining flexibility in recovery operations. This solution is particularly well-suited for applications with lenient RTO and RPO requirements, enabling organizations to achieve resilience without extensive re-architecting or reliance on specialized management tools. As cloud-native applications continue to evolve, integrating automated DR strategies becomes essential for optimizing reliability and operational efficiency.

Additional resources

Here are some additional resources to help you get started with Full Stack Disaster Recovery: