How to Copy asm files between remote ASM instances using ASMCMD command

In 11g we can use asmcmd command line interface to copy files from one machine to another machine which are on ASM file system. So copy the asm files between remote instances and local instances is possible. This feature is new in 11g and enables you to copy files between ASM disk groups on local instances and remote instances. You can also use this command to copy files from ASM disk groups to the operating system.

We can use cp command of asmcmd in order to copy from one machine ASM to another machine ASM instance.

The syntax is,
cp -ifr <source file name> <user_name>@<host_name>.<port Number>.<sid>:<target path>/<target file name>

user_name@host_name.<port Number>.<sid>

The user_name, host_name, and SID are required. The default port number is 1521.

For example to copy a file
named +DATA/BDDIPDC/PARAMETERFILE/spfile.639.737023991 from local ASM instance to
remote ASM instance named test
port 1525,
ASM instance name +ASM2
copy to location +data/spfilebakcup.bak
the command will be,

ASMCMD> cp +DATA/BDDIPDC/PARAMETERFILE/spfile.639.737023991 sys@test.1525.+ASM2:+data/spfilebakcup.bak
Enter password: ******
ASMCMD> 

It will prompt you a password, provide grid sys user password. It is sysasm password, not OS password.

Lets see in remote machine to ensure that file is copied there.

Now let's see what happens if we miss anything in the command. Simply it will not copy and some bogus message it will be shown.

1) Wrong password.

ASMCMD> cp +DATA/BDDIPDC/PARAMETERFILE/spfile.639.737023991 sys@test.1525.+ASM2:+data/spfilebakcup.bak
Enter password: ********
ORA-01017: invalid username/password; logon denied (DBD ERROR: OCISessionBegin)
ASMCMD-08202: internal error: [asmcmdvol_error_msg_05] [8201]

2) Listener not up.

ASMCMD> cp +DATA/BDDIPDC/PARAMETERFILE/spfile.639.737023991 sys@drs-db-01.1525.+ASM2:+data/spfilebakcup.bak
Enter password: ********
ORA-12541: TNS:no listener (DBD ERROR: OCIServerAttach)
ASMCMD-08202: internal error: [asmcmdvol_error_msg_05] [8201]

3) Another variation.

ASMCMD> cp +DATA/BDDIPDC/PARAMETERFILE/spfile.639.737023991 sys@drs-db-01.1523.+ASM1:+data/g.baks
Enter password: *****
ORA-12505: TNS:listener does not currently know of SID given in connect descript                                                                                        or (DBD ERROR: OCIServerAttach)
ASMCMD-08202: internal error: [asmcmdvol_error_msg_05] [8201]

4) If destination file already exist.

ASMCMD> cp +DATA/BDDIPDC/PARAMETERFILE/spfile.639.737023991 sys@test.1525.+ASM2:+data/spfilebakcup.bak
Enter password: ******
ASMCMD-08014: can not open file->''
ASMCMD-08016: copy source->'+DATA/BDDIPDC/PARAMETERFILE/spfile.639.737023991' and target->'' failed
ORA-15056: additional error message
ORA-06512: at "SYS.X$DBMS_DISKGROUP", line 397
ORA-06512: at line 3 (DBD ERROR: OCIStmtExecute)

5) Note that, IP address instead of hostname will not work.

ASMCMD>  cp +DATA/BDDIPDC/PARAMETERFILE/spfile.639.737023991 sys@192.168.155.1.1525.+ASM2:+data/spfilebakcup.bak
Enter password: ******
ORA-12532: TNS:invalid argument (DBD ERROR: OCIServerAttach)
ASMCMD-08202: internal error: [asmcmdvol_error_msg_05] [8201]

6) Don't use port 1521.
If you use 1521 port you might see your command is hanged. CISCO and juniper hardware can treat 1521 port specially and it block traffic. So use other port.

Ensure that listener started in remote machine, for example in my remote machine:

[oracle@DRS-DB-02 ~]$ lsnrctl status LISTENER_NEW

LSNRCTL for Linux: Version 11.2.0.1.0 - Production on 02-APR-2012 14:36:19

Copyright (c) 1991, 2009, Oracle.  All rights reserved.

Connecting to (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=IPC)(KEY=LISTENER_DIP)))
STATUS of the LISTENER
------------------------
Alias                     LISTENER_NEW
Version                   TNSLSNR for Linux: Version 11.2.0.1.0 - Production
Start Date                29-MAR-2012 12:50:30
Uptime                    4 days 1 hr. 45 min. 49 sec
Trace Level               off
Security                  ON: Local OS Authentication
SNMP                      OFF
Listener Parameter File   /u01/app/11.2.0/grid/network/admin/listener.ora
Listener Log File         /u01/app/11.2.0/grid/log/diag/tnslsnr/DRS-DB-02/listener_new/alert/log.xml
Listening Endpoints Summary...
  (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=ipc)(KEY=LISTENER_DIP)))
  (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=192.168.155.1)(PORT=1525)))
Services Summary...
Service "+ASM" has 1 instance(s).
  Instance "+ASM2", status UNKNOWN, has 1 handler(s) for this service...
The command completed successfully

Ensure that in local asm we can resolve the name of remote hostname.
Here goes /etc/hosts entry,

[grid@DC-DB-02 ~]$ cat /etc/hosts
# Do not remove the following line, or various programs
# that require network functionality will fail.
127.0.0.1       localhost.localdomain   localhost
::1     localhost6.localdomain6 localhost6
192.168.155.1 test

I will write another post how to troubleshoot remote copy using ASMCMD.