Updating a remote database using redo logs

You can set up a Standby Database. With a Standby Database, you can ship the archived redo logs to the remote database and then have the contents of those logs applied to the Standby Database. The only downside is that the Standby Database cannot be opened for use while redo is being applied. This is an Oracle 8i restriction. I would highly recommend upgrading to Oracle 9i or 10g. The Standby Database underwent a major facelift, so much so that the product was renamed Data Guard. Oracle 9i Data Guard lets you open the Standby Database in READ ONLY mode so that your applications can use both databases.

If you want to have your applications always use both databases, then you'll have to use Oracle Advanced Replication. This will cause network traffic that is not as nice as shipping archived redo logs. But both databases can be opened for business.