Re: RMAN

Some misc. notes for RMAN with 8.1.6 on Tru64:

• NLS_LANG must be set to the character set of the database you are backing up/restoring. e.g NLS_LANG=AMERICA_AMERICAN.WE8DEC
• If doing a complete database restore, the database must be started up NOMOUNT.
• When doing a cold backup, the database must be started up MOUNT.
• Opening a database with RESETLOGS consitutes a new "database incarnation."
• Issue a "RESET DATABASE" after restoring using resetlogs.
• These commands will tell RMAN to check to see what backup files are available (do it before trying to restore anything): allocate channel for maintenance type disk; crosscheck backup;

Things I like about RMAN so far:
- backups can be smaller than the database, since only used blocks are backed up.

• incremental backups
• the duplicate functionality
• "parallelizing" the backup across multiple channels

Things I dislike:
- RMAN sometimes requests some backup files (when I am restoring a database) that I
don't think it needs. This may be resolved by doing a database backup, followed by a separate command to backup the archivelogs. Issuing the database and archivelog backups in one big happy backup command my not include some of the archives that were generated while you were doing the backup (at least that is what Support told me).
- Restoring a cold backup is easier (so I hear) if you use the TAG parameter during
the backup. Otherwise you must use a point in time recovery, which requires some guessing as to what time/scn/seq# you really want to use.
- The need to log into the catalog through SQL*Plus to get information that the list
command doesn't give you. Sheesh!
- The feeling that I lost a little bit of control to a piece of software that is
supposed to do some of the thinking for me.

I'm going through the school of hard knocks here, so I would love to hear from others.

Jay Hostetter
Oracle DBA
D. & E. Communications
Ephrata, PA USA

>>> JTESTA_at_longaberger.com 07/23/01 11:28AM >>> Well looks like i've held off learning RMAN long enough, any pointers, good RTFM, etc.

thanks, joe

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Author: Jay Hostetter
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