Oracle-L: RE: RMAN guru question

From: DENNIS WILLIAMS <DWILLIAMS_at_LIFETOUCH.COM>
Date: Thu, 08 Aug 2002 12:26:11 -0800
Message-ID: <F001.004AFB5B.20020808122611@fatcity.com>

Joe - I have been working on a disaster test for RMAN so we can quit doing weekly cold backups. I assumed the same as you, that RMAN writes its most recent information to the control file as well as the catalog (there is a retention parameter, so watch that). I tested no catalog recovery (just the control file) with a small practice database and it worked fine. Then I tried it with one of our production databases (recovering on a test system). RMAN ran for awhile, creating data files, and then stopped. I didn't get that issue debugged. Instead on my next try I loaded the RMAN catalog and went that route. Got interrupted on another project and haven't gotten back to it.

One thing I have learned from disaster recovering RMAN is that you need to write a copy of the control file to the backup tape. While RMAN will backup the control file, it can't create it if there is no control file present. RMAN must first mount the database and it can't do that unless the control file is there. Once it has the database mounted, then RMAN can refresh the control file.

My experience applies to Oracle 8.1.6, using disk file backups. Dennis Williams
DBA
Lifetouch, Inc.
dwilliams_at_lifetouch.com

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Thursday, August 08, 2002 2:57 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L

I've tested this and it works, i'm looking for verification of theory.

built 2nd db for repository.
built repository and registered db
full backup via rman.
disconnect from RMAN
reconnect only to target
shutdown/startup mount target
restore database. It states, using controlfile.
recover database.

all looks good. my question is even though i'm using a catalog during my backup and simulate a total loss of that db by NOT connecting to a catalog during restore, it was able to get the info from the control file.

IS this default behavior, that when using RMAN, the control file is ALWAYS written to even if a catalog is being used during the backup phase?

Is this a safety net for those who might not be backing up their repository database?

thanks, joe

ENV: linux rh 7.3, oracle 9.2.0.1

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Author: DENNIS WILLIAMS
INET: DWILLIAMS_at_LIFETOUCH.COM

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