Stragne Recovery problem

We're trying to move a large database from one geographic location to another. We started by doing a "shutdown immediate" on the production database two weeks ago and making an os-level image of the entire host (NT/Oracle 8174). We shipped the tapes and restored the image to the new hardware. Today we did a "shutdown immediate" on the production database, then copied the control files, online redo logs, and archived redo logs since the original backup to the new system via the network.

We then logged on to the new system, did a 'startup mount' and a 'recover database' and the system recovered from the first archive log and then said media recovery was complete - it skipped the other 40-50 logs we'd copied over. We're able to open the database (it's marked consistent), but it didn't roll through the last 2 weeks worth of archived redo, so I know it can't be right (we have logs 8555 - 8598 to play back, and it only used 8555).

We've done this several times with test systems and it seemed to work as long as we didn't open the database on the target host before we did the recovery. In other words, the first time we tried it we restored a test system, opened it to verify it was good, stopped it, copied the "current" control files, archived redo, and online redo, then did startup mount & recover database, and it SKIPPED everything. We re-restored it from tape and this time didn't open it, but just did the startup mount & recover database, and it recovered through all the archived redo correctly.

What effect does opening the database have that would cause it to skip all that redo?

Thanks for any insights you can provide....

Rich Holland
Guidance Technologies, Inc.
Cell: 913-645-1950

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