Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2007 15:04:24 -0400
From: Mason Loring Bliss <mason@blisses.org>
To: oracle-l@freelists.org
Subject: Oracle backup questions...
Message-ID: <20070918190424.GE13547@blisses.org>
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I'm working on Oracle back-up and recovery, and I've run across a few random
questions from looking at what other folks do, and from experimenting on my
own.

1. What is the on-disk state of archive logs at arbitrary times? Does Oracle
only write them out when they are complete and usable, or does it slowly fill
them in over time? Recovering the final archive log here seems to
consistently fail, until the next archive log is in place, at which time the
one that was previously last is imported without issue.

2. Is there any meaningful difference between "recover database" and "recover
database using backup controlfile"?

3. What is "crosscheck archivelog all" as opposed to "crosscheck backup"?

4. How does "delete obsolete" differ from "delete expired backup"?

5. How do we control the frequency of archive log generation? Do I simply say
"alter system switch logfile" and wait a bit, or does that only affect redo
logs? Should I "alter system archive log all" instead? In short, what should
I do to try to bring the archive logs as close to current as is possible?

Thanks very much for your help!

-- 
Mason Loring Bliss      mason@blisses.org        Oderint dum metuant!
http://blisses.org/     awake ? sleep : random() & 2 ? dream : sleep;
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