Followup: Using RMAN to recover a copy of the database from backup files only

From: Steve Wales <sjwales_at_comcast.net>
Date: Sat, 26 May 2012 20:35:07 -0600
Message-ID: <327391320A934800A4774835E0070221_at_StevePC>



I posted this question two or three weeks ago and said I'd follow up with the resolution I got from Oracle Support.  

Recap of the problem:  

Had to do a resetlogs on a prod database owing to a recovery but needed to recover the database to a point in time before the resetlogs (back into the previous incarnation).  

There is a way in RMAN to duplicate a database from just the backup location.  

At first I had the backup files up to the resetlogs in E:\TEMP_BACKUPS and backups after the resetlogs in E:\TEMP_BACKUPS2.  

I connected to RMAN and connected to the database I wanted to copy as the auxiliary only.  

Allocated the channel and issued: duplicate database to testdb until time to_date(blah blah) backup location e:\temp_backups;  

This is documented in the RMAN documentation (duplicating a database with target or recovery catalog) but I was still getting errors.  

Turns out that the Backup Location is a wildcard mask and the files in TEMP_BACKUPS2 were also being picked up. Renamed that directory and tried again and it sort of worked.  

I then discovered that in 11.2.0.2 (this server hasn't been patched yet) there is a bug in RMAN DUPLICATE honoring UNTIL TIME parameters - it gets to midnight at the start of the day and stops there. This bug is patched in 11.2.0.3 or patch 14 for 11.2.0.2.  

So, if anyone else ever finds themselves in this very particular set of circumstances, now you know.  

Regards
Steve

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Received on Sat May 26 2012 - 21:35:07 CDT

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