Scheme for Frequent Backups and Reloads

Hello, I have an 8.1.6.2 Oracle database running on an Unix platform. So as not to impact the production environment or other development environments, developers will use this database to develop and test a purge procedure. Once the delete code is run, they will want to recover the database back to its status before the delete. I have a cold backup, which we can use by shutting down the database, removing the dbf files, copying over the compressed backup files and uncompressing. After about an hour and a half, they can restart the database. This process is unsatisfactory for two reasons: 1. It takes a fair amount of time. 2. If the developer wants to create specific, new data to purge, they would have to input the data, create a new cold backup (over an hour), before testing the code again.

I would like somehow to use the archive logs. With a small test, I was able to recover the database fairly quickly using 'recover database until time ....' and specifying a time after I new data was created and before the delete happened. But the database was completely recovered, including the delete. So my questions are: 1. Can I use the archive logs for this purpose, and how can I recover the data without the delete? 2. Once I 'alter database open resetlogs', do I need to keep the archivelogs from before the database was shutdown? Can they be deleted, and the next time I recover the database will I only need the archive logs since this most recent restart?

Your words of wisdom are welcome. I do not want to use the Export/Import functionality because a full Export/Import would take more time than using the cold backup files, and the incremental will not handle well that the tables already exist. Thanks, Jamil

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Before you buy. Received on Wed Oct 25 2000 - 17:06:58 CDT