Re: How long should the archive log file be kept?

In article <987506966.26557.0.nnrp-12.c30bdde2_at_news.demon.co.uk>, andrew_webby at hotmail <spam_at_no.thanks.com> writes:
>You should *only* delete archive log files *after* a successful full cold
>backup. Otherwise your backup is useless.
>
>"David Yeung" <dyeung_at_ust.hk> wrote in message
>news:3ADA819E.EF2B212E_at_ust.hk...
>> We are running Oracle8i in archive mode. After each tablespace is backed
 up
>> with steps:
>>
>> alter tablespace begin backup
>> .. copy the datafiles to tapes ...
>> alter tablespace end backup
>>
>> Can we discard the older archive log files which were created before the
>> backup?
>>
>> Usually, how long should the archive log file be kept after a full hot
 backup?
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> david

I believe the question should be read as, after I make a new hot backup do I still need the archived redo logs from before the new backup?

Normally you would want to copy your archived redo logs to tape. How long you need to be able to retrieve them depends on your backup and recovery plan. There are actually reasons why you should keep several months of logs; however, most sites do not have the resources or recognize a need to go this far. I suggest you keep or maintain access to all logs necessary to recover from the prior backup as the absolute minimum.

If an application job corrupts data then there are ways to build a duplicate database and forward recovery it up to the point just prior to when it was corrupted as a means of recovering the data. To do things like this you need copies of the hot backups and archived redo logs and the father back they go the more options you have.

So it all depends on what your overall backup and recovery plan is intended/required to provide.

• Mark D. Powell --
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