Re: recovery stops due to missing datafile

"Rolf Sapler" <bud_socks_at_gmx.net> wrote in message news:<9fl18b$77f$01$1_at_news.t-online.com>...
> Hi,
>
> we have started a recovery and after a few minutes the recovery process
> stopped due to
> a missing datafile.
>
> Unfortunately i do not have this datafile on a backup not even a controlfile
> when this datafile
> was created.
>
> (Thank God its just a test scenario)
>
> The database is in mount status - so no way to create a tablespace or add
> datafiles.
> What can i do ?
>
> Thanks
>
> Rolf

You are now in a position where you can not recover your database without data loss, but you can continue the recovery process providing the missing datafile is not the system data file.

You can use the alter database command while in mount to remove the missing datafile from the database then perform recovery. Oracle will skip this file and the tablespace to which it belongs will not open and will have to be dropped including contents. Hence, the data loss but the rest of the database will be OK.

If the missing file belongs to an index tablespace you can query the dictionary once recovery is complete to generate a list of indexes and source that need to be recreated, then drop the tablespace including contents, recreate the tablespace, and build the indexes. You will probably have to disable most of your database constaints while you do this.

Better yet the missing file belongs to your temp (sort segment) tablespace so all you have to do is recreate the tablespace, but if the file is part of an rbs tablespace you will have some missing rbs segments which complicates things as the rollback phase of recovery will fail. You will need the underbar parameter to stop Oracle from using affected rbs segments. Before using an underbar parameter you should probably contact support to make sure you have the right parameter for the version you are running and to make sure you are using the right parameter for your situation. In this case you should still be able to recover but you could end up with some data inconsistencies.

Most important of all is that you look at your backup and recovery procedures to make sure every needed file is available.

• Mark D Powell --