Re: Request for refetence - incremental offline backups using RMAN

"Howard J. Rogers" <howardjr2000_at_yahoo.com.au> wrote in message news:<3f435461$0$6524$afc38c87_at_news.optusnet.com.au>...
> Dusan Bolek wrote:
>
> > Is anyone using this? I'm preparing architecture specification for one
> > new database and I want to use incemental offline backups with
> > database in NOARCHIVELOG mode. However, I've never seen running this
> > combination, so I'm asking for some good/bad experiences with this, if
> > you're using it.
> >
> > --
> > Thank you
> >
> > Dusan Bolek
>
> I wouldn't have thought it was remotely possible.
>
> It would mean RMAN piecing a consistent datafile together from a bunch
> of completely non-synchronised backup sets, without any redo available
> to synchronise them.
>
> But have you read somewhere that it is??

I also have some doubts about this, but it should be possible. Look in:

Recovery Manager User's Guide
Release 2 (9.2)

5 RMAN Concepts I - Incremental Backup

"The primary reasons for making an incremental backup are:

...

To reduce backup sizes for NOARCHIVELOG databases. Instead of making a whole database backup every time, you can make incremental backups. Note
that incremental backups of a NOARCHIVELOG database are only legal after a
consistent shutdown."

Page 5-39 (PDF version)

I believe Oracle and their documentation, but I still want to get in touch with someone who really used this with success (especially recovery success ;->).
I will also try to throughoutly test it in my test environment, before moving to production.

--
Dusan Bolek