Hot Backup and Recovery - When to switch log files.

Hello all

I am testing my hot backups. (Oracle 9i)

The test I am having trouble with is simulating our office burning down losing the live server and all mutiplex points.

This leaves me with a tape containing

• backup (binary and scripted) control files from the night before the fire,
• archived redo up to the night before the fire,
• backup init files from the night before the fire,
• All data files from the night before the fire.

But when I try to:

SQL> Recover database using backup controlfile until cancel

I am prompted for archive logs 1_338 which I have as part of the backup and 1_339 which has not yet been created. I can substitute the correct redo log (tested but not possible as the office has burnt down and I do not have a redo backup) or I suppose I could cancel at this point (not tested).

This is my hot backup script:

for all tablespaces
{

    alter tablespace c1.ts begin backup;     copy data file to tape
    alter tablespace c1.ts end backup;
}

alter system switch logfiles (??? Is this in the correct place ???) backup control file to trace
backup control file to file
create pfile from spfile

If I move the switch logfiles to after the last line I am still prompted for archive log 1_338 (which I have) and 1_339 but this time 1_339 cannot be substituted with the online redo as I get the error:

archived log is too small - may be incompletely archived.

Perhaps the behaviour is correct and I should be asked for the archived logs during the recovery and just cancel when I run out but I feel that because I have binary backed up my control file that it should know which archive logs to ask for and when to stop.

Is it continuing to ask because I may have more redo data from time between the backup and the fire ...

Thanks for the help.

David Received on Wed May 12 2004 - 07:01:39 CDT