Re: Why would system datafile need recovery when restoring consistent(cold) backup?

GS wrote:
> I can't recall this ever happening before, on a test database (9ir2),

> users wanted a fixed point in time to go back to, so I do a clean
> shutdown, backup all datafiles (yes, redolog and control files too)
to
> another drive, restart database, which is not in archivelog mode.
About
> an hour later, user comes over and they want to go back to the point
in
> time it was last backed up. No problem, shut the db down, delete the
> datafiles, control files and redolog files and copy the ones from the

> backup to their original destinations. Now I have the database
*exactly*
> as it was, as I have done many times before.
>
> When I start up the database it tells me that the system tablespace
is
> in need of recovery. Why?, should the database not just startup just
as
> if I did a shutdown/startup? I ended up mimicking a incomplete
recovery
> using recover database until cancel and open with resetlogs, but this

> should not have been neccesary, should it?

Hi,

Well, if the scenario was EXACTLY as you state then AFAIK your logic is absolutely correct. When you shutdown the database (NORMAL, IMMEDIATE but NOT ABORT) and backup the datafiles and controlfiles you have a consistent database which certainly does NOT need recovery.

Just a thought - there's no chance that one or more datafiles didn't get deleted and didn't get copied back from the backup? It sounds unlikely but its about the only thing that springs to mind which could cause the symptom you are seeing. Also, any possibility that you shut down a different database from the one you thought, so that you deleted open files?

Sorry if it sounds like I'm insulting your intelligence - just trying to find an explanation for what sounds inexplicable!

Regards,

Tim Kearsley
HBS Milton Keynes Received on Mon May 23 2005 - 08:22:08 CDT