QUESTION: Basic stuff about RMAN 9i

Hi, all.

I'm working through RMAN, with the goal of phasing out our current cold backup scheme.

I'm trying to get incrementals and differentials working, but am running into some hurdles. I imagine that as I RTFM I'll encounter the answers, but I post the questions in hopes of saving myself some time, assuming the answers are basic.

I have configured the schema and the catalog, and done a successful full backup. I now want to ascertain the speed difference for an incremental backup. So I ran a BACKUP INCREMENTAL LEVEL=0 DATABASE, and then a LEVEL 1, and then another LEVEL 1. I expected that I would get some difference in behavior, but in all cases it seems to have run a full backup.

What am I missing as regards the incrementals?

Secondly, the documentation on Oracle's site (http://download-west.oracle.com/docs/cd/A91202_01/901_doc/server.901/a90135/usingrma.htm#447156) cites an example where you launch RMAN, shut down the database, run a STARTUP MOUNT (but do not open) and then run the backup command - the idea being that this is how to get assured consistent backups with RMAN. I tried this process, and got a fairly terse "ORA-03114: not connected to ORACLE" message when I ran the backup command. I ran an ALTER DATABASE OPEN, and was then able to back it up.

I am a little confused. Again, I intend to keep digging, but am not encouraged by this initial confusion and apparent contradiction of what I see versus the Oracle online docs.

Can someone assist me in clarifying these points?

Thanks!!

DW. Received on Tue Jun 14 2005 - 14:02:07 CDT