Re: DB file not updated in ARCHIVELOG mode?

From: Sybrand Bakker <postbus_at_sybrandb.demon.nl>
Date: Sun, 10 Sep 2000 17:17:10 +0200
Message-ID: <968599119.10796.2.pluto.d4ee154e@news.demon.nl>

"Ortwin Glück" <glueck_at_freesurf.ch> wrote in message news:39B941D3.3E0B9B77_at_freesurf.ch...
> I have Oracle running in ARCHIVELOG mode (for backup reasons).
> I recognized that the modified date of the database file does not change
> unless i shutdown/startup the instance. In NOARHCIVE mode the modified
> date is changed on logfile switch. Archived Logfiles are created though.
> Is the data actually written to the DB file on logfile switch? Can I
> safely delete old archived logfiles without losing data?
>
> Ortwin Glueck

The data is actually written to the database as soon as a certain amount of blocks in the cache is 'dirty'. Usually this amount is 4 blocks. You can delete archive log files provided a) you have a backup of them
or
b) they are older than your last consistent backup (a consistent backup is created with the database *down*).

The Server Administrators Guide has a separate chapter on backup and recovery.

Hth,

Sybrand Bakker, Oracle DBA Received on Sun Sep 10 2000 - 10:17:10 CDT