Re: exp and archive available.... recover table

On Jul 9, 6:46 pm, DA Morgan <damor..._at_psoug.org> wrote:
> Steve Howard wrote:
> > I think we have too strict a definition of "backup" at times. We have
> > used exp (and now datapump) to take a single table backup (yes, I
> > think that term is appropriate) when mass data changes will be made
> > to it and we want to be able to go back to it at that exact point in
> > time (without worrying about having enough undo to flashback the
> > table). We like the way the table looks, have taken into account any
> > constraints, and a quick and dirty export allows us to put it back to
> > that point with a minimum of fuss/muss.
>
> > In that sense, yes, it is a backup for us.
>
> I totally disagree.
>
> What you did was move objects and data from point A to point B. That
> has essentially no relationship to the purposes served by taking a real
> backup.
>
> Let me prove it to you. You come to my lab and I'll set you up on a
> server. You use export or datapump to do whatever it is you think it
> is doing. I'll send you out of the room for five minutes and use vi
> to do a bit of damage. What are you willing to bet that you will be
> able to "restore and recover" with your export?
> --
> Daniel A. Morgan
> University of Washington
> damor..._at_x.washington.edu (replace x with u to respond)
> Puget Sound Oracle Users Groupwww.psoug.org

LOL! I don't think I have to fly to Washington to test that. Why don't you fly to Columbus and come to my "lab" (in my basement). You can insert some rows into a table in a standard edition database and then go upstairs and have some homemade cookies with my children. Come back in three minutes, after I have conveniently dd'd the current online redo log group members, and the first few blocks of the first system tablespace datafile. Try to recover your recently inserted rows.

I'm not trying to be facetious, but your example above is absolutely ludicrous, and I have no idea where you are going with it.

We run dataguard and RAC (at work), are currently in the late stages of testing Streams, and backup all of our databases using RMAN. However, for a small, single table for which we need a consistent point in time version of it (once again, without worrying about enough undo for flashback, constraints, etc.) it serves as backup for us (no matter how infrequently we do it, which is infrequent), no matter what you want to call it.

Regards,

Steve Received on Tue Jul 10 2007 - 10:17:42 CDT