(wrong string) – why restore needs older backups?

From: Mark D Powell <Mark.Powell_at_eds.com>
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 2009 06:36:12 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <a6200dfc-a152-4969-88e1-6200407af26d_at_33g2000vbe.googlegroups.com>

On Jul 26, 4:26 am, zigzagdna <zigzag..._at_yahoo.com> wrote:
> I am on Oracle 10.2.0.3 on HP UNIX 11.2
>
> I have always been doing rman level  0 backup using commands like:
> backup as compressed backupset
> level 0 incremental
> Format 'dbfile_%U%_%t'
> database;
>
> I thought level 0 incremental is full backup, i.e., does backup of
> every block in the file.
> My backup was done on July 20,2009 6:00PM and ended on 6:30PM.
> Now I am doing point in time recovery to restore database until July
> 20, 6:31PM.
> Restore should only need backup files from July 20, 2009 6:00PM
> onwards, But for some reason
> restore requires backup files as old as from July 10, 2009.
>  I thought level 0 incremental does full backup, i.e, it does not need
> older backups.
>
> Can any one explain why? Does it have to do with use of compressed?
>
> I will think in I just did level 0 (without incremental), then for
> sure I will not need older backups. Using level 0 compressed will do
> the same, i.e., full backup without requiring older backups.

Considering your ackups are being shuttled off to tape and the issue you are having with the tape management software finding the tape to use I think you would be much better off with full backups. Besides if all your backups are going to be level 0 then there is no valid reason to do a incremental backup to begin with. If at all possible you want to keep a copy of your most recent full backup on disk.

IMHO -- Mark D Powell -- Received on Mon Jul 27 2009 - 08:36:12 CDT