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Oracle® Database Backup and Recovery Basics
10g Release 2 (10.2)

Part Number B14192-01
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Contents

Title and Copyright Information

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Preface

Audience
Organization
Related Documentation
Conventions
Documentation Accessibility

1 Backup and Recovery Overview

What is Backup and Recovery?
Physical Backups and Logical Backups
Errors and Failures Requiring Recovery from Backup
User Error
Media Failure
Oracle Backup and Recovery Solutions: RMAN and User-Managed Backup
Backup and Recovery: Basic Concepts
Physical Database Structures Used in Recovering Data
Datafiles and Data Blocks
Redo Logs
Control Files
Undo Segments
The Database Recovery Process: Basic Concepts
Forms of Data Recovery
Datafile Media Recovery: Restore Datafiles, Apply Redo
Complete, Incomplete and Point-In-Time Recovery
Automatic Recovery After Instance Failure: Crash Recovery
Backup and Recovery with RMAN
Files That RMAN Can Back Up
RMAN Backup Destinations: Disk and Media Managers
Types of Oracle Database Backup under RMAN
About Consistent and Inconsistent Backups
About Full and Incremental Backups
About Image Copies, Backup Sets and Backup Pieces
Automatic Disk-Based Backup and Recovery: The Flash Recovery Area
Oracle Flashback Technology:Alternatives to Point-in-Time Recovery
About Restore Points
Matching Failures to Backup and Recovery Techniques
Media Failure
User Error
System Requirements for Backup and Recovery Methods
Feature Comparison of Backup Methods

2 Backup and Recovery Strategies

Data Recovery Strategy Determines Backup Strategy
Planning Data Recovery Strategy
Planning Responses to User Error: Point-in-Time Recovery and Flashback Features
Flashback Database
Creating Normal and Guaranteed Restore Points
Database Point-in-Time Recovery
Importing Lost Objects from Logical Backup
Planning a Response to Media Failure: Restore and Media Recovery
Example: Online Redo Log Recovery
Planning a Response to Datafile Block Corruption: Block Media Recovery
Planning Backup Strategy
Protecting Your Redundancy Set
Deciding Whether to Use a Flash Recovery Area
Deciding Between ARCHIVELOG and NOARCHIVELOG Mode
Implications of Running in NOARCHIVELOG Mode
Implications of Running in ARCHIVELOG Mode
Deciding Whether to Use Oracle Flashback Features and Restore Points
Choosing a Backup Retention Policy
Implementing Backup Retention Policy with RMAN
Recovery Window-Based Backup Retention Policy
Redundancy-Based Backup Retention Policy
Archiving Older Backups
Determining Backup Frequency
Performing Backups Before and After You Make Structural Changes
Scheduling Backups for Frequently-Updated Tablespaces
Backing Up after NOLOGGING Operations
Exporting Data for Added Protection and Flexibility
Preventing the Backup of Online Redo Logs
Keeping Records of the Hardware and Software Configuration of the Server
Validating Your Data Recovery Strategy
Using BACKUP... VALIDATE
Validating RMAN Backups: VALIDATE and RESTORE VALIDATE
Testing Your Database Restore and Recovery Procedures

3 Setting Up and Configuring Backup and Recovery

Overview of Interacting With the RMAN Client
Starting and Exiting RMAN
Setting Globalization Support Environment Variables for RMAN
Entering RMAN Commands at the Command Prompt
Using Command Files with RMAN
Checking Syntax of RMAN Commands and Command Files: CHECKSYNTAX
Checking RMAN Syntax at the Command Line: Example
Checking RMAN Syntax in Command Files: Example
Using RMAN to Start Up and Shut Down Databases
Connecting the RMAN Client to Databases
Types of Database Connections Used with RMAN
Authentication for Database Connections
Connecting to the Target Database from the Command Line
Connecting to the Target Database from the RMAN Prompt
Setting Up a Database for RMAN Backup
Persistent Configuration Settings: Controlling RMAN Behavior
Displaying Current RMAN Configuration Settings: SHOW
Restoring Default RMAN Configuration Settings: CONFIGURE... CLEAR
Configuring the Default Device Type for Backups
Configuring the Default Backup Type for Disk Backups
Configuring Compressed Backupsets as Default for Tape or Disk
Configuring Disk Devices and Channels
Configuring Tape Devices and Channels
Configuring Control File and Server Parameter File Autobackup
Configuring the Control File Autobackup Format
Overriding the Configured Control File Autobackup Format
Setting Up a Flash Recovery Area for RMAN
Choosing a Location for the Flash Recovery Area
Flash Recovery Area, Automatic Storage Management, and Oracle Managed Files
Files That Can Be Stored in the Flash Recovery Area
Planning the Size of the Flash Recovery Area
Setting Initialization Parameters for Size and Location of the Flash Recovery Area
Flash Recovery Area Size: DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST_SIZE
Flash Recovery Area Location: Initialization Parameter DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST
Sharing a Flash Recovery Area Among Multiple Databases
Restrictions on Initialization Parameters When Using Flash Recovery Area
Adding a Flash Recovery Area to an Existing Database
Using V$RECOVERY_FILE_DEST and V$FLASH_RECOVERY_AREA_USAGE
Disabling the Flash Recovery Area
Configuring the Backup Retention Policy
Configuring a Recovery Window-Based Retention Policy
Configuring a Redundancy-Based Retention Policy
Showing the Current Retention Policy
Disabling the Retention Policy
How Oracle Manages Disk Space in the Flash Recovery Area
When Files are Eligible for Deletion from the Flash Recovery Area
When Space is Not Available in the Flash Recovery Area
Configure Flash Recovery Area for Disk-Based Backups: Example
Create a Database with Multiplexed Files in the Flash Recovery Area: Scenario
Creating a Database with Only Archived Logs in the Flash Recovery Area: Scenario

4 Backing Up Databases Using RMAN

Overview of RMAN Backups
Files That RMAN Can Back Up
About RMAN Backup Formats: Image Copies and Backup Sets
About Image Copies
About Backup Sets
About RMAN Full and Incremental Datafile Backups
Specifying Options Affecting Output of the RMAN BACKUP Command
Specifying Output Device Type for RMAN BACKUP
Specifying Image Copy or Backup Set Output for RMAN BACKUP to Disk
Specifying Output File Locations for RMAN BACKUP
Specifying Tags for RMAN BACKUP
Using Compressed Backupsets for RMAN Backup
Backing Up Database Files and Archived Logs with RMAN
Making Consistent and Inconsistent Backups with RMAN
Making Whole Database Backups with RMAN
Backing Up Individual Tablespaces with RMAN
Backing Up Individual Datafiles and Datafile Copies with RMAN
Backing Up Datafiles
Backing Up Datafile Copies
Backing Up Control Files with RMAN
Including the Current Control File in a Backup of Other Files
Backing Up the Current Control File Manually
Backing Up a Control File Copy
Backing Up Server Parameter Files with RMAN
Backing Up Archived Redo Logs with RMAN
Backing Up Archived Redo Log Files with BACKUP ARCHIVELOG
Backing Up Logs with BACKUP ... PLUS ARCHIVELOG
RMAN Incremental Backups
Incremental Backup Algorithm
Level 0 and Level 1 Incremental Backups
Differential Incremental Backups
Cumulative Incremental Backups
Basic Incremental Backup Strategy
Making Incremental Backups: BACKUP INCREMENTAL
Incrementally Updated Backups: Rolling Forward Image Copy Backups
Incrementally Updated Backups: A Basic Example
Incrementally Updated Backups: A One Week Example
Improving Incremental Backup Performance: Change Tracking
Enabling and Disabling Change Tracking
Checking Whether Change Tracking is Enabled
Moving the Change Tracking File
Estimating Size of the Change Tracking File on Disk
Using RMAN to Validate Database Files
Overview of Reporting on Backups and the RMAN Repository
Listing RMAN Backups, Archived Logs, and Database Incarnations
About RMAN Reports Generated by the LIST Command
Listing Backups
Listing Backups by Backup
Listing Backups by File
Listing Backups in Summary Mode
Listing Selected Backups
Listing Database Incarnations
Reporting on Backups and Database Schema
About Reports of RMAN Backups
Reporting on Files Needing a Backup Under a Retention Policy
Using RMAN REPORT NEED BACKUP with Different Retention Policies
Using RMAN REPORT NEED BACKUP with Tablespaces and Datafiles
Using REPORT NEED BACKUP with Backups onTape or Disk Only
Reporting on Datafiles Affected by Unrecoverable Operations
Reporting Obsolete Backups
Reporting on the Database Schema

5 Data Protection with Restore Points and Flashback Database

Restore Points and Flashback Database: Concepts
About Flashback Database
About the Flashback Database Window
About Normal Restore Points
Commands Supporting the Use of Restore Points
About Guaranteed Restore Points
Using Guaranteed Restore Points Instead of Storage Snapshots
About Logging for Flashback Database and Guaranteed Restore Points
Guaranteed Restore Points and Flash Recovery Area Space Usage
Logging for Guaranteed Restore Points With Flashback Logging Disabled
Logging for Flashback Database With Guaranteed Restore Points Defined
Using Normal and Guaranteed Restore Points
Requirements for Using Guaranteed Restore Points
Creating Normal and Guaranteed Restore Points
Listing Restore Points
Dropping Restore Points
Monitoring Space Usage For Guaranteed Restore Points
Setup and Maintenance for Oracle Flashback Database
Limitations of Flashback Database
Requirements for Enabling Flashback Database
Enabling Logging for Flashback Database
Sizing the Flash Recovery Area to Include Flashback Logs
Estimating Disk Space Requirements for Flashback Database Logs
Managing Space For Flashback Logs in the Flash Recovery Area
Rules for Retention and Deletion of Flashback Logs
Determining the Current Window for Flashback Database
Performance Tuning for Flashback Database
Monitoring Flashback Database Performance Impact
Flashback Writer (RVWR) Behavior With I/O Errors

6 Performing Complete Restore and Recovery of Databases

Database Restore and Recovery with RMAN: Overview
Scope and Limitations of this Chapter
Restore and Recovery with Enterprise Manager
Basic Database Restore and Recovery Scenarios
Restore and Recovery of a Whole Database: Scenario
Recovery of Databases with Read-Only Tablespaces
Re-Creation of Temporary Tablespaces in Whole Database Restore and Recovery
Restore and Complete Recovery of Individual Tablespaces or Datafiles: Scenario
Preparing and Planning Database Restore and Recovery
Database Restore and Recovery Procedure: Outline
Determining Which Database Files to Restore or Recover
Recognizing a Lost Control File
Identifying Datafiles Requiring Media Recovery
Recovery of Read-Only Tablespaces
Determining your DBID
Previewing Backups Used in Restore Operations: RESTORE PREVIEW
Using RESTORE... PREVIEW
Using RESTORE... PREVIEW SUMMARY
Using RESTORE... PREVIEW RECALL
Validating the Restore of Backups: RESTORE VALIDATE and VALIDATE BACKUPSET
Validating Restore from Backup with RESTORE ... VALIDATE
Validating Backup Sets with VALIDATE BACKUPSET
RMAN RESTORE: Restoring Lost Database Files from Backup
Restoring the Control File from Backup
Default Destination for Restore of the Control File
Restore of the Control File from Control File Autobackup
Restore of the Control File When Using a Flash Recovery Area
Restoring a Control File When Using a Recovery Catalog
Restore of the Control File From a Known Location
Restore of the Control File to a New Location
Limitations When Using a Backup Control File
Restoring the Server Parameter File (SPFILE) from Backup
Restore of the SPFILE from the Control File Autobackup
Creating a Client-Side Initialization Parameter File (PFILE) with RMAN
Restoring and Recovering Datafiles and Tablespaces
Restoring Datafiles from Backup to a New Location
Performing Media Recovery of a Restored Database, Tablespace or Datafile
Restore and Recover of a Single Datafile to a New Location:Example
Restoring Archived Redo Logs from Backup
Restoring Archived Redo Logs to a New Location
Restoring Archived Redo Logs to Multiple Locations

7 Performing Flashback and Database Point-in-Time Recovery

About Point-in-Time Recovery and Flashback Features
About Database Point-in-Time Recovery
Oracle Flashback Technology:Alternatives to Point-in-Time Recovery
Oracle Flashback Query: Recovering at the Row Level
Oracle Flashback Table: Returning Individual Tables to Past States
Prerequisites for Using Flashback Table
Performing Flashback Table
Oracle Flashback Drop: Undo a DROP TABLE Operation
What is the Recycle Bin?
How Tables and Other Objects Are Placed in the Recycle Bin
Naming Convention for Objects in the Recycle Bin
Enabling and Disabling the Recycle Bin
Viewing and Querying Objects in the Recycle Bin
Recycle Bin Capacity and Space Pressure
Understanding Space Pressure
How the Database Responds to Space Pressure
Recycle Bin Objects and Segments
Performing Flashback Drop on Tables in the Recycle Bin
Flashback Drop of Multiple Objects With the Same Original Name
Purging Objects from the Recycle Bin
PURGE TABLE: Purging a Table and Dependent Objects
PURGE INDEX: Freeing Space in the Recycle Bin
PURGE TABLESPACE: Purging All Dropped Objects from a Tablespace
PURGE RECYCLEBIN: Purging All Objects in a User's Recycle Bin
PURGE DBA_RECYCLEBIN: Purging All Recycle Bin Objects
Dropping a Tablespace, Cluster, User or Type and the Recycle Bin
Privileges and Security for Flashback Drop
Limitations and Restrictions on Flashback Drop
Reversing Database Changes with Flashback Database
Performing Flashback Database: Scenario
Options After a Successful Flashback Database Operation
Options After Flashback Database to the Wrong Time
Flashback Database and Ambiguous SCNs Across Incarnations
Performing Flashback Database to a Guaranteed Restore Point
Performing Flashback Database to Undo an OPEN RESETLOGS
Flashback Database Across OPEN RESETLOGS With Standby Databases
Flashback Database To The Right of Open Resetlogs: Example
Performing Database Point-In-Time Recovery
Requirements for Database Point-in-Time Recovery
Point-in-Time Recovery and Database Incarnations: Concepts
Understanding Parent, Ancestor and Sibling Database Incarnations
Incarnation History of a Database: Example
Database Incarnations and Orphaned Backups
Preparing for Database Point-in-Time Recovery
Database Point-in-Time Recovery Within the Current Incarnation
Using a Time Expression for Database Point-in-Time Recovery
Options After Database Point-in-Time Recovery
Point-in-Time Recovery to an Ancestor Incarnation

8 Recovery Manager Maintenance Tasks

Managing the RMAN Repository Using Only the Control File
Backing Up and Restoring the Control File
Monitoring the Overwriting of Control File Records
Managing the Overwriting of Control File Records
Interaction of Flash Recovery Area and CONTROL_FILE_RECORD_KEEP_TIME
Using CROSSCHECK to Update the RMAN Repository
About RMAN Crosschecks
Basic Use of CROSSCHECK with Backup Sets and Image Copies
Crosschecking Specific Backup Sets and Copies
Crosschecking Backups of Specific Database Files
Limiting RMAN CROSSCHECK to a Backups Since a Specific Time
Deleting Backups
Deleting Specified Backups
Deleting Expired RMAN Backups after CROSSCHECK
Using DELETE FORCE With RMAN Backups
Deleting Obsolete RMAN Backups Based on Retention Policies
DELETE OBSOLETE Behavior When KEEP UNTIL Time Expires
Using Multiple RMAN Channels for Maintenance Operations
About Allocating Multiple RMAN Channels for Maintenance Commands
How RMAN Crosschecks and Deletes on Multiple Channels
Crosschecking Disk and Tape Channels with One Command: Example
Crosschecking on Multiple Oracle Real Application Cluster Nodes: Example
Deleting on Disk and Tape Channels with One DELETE Command: Example
Releasing Multiple Channels: Example
Deleting a Database with RMAN
Changing the Status of a Backup Record
Marking a Backup AVAILABLE or UNAVAILABLE
Exempting a Long-Term Backup from the Retention Policy
Cataloging Archived Logs and User-Managed Copies
About Cataloging Archived Logs and User-Managed Copies
Cataloging User-Managed Datafile Copies
Cataloging Backup Pieces
Cataloging All Files in a Disk Location
Cataloging Flash Recovery Area Contents
Uncataloging RMAN Records
About Uncataloging RMAN Records
Removing Records for Files Deleted with Operating System Utilities
Flash Recovery Area Maintenance
Resolving a Full Flash Recovery Area
Changing the Flash Recovery Area to a New Location
Flash Recovery Area Behavior When Instance Crashes During File Creation

A RMAN-Based Disk and Tape Backup Strategies: Scenarios

Backing Up to the Flash Recovery Area: Basic Scenarios
Scripting Disk-Only Backups
Backup Scripts When Few Data Blocks Change
Backup Scripts When Blocks Change Frequently
Backup Scripts When a Moderate Number of Blocks Change Weekly
Backing Up to the Flash Recovery Area and to Tape: Basic Scenarios
Configuring the RMAN Environment for Disk and Tape Backups
Writing Backup Scripts for Disk and Tape Scenarios
Backup Scripts When Few Data Blocks Change
Backup Scripts When Many Blocks Change
Backup Scripts When Blocks Change Moderately
Backup Scripts When Not Enough Disk Space for a Database Backup

Glossary

Index