Oracle8 Server Backup and Recovery Guide

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Conventions Used in This Guide

Text of the Guide

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What Is a Backup?

Why Are Backups Important?

When to Take Backups

Types of Failures

Physical Database Structures

Control Files

Online Redo Log Files

Online Redo Log File Contents

How Online Redo Log Files Are Written

Checkpoints

Multiplexed Online Redo Log Files

"Threads" of Online Redo Log and the Oracle Parallel Server

The Archived Redo Log

The Mechanics of Archiving

Archived Redo Log File Contents

Duplexing the Archived Redo Log

Database Archiving Modes

NOARCHIVELOG Mode (Media Recovery Disabled)

ARCHIVELOG Mode (Media Recovery Enabled)

Control Files

Control File Contents

Multiplexed Control Files

Types of Backups

Whole Database Backups

Operating System Backups

Logical Backups

Guidelines for Database Backups

Perform Backups Frequently and Regularly

Backup Appropriate Portions of the Database When Making
Structural Changes

Back Up Often-used Tablespaces Frequently

Back Up after Performing Unrecoverable/Unlogged Operations

Keep Older Backups

Database Backups After Using the RESETLOGS Option

Export Database Data for Added Protection and Flexibility

Consider Distributed Database Backups

Test Backup and Recovery Strategies

Creating a Backup Strategy

Backup Strategies in NOARCHIVELOG Mode

Backup Strategies in ARCHIVELOG Mode

Backing Up Online Redo Logs

The Danger in Backing Up Online Redo Logs

Recovery Concepts and Strategies

Important Recovery Data Structures

Recovery Planning

Factors Determining Your Recovery Strategy

Recovery Operations

Backup Methods and Requirements

Recovery Manager

Operating System (O/S)

Export

Enterprise Backup Utility

Recovery Manager

Using Oracle Enterprise Manager to Perform Recovery Manager
Backups

Recovery Manager is Different from Traditional Operating System
Backups

Backups to Disk

Backups to Sequential Media

Feature Comparison of Backup Methods

Decisions to Make Before Using Recovery Manager

Will You Use a Recovery Catalog?

Decide Whether or Not to Use Password Files

Decide How to Back Up init.ora Files and Password Files

Recovery Manager Connection Options

Connecting to Recovery Manager Without a Recovery Catalog

Connecting to Recovery Manager With a Recovery Catalog

Running Recovery Manager Commands

Running Recovery Manager Commands Interactively: Example 1

Using Command Files: Example 2

Using Stored Scripts: Example 3

Specifying Time Parameters in Recovery Manager

Recovery Manager Sample Scripts and Scenarios

Prerequisites for Performing Backups to Tape

Linking with a Media Manager

Generating Unique File Names

Know Your Media Manager's Maximum File Size Limit

Introduction to Recovery Manager

Backing Up to Sequential Media

The Recovery Catalog

Operating with a Recovery Catalog

Operating without a Recovery Catalog

Snapshot Control File

Stored Scripts

Recovery Manager Backup Types

Backup Sets

Full and Incremental Backup Sets

Factors Affecting Degree of Parallelization

Multiplexed Backup Sets

Report Generation

User Tags for Recovery Manager Backups

Backup Constraints

Restore Constraints

Integrity Checking

Fractured Block Detection During Open Database Backups in
Recovery Manager

Tracking Archive Logs

Cataloging Image Copies and Archive Logs

Installing the Recovery Catalog

Registering a Database

Maintaining the Recovery Catalog

Registering a Target Database with the Recovery Catalog

Resetting the Information in the Recovery Catalog

Resynchronizing the Recovery Catalog with a Target Database

Changing the Availability of a Backup Set or File Copy

Cataloging User-Created Backup Files

Recovering a Lost or Damaged Recovery Catalog Database

Using Channel Controls

Types of Channel Commands

Creating and Replacing Scripts

Deleting Scripts

Printing Scripts

Configuring the Snapshot Control File Location

Copy Command Specifiers

Restoring Files

Database Point-In-Time Recovery

File Selection

Restore Destination for Datafiles

Restore Destination for Control Files

Replicating Control Files

Restore Destination for Archived Logs

Guidelines for Restoring Datafiles

Restore Command Operand List

Switching Datafiles

Recovering Datafiles

Guidelines for Recovering Datafiles

Database Point-In-Time Recovery

Recovery Commands

Recover Command Object List

Monitoring Backups and Restores

Backing Up in NOARCHIVELOG Mode

Backing Up Databases and Tablespaces

Backing Up a Database

Backing Up a Tablespace

Backing Up Individual Datafiles

Backing Up the Control File

Backing Up Archived Logs

Backing Up in a Parallel Server Environment

Copying Datafiles

Incremental Backups

Handling Errors

Using O/S Utilities To Make Copies

Keeping Backups

Restoring and Recovering

Restore and Recover When the Database Is Open

Restore

Database Point-In-Time Recovery

Querying the Recovery Catalog

Using the Report Command for Complex Recovery Catalog Queries

Performing Backups

Listing Database Files Before Backup

Performing Whole Database Backups

Performing Tablespace, Datafile, Control File or Archivelog
Backups

Performing Control File Backups

Recovering From a Failed Online Tablespace Backup

Using the Export and Import Utilities for Supplemental Database
Protection

Using Export

Using Import

Coordinate Distributed Recovery

Restoring a Whole Database Backup, NOARCHIVELOG Mode

Specifying Parallel Recovery

Preparing for Media Recovery

Media Recovery Commands

Issues Common to All Media Recovery Operations

Performing Complete Media Recovery

Performing Closed Database Recovery

Performing Open-Database, Offline-Tablespace Individual
Recovery

Performing Incomplete Media Recovery

Performing Cancel-based Recovery

Performing Time-based Recovery

Performing Change-based Recovery

Preparing for Disaster Recovery

Planning and Creating a Standby Database

Altering the Physical Structure of the Primary Database

Unrecoverable Objects and Recovery

Read-only Tablespaces and Recovery

Using a Backup Control File

Re-creating a Control File

Examples of Recovery Procedures

Types of Media Failures

Loss of Datafiles

Loss of Online Redo Log Files

Loss of Archived Redo Log Files

Loss of Control Files

Recovery From User Errors

allocateForDelete

allocate

archivelogRecordSpecifier

reportObsoleteOperand

Contents

Title and Copyright Information

Preface

Part 1 Getting Started

Chapter 1 Why Perform Backups?

Chapter 2 What Are You Backing Up?

Chapter 3 When to Perform Backups

Chapter 4 Choosing Recovery Strategies

Chapter 5 Choosing a Backup Method

Part 2 Backup and Recovery-Recovery Manager

Chapter 6 Getting Started with Recovery Manager

Chapter 7 Recovery Manager Concepts

Chapter 8 Performing Backup and Recovery with Recovery Manager

Chapter 9 Recovery Manager Scenarios

Part 3 Backup and Recovery-Operating System

Chapter 10 Performing Operating System Backups

Chapter 11 Recovering a Database

Appendix A Recovery Manager Command Syntax

Glossary

Index