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Oracle9i Recovery Manager User's Guide
Release 2 (9.2)

Part Number A96566-01
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17
Querying the RMAN Repository

This chapter describes how to obtain information about RMAN from the repository. This chapter contains these topics:

About Querying the RMAN Metadata

You can obtain information from the RMAN repository in several different ways. The following table describes the basic options.

Method Catalog Needed? Description

LIST command

No

Use this command to list backups, copies, and database incarnations. The output displays those files operated on by the CHANGE, CROSSCHECK, and DELETE commands.

REPORT command

No

Use this command to find out which files need a backup, which backups are no longer needed, which files are in the schema, and so forth.

SHOW command

No

Use this command to display persistent RMAN configuration settings.

PRINT SCRIPT command

Yes

Use this command to display the names of the scripts stored in the recovery catalog.

Recovery catalog fixed views

Yes

Query these views to access the catalog itself. Some information, such as the names and contents of the stored scripts, can only be obtained from the catalog views.

V$ fixed views

No

Query these views to access the target database control file. RMAN obtains metadata for the recovery catalog from the control file. Some V$ views such as V$DATAFILE_HEADER, V$PROCESS, and V$SESSION contain information not found in the catalog views.

The main source of information about RMAN is the REPORT and LIST command output. Use these commands to query the RMAN repository and determine what you have backed up as well as what you need to back up. This information is extremely helpful in developing an effective backup strategy.

The LIST command displays all RMAN backups (both backup sets and proxy copies) and copies, while the REPORT command performs more complex analysis. For example, you can generate a report on which datafiles need a backup and which backup pieces are obsolete with the REPORT command. RMAN writes the output from the REPORT and LIST commands to either standard output or a log file.

The SHOW command displays persistent configuration settings. For example, if you allocate automatic channels with the CONFIGURE command, these settings are displayed in the SHOW output.

See Also:

Listing RMAN Backups, Copies, and Database Incarnations

The LIST command queries the recovery catalog or control file and produces a listing of the backups, copies, archived redo logs, and database incarnations recorded there. You can specify these files when running the CHANGE, CROSSCHECK, and DELETE commands.

This section contains these topics:

About RMAN Lists

You can control how the output is displayed by using the BY BACKUP and BY FILE options and choosing between the SUMMARY and VERBOSE options.

The primary purpose of the LIST command is to determine which backups or copies are available. Note that only backups and copies that completed successfully are stored in the repository. For example, you can list:

Use the RMAN repository to determine what you need to back up. In particular, ensure that:

Listing Backups by Backup

By default, RMAN lists backups by backup, which means that it serially lists each backup set or proxy copy and then identifies the files included in the backup. By default, RMAN lists backups and copies in verbose mode, which means that it provides extensive, multiline information.

To list backups by backup:

  1. After connecting to the target database and recovery catalog (if you use one), execute LIST BACKUP. Specify the desired objects with the listObjList clause. For example, you can enter:
    LIST BACKUP;  # lists backup sets, backup pieces, and proxy copies
    
    

    Optionally, specify the EXPIRED keyword to identify those backups that were not found during a crosscheck:

    LIST EXPIRED BACKUP;
    
    
  2. Examine the output (refer to Oracle9i Recovery Manager Reference for an explanation of the various column headings in the LIST output). Sample output follows:
    LIST BACKUP;
    
    List of Backup Sets
    ===================
    
    BS Key  Size       Device Type Elapsed Time Completion Time
    ------- ---------- ----------- ------------ ---------------
    19      201K       DISK        00:00:01     08-FEB-02      
            BP Key: 30   Status: AVAILABLE   Tag: TAG20020208T155239
            Piece Name: /oracle/dbs/0jdg9v28_1_1
    
      List of Archived Logs in backup set 19
      Thrd Seq     Low SCN    Low Time  Next SCN   Next Time
      ---- ------- ---------- --------- ---------- ---------
      1    21      98086      08-FEB-02 98461      08-FEB-02
      1    22      98461      08-FEB-02 98464      08-FEB-02
      1    23      98464      08-FEB-02 98469      08-FEB-02
      1    24      98469      08-FEB-02 98472      08-FEB-02
      1    25      98472      08-FEB-02 98475      08-FEB-02
    
    BS Key  Type LV Size       Device Type Elapsed Time Completion Time
    ------- ---- -- ---------- ----------- ------------ ---------------
    20      Full    197M       DISK        00:00:42     08-FEB-02      
            BP Key: 31   Status: AVAILABLE   Tag: TAG20020208T155242
            Piece Name: /oracle/dbs/0kdg9v2b_1_1
      SPFILE Included: Modification time: 08-FEB-02
      List of Datafiles in backup set 20
      File LV Type Ckp SCN    Ckp Time  Name
      ---- -- ---- ---------- --------- ----
      1       Full 98512      08-FEB-02 /oracle/oradata/trgt/system01.dbf
      2       Full 98512      08-FEB-02 /oracle/oradata/trgt/undotbs01.dbf
      3       Full 98512      08-FEB-02 /oracle/oradata/trgt/cwmlite01.dbf
      4       Full 98512      08-FEB-02 /oracle/oradata/trgt/drsys01.dbf
      5       Full 98512      08-FEB-02 /oracle/oradata/trgt/example01.dbf
      6       Full 98512      08-FEB-02 /oracle/oradata/trgt/indx01.dbf
      7       Full 98512      08-FEB-02 /oracle/oradata/trgt/tools01.dbf
      8       Full 98512      08-FEB-02 /oracle/oradata/trgt/users01.dbf
    
    BS Key  Size       Device Type Elapsed Time Completion Time
    ------- ---------- ----------- ------------ ---------------
    21      1K         DISK        00:00:02     08-FEB-02      
            BP Key: 32   Status: AVAILABLE   Tag: TAG20020208T155331
            Piece Name: /oracle/dbs/0ldg9v3r_1_1
    
      List of Archived Logs in backup set 21
      Thrd Seq     Low SCN    Low Time  Next SCN   Next Time
      ---- ------- ---------- --------- ---------- ---------
      1    34      98509      08-FEB-02 98529      08-FEB-02
    

Listing Backups by File

You can list copies of datafiles, control files, and archived logs. Specify the desired objects with the listObjList or recordSpec clause (refer to Oracle9i Recovery Manager Reference). If you do not specify an object, then RMAN displays copies of all database files and archived redo logs. By default, RMAN lists backups in verbose mode, which means that it provides extensive, multiline information.

To list backups by file:

  1. After connecting to the target database and recovery catalog (if you use one), execute LIST BACKUP with the BY FILE option. Specify the desired objects and options. For example, you can enter:
    LIST BACKUP BY FILE;
    
    

    Optionally, specify the EXPIRED keyword to identify those backups that were not found during a crosscheck:

    LIST EXPIRED BACKUP BY FILE;
    
    
  2. Examine the output (refer to Oracle9i Recovery Manager Reference for an explanation of the various column headings in the LIST output). Sample output follows:
    List of Datafile Backups
    ========================
    
    File Key     TY LV S Ckp SCN    Ckp Time  #Pieces #Copies Tag
    ---- ------- -  -- - ---------- --------- ------- ------- ---
    1    20      B  F  A 98512      08-FEB-02 1       1       TAG20020208T155242
    2    20      B  F  A 98512      08-FEB-02 1       1       TAG20020208T155242
    3    20      B  F  X 98512      08-FEB-02 1       1       TAG20020208T155242
    4    20      B  F  U 98512      08-FEB-02 1       1       TAG20020208T155242
    
    List of Archived Log Backups
    ============================
    
    Thrd Seq     Low SCN    Low Time  BS Key  S #Pieces #Copies Tag
    ---- ------- ---------- --------- ------- - ------- ------- ---
    1    21      98086      08-FEB-02 22      A 1       1       TAG20020208T155604
                                      19      A 1       1       TAG20020208T155239
    1    22      98461      08-FEB-02 22      A 1       1       TAG20020208T155604
                                      19      A 1       1       TAG20020208T155239
    1    23      98464      08-FEB-02 22      A 1       1       TAG20020208T155604
                                      19      A 1       1       TAG20020208T155239
    
    List of Controlfile Backups
    ===========================
    
    CF Ckp SCN Ckp Time  BS Key  S #Pieces #Copies Tag
    ---------- --------- ------- - ------- ------- ---
    98510      08-FEB-02 20      A 1       1       TAG20020208T155242
    
    List of SPFILE Backups
    ======================
    
    Modification Time BS Key  S #Pieces #Copies Tag
    ----------------- ------- - ------- ------- ---
    08-FEB-02         20      A 1       1       TAG20020208T155242
    

Listing Copies

Besides listing backup sets and proxy copies, you can list image copies. Specify the desired objects with the listObjList, recordSpec, or archivelogRecordSpecifier clauses. If you do not specify an object, then LIST COPY displays all datafile copies, control file copies, and archived redo logs. Note that RMAN considers both archived redo logs and image copies of archived redo logs as copies. By default, RMAN lists backups in verbose mode which means that it provides extensive, multiline information.

To list image copies:

  1. After connecting to the target database and recovery catalog (if you use one), execute LIST COPY. Specify the desired objects and options. For example, you can enter:
    LIST COPY; # lists all datafile copies, control file copies, and archived logs
    LIST ARCHIVELOG ALL; # lists all archived logs
    
    

    Optionally, specify the EXPIRED keyword to identify those copies that were not found during a crosscheck:

    LIST EXPIRED COPY;
    
    
  2. Examine the output (refer to Oracle9i Recovery Manager Reference for an explanation of the various column headings in the LIST output). Sample output follows:
    LIST ARCHIVELOG ALL;
    
    List of Archived Log Copies
    Key     Thrd Seq     S Low Time             Name
    ------- ---- ------- - -------------------- ----
    8       1    28      A NOV 07 2001 10:50:07 /oracle/oradata/trgt/arch/archive1_28.dbf
    9       1    29      A NOV 07 2001 11:54:10 /oracle/oradata/trgt/arch/archive1_29.dbf
    10      1    30      A NOV 07 2001 12:00:22 /oracle/oradata/trgt/arch/archive1_30.dbf
    11      1    31      A NOV 07 2001 12:01:28 /oracle/oradata/trgt/arch/archive1_31.dbf
    12      1    32      A NOV 07 2001 12:44:00 /oracle/oradata/trgt/arch/archive1_32.dbf
    13      1    33      A NOV 07 2001 12:59:37 /oracle/oradata/trgt/arch/archive1_33.dbf
    

Listing Backups in Summary Mode

By default the LIST output is highly detailed, but you can also specify that RMAN display the output in summarized form. Specify the desired objects with the listObjectList or recordSpec clause. If you do not specify an object, then LIST BACKUP displays all backups. By default, RMAN lists backups in verbose mode.

To list backups in summary mode:

  1. After connecting to the target database and recovery catalog (if you use one), execute LIST BACKUP. Specify the desired objects and options. For example, you can enter:
    LIST BACKUP SUMMARY;
    
    

    Optionally, specify the EXPIRED keyword to identify those copies that were not found during a crosscheck:

    LIST EXPIRED BACKUP SUMMARY;
    
    
  2. Examine the output (refer to Oracle9i Recovery Manager Reference for an explanation of the various column headings in the LIST output). Sample output follows:
    List of Backups
    ===============
    Key     TY LV S Device Type Completion Time #Pieces #Copies Tag
    ------- -- -- - ----------- --------------- ------- ------- ---
    387     B  0  A SBT_TAPE    08-FEB-01       1       2       TAG20020208T155604
    396     B  0  A SBT_TAPE    08-FEB-01       3       1       TAG20020208T155604
    423     B  0  X SBT_TAPE    08-FEB-01       1       1       TAG20020208T155604
    427     B  0  U SBT_TAPE    08-FEB-01       1       1       TAG20020208T155604
    

Listing Backups and Copies with Restrictions

You can specify several different conditions to narrow your LIST output.

To generate a list of copies and backups restricted by object or other conditions:

  1. After connecting to the target database and recovery catalog (if you use one), execute LIST COPY or LIST BACKUP with the listObjList or recordSpec condition. For example, enter:
    # lists backups of all files in database
    LIST BACKUP OF DATABASE; 
    
    # lists copy of specified datafile    
    LIST COPY OF DATAFILE '?/oradata/trgt/system01.dbf'; 
    
    # lists specified backup set
    LIST BACKUPSET 213; 
    
    # lists datafile copy
    LIST DATAFILECOPY '/tmp/tools01.dbf';
    
    
  2. You can also restrict the search by specifying the maintQualifier or RECOVERABLE clause. For example, enter:
    # specify a backup by tag
    LIST BACKUP TAG 'weekly_full_db_backup';
    
    # specify a backup or copy by device type
    LIST COPY OF DATAFILE '?/oradata/trgt/system01.dbf' DEVICE TYPE sbt;
    
    # specify a backup or copy by directory or path
    LIST BACKUP LIKE '/tmp/%';
    
    # specify a backup or copy by a range of completion dates
    LIST COPY OF DATAFILE 2 COMPLETED BETWEEN '10-DEC-2001' AND '17-DEC-2001';
    
    # specify logs backed up at least 2X to tape
    LIST ARCHIVELOG ALL BACKED UP 2 TIMES TO DEVICE TYPE sbt;
    
    
  3. Examine the output. For example, sample output follows for a list of copies of datafile 1:
    LIST COPY OF DATAFILE 1;
    
    List of Datafile Copies
    Key     File S Completion time Ckp SCN    Ckp time        Name
    ------- ---- - --------------- ---------- --------------- ------
    3       1    A 18-JUL-00       114148     17-JUL-01       /tmp/system01.dbf
    
    See Also:

    Oracle9i Recovery Manager Reference for listObjList syntax, and Oracle9i Recovery Manager Reference for an explanation of the various columns in the LIST output

Listing Database Incarnations

Every time you reset the online redo logs of a target database, you create a new incarnation of the database. You can track the incarnations with the INCARNATION option of the LIST command.

To list database incarnations:

  1. After connecting to the target database and (optionally) the recovery catalog, run LIST INCARNATION:
    LIST INCARNATION;
    
    

    If you are using a recovery catalog, and if you register multiple target databases in the same catalog, then you can distinguish them by using the OF DATABASE option:

    LIST INCARNATION OF DATABASE prod3;
    
    
  2. Examine the output (refer to Oracle9i Recovery Manager Reference for an explanation of the various column headings in the LIST output). Sample output follows:
    LIST INCARNATION OF DATABASE;
    
    List of Database Incarnations
    DB Key  Inc Key DB Name  DB ID            CUR Reset SCN  Reset Time
    ------- ------- -------- ---------------- --- ---------- ----------
    1       12      TRGT     1335481537       NO  1          NOV 12 2001 03:06:41
    1       2       TRGT     1335481537       YES 164378     NOV 12 2001 17:54:26
    
    

    The preceding output indicates that a RESETLOGS was performed on database trgt at SCN 164378, resulting in a new incarnation. The incarnation is distinguished by its incarnation key.

Reporting on Backups, Copies, and Database Schema

This section contains the following topics:

About RMAN Reports

To gain more detailed information from the RMAN repository, generate a report. Use the REPORT command to answer questions such as the following:

The information that you obtain from reports can be extremely important for your backup and recovery strategy. In particular, run the REPORT NEED BACKUP and REPORT UNRECOVERABLE commands regularly to ensure the following:

Reporting on Objects Needing a Backup

You can report on objects that require a backup by specifying the NEED BACKUP keyword. The REDUNDANCY parameter specifies the minimum number of backups or copies that must exist for a datafile to be considered not in need of a backup. If you do not specify the parameter, REDUNDANCY defaults to 1. The DAYS parameter indicates that recovery must begin by using logs more than integer days old. The INCREMENTAL parameter indicates that more than integer incremental backups are required for complete recovery.


Note:

If you disable the retention policy, then REPORT NEED BACKUP with no other options generates an error message.


To report on objects that need a backup:

  1. After connecting to the target database and recovery catalog (if you use one), run CROSSCHECK commands as needed to update the status of backups and copies. Following is a possible crosscheck session:
    # allocate maintenance channel for crosscheck if automatic channels not configured
    ALLOCATE CHANNEL FOR MAINTENANCE DEVICE TYPE sbt;
    CROSSCHECK BACKUP;  # crosschecks all backups
    CROSSCHECK COPY;    # crosschecks all copies
    
    
  2. If you have a retention policy configured, then you can just run REPORT NEED BACKUP without any other options to determine which files need backups (sample output follows):
    REPORT NEED BACKUP;
    
    RMAN retention policy will be applied to the command
    RMAN retention policy is set to redundancy 1
    Report of files with less than 1 redundant backups
    File #bkps Name
    ---- ----- -----------------------------------------------------
    2    0     /oracle/oradata/trgt/undotbs01.dbf
    3    0     /oracle/oradata/trgt/cwmlite01.dbf
    4    0     /oracle/oradata/trgt/drsys01.dbf
    7    0     /oracle/oradata/trgt/tools01.dbf
    
    
  3. To override the retention policy (or if you do not have a retention policy enabled), run REPORT NEED BACKUP DAYS. Any files older than the DAYS parameter value need a new backup because their backups require the specified number of DAYS worth of archived logs for recovery. For example, run:
    REPORT NEED BACKUP DAYS = 7 DATABASE;  # needs min 7 days of logs to recover
    REPORT NEED BACKUP DAYS = 30 TABLESPACE SYSTEM;
    REPORT NEED BACKUP DAYS = 14 DATAFILE '?/oradata/trgt/tools01.dbf';
    
    
  4. To determine which files need an incremental backup, specify the INCREMENTAL parameter. If complete recovery of a datafile requires more than the specified number of incremental backups, then RMAN considers it in need of a new backup. For example, enter:
    REPORT NEED BACKUP INCREMENTAL = 1 DATABASE; 
    REPORT NEED BACKUP INCREMENTAL = 3 TABLESPACE SYSTEM;
    REPORT NEED BACKUP INCREMENTAL = 5 DATAFILE '?/oradata/trgt/users01.dbf';
    
    See Also:

    Oracle9i Recovery Manager Reference for an explanation of the various column headings in the REPORT output

Reporting on Obsolete Backups and Copies

You can report on objects that are obsolete, that is, superfluous, by specifying the OBSOLETE keyword. If you do not specify any other options, then REPORT OBSOLETE displays the backups and copies that are marked obsolete by the current retention policy. By default, the retention policy is configured to REDUNDANCY of 1.

The REPORT OBSOLETE command supports the RECOVERY WINDOW and REDUNDANCY options at the command level, which have the same meanings as the options with the same names on the CONFIGURE command.

To report on obsolete backups and copies:

  1. After connecting to the target database and recovery catalog (if you use one), issue CROSSCHECK commands as needed to update the status of backups and copies. Following is a possible crosscheck session:
    # allocate maintenance channel for crosscheck if automatic channels not configured
    ALLOCATE CHANNEL FOR MAINTENANCE DEVICE TYPE sbt;
    CROSSCHECK BACKUP;  # crosschecks all backups
    CROSSCHECK COPY;    # crosschecks all copies
    RELEASE CHANNEL;
    
    
  2. Use the OBSOLETE option to identify which backups are obsolete because they are no longer needed for recovery. For example, enter:
    # lists backups or copies that are superfluous because they are not needed to recover
    # the database to a random point within the past week
    REPORT OBSOLETE RECOVERY WINDOW OF 7 DAYS; 
    # lists backups or copies that are superfluous because more than 2 copies of the 
    # files exist on tape
    REPORT OBSOLETE REDUNDANCY = 2 DEVICE TYPE sbt;
    
    
  3. Use the ORPHAN option to list unusable backups and copies belonging to an incarnation that is not a direct predecessor of the current incarnation (refer to "Reports of Orphaned Backups"). For example, enter:
    REPORT OBSOLETE ORPHAN;
    
    
  4. Optionally, delete those backups that are obsolete. You can automatically delete obsolete backups and copies by issuing the DELETE OBSOLETE command. For example, you can enter:
    # delete obsolete backups and copies displayed when you issue REPORT OBSOLETE
    DELETE OBSOLETE;
    # delete obsolete backups and copies according to a specified recovery window
    DELETE OBSOLETE RECOVERY WINDOW OF 7 DAYS;
    # delete obsolete backups and copies according to a specified redundancy
    DELETE OBSOLETE REDUNDANCY = 2;
    
    

    Note that RMAN prompts you for confirmation before actually deleting the files. To suppress the prompt, specify the NOPROMPT option of the DELETE command. Specify FORCE to delete the files and remove their repository records regardless of whether the files exist. RMAN ignores any I/O errors for the deleted objects.

    See Also:

    "Reports of Obsolete Backups" for a conceptual overview of reports of obsolete backups, and "Backup Retention Policies" for a conceptual overview of retention policies

Reporting on Unrecoverable Backups and Copies

Issue the REPORT UNRECOVERABLE command to determine which datafiles have had an unrecoverable operation performed against an object residing in the datafile after its last backup.

Assume that you perform an unrecoverable operation on the table employee by issuing an ALTER TABLE employee ... NOLOGGING statement. If the employee table is located in datafile 3, then the REPORT command can flag backups of this datafile as unrecoverable.

To report on backups and copies that are unrecoverable:

After connecting to the target database and recovery catalog (if you use one), issue REPORT UNRECOVERABLE. For example, enter:

REPORT UNRECOVERABLE DATABASE;             # examines all datafiles
REPORT UNRECOVERABLE TABLESPACE 'users';   # examines a specific tablespace

Reporting on the Database Schema

You do not have to use V$ or recovery catalog views to identify the database files. Issue REPORT SCHEMA to list the files. If you use a recovery catalog, then you also generate historical reports of the database schema at a past time. You do not need a recovery catalog, however, to report the current schema.

To report the database schema at a specified point in time:

  1. After connecting to the target database and recovery catalog (if you use one), issue REPORT SCHEMA for a list of all the datafiles and tablespaces in the target database at the current time:
    REPORT SCHEMA;
    
    

    If you use a recovery catalog, then you can use the atClause to specify a past time, SCN, or log sequence number:

    REPORT SCHEMA AT TIME 'SYSDATE-14';     # schema as it existed two weeks ago
    REPORT SCHEMA AT SCN 1000;              # schema as it existed at scn 1000
    REPORT SCHEMA AT SEQUENCE 100 THREAD 1; # schema as it existed at log sequence 100
    
    
  2. Examine the report. For example, here is a sample output:
    REPORT SCHEMA AT SCN 1000;
    
    Report of database schema
    File K-bytes    Tablespace           RB segs Datafile Name
    ---- ---------- -------------------- ------- -------------------
    1        307200 SYSTEM               YES     /oracle/oradata/trgt/system01.dbf
    2         20480 UNDOTBS              YES     /oracle/oradata/trgt/undotbs01.dbf
    3         10240 CWMLITE              NO      /oracle/oradata/trgt/cwmlite01.dbf
    4         10240 DRSYS                NO      /oracle/oradata/trgt/drsys01.dbf
    5         10240 EXAMPLE              NO      /oracle/oradata/trgt/example01.dbf
    6         10240 INDX                 NO      /oracle/oradata/trgt/indx01.dbf
    7         10240 TOOLS                NO      /oracle/oradata/trgt/tools01.dbf
    8         10240 USERS                NO      /oracle/oradata/trgt/users01.dbf
    
    

    This type of information is useful for incomplete recovery because you can determine the schema of the database for the time to which you want to recover.

    See Also:

    Oracle9i Recovery Manager Reference for REPORT command syntax

Showing RMAN Configuration Settings

Run the SHOW command to display persistent configuration settings specified with the CONFIGURE command. These settings are persistent in the sense of being configured for use with any RMAN session.

By using the SHOW command, you can perform the queries discussed in the following sections:

Showing All RMAN Configuration Settings

You can use the CONFIGURE command to specify a variety of persistent settings for the RMAN environment. The SHOW ALL command displays both the CONFIGURE commands that you have issued as well as RMAN's default configurations. Note that you can return any CONFIGURE command to its default setting by running CONFIGURE ... CLEAR.

To show all RMAN configuration settings:

After connecting to the target database and recovery catalog (if you use one), run the SHOW ALL command. For example, enter the following:

SHOW ALL;    # shows all CONFIGURE settings, both user-entered and default

Sample output for SHOW ALL follows:

RMAN configuration parameters are:
CONFIGURE RETENTION POLICY TO REDUNDANCY 1; # default
CONFIGURE BACKUP OPTIMIZATION ON;
CONFIGURE DEFAULT DEVICE TYPE TO 'SBT';
CONFIGURE DEVICE TYPE 'SBT' PARALLELISM 1;
CONFIGURE DEVICE TYPE DISK PARALLELISM 2;
CONFIGURE DATAFILE BACKUP COPIES FOR DISK TO 2;
CONFIGURE DATAFILE BACKUP COPIES FOR SBT TO 1; #default
CONFIGURE ARCHIVELOG BACKUP COPIES FOR SBT TO 1; # default
CONFIGURE ARCHIVELOG BACKUP COPIES FOR DISK TO 1; # default
CONFIGURE MAXSETSIZE TO 3072K;
CONFIGURE SNAPSHOT CONTROLFILE NAME TO '/oracle/dbs/cf_snap.f';
CONFIGURE EXCLUDE FOR TABLESPACE 'example';

Note that the output is displayed so that you can paste it into a script and run it as an RMAN command file; hence, you can easily change your entire configuration. You can even run the script on a different target database.

Showing the RMAN Retention Policy Configuration Settings

You can use the CONFIGURE RETENTION POLICY command to specify either the number of days in the recovery window or the level of redundancy. By default, the retention policy is set to REDUNDANCY = 1.

To show the configuration policy:

After connecting to the target database and recovery catalog (if you use one), run the SHOW RETENTION POLICY command. For example, enter:

SHOW RETENTION POLICY;    # shows the CONFIGURE setting for the retention policy

Sample output for SHOW RETENTION POLICY follows:

RMAN configuration parameters are:
CONFIGURE RETENTION POLICY TO RECOVERY WINDOW OF 7 DAYS;

Showing the Automatic Channel Configuration Settings

You can use the CONFIGURE command to set the following:

Showing the Automatic Channel Settings

Issue the SHOW CHANNEL command to display the settings for all automatically allocated channels.

To show the automatic channel settings:

After connecting to the target database and recovery catalog (if you use one), issue the SHOW CHANNEL command. For example, enter:

SHOW CHANNEL;    # shows the CONFIGURE setting for the automatic channels

Sample output for SHOW CHANNEL follows:

RMAN configuration parameters are:
CONFIGURE CHANNEL DEVICE TYPE 'SBT' RATE 1500K;

Showing the Configured Device Types

Issue the SHOW DEVICE TYPE command to display the configured devices and their parallelism settings. The DISK device type is preconfigured.

To show the default device type for automatic channels:

After connecting to the target database and recovery catalog (if you use one), run the SHOW DEVICE TYPE command. For example, enter:

SHOW DEVICE TYPE;    # shows the CONFIGURE DEVICE TYPE ... PARALLELISM settings

Sample output for SHOW DEVICE TYPE follows:

RMAN configuration parameters are:
CONFIGURE DEVICE TYPE 'SBT' PARALLELISM 1;
CONFIGURE DEVICE TYPE DISK PARALLELISM 2;

Showing the Default Device Type

Issue the SHOW DEFAULT DEVICE TYPE command to display the settings for the default device type used by the automatic channels. When you issue the BACKUP command, RMAN allocates only default channels of the type set by the CONFIGURE DEFAULT DEVICE TYPE command. This default device type setting is not in effect when you use commands other than BACKUP. Note that you cannot disable the default device type: it is always either DISK (default setting) or sbt.

To show the default device type for automatic channels:

After connecting to the target database and recovery catalog (if you use one), run the SHOW DEFAULT DEVICE TYPE command. For example, enter:

SHOW DEFAULT DEVICE TYPE;    # shows the CONFIGURE DEFAULT DEVICE TYPE setting

Sample output for SHOW DEFAULT DEVICE TYPE follows:

RMAN configuration parameters are:
CONFIGURE DEFAULT DEVICE TYPE TO 'SBT';

Showing the BACKUP Command Configuration Settings

You can use the CONFIGURE command to set the following behavior for the BACKUP command:

Showing the Tablespaces Excluded from Backups

You can use the CONFIGURE EXCLUDE command to exclude tablespaces from whole database backups.

To show the tablespaces excluded from whole database backups:

After connecting to the target database and recovery catalog (if you use one), run the SHOW EXCLUDE command. For example, enter:

SHOW EXCLUDE;    # shows the CONFIGURE EXCLUDE setting

Sample output for SHOW EXCLUDE follows:

RMAN configuration parameters are:
CONFIGURE EXCLUDE FOR TABLESPACE 'OLD_ACCOUNTS';

Showing the Number of Identical Copies of Each Backup

Use the CONFIGURE ... BACKUP COPIES command to set the number of identical copies that RMAN makes of each backup. For example, if the value is 3, RMAN produces a total of three identical copies of each backup piece in a backup set.

To show the number of identical copies of each backup:

After connecting to the target database and recovery catalog (if you use one), run the SHOW ARCHIVELOG BACKUP COPIES or SHOW DATAFILE BACKUP COPIES commands. For example, enter:

SHOW DATAFILE BACKUP COPIES;    # shows the CONFIGURE DATAFILE BACKUP COPIES setting

Sample output for SHOW DATAFILE BACKUP COPIES follows:

RMAN configuration parameters are:
CONFIGURE DATAFILE BACKUP COPIES FOR DISK TO 2;
CONFIGURE DATAFILE BACKUP COPIES FOR SBT TO 1; #default

Showing the Default Maximum Size of Backup Sets

You can run the CONFIGURE MAXSETSIZE command to set the maximum sizes for RMAN backup sets. The size of a backup set is measured in the total bytes of the included backup pieces.

To show the maximum sizes for RMAN backup sets:

After connecting to the target database and recovery catalog (if you use one), issue the SHOW MAXSETSIZE command. For example, enter:

SHOW MAXSETSIZE;      # shows the CONFIGURE MAXSETSIZE settings

Sample output for SHOW MAXSETSIZE follows:

RMAN configuration parameters are:
CONFIGURE MAXSETSIZE TO 3072K;

Showing Whether Backup Optimization Is Enabled

You can use the CONFIGURE BACKUP OPTIMIZATION command to enable and disable backup optimization.

To show the status of backup optimization:

After connecting to the target database and recovery catalog (if you use one), issue the SHOW BACKUP OPTIMIZATION command. For example, enter:

SHOW BACKUP OPTIMIZATION;

Sample output for SHOW BACKUP OPTIMIZATION follows:

RMAN configuration parameters are:
CONFIGURE BACKUP OPTIMIZATION ON;

Showing the Snapshot Control File Filename

You can use the CONFIGURE SNAPSHOT CONTROLFILE command to set the default value for the snapshot control file. Issue the SHOW SNAPSHOT CONTROLFILE command to display this value.


Note:

In releases prior to Oracle9i, the CONFIGURE SNAPSHOT CONTROLFILE command was called SET SNAPSHOT CONTROLFILE.


To show the snapshot control file filename:

After connecting to the target database and recovery catalog (if you use one), run the SHOW SNAPSHOT CONTROLFILE command. For example, enter:

SHOW SNAPSHOT CONTROLFILE NAME;    # shows the CONFIGURE SNAPSHOT CONTROLFILE setting

Sample output for SHOW SNAPSHOT CONTROLFILE follows:

RMAN configuration parameters are:
CONFIGURE SNAPSHOT CONTROLFILE NAME TO '/oracle/dbs/cf_snap.f';
See Also:

"Configuring the Snapshot Control File Location" to learn about the snapshot control file and its function

Showing the Default Filenames Configured for Auxiliary Channels

You can use the CONFIGURE AUXNAME command to set persistent filenames for auxiliary channels. For example, you can give new filenames for duplicate or standby datafiles, or datafiles in a TSPITR operation. Issue the SHOW AUXNAME command to display these filenames.


Note:

In releases prior to Oracle9i, the CONFIGURE AUXNAME command was called SET AUXNAME.


To show persistent settings for auxiliary filenames:

After connecting to the target database and recovery catalog (if you use one), issue the SHOW AUXNAME command. For example, enter:

SHOW AUXNAME;    # shows the CONFIGURE AUXNAME setting

Sample output for SHOW AUXNAME follows:

RMAN configuration parameters are:
CONFIGURE AUXNAME FOR DATAFILE '/oracle/oradata/trgt/tools01.dbf' TO '/tmp/tools01.dbf';

Printing Scripts Stored in the Recovery Catalog

To print the text of a specified stored script, either run the PRINT SCRIPT command or query the RC_STORED_SCRIPT_LINE catalog view. To display a list of RMAN stored scripts, query the RC_STORED_SCRIPT catalog view.

This section contains these topics:

Displaying the Text of Stored Scripts with PRINT SCRIPT

Use the PRINT SCRIPT command to display the text of a stored script. If desired, you can save the output to an RMAN log file.

To print a stored script to a message log:

  1. Start RMAN and connect to the recovery catalog database and target database, specifying the LOG argument if you want to print to a message log. For example, enter the following to specify rman_log:
    % rman TARGET / CATALOG rman/cat@catdb LOG = rman_log
    
    

    Note that you must connect to the target database that you connected to when you created the script.

  2. Issue a PRINT SCRIPT command to write the script to the log:
    PRINT SCRIPT b_whole;
    
    
  3. Exit RMAN and use a text editor to view the script. For example, enter:
    RMAN> EXIT
    % vi rman_log
    
    See Also:

    Oracle9i Recovery Manager Reference for PRINT SCRIPT command syntax

Displaying the Text of Stored Scripts by Querying RC_STORED_SCRIPT_LINE

The RC_STORED_SCRIPT_LINE view contains the text of all stored scripts for all incarnations of the target databases registered in the recovery catalog.

To list the text for a specific script:

  1. Start SQL*Plus and connect to the recovery catalog database as the catalog owner. For example, enter the following:
    % sqlplus rman/cat@catdb
    
    
  2. Execute the following query, replacing database_key with the numerical primary key of the target database and script_name with the name of the script:
    SELECT TEXT
    FROM RC_DATABASE_INCARNATION i, RC_STORED_SCRIPT_LINE l
    WHERE i.DB_KEY = database_key
    AND SCRIPT_NAME = script_name
    AND i.DB_KEY = s.DB_KEY
    AND i.CURRENT_INCARNATION = 'YES'
    /
    
    

    Sample output follows:

    TEXT
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    { backup database plus archivelog;}
    

Listing Stored Scripts by Querying RC_STORED_SCRIPT

The RC_STORED_SCRIPT view contains information about all stored scripts for all incarnations of the target databases registered in the catalog.

To list the scripts for the current incarnation of a target database:

  1. Start SQL*Plus and connect to the recovery catalog database as the catalog owner. For example, enter the following:
    % sqlplus rman/cat@catdb
    
    
  2. Execute the following query in SQL*Plus, replacing database_key with the numerical primary key of the target database:
    SELECT DISTINCT SCRIPT_NAME
    FROM RC_DATABASE_INCARNATION i, RC_STORED_SCRIPT s
    WHERE i.DB_KEY = database_key
    AND i.DB_KEY = s.DB_KEY
    /
    
    
    

    Sample output follows:

    SCRIPT_NAME
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    backup_db
    backup_system
    
    See Also:

    Oracle9i Recovery Manager Reference for information about the RC_STORED_SCRIPT view

Querying the Recovery Catalog Views

The LIST, REPORT, and SHOW commands should provide you with all the repository information that you require. Nevertheless, you can sometimes also obtain useful information from the recovery catalog views, which are views in the catalog schema prefixed with RC_.

This section contains these topics:

About Queries to the Recovery Catalog Views

The recovery catalog views are not normalized, but are optimized for RMAN usage rather than user queries. RMAN obtains backup and recovery information from the target database control file and stores it in the catalog tables.

In general, the recovery catalog views are not as user-friendly as the RMAN reporting commands. For example, when you start RMAN and connect to a target database, you obtain the information for this target database only when you issue LIST, REPORT, and SHOW commands. If you have 10 different target databases registered in the same recovery catalog, then the catalog views show the information for all incarnations of all databases registered in the catalog. You often have to perform joins among the views to distinguish the specific incarnation of the target database that you are interested in.

Most of the catalog views have a corresponding dynamic performance view in the database server. For example, RC_BACKUP_PIECE corresponds to V$BACKUP_PIECE. The primary difference between the catalog and server views is that each catalog view contains information about all the databases registered in the catalog, whereas the server view contains information only about itself. The two types of views often use different primary keys to uniquely identify rows.

Distinguishing a Database in the Catalog Views

Most of the catalog views contain the columns DB_KEY and DBINC_KEY. Each target database can be uniquely identified by either the primary key, which is the DB_KEY column value, or the DBID, which is the 32-bit unique database identifier. Each incarnation of each target database is uniquely identified by the DBINC_KEY primary key. When querying information about a specific incarnation of a target database, you should use these columns to specify the database. Then, you can perform joins with most of the other catalog views to obtain the desired information.

Distinguishing a Database Object in the Catalog Views

An important difference between catalog and V$ views is that a different system of unique identifiers is used for backup and recovery objects. For example, many V$ views such as V$ARCHIVED_LOG use the RECID and STAMP columns to form a concatenated primary key. The corresponding catalog view uses a derived value as its primary keys and stores this value in a single column. For example, the primary key in RC_ARCHIVED_LOG is the AL_KEY column. The AL_KEY column value is the primary key that RMAN displays in the LIST command output.

Querying Catalog Views for the Target DB_KEY or DBID Values

The DB_KEY value which is the primary key for a target database, is used only in the recovery catalog. The easiest way is to obtain the DB_KEY is to use the DBID of the target database, which is displayed whenever you connect RMAN to the target database. The DBID, which is a unique system-defined number given to every Oracle database, is what distinguishes one target database from another target database in the RMAN metadata.

Assume that you want to obtain information about one of the target databases registered in the recovery catalog. You can easily determine the DBID from this database either by looking at the output displayed when RMAN connects to the database, or querying a V$ view as in the following:

SELECT DBID 
FROM V$DATABASE;

DBID
---------
598368217

You can then obtain the DB_KEY for a target database by running the following query, where dbid_of_target is the DBID that you previously obtained:

SELECT DB_KEY 
FROM RC_DATABASE 
WHERE DBID = dbid_of_target;

To obtain information about the current incarnation of a target database, specify the target database DB_KEY value and perform a join with RC_DATABASE_INCARNATION by using a WHERE condition to specify that the CURRENT_INCARNATION column value is set to YES. For example, to obtain information about backup sets in the current incarnation of a target database with the DB_KEY value of 1, you can execute this script:

SELECT BS_KEY, BACKUP_TYPE, COMPLETION_TIME
  FROM RC_DATABASE_INCARNATION i, RC_BACKUP_SET b
  WHERE i.DB_KEY = 1
  AND i.DB_KEY = b.DB_KEY
  AND i.CURRENT_INCARNATION = 'YES';

You should use the DB_NAME column to specify a database only if you do not have more than one database registered in the recovery catalog with the same DB_NAME. RMAN permits you to register more than one database with the same database name, but requires that the DBID values be different. For example, you can have ten databases with the DB_NAME value of prod1, each with a different DBID. Because the DBID is the unique identifier for every database in the metadata, use this value to obtain the DB_KEY and then use DB_KEY to uniquely identify the database.

RMAN Repository Query Examples

This section contains these topics:

Listing Objects with Restrictions: Example

Use the LIST command to query the contents of the recovery catalog or the target database control file if no recovery catalog is used. You can use several different parameters to qualify lists.

The following example lists all backups of datafiles in tablespace tbs_1 that were made after June 11, 2000:

LIST BACKUP OF TABLESPACE users BY FILE COMPLETED BEFORE 'JUN 11 2001 00:00:00';

The following example lists backups on media management devices:

LIST BACKUP OF DATABASE SUMMARY DEVICE TYPE sbt;

The following example lists all copies of datafile 2 with the tag df2__copy that are in the /copy directory:

LIST COPY OF DATAFILE 2 TAG df2_copy LIKE '/copy/%';

Reporting Backups and Copies Not Needed for the Recovery Window: Example

Use the REPORT command to determine which copies and backups are superfluous and so can be deleted. For example, if you only need to be able to recover the database to a point within the last two weeks, then issue this command:

REPORT OBSOLETE RECOVERY WINDOW OF 14 DAYS;

You can then delete these obsolete backups and copies by issuing this command:

DELETE OBSOLETE RECOVERY WINDOW OF 14 DAYS;

Reporting Redundant Backups and Copies: Example

The following command reports all backups and copies on disk that are obsolete because three more recent backups or copies are already available:

REPORT OBSOLETE REDUNDANCY 3 DEVICE TYPE DISK;

The following command reports all backups on tape that are obsolete because at least two backups already exist that were made no more than one week ago:

REPORT OBSOLETE REDUNDANCY 2 UNTIL TIME 'SYSDATE-7' DEVICE TYPE sbt;

Generating Historical Reports of Database Schema: Example

The following commands reports the database schema in the present, a week ago, and on September 20, 2000:

REPORT SCHEMA;
REPORT SCHEMA AT TIME 'SYSDATE-7';
REPORT SCHEMA AT TIME "TO_DATE('09/20/01','MM/DD/YY')";

The following command reports on the database schema at SCN 953:

REPORT SCHEMA AT SCN 953;

The following command reports on the database schema at log sequence number 12 of thread 2:

REPORT SCHEMA AT SEQUENCE 12 THREAD 2;

Listing Database Incarnations: Example

Every time that you perform a RESETLOGS operation on a database, you create a new incarnation. This example lists all database incarnation of trgt registered in the recovery catalog:

LIST INCARNATION OF DATABASE trgt;

List of Database Incarnations
DB Key  Inc Key   DB Name   DB ID       CUR    Reset SCN    Reset Time
------- -------   -------   ------      ---    ----------   ----------
1       2         TRGT      1224038686  NO     1            02-JUL-01
1       582       TRGT      1224038686  YES    59727        10-JUL-01

You can access the same information by querying V$DATABASE_INCARNATION in the target database and RC_DATABASE_INCARNATION in the recovery catalog database.

See Also:

"UNKNOWN Database Name Appears in Recovery Catalog: Scenario" for information about UNKNOWN database names in the LIST OUTPUT


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