KEEP FOREVER Database Backup

  • Jagruti Jasleniya

We know that when we take backup using RMAN it has its configuration for Retention Policy. Every backup has its retention policy either in days or in a number of back-ups. And backups are stored in the Fast recovery area. Once a backup exceeds from its retention policy it becomes obsolete.

But today we will see a KEEP FOREVER clause of RMAN taking a backup. Which is very important when we require it for some hands-on activity.

It is called archival backup. Archival backups can be created with an open or mounted database.

Things to consider when taking archival backup :

1. We must configure the recovery catalog to take archival backup.

2. Archival backups cannot be taken in Fast Recovery Area

Steps to create an archival backup

Step 1: Connect to target as target database and catalog as catalog database :

[oracle@localhost ~]$ rman target sys/oracle catalog rcatown/rcat@rpdb1

Recovery Manager: Release 12.2.0.1.0 - Production on Mon Jan 7 12:05:03 2019

Copyright (c) 1982, 2017, Oracle and/or its affiliates.  All rights reserved.

connected to target database: DEMO (DBID=3740643610)
connected to recovery catalog database

RMAN>

Step 2: Take backup with keep forever

RMAN> backup database keep forever; 

Starting backup at 07-JAN-19
starting full resync of recovery catalog
full resync complete

allocated channel: ORA_DISK_1
channel ORA_DISK_1: SID=1 device type=DISK
backup will never be obsolete
archived logs required to recover from this backup will be backed up
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting full datafile backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: specifying datafile(s) in backup set
input datafile file number=00001 name=/u02/oradata/DEMO/datafile/o1_mf_system_g2v3h4nx_.dbf
input datafile file number=00003 name=/u02/oradata/DEMO/datafile/o1_mf_sysaux_g2v3kjm5_.dbf
input datafile file number=00004 name=/u02/oradata/DEMO/datafile/o1_mf_undotbs1_g2v3lxr9_.dbf
input datafile file number=00007 name=/u02/oradata/DEMO/datafile/o1_mf_users_g2v3lywc_.dbf
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting piece 1 at 07-JAN-19
RMAN-03009: failure of backup command on ORA_DISK_1 channel at 01/07/2019 12:06:31
ORA-19811: cannot have files in DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST with keep attributes
continuing other job steps, job failed will not be re-run
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting full datafile backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: specifying datafile(s) in backup set
input datafile file number=00010 name=/u02/oradata/DEMO/7E8758AC5ED126B4E055000000000001/datafile/o1_mf_sysaux_g2v4j0p1_.dbf
input datafile file number=00009 name=/u02/oradata/DEMO/7E8758AC5ED126B4E055000000000001/datafile/o1_mf_system_g2v4j0j1_.dbf
input datafile file number=00011 name=/u02/oradata/DEMO/7E8758AC5ED126B4E055000000000001/datafile/o1_mf_undotbs1_g2v4j0p2_.dbf
input datafile file number=00013 name=/u02/oradata/DEMO/7E8758AC5ED126B4E055000000000001/datafile/o1_mf_tbs_rcat_g2v5zj00_.dbf
input datafile file number=00012 name=/u02/oradata/DEMO/7E8758AC5ED126B4E055000000000001/datafile/o1_mf_users_g2v4mrlj_.dbf
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting piece 1 at 07-JAN-19
RMAN-03009: failure of backup command on ORA_DISK_1 channel at 01/07/2019 12:06:32
ORA-19811: cannot have files in DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST with keep attributes
continuing other job steps, job failed will not be re-run
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting full datafile backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: specifying datafile(s) in backup set
input datafile file number=00006 name=/u02/oradata/DEMO/datafile/o1_mf_sysaux_g2v3ot3q_.dbf
input datafile file number=00005 name=/u02/oradata/DEMO/datafile/o1_mf_system_g2v3ot3x_.dbf
input datafile file number=00008 name=/u02/oradata/DEMO/datafile/o1_mf_undotbs1_g2v3ot45_.dbf
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting piece 1 at 07-JAN-19
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-00569: =============== ERROR MESSAGE STACK FOLLOWS ===============
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-03002: failure of backup command at 01/07/2019 12:06:33
ORA-19811: cannot have files in DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST with keep attributes

RMAN>

You will get above error if you are not set location for backup other than DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST.

Step 3: Set backup format and take backup

RMAN> BACKUP DATABASE FORMAT '/u02/bkp/%U' KEEP FOREVER;

Starting backup at 07-JAN-19

using channel ORA_DISK_1
backup will never be obsolete
archived logs required to recover from this backup will be backed up
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting full datafile backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: specifying datafile(s) in backup set
input datafile file number=00001 name=/u02/oradata/DEMO/datafile/o1_mf_system_g2v3h4nx_.dbf
input datafile file number=00003 name=/u02/oradata/DEMO/datafile/o1_mf_sysaux_g2v3kjm5_.dbf
input datafile file number=00004 name=/u02/oradata/DEMO/datafile/o1_mf_undotbs1_g2v3lxr9_.dbf
input datafile file number=00007 name=/u02/oradata/DEMO/datafile/o1_mf_users_g2v3lywc_.dbf
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting piece 1 at 07-JAN-19
channel ORA_DISK_1: finished piece 1 at 07-JAN-19
piece handle=/u02/bkp/0stmnphe_1_1 tag=TAG20190107T121021 comment=NONE
channel ORA_DISK_1: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:01:15
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting full datafile backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: specifying datafile(s) in backup set
input datafile file number=00010 name=/u02/oradata/DEMO/7E8758AC5ED126B4E055000000000001/datafile/o1_mf_sysaux_g2v4j0p1_.dbf
input datafile file number=00009 name=/u02/oradata/DEMO/7E8758AC5ED126B4E055000000000001/datafile/o1_mf_system_g2v4j0j1_.dbf
input datafile file number=00011 name=/u02/oradata/DEMO/7E8758AC5ED126B4E055000000000001/datafile/o1_mf_undotbs1_g2v4j0p2_.dbf
input datafile file number=00013 name=/u02/oradata/DEMO/7E8758AC5ED126B4E055000000000001/datafile/o1_mf_tbs_rcat_g2v5zj00_.dbf
input datafile file number=00012 name=/u02/oradata/DEMO/7E8758AC5ED126B4E055000000000001/datafile/o1_mf_users_g2v4mrlj_.dbf
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting piece 1 at 07-JAN-19
channel ORA_DISK_1: finished piece 1 at 07-JAN-19
piece handle=/u02/bkp/0ttmnpjp_1_1 tag=TAG20190107T121021 comment=NONE
channel ORA_DISK_1: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:00:36
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting full datafile backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: specifying datafile(s) in backup set
input datafile file number=00006 name=/u02/oradata/DEMO/datafile/o1_mf_sysaux_g2v3ot3q_.dbf
input datafile file number=00005 name=/u02/oradata/DEMO/datafile/o1_mf_system_g2v3ot3x_.dbf
input datafile file number=00008 name=/u02/oradata/DEMO/datafile/o1_mf_undotbs1_g2v3ot45_.dbf
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting piece 1 at 07-JAN-19
channel ORA_DISK_1: finished piece 1 at 07-JAN-19
piece handle=/u02/bkp/0utmnpku_1_1 tag=TAG20190107T121021 comment=NONE
channel ORA_DISK_1: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:00:25
current log archived

using channel ORA_DISK_1
backup will never be obsolete
archived logs required to recover from this backup will be backed up
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting archived log backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: specifying archived log(s) in backup set
input archived log thread=1 sequence=6 RECID=5 STAMP=996927160
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting piece 1 at 07-JAN-19
channel ORA_DISK_1: finished piece 1 at 07-JAN-19
piece handle=/u02/bkp/0vtmnplq_1_1 tag=TAG20190107T121021 comment=NONE
channel ORA_DISK_1: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:00:01

using channel ORA_DISK_1
backup will never be obsolete
archived logs required to recover from this backup will be backed up
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting full datafile backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: specifying datafile(s) in backup set
including current SPFILE in backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting piece 1 at 07-JAN-19
channel ORA_DISK_1: finished piece 1 at 07-JAN-19
piece handle=/u02/bkp/10tmnplu_1_1 tag=TAG20190107T121021 comment=NONE
channel ORA_DISK_1: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:00:01

using channel ORA_DISK_1
backup will never be obsolete
archived logs required to recover from this backup will be backed up
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting full datafile backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: specifying datafile(s) in backup set
including current control file in backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting piece 1 at 07-JAN-19
channel ORA_DISK_1: finished piece 1 at 07-JAN-19
piece handle=/u02/bkp/11tmnpm0_1_1 tag=TAG20190107T121021 comment=NONE
channel ORA_DISK_1: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:00:02
Finished backup at 07-JAN-19

RMAN>

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About The Author

I am 11g OCP and OCE(RAC and GRID Infrastructure). Currently working as Oracle Database Administrator at _VOIS and Blogger (Freelancer) at Oracle-help . Previously I worked with Acute Informatics pvt ltd. and Mobile Tornado where I handled Banking Data Migration , created DR using log shipping , Golden Gate and Data Guard. I have experience of handling planned and unplanned DB role switchover and failovers and monitoring and troubleshooting Database Performance. Key skills : RMAN , GG , DG , RAC , Virtualization in OVMM.I have experience in Banking and Telecom domain. Reach me at : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jagruti-jasleniya

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