14 April, 2009

Controlfile Backup older than the ArchiveLogs

In my previous blog post about RMAN Backup and Recovery for loss of ALL files, Khurram Siddiqui had asked what I meant when I said "What about the possible situation where my controlfile is older than ArchiveLog backups created subsequent to it ? Then, the RECOVER command would not have known about those Backupsets as they would be missing from the controlfile !"

This test shows how an RMAN session that is attempting a RECOVER database will , "automaticaly" restore and apply ArchiveLogs only upto the last ArchiveLog BackupSet *known* to the controlfile that is being used.

Thus, here the controlfile backup was taken after ArchiveLog Sequence #8 had been backedup (to BackupPiece "ARCH_18.BKP"). When I used this controlfile, I was able to RESTORE database (because the controlfile had captured information about the Database BackupSet) and found that the RECOVER command would only restore and apply (till Sequence #8) ArchiveLogs from ARCH_18.BKP . Although I did have more ArchiveLogs (backed up to ARCH_19.BKP), RMAN did not restore them simply because the controlfile wasn't "aware" of ARCH_19.BKP and it's contents !

As I explained in my previous blog post, I had to manually CATALOG ARCH_19.BKP before RMAN would restore and apply ArchiveLogs #9 through to #12 !


ora10204>rman target /

Recovery Manager: Release 10.2.0.4.0 - Production on Tue Apr 14 22:15:31 2009

Copyright (c) 1982, 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

connected to target database: ORT24FS (DBID=4163910544)

RMAN> backup full format '/oracle_fs/Backups/DB_%s.BKP' database;

Starting backup at 14-APR-09
using target database control file instead of recovery catalog
allocated channel: ORA_DISK_1
channel ORA_DISK_1: sid=143 devtype=DISK
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting full datafile backupset
channel ORA_DISK_1: specifying datafile(s) in backupset
input datafile fno=00001 name=/oracle_fs/Databases/ORT24FS/system01.dbf
input datafile fno=00003 name=/oracle_fs/Databases/ORT24FS/sysaux01.dbf
input datafile fno=00005 name=/oracle_fs/Databases/ORT24FS/example01.dbf
input datafile fno=00002 name=/oracle_fs/Databases/ORT24FS/undotbs01.dbf
input datafile fno=00004 name=/oracle_fs/Databases/ORT24FS/users01.dbf
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting piece 1 at 14-APR-09
channel ORA_DISK_1: finished piece 1 at 14-APR-09
piece handle=/oracle_fs/Backups/DB_16.BKP tag=TAG20090414T221554 comment=NONE
channel ORA_DISK_1: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:00:46
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting full datafile backupset
channel ORA_DISK_1: specifying datafile(s) in backupset
including current control file in backupset
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting piece 1 at 14-APR-09
channel ORA_DISK_1: finished piece 1 at 14-APR-09
piece handle=/oracle_fs/Backups/DB_17.BKP tag=TAG20090414T221554 comment=NONE
channel ORA_DISK_1: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:00:01
Finished backup at 14-APR-09

RMAN> sql 'alter system switch logfile ';

sql statement: alter system switch logfile

RMAN> backup archivelog all format '/oracle_fs/Backups/ARCH_%s.BKP';

Starting backup at 14-APR-09
current log archived
using channel ORA_DISK_1
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting archive log backupset
channel ORA_DISK_1: specifying archive log(s) in backup set
input archive log thread=1 sequence=1 recid=6 stamp=684194412
input archive log thread=1 sequence=2 recid=7 stamp=684194751
input archive log thread=1 sequence=3 recid=8 stamp=684195060
input archive log thread=1 sequence=4 recid=9 stamp=684195157
input archive log thread=1 sequence=5 recid=10 stamp=684195171
input archive log thread=1 sequence=6 recid=11 stamp=684195195
input archive log thread=1 sequence=7 recid=12 stamp=684195410
input archive log thread=1 sequence=8 recid=13 stamp=684195427
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting piece 1 at 14-APR-09
channel ORA_DISK_1: finished piece 1 at 14-APR-09
piece handle=/oracle_fs/Backups/ARCH_18.BKP tag=TAG20090414T221707 comment=NONE
channel ORA_DISK_1: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:00:04
Finished backup at 14-APR-09

RMAN>
RMAN> sql "alter database backup controlfile to ''/oracle_fs/Backups/CNTRL_%s.BKP'' ";

sql statement: alter database backup controlfile to ''/oracle_fs/Backups/CNTRL_%s.BKP''

RMAN> sql 'alter system switch logfile ';

sql statement: alter system switch logfile

RMAN> sql 'alter system switch logfile ';

sql statement: alter system switch logfile

RMAN> sql 'alter system switch logfile ';

sql statement: alter system switch logfile

RMAN> backup archivelog all format '/oracle_fs/Backups/ARCH_%s.BKP';

Starting backup at 14-APR-09
current log archived
using channel ORA_DISK_1
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting archive log backupset
channel ORA_DISK_1: specifying archive log(s) in backup set
input archive log thread=1 sequence=1 recid=6 stamp=684194412
input archive log thread=1 sequence=2 recid=7 stamp=684194751
input archive log thread=1 sequence=3 recid=8 stamp=684195060
input archive log thread=1 sequence=4 recid=9 stamp=684195157
input archive log thread=1 sequence=5 recid=10 stamp=684195171
input archive log thread=1 sequence=6 recid=11 stamp=684195195
input archive log thread=1 sequence=7 recid=12 stamp=684195410
input archive log thread=1 sequence=8 recid=13 stamp=684195427
input archive log thread=1 sequence=9 recid=14 stamp=684195520
input archive log thread=1 sequence=10 recid=15 stamp=684195532
input archive log thread=1 sequence=11 recid=16 stamp=684195541
input archive log thread=1 sequence=12 recid=17 stamp=684195577
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting piece 1 at 14-APR-09
channel ORA_DISK_1: finished piece 1 at 14-APR-09
piece handle=/oracle_fs/Backups/ARCH_19.BKP tag=TAG20090414T221937 comment=NONE
channel ORA_DISK_1: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:00:04
Finished backup at 14-APR-09

RMAN>
RMAN> shutdown abort;

Oracle instance shut down

RMAN> quit


Recovery Manager complete.
ora10204>pwd
/oracle_fs/Backups
ora10204>ls -l
total 655432
-rw-r----- 1 ora10204 dba 17949696 Apr 14 22:17 ARCH_18.BKP
-rw-r----- 1 ora10204 dba 17962496 Apr 14 22:19 ARCH_19.BKP
-rw-r----- 1 ora10204 dba 7061504 Apr 14 22:18 CNTRL_%s.BKP
-rw-r----- 1 ora10204 dba 620388352 Apr 14 22:16 DB_16.BKP
-rw-r----- 1 ora10204 dba 7110656 Apr 14 22:16 DB_17.BKP
ora10204>
ora10204>cd /oracle_fs/Databases/ORT24FS
ora10204>pwd
/oracle_fs/Databases/ORT24FS
ora10204>ls
control01.ctl control03.ctl redo01.dbf redo03.dbf system01.dbf undotbs01.dbf
control02.ctl example01.dbf redo02.dbf sysaux01.dbf temp01.dbf users01.dbf
ora10204>rm *
ora10204>cd /oracle_fs/Arch*/ORT24FS
ora10204>ls
1_10_684114477.dbf 1_1_684114477.dbf 1_4_684114477.dbf 1_7_684114477.dbf
1_11_684114477.dbf 1_2_684114477.dbf 1_5_684114477.dbf 1_8_684114477.dbf
1_12_684114477.dbf 1_3_684114477.dbf 1_6_684114477.dbf 1_9_684114477.dbf
ora10204>rm *
ora10204>rman target /

Recovery Manager: Release 10.2.0.4.0 - Production on Tue Apr 14 22:21:47 2009

Copyright (c) 1982, 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

connected to target database (not started)

RMAN> startup nomount;

Oracle instance started

Total System Global Area 880803840 bytes

Fixed Size 2087992 bytes
Variable Size 167773128 bytes
Database Buffers 704643072 bytes
Redo Buffers 6299648 bytes

RMAN>
RMAN> restore controlfile from '/oracle_fs/Backups/CNTRL_%s.BKP';

Starting restore at 14-APR-09
using target database control file instead of recovery catalog
allocated channel: ORA_DISK_1
channel ORA_DISK_1: sid=156 devtype=DISK

channel ORA_DISK_1: copied control file copy
output filename=/oracle_fs/Databases/ORT24FS/control01.ctl
output filename=/oracle_fs/Databases/ORT24FS/control02.ctl
output filename=/oracle_fs/Databases/ORT24FS/control03.ctl
Finished restore at 14-APR-09

RMAN> alter database mount;

database mounted
released channel: ORA_DISK_1

RMAN> restore database;

Starting restore at 14-APR-09
allocated channel: ORA_DISK_1
channel ORA_DISK_1: sid=156 devtype=DISK

channel ORA_DISK_1: starting datafile backupset restore
channel ORA_DISK_1: specifying datafile(s) to restore from backup set
restoring datafile 00001 to /oracle_fs/Databases/ORT24FS/system01.dbf
restoring datafile 00002 to /oracle_fs/Databases/ORT24FS/undotbs01.dbf
restoring datafile 00003 to /oracle_fs/Databases/ORT24FS/sysaux01.dbf
restoring datafile 00004 to /oracle_fs/Databases/ORT24FS/users01.dbf
restoring datafile 00005 to /oracle_fs/Databases/ORT24FS/example01.dbf
channel ORA_DISK_1: reading from backup piece /oracle_fs/Backups/DB_16.BKP
channel ORA_DISK_1: restored backup piece 1
piece handle=/oracle_fs/Backups/DB_16.BKP tag=TAG20090414T221554
channel ORA_DISK_1: restore complete, elapsed time: 00:00:46
Finished restore at 14-APR-09

RMAN>
RMAN> recover database;

Starting recover at 14-APR-09
using channel ORA_DISK_1

starting media recovery

channel ORA_DISK_1: starting archive log restore to default destination
channel ORA_DISK_1: restoring archive log
archive log thread=1 sequence=7
channel ORA_DISK_1: restoring archive log
archive log thread=1 sequence=8
channel ORA_DISK_1: reading from backup piece /oracle_fs/Backups/ARCH_18.BKP
channel ORA_DISK_1: restored backup piece 1
piece handle=/oracle_fs/Backups/ARCH_18.BKP tag=TAG20090414T221707
channel ORA_DISK_1: restore complete, elapsed time: 00:00:01
archive log filename=/oracle_fs/ArchiveLogs/ORT24FS/1_7_684114477.dbf thread=1 sequence=7
archive log filename=/oracle_fs/ArchiveLogs/ORT24FS/1_8_684114477.dbf thread=1 sequence=8
unable to find archive log
archive log thread=1 sequence=9
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-00569: =============== ERROR MESSAGE STACK FOLLOWS ===============
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-03002: failure of recover command at 04/14/2009 22:24:25
RMAN-06054: media recovery requesting unknown log: thread 1 seq 9 lowscn 647566

RMAN>
RMAN> catalog backuppiece '/oracle_fs/Backups/ARCH_19.BKP';

cataloged backuppiece
backup piece handle=/oracle_fs/Backups/ARCH_19.BKP recid=13 stamp=684195957

RMAN> restore archivelog all;

Starting restore at 14-APR-09
using channel ORA_DISK_1

archive log thread 1 sequence 7 is already on disk as file /oracle_fs/ArchiveLogs/ORT24FS/1_7_684114477.dbf
archive log thread 1 sequence 8 is already on disk as file /oracle_fs/ArchiveLogs/ORT24FS/1_8_684114477.dbf
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting archive log restore to default destination
channel ORA_DISK_1: restoring archive log
archive log thread=1 sequence=2
channel ORA_DISK_1: restoring archive log
archive log thread=1 sequence=3
channel ORA_DISK_1: restoring archive log
archive log thread=1 sequence=4
channel ORA_DISK_1: restoring archive log
archive log thread=1 sequence=5
channel ORA_DISK_1: restoring archive log
archive log thread=1 sequence=6
channel ORA_DISK_1: reading from backup piece /oracle_fs/FRAs/ORT24FS/ORT24FS/backupset/2009_04_13/o1_mf_annnn_TAG20090413T233810_4y6q33rm_.bkp
channel ORA_DISK_1: restored backup piece 1
piece handle=/oracle_fs/FRAs/ORT24FS/ORT24FS/backupset/2009_04_13/o1_mf_annnn_TAG20090413T233810_4y6q33rm_.bkp tag=TAG20090413T233810
channel ORA_DISK_1: restore complete, elapsed time: 00:00:09
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting archive log restore to default destination
channel ORA_DISK_1: restoring archive log
archive log thread=1 sequence=1
channel ORA_DISK_1: restoring archive log
archive log thread=1 sequence=2
channel ORA_DISK_1: restoring archive log
archive log thread=1 sequence=3
channel ORA_DISK_1: restoring archive log
archive log thread=1 sequence=4
channel ORA_DISK_1: restoring archive log
archive log thread=1 sequence=5
channel ORA_DISK_1: restoring archive log
archive log thread=1 sequence=6
channel ORA_DISK_1: restoring archive log
archive log thread=1 sequence=9
channel ORA_DISK_1: restoring archive log
archive log thread=1 sequence=10
channel ORA_DISK_1: restoring archive log
archive log thread=1 sequence=11
channel ORA_DISK_1: restoring archive log
archive log thread=1 sequence=12
channel ORA_DISK_1: reading from backup piece /oracle_fs/Backups/ARCH_19.BKP
channel ORA_DISK_1: restored backup piece 1
piece handle=/oracle_fs/Backups/ARCH_19.BKP tag=TAG20090414T221937
channel ORA_DISK_1: restore complete, elapsed time: 00:00:07
Finished restore at 14-APR-09

RMAN>
RMAN> recover database;

Starting recover at 14-APR-09
using channel ORA_DISK_1

starting media recovery

archive log thread 1 sequence 9 is already on disk as file /oracle_fs/ArchiveLogs/ORT24FS/1_9_684114477.dbf
archive log thread 1 sequence 10 is already on disk as file /oracle_fs/ArchiveLogs/ORT24FS/1_10_684114477.dbf
archive log thread 1 sequence 11 is already on disk as file /oracle_fs/ArchiveLogs/ORT24FS/1_11_684114477.dbf
archive log thread 1 sequence 12 is already on disk as file /oracle_fs/ArchiveLogs/ORT24FS/1_12_684114477.dbf
archive log filename=/oracle_fs/ArchiveLogs/ORT24FS/1_9_684114477.dbf thread=1 sequence=9
archive log filename=/oracle_fs/ArchiveLogs/ORT24FS/1_10_684114477.dbf thread=1 sequence=10
archive log filename=/oracle_fs/ArchiveLogs/ORT24FS/1_11_684114477.dbf thread=1 sequence=11
archive log filename=/oracle_fs/ArchiveLogs/ORT24FS/1_12_684114477.dbf thread=1 sequence=12
unable to find archive log
archive log thread=1 sequence=13
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-00569: =============== ERROR MESSAGE STACK FOLLOWS ===============
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-03002: failure of recover command at 04/14/2009 22:26:52
RMAN-06054: media recovery requesting unknown log: thread 1 seq 13 lowscn 647656

RMAN> alter database open resetlogs;

database opened

RMAN>



As I have also explained in the earlier blogpost, had I used a FlashbackRecoveryArea, RMAN would have "automatically" CATALOGed all the Backupsets in the FRA. You can actually see that in the previous test where RMAN reports :

searching for all files in the recovery area
cataloging files...
cataloging done
In today's Backup and Recovery Test, I did not use an FRA (i.e. I haven't set "db_file_recovery_dest" in my parameter file) so RMAN wouldn't CATALOG ARCH_19.BKP even though this BackupPiece was in the same location as the one it did know about !

Note : Another way for RMAN to have been "aware" of ARCH_19.BKP would have been if I had used a Recovery Catalog database. Then, RMAN would have read the names of all "future" (i.e. those after the controlfile backup) BackupPieces from the Catalog and attempted to restore and apply ArchiveLogs from them as well.

.
.
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23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Hemant,

I am facing one issue. I am recovering database from relatively latest full backup but while recovering it is asking 7 days older archive log. I don't what is happening. Can you please help me here?

Thanks,
Deepank

Hemant K Chitale said...

That would happen if one or more of the datafiles in that backup was in BACKUP mode (with "ALTER TABLESPACE tablespacename BEGIN BACKUP") 7 days ago and never taken out of BACKUP mode.

This could happen, for example, if a Tablespace had been added, say, 7 or 8 or more days ago, and the BEGIN BACKUP portion of the Backup script had been updated to include that tablespace but the END BACKUP portion of the script did *not* include the same Tablespace.

If Daily Backups have been occurring and BEGIN BACKUPs are issued daily without END BACKUPs, then you (i.e. the DBA of the original, source database) would see warning messages in the alert.log file of that database instance.

Scofield said...

Hi Hemant;

When the
archivelog location change,
I can sucessfully do recovery by sqlplus.
However, in rman I need to catalog these archivelogs.
Whats the reason for this?

Hemant K Chitale said...

The SQL command can generate "expected" archivelog file names building from log_archive_dest and log_archive_format.
RMAN relies on repository information (either the controlfile or the catalog).

Hemant

Anonymous said...

shutdown abort;
startup mount;
recover database using backup controlfile;
cancel

Now if I issue recover command it doesnt apply archivelogs, what is the reason for this?

recover database; -- doesnt automatically apply logs?

Hemant K Chitale said...

Anonymous,
You only did a SHUTDOWN ABORT. You did not restore any datafile from a previous backup. You did not lose the Online Redo Log Files. At Startup, Oracle reads the DataFile headers and knows the last SCN and SequenceNumbers. It does an "automatic" Instance Recovery from the *Online Redo Log files*. Why don't you read the alert.log file to see the messages about the crash recovery yourself ?

ArchivedLogs are generally required for *media* recovery -- recovery where one or more files are "older" -- ie restored from a backup.

Hemant K Chitale

Anonymous said...

Hi Hemant;


What I want to ask is, when I issue "recover database using backup controlfile" statement even only once,
I cannot open the database with normal option. (I am forced to startup with resetlogs)

Does this statement updates the controlfile?
In the following demo, if I issue normal recover database clause rather than "backup controlfile", I can open the database.
But when I first issue "backup controlfile", I cannot perform normal recovery



SQL> shut abort;
ORACLE instance shut down.
SQL> startup mount;
ORACLE instance started.

Total System Global Area 285212672 bytes
Fixed Size 1287016 bytes
Variable Size 92277912 bytes
Database Buffers 188743680 bytes
Redo Buffers 2904064 bytes
Database mounted.
SQL> recover database using backup controlfile;
ORA-00279: change 542539 generated at 05/23/2010 14:52:16 needed for thread 1
ORA-00289: suggestion :
C:\ORACLEXE\APP\ORACLE\FLASH_RECOVERY_AREA\XE\ARCHIVELOG\2010_05_23\O1_MF_1_18_%U_.ARC
ORA-00280: change 542539 for thread 1 is in sequence #18


Specify log: {=suggested | filename | AUTO | CANCEL}
cancel
Media recovery cancelled.


SQL> recover database;
ORA-00283: recovery session canceled due to errors
ORA-01610: recovery using the BACKUP CONTROLFILE option must be done


SQL> shut immediate;
ORA-01109: database not open


Database dismounted.
ORACLE instance shut down.
SQL> startup;
ORACLE instance started.

Total System Global Area 285212672 bytes
Fixed Size 1287016 bytes
Variable Size 92277912 bytes
Database Buffers 188743680 bytes
Redo Buffers 2904064 bytes
Database mounted.
ORA-01589: must use RESETLOGS or NORESETLOGS option for database open


SQL> recover database;
ORA-00283: recovery session canceled due to errors
ORA-01610: recovery using the BACKUP CONTROLFILE option must be done


SQL> shut immediate;

Hemant K Chitale said...

Anonymous,
"USING BACKUP CONTROLFILE" initiates an Incomplete Recovery.

Hemant K Chitale

Anonymous said...

Suppose I dont need incomplete recovery but I issued "recover database using backup controlfile"


I notice that I cannot issue normal recover command anymore.

Does this statement modifies something?

Hemant K Chitale said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Hemant K Chitale said...

Anonymous,

See this post :
http://hemantoracledba.blogspot.com/2010/05/recover-database-starts-with-update.html

Hemant K Chitale

Anonymous said...

Hi Hemant,

Firstly thanks for your contribution to oracle,learnt loads of things from you.

I have a scenarion just educational purpose.

I have full database backup at 6:00PM,which contains controlfile backup.
I have all the archivelogs from last 2 days.

Now with this only database backup available can I restore/recover database at 5:00PM?

Hemant K Chitale said...

Anonymous,
No. If your database backup completed at 6pm (whether it started at 1pm or 4pm or 5:45pm), you cannot use this backup to restore and recover to any point earlier (5pm in your request). You would need a backup that completed before 5pm.

You are attempting to ask Oracle to undo or rollback a database.
If you have Database Flashback configured and defined a specific Flashback Point, you can flashback the database to the Flashback Point.
This is different from doing a restore and recover to an earlier time --- which is not possible.

Hemant

Anonymous said...

Thanks

Anonymous said...

Hi Hemant,
Regarding the example given by you in this discussion board :

1. You have given "restore archivelog all" and it knows to restore upto logseq 12. In this case, why does the recover command tries to look for logseq 13 and bails out with an error ?
Shouldn't it recover upto logseq 12 and come out successful ?

2. Also, since it completed upto logseq 12, it is a complete recovery, so why should we be giving "resetlogs" in open DB ?

Thanks

Thirumalai
----------------------

Hemant K Chitale said...

Anonymous,
A simple "RECOVER DATABASE" without any SET UNTIL is an instruction for a COMPLETE Recovery. Oracle will attempt to apply all archivelogs and will halt only when it can't find "the next archivelog".

Oracle ends with an Incomplete Recovery so an OPEN RESETLOGS is required.

Hemant

Unknown said...

Hi Hemanth,
I am in a process of building a database similar to my production.
I took a backup of database on 8th of march and since then kept all my logs files intact in a secure location. I did restore my database and recovered till 20th march. However, My new database is 2 days out of sync. i do have the archive logs. and i did catalog them. and when i run list backup i can see them as well. However, when i try to do restore archive log all. It says. it is unable to find the archives. and recover does not do anything.
How can i sync up the database with production and apply logs every day until i bring it to current.

Regards,
Sadiq

Hemant K Chitale said...

Sadiq,
When you say "However, when i try to do restore archive log all. It says. it is unable to find the archives", is the error that it cannot find the backupsets (backuppieces) ? LIST BACKUP would show backupsets and backuppieces so it would show archivelogs if they are in backupsets and backuppieces. LIST ARCHIVELOG would show archivelogs that may or may not be in backupsets and backuppieces but are still in archivelog form.
So, did you CATALOG ARCHIVELOG or did you CATALOG BACKUP ?

RESTORE is from Backupsets and BackupPieces.

If you want to sync the database continuously, you can take fresh backups of the controlfile, restore those backups and use RECOVER DATABASE USING BACKUP CONTROLFILE UNTIL CANCEL from the SQLPLUS command line.

Hemant K Chitale

Anonymous said...

Hi Hemanth,
Thanks for your reply.

So, did you CATALOG ARCHIVELOG or did you CATALOG BACKUP ?
Ans : I catalog the backup piece

My situation here is :
I have a 7th march full backup and all the archive logs and the latest controlfile till date(02-04-2014).
I will do the restore and recover of the database and it did recover
till the last archive which is available and i open my database using resetlogs.
Now i have few more archives which are generated in production after the target database is opened and being transfer to a common mount point. how can i apply this archive logs to the existing open database and sync it up to production.

Thanks in advance,

Sadiq

Anonymous said...

In addition:
So every time i try to apply archive logs,
first i have to restore the latest control file and then start applying logs as the controlfile has the log sequence number. Is that right?

Thanks
Sadiq

Anonymous said...

In addition:
So every time i try to apply archive logs,
first i have to restore the latest control file and then start applying logs as the controlfile has the log sequence number. Is that right?

Thanks
Sadiq

Hemant K Chitale said...

Sadiq,
Once you've OPENed a database with RESETLOGS, you cannot apply archivelogs as it has diverged with a new incarnation.

Hemant K Chitale

Hemant K Chitale said...

Sadiq,
You don't HAVE to restore the latest controlfile. If you have an older (backup controlfile) or a controlfile created from a trace you can use the "USING BACKUP CONTROLFILE" syntax in the RECOVER DATABASE command. If you're using RMAN, it can automatically identify that you're using a Backup controlfile.

Hemant