FLASH Recovery Area, RMAN and FLASHBACK DATABAE

[dbapl...@hotmail.com]

I am using Oracle 10.1..0.4 (but could use Oracle 10.2 - latest
version) in future ) on
Windows 2000 Server. I am currently not using flashback database (have
not set flash_recover_area). I am doing backup of database using RMAN/
Nebackup on tape.

I want to use flashback database, so need to set flash recovery area.
However, I do
not want to put any of RMAN backups in Flash recovery area. I want to
continue to use my RMAN backup scripts, which directly write to tape.

a. Can I Use flash_recovery_area only for storing flash back logs and
not for RMAN backup. If yes, how?
b. Do I need to backup flash recovery area at all? I will use
flashback retention target to limit flashback logs.
c. If I need to backup flash recovery area, how will I backup. Can I
use my OS level backup (not RMAN) to backup the folder where
flash_recovery_area is.
d. If I loss some data in flash recovery area, will my database
continue to work fine except I cannot flashback database?

Really appreciate your response, I did read many articles on metalink
on flashback database and flash recovery area but did not find answers
to my question.

[hpuxrac]

Why don't you setup a test system and test this out?

Let us know of any specific question you have as you proceed.

[dbapl...@hotmail.com]

> Let us know of any specific question you have as you proceed.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Before I set up a test system, I need some ground work to be done. I
did research on metalink did not find answers. Many people use flash
back database, they can perhpas provide their views.

[DA Morgan]

dbapl...@hotmail.com wrote:
> On Apr 22, 6:15 pm, hpuxrac <johnbhur...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>> On Apr 22, 2:58 pm, dbaplusp...@hotmail.com wrote:

>> Why don't you setup a test system and test this out?
>>
>> Let us know of any specific question you have as you proceed.
>

> Before I set up a test system, I need some ground work to be done.

Then by all means do that ground work because I doubt anyone else is
going to do it for you after observing this bridge burning exercise.

The answers to your questions can be easily found in the Oracle docs on
the web. It only took me a few minutes to locate them. I am sure you
can too.
--
Daniel A. Morgan
University of Washington
damo...@x.washington.edu
(replace x with u to respond)
Puget Sound Oracle Users Group
www.psoug.org

[joel garry]

On Apr 22, 11:58 am, dbaplusp...@hotmail.com wrote:
> I am using Oracle 10.1..0.4 (but could use Oracle 10.2 - latest
> version) in future ) on
> Windows 2000 Server. I am currently not using flashback database (have
> not set flash_recover_area). I am doing backup of database using RMAN/
> Nebackup on tape.
>
> I want to use flashback database, so need to set flash recovery area.
> However, I do
> not want to put any of RMAN backups in Flash recovery area. I want to
> continue to use my RMAN backup scripts, which directly write to tape.
>
> a. Can I Use flash_recovery_area only for storing flash back logs and
> not for RMAN backup. If yes, how?

The answer to this is in the fine Oracle® Database Backup and Recovery
Basics
10g Release 2 (10.2) manual, sections 5.3.2 and 5.3.5.

> b. Do I need to backup flash recovery area at all? I will use
> flashback retention target to limit flashback logs.

The answer to this is in the fine Oracle® Database Backup and Recovery
Basics
10g Release 2 (10.2) manual, section 5.3.5.

> c. If I need to backup flash recovery area, how will I backup. Can I
> use my OS level backup (not RMAN) to backup the folder where
> flash_recovery_area is.

RTFM, dangit!

> d. If I loss some data in flash recovery area, will my database
> continue to work fine except I cannot flashback database?

"If the flash recovery area is full, then an archived redo log may be
automatically deleted by the flash recovery area to make space for
other files." But if you had read the Basics manual, you'd know that.

>
> Really appreciate your response, I did read many articles on metalink
> on flashback database and flash recovery area but did not find answers
> to my question.

Do you really wonder why you get such abuse here? All of the above
was found by putting:
flashback log
in the search area of tahiti.oracle.com, then clicking on "Rules for
Retention and Deletion of Flashback Logs"

What may not be obvious from the manuals is that flashback database
assumes you have a lot of disk compared to your transaction rate,
because block changes accumulate rapidly. If you are backing to tape,
that implies you have disk limitations.

jg
--
@home.com is bogus.
"The first thing I felt on Earth was the smell." - Mikhail Tyurin

[dbapl...@hotmail.com]

Joe:
Thanks. Below are the answers I got from Oracle supportwhich may be
useful to others:

ANSWERS
===========

a. Can I Use flash_recovery_area only for storing flash back logs and
not for RMAN backup. If yes, how?

- Yes you can you flash recovery area only for flashback logs.
- When you perform RMAN backups in your scenario they will goto tape.
- Furthermore you are able to set you archive log dest to a location
outside the FRA in you wish.

b. Do I need to backup flash recovery area at all? I will use
flashback retention target to limit flashback logs.

- No you do not have to backup it up.

c. If I need to backup flash recovery area, how will I backup. Can I
use my OS level backup (not RMAN) to backup the
folder where
flash_recovery_area is.

- Not needed to backup.

d. If I loss some data in flash recovery area, will my database
continue to work fine e
xcept I cannot flashback database?

- Correct it wil run fine. It will not crash. it will just mean that
you can not flash back.
- there is a restirction however if you reset a GUARNTEED restore
point then the DB woulf hang. However this
is not the case by default however you should know it's an option.
Please look i
nto 'restore points'