cold backup/size of datatabase ques.

[panjub_raj]

The total size of my database is 15 gig by this method (select sum(bytes/1024/1024)MB from dba_data_files). The mount point that my cold backup is kept is /u05/oracdata6/coldbacpups. Out of 30 gig that has been allocated to this mount point, only 5 gig has been used so far.
Can any body exoplain to me why the size of my database is 15 gig and the size of the cold backup is only 5 gig?
I thought the cold backup is copying all the datafiles used by the database so why the difference?

[rsuri]

If the backup is using compression then the backup size may be well below the actual filesizes.

Here I backup a 40GB database using the software compression built into the backup tool and the backup size is only about 10GB.
It actually shows that --

uncompressed size: 40GB
compressed size 10GB

- Rajeev

[panjub_raj]

No I do not use a compressor or any compressing mechanism?
So what do you guys think about this?

[rsuri]

why don't you look under /u05/oracdata6/coldbacpups to see what files reside there and their sizes. All the backed up files should be there and the sizes should be equal to datafiles, redo logfiles etc.

Also check the backup script to see what exactly is it copying.

- Rajeev

[uday]

1. Are you using RMAN / pure unix copy

If you are not using RMAN, post the following

2. go to coldbackups directory and show us the ls -al

3. post your script

4. Also post select * from dba_data_Files

thanks

uday