About Recovery Manager!

[Gopinath]

Hi,
I have Oracle version 8.0.4 running on Sco Unix.
Recently I read about Recovery Manager, and found the utility to be quite interesting, especially for its ability to do incremental backup at the datafile level.
Now, i would like to know, is this tool reliable?
Are any of you using it with 8.0.4.
I have been following this forum for a couple of months now, and i hardly recollect any thread dealing with recovery manager.
Thanks

[csvenkata]

Read Oracle Documentation for more information.

[raghucharan]

Hi,
Its reliable and easy to maintain as well.So many advantages as well.So far I haven't faced any problems.

[soren]

it is very reliable , go ahead with it, u would be making a good choice,
cheers!!!
soren

[ckolik]

As long as you'll always be using the same version of RMAN as your database, you'll be fine. There are version incompatibilities when using RMAN to backup different 8.0 and 8.1 dbs.

[DBAtrix]

I don't think RMAN had most the kinks worked out until 8.0.5.

In 8.0.4, I had some trouble setting incarnations (essentially a re-creation of the database with the same name) or database ID (I don't remember which was the problem). There was a bug if you hit a certain limit of data thru a channel, oracle quit backing up that channel. This was in conjunction with Omniback backing up to tape and I don't remember if it was strictly a RMAN bug or RMAN/Omniback combo. I think it was just RMAN.

These may have been issues on just HP-UX, but i would quiz Oracle support.

d.

[sanjay kan]

RMAN is the one of the best utility to backup & restore database. U please send mail your mail id i shall informin full detail. MY email is sanjay_kansara@hotmail.com

[Gopinath]

Thanks Guys,
Probably i will upgrade to 8.0.5 and then use RMAN.
I did not find the Oracle documentation to be very exhaustive.
One final query, if in RMAN, i am operating in NOARCHIVELOG mode, then can i use the incremental level backups of RMAN, and later restore the database using one 0 level and a couple of level 1 or 2 backups?
I have this doubt for the documentation said that datafiles are restored only from level 0 or full backups, rest is only recovery using archived redologs/incremental backups.
In noarhcivelog mode, i will have no log files to apply, and am willing to open the database using reset logs provided RMAN can recreate the datafiles.
Also, will it allow me to restore the database upto a particular time, something akin to recover until time command. I will have daily level 1 or level 2 backups taken in noarchive log mode with the database cleanly brought down.
I want the limited flexibility of recreating the database to any of those days/time when the incremental backup was done.
The answer to the above two will decide for me whether i should go on Recovery Manager.
(email: ksg_narayan@yahoo.com)
Thanks again

[raghucharan]

Hi,
Incremental backups are possible only when you are running in hot backupmode.For point in time recovery you need the archive logs so you have to run you database in archive log mode.

[jm]

I am on the same platform SCo and 8.0.5. I am using rman nocatalog wtih archive log mode. the beauty of rman is you can avoid alot human mistake. the disadvance is the oracle doc can not give you a clear picture espically the syntax.

yes you can restore database with selected date using from time until time options. I haven't figure out how to use "time"
so far I can use "date" to do selection. (this is why I complaint the doc syntax not good).

if you are in noarchive mode, the incremental backup is useless for you, all you need is full backup or level 0 backup.
don't forget include control file as part of backupset.

good luck