arch....dbf files in $ORACLE_HOME/dbs

[revzalot]

What are these files doing in my /dbs directory?

[oracle@fedora10 dbs]$ ls
arch1_10_682014240.dbf  arch1_2_682610081.dbf   arch1_49_672770507.dbf
arch1_11_682014240.dbf  arch1_27_682014240.dbf  arch1_50_672770507.dbf
arch1_12_682014240.dbf  arch1_28_682014240.dbf  arch1_5_682014240.dbf
arch1_13_682014240.dbf  arch1_29_682014240.dbf  arch1_5_682610081.dbf
arch1_14_682014240.dbf  arch1_30_682014240.dbf  arch1_6_682014240.dbf
arch1_15_682014240.dbf  arch1_31_682014240.dbf  arch1_6_682610081.dbf
arch1_16_682014240.dbf  arch1_32_682014240.dbf  arch1_7_682014240.dbf
arch1_1_681994290.dbf   arch1_33_682014240.dbf  arch1_7_682610081.dbf
arch1_1_682014240.dbf   arch1_34_682014240.dbf  arch1_8_682014240.dbf
arch1_17_682014240.dbf  arch1_35_682014240.dbf  arch1_8_682610081.dbf
arch1_18_682014240.dbf  arch1_36_682014240.dbf  arch1_9_682014240.dbf
arch1_19_682014240.dbf  arch1_3_682014240.dbf   hc_orcl.dat
arch1_20_682014240.dbf  arch1_3_682610081.dbf   initdw.ora
arch1_21_682014240.dbf  arch1_37_682014240.dbf  init.ora
arch1_22_682014240.dbf  arch1_38_682014240.dbf  initorcl.ora
arch1_23_682014240.dbf  arch1_39_682014240.dbf  inittest.ora
arch1_24_682014240.dbf  arch1_40_682014240.dbf  lkORCL
arch1_25_682014240.dbf  arch1_4_682014240.dbf   orapworcl
arch1_26_682014240.dbf  arch1_4_682610081.dbf   snapcf_orcl.f
arch1_2_682014240.dbf   arch1_48_672770507.dbf  spfileorcl.ora

[davey23uk]

you have archived them there

[revzalot]

Odd because I have all my archivelogs in here:

[oracle@fedora10 dbs]$ ls  /u01/app/oracle/flash_recovery_area/ORCL/archivelog/
2009_03_20  2009_03_26  2009_04_02  2009_04_16  2009_04_22
2009_03_23  2009_03_27  2009_04_03  2009_04_17  2009_04_25
2009_03_24  2009_03_30  2009_04_13  2009_04_20  2009_04_26
2009_03_25  2009_04_01  2009_04_14  2009_04_21  2009_04_30

[Kamran Agayev]

Could you post entry of your parameter file related to destination of your archived redo log files?
Or please post the output of

SQL> show parameter log_archive_dest

[revzalot]

SQL> show parameter log_archive_dest;

NAME				     TYPE	 VALUE
------------------------------------ ----------- ------------------------------
log_archive_dest		     string
log_archive_dest_1		     string
log_archive_dest_10		     string
log_archive_dest_2		     string
log_archive_dest_3		     string
log_archive_dest_4		     string
log_archive_dest_5		     string
log_archive_dest_6		     string
log_archive_dest_7		     string
log_archive_dest_8		     string
log_archive_dest_9		     string

NAME				     TYPE	 VALUE
------------------------------------ ----------- ------------------------------
log_archive_dest_state_1	     string	 enable
log_archive_dest_state_10	     string	 enable
log_archive_dest_state_2	     string	 enable
log_archive_dest_state_3	     string	 enable
log_archive_dest_state_4	     string	 enable
log_archive_dest_state_5	     string	 enable
log_archive_dest_state_6	     string	 enable
log_archive_dest_state_7	     string	 enable
log_archive_dest_state_8	     string	 enable
log_archive_dest_state_9	     string	 enable
SQL>

init.ora file:

[oracle@fedora10 dbs]$ cat initorcl.ora
orcl.__db_cache_size=293601280
orcl.__java_pool_size=16777216
orcl.__large_pool_size=4194304
orcl.__oracle_base='/u01/app/oracle'#ORACLE_BASE set from environment
orcl.__pga_aggregate_target=209715200
orcl.__sga_target=532676608
orcl.__shared_io_pool_size=0
orcl.__shared_pool_size=209715200
orcl.__streams_pool_size=0
*.audit_file_dest='/u01/app/oracle/admin/orcl/adump'
*.audit_trail='db'
*.compatible='11.1.0.0.0'
*.control_files='/u01/app/oracle/oradata/orcl/control01.ctl','/u01/app/oracle/oradata/orcl/control02.ctl','/u01/app/oracle/oradata/orcl/control03.ctl'#Restore Controlfile
*.db_block_size=8192
*.db_domain=''
*.db_flashback_retention_target=1440
*.db_name='orcl'
*.db_recovery_file_dest='/u01/app/oracle/flash_recovery_area'
*.db_recovery_file_dest_size=8589934592
*.diagnostic_dest='/u01/app/oracle'
*.dispatchers='(PROTOCOL=TCP) (SERVICE=orclXDB)'
*.local_listener='LISTENER_ORCL'
*.memory_target=741343232
*.open_cursors=300
*.processes=150
*.query_rewrite_enabled='TRUE'
*.remote_login_passwordfile='EXCLUSIVE'
*.undo_tablespace='UNDOTBS1'

[Kamran Agayev]

I think you should set log_archive_dest_1 parameter. I assume that your database in ARCHIVELOG mode, but it couldn't find to archive the archived redo logs, that's why by default it archives it to /dbs folder.
You should give log_archive_dest_1 parameter a correct value, and restart database
Edit your initorcl.ora file, give log_archive_dest_1='/anydirectory'
Create spfile from pfile. restart your database, run
ALTER SYSTEM SWITCH LOGFILE;

and check, whether it created new archived redo log file in /dbs directory, or to the directory which was assigned to the parameter log_archive_dest_1

[revzalot]

First thanks for your reply but I think the archive logs in the /dbs directory are very old compared to the ones noted above in the:

/u01/app/oracle/flash_recovery_area/ORCL/archivelog/

directory. Correct I've set my database in archive log mode and it moves the very old archive logs in the /dbs directory. To test my theory, how would I remove the old archive logs?

[revzalot]

One more thing, I would like to use RMAN to remove the above arch files in the /dbs directory.

[PAVB]

Correct I've set my database in archive log mode and it moves the very old archive logs in the /dbs directory. To test my theory, how would I remove the old archive logs?

Hard to imagine an Oracle process moving "very old archive logs into the /dbs directory".

My guess is somebody put them there.

If those are real old and not needed anymore just drop them.

[revzalot]

Here's the latest findings. I'm sure no one has moved those files into the /dbs directory.

RMAN> change archivelog until time 'sysdate-1' delete;

using target database control file instead of recovery catalog
allocated channel: ORA_DISK_1
channel ORA_DISK_1: SID=130 device type=DISK
List of Archived Log Copies for database with db_unique_name ORCL
=====================================================================

Key     Thrd Seq     S Low Time 
------- ---- ------- - ---------
96      1    38      A 26-APR-09
        Name: /u01/app/oracle/product/11.1.0/db_1/dbs/arch1_38_682014240.dbf


Do you really want to delete the above objects (enter YES or NO)? yes
deleted archived log
archived log file name=/u01/app/oracle/product/11.1.0/db_1/dbs/arch1_38_682014240.dbf RECID=96 STAMP=685550413
Deleted 1 objects