Re: Urgent! Online redo log files corruption

There aren't internal logs kept of a DBA's actions, as such. When I attended the Oracle Internals, Backup and Recovery, Dumps, Traces seminars a few months ago I mentioned to my instructor, one of two qualified by Oracle to teach the seminars in the U.S., about deleting from obj$ and other tables because Oracle refused to drop a certain table, no matter what I did, in a development database. I really needed to have a table of that structure in that schema with that name, and Oracle refused to let me create another one, saying it already existed, but did not let me use the one that was already there.

My instructor told me that when I deleted from the data dictionary, I made the database unsupported. Further, that Oracle does idiot checks, looking for and recording inconsistencies like the one my delete surely created. If changes to the data dictionary are not done via recursive sql, things get out of whack and this can be detected. In the backup/recovery seminar he mentioned that opening the database with hidden parameters was allowed but recorded. Not to get the goods on the DBA or his/her company, but to be able to explain, later, why inconsistencies have surfaced.

This instructor appeared to be an honorable man and not the type to blow smoke or make DBAs paranoid of Oracle Support. Whenever we pointed out that he was wrong, that you could create a database with a locally managed system tablespace in Oracle 8i, for example (Oracle says so), he told us he knew one could not: he and the other instructors had tried it, received an error.

I have had only Silver support for the past so many years, and the US has a booming economy. Oracle has trouble hiring and keeping good people just like every other company, including mine. Been almost to tears, now and again, frustrated with the clueslessness of the Oracle Support person taking my call. But I've also been blown away by the brilliance and vast knowledge of the Oracle Support person taking my call.

Yes, the license is just a piece of paper. You can do anything you want with the database. But Oracle Support is a different matter. Just because you pay for it doesn't mean Oracle has to bail you out if you do something they tell you not to do. I'd expect Oracle to log certain things in the database, if just for legal reasons. A few years ago someone sued MacDonalds for $millions because they were given, in a drive in, an overly hot cup of coffee, which burned them when they took a sip. The person dropped the coffee, burning parts of their body. I feel the lawsuit and award were justified, as there are often very few other ways to get big companies to act sensibly. Now what if you lost a critical database and decided to sue Oracle blaming them for making a shoddy product? If I were Oracle, I'd record certain events like opening the database with hidden, unsupported parameters. ----- Original Message -----
From: Shevtsov Eduard <eshevtsov_at_flagship.ru> To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L <ORACLE-L_at_fatcity.com> Sent: Sunday, October 22, 2000 3:20 PM
Subject: Re: Urgent! Online redo log files corruption

> Hi Tom
>
> Could you show any example, any details? I think that even licence policy is
> a paper agreement only and there are no such internal program checks. Are
> you talking about additional 'direct internal logs' which could show dba's
> actions? Or you meant some oblique data which enable to determine exact
> sequence of unsupported steps?
>
> Thanks
>
> Ed
>
>
> > Oracle has idiot checks inside the database and does record when we do
> unsupported
> > things. If you want to have an Oracle supported database, you must follow
> their instructions.
> > Using the hidden parameter and not exporting/importing into a new database
> may not
> > reveal at first any problems. However the fact that you did so IS
> recorded.
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L <ORACLE-L_at_fatcity.com>
> > Sent: Sunday, October 22, 2000 4:20 AM
> >
> >
> > > Hi everyone,
> > >
> > > I am not sure if there are any people in this list at this hour of the
> day.
> > > But we are facing a terrible situation here on the production system.
> And I
> > > will need some advice.
> > >
> > > For whatever reason, the production database crashed with online redo
> log
> > > file corruption. Oracle support told me that there is only two option:
> > > 1) restore and recover the database using the full backup
> > > 2) force the database open with the hidden paramter but HAVE TO export
> the
> > > database and rebuild it afterward as the database will NO LONGER under
> > > support license after the database open this way.
> > >
> > > We are currently performing a cold backup on the database before we move
> on
> > > to either option. I was thinking about several different possible ways
> as
> > > well. But wondering if they are possible.
> > >
> > > 1) can I force the database open with that hidden parameter, but instead
> of
> > > rebuilding the whole database from export/import. I just mount the
> > > database, change it to noarchivelog, do several log switches, then
> change
> > > it back to archivelog? It is suppose to clear out the corrupted online
> redo
> > > log file
> > >
> > > Had anyone in the lists have some experience or comment to share?
> > >
> > > Winnie
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com
> > > --
> > > Author:
> > > INET: Winnie_Liu_at_infonet.com
> > >
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> > Author: Tom Pall
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> --
> Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com
> --
> Author: Shevtsov Eduard
> INET: eshevtsov_at_flagship.ru
>
> Fat City Network Services -- (858) 538-5051 FAX: (858) 538-5051
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Received on Sun Oct 22 2000 - 17:12:29 CDT