RE: RMAN without a repository and a total site loss

1. restore the OS & $ORACLE_HOME file systems
2. restore the most recent control file after the last backup (either having backed it up separately or via autobackup)
3. use that control file to restore the rest of the database

The actual procedure will depend on things like:

            Do you stage the backups to disk and then slurp those files off to tape somewhere?

            Do you use some kind of library software (e.g. Veritas, Legato, etc) to manage tapes?  

I've been at sites which did both. with management software there's a way to query the backup catalog; the control files should be backed up with a recognizable file name that you can use with a wildcard search to find the most recent one.. If you're staging to disk and using file-based backup to tape rather than SBT, just restore your staging area, then restore Oracle from there.  

You definitely need the most recent control file backed up separately AFTER the backup runs.. Since without a catalog the backup information is stored in the control file. That backup can be a separate controlfile only backup, or can be done with controlfile autobackup; I've used both to do bare metal recovery tests.  

Backing up the control file to trace is a nice to have, but won't help much in a restore, as the backup set information is not included in the trace file.  

Rich  

From: oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org [mailto:oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org] On Behalf Of ryan_gaffuri_at_comcast.net
Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2007 4:43 PM
To: oracle-l_at_freelists.org
Subject: RMAN without a repository and a total site loss  

I am using RMAN without the repository. I want to plan in case we have a total site loss and all I have left are my tape backups which are all compressed backupsets.  

So my control files with my catalog are gone. What do you recommend as the best way to recover if this happens? Should I backup my control files seperately on top of the backupset? Should I do backup controlfile to trace?

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