QUESTION: Standby database behavior... No SQLPlus prompt!

From: BD <bobby_dread_at_hotmail.com>
Date: 21 Apr 2006 14:21:52 -0700
Message-ID: <1145654512.624297.18950@j33g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>

Hi, all.

I'm on 8.1.7.4 on AIX 5.2.0.2.

I'm configuring a standby database, on the same node as the primary, in a different directory structure. I want it to be managed, not manual.

I've pored through the docs, and gone through what I see as the required steps, including:

Primary db:
-set second archive_log_dest
-create TNS entry for standby
-create standby controlfile

Standby db:
-use controlfile generated from primary
-use db_file_name_convert to set correct file names
-set LOCK_NAME_SPACE to 'stby'

...etc. I won't bother regurgitating all my steps here just yet.

So:

I can mount the standby database, which is great. I then issue the 'RECOVER MANAGED STANDBY DATABASE;' command. After I hit Enter, all I see is a blinking cursor - no confirmation, no nothing. I've been waiting for several minutes.

I believe that changes are being applied - I make a change on the primary, issue an ALTER SYSTEM ARCHIVE LOG CURRENT, and I can then see a new file in the udump directory of the standby database: "rfs_40488_rep2.trc" ('REP2' is the standby database name)

In this file, I see:

Oracle8i Enterprise Edition Release 8.1.7.4.0 - Production JServer Release 8.1.7.4.0 - Production
ORACLE_HOME = /fs01/app/oracle/product/8.1.7 System name: AIX

Node name:      my_server
Release:        2
Version:        5
Machine:        000576DF4C00

Instance name: REP2
Redo thread mounted by this instance: 1
Oracle process number: 12
Unix process pid: 40488, image: oracle_at_my_server(TNS V1-V3)

SESSION ID:(12.1) 2006-04-21 14:15:16.210 RFS: Creating archive destination file : /home/oracle/admin/REP2/archive/arch/arch1_REP2_1.arc RFS: Closing archive destination file : /home/oracle/admin/REP2/archive/arch/arch1_REP2_1.arc

So that all looks pretty good - I think. At least _something_ is happening to the standby...

But what about this SQLPlus session, in which I entered the RECOVER MANAGED command? In the online docs, under "Initiating Managed Recovery Mode", it says: "By default, the managed recovery operation waits indefinitely for the next archived log; it terminates only through a CANCEL statement (or CTRL+C key combination), a shutdown, or a crash."

So this suggests that what I'm seeing is _normal_! I can CTRL+C, but that exits this mode, does it not? If I want to _leave_ it in that mode, what am I supposed to do? I have no prompt with which to exit my SQLPlus session - just a blinking cursor!

Can someone just confirm for me what I should expect as a confirmation that my standby db is in fact in managed recovery mode, and why, l after I issued the RECOVER MANAGED command, do I not have a prompt? I have found information on how to confirm that the logs are making it across, but I think I may have some problem here that should be sorted out first - I'm just not sure...

Thanks!!

BD Received on Fri Apr 21 2006 - 16:21:52 CDT