Backup Oracle, With or Without RMAN

I'm wondering if I have to use RMAN today. Sorry for my long post, but I have a "big" interrogation with rman. thanks.

1. For the moment, I backup my database without RMAN : but with commands of the system files.

--> Every night the database is stopped by a shutdown immediate. All the files of my production database are copied via network on a third backup server (The server is in an other place). I keep one week of backup set.

Each days my backup set is : all the datafiles, the controlfiles, the redologs, the redologs archieved, init and pfile , and password file.

Beside that, I realize some logical export that I can imort in another database. I have also a physical standby.

Today, If my production server crash, I tell me that I can buy a new server, reinstall Oracle with the same configuration and get a set of my backup from the network by copying the file in their place. I'don't speak about my standby. In my mind I have always a set of all the files of the production database in other place and physical cold files.

2. Can I do the same thing with RMAN.
I'm not conformtable with it.
In my mind RMAN is a black hole.
--> If I want to realize a cold backup of my database (as in the point 1) and keep all the files of my prod database in a third server, is it possible ?
For me, it seems that RMAN backup on a local disk ? What do do you do if the server is out ? In the worst scenario, can we get the files backup by RMAN without RMAN and copy by commands of the system file all the files (backup with rman) of the database in an other server with the same configuration. Do RMAN realise a copy of the files of the database ? Can we apply a full backup of a database in an another server (for example a rebuild server) with an new and clean installation.

Example :
. You backup your database all the day. A full backup with RMAN.
--> (Where do you put the files ?)

. The third day, the server is out. You can't restart it.
. You have an another physical server.
. You realize a new installation of Oracle 10g.
. You install the same instance, same configuration, name and location for
the files.
. Now can you get the files backup with rman and put it in place to restart
the instance and have a database in the time of the last nigt backup.

For the moment I can do that with my copy of all my files.

Thanks for your help.
Fabrice Received on Sat Oct 17 2009 - 02:06:21 CDT