Archival Backups RMAN Backups for Long-Term Retention

RMAN has the ability to make an archival backup that is exempt from the configured retention policy. An archival backup is an all inclusive self-contained backup of the database at specific point in time. Archival backups are commonly used to satisfy regulatory requirements such as end year or quarter backups.

The RMAN command BACKUP … KEEP is used to make archival backups. Archival backups can be kept either forever using the FOREVER clause or until a specific date using the UNTIL TIME clause. A recovery catalog is required when using the FOREVER clause. The archival backup can be written to tape or disk.

Archival backups are self-contained backups of data files, control files, SPFILE and all archived redo logs to ensure that the database can be recovered to a consistent state. Multiple backup sets are created as result of the KEEP option so the FORMAT option needs to be able to handle multiple backup pieces.

Below is an example of an archival backup.

[oracle@odlinux archivalbkup]$ rman

Recovery Manager: Release 11.2.0.1.0 - Production on Sun Aug 29 14:08:43 2010

Copyright (c) 1982, 2009, Oracle and/or its affiliates.  All rights reserved.

RMAN> connect target /

connected to target database: ODLIN11G (DBID=2071040209)

RMAN> @abup.sql

RMAN> run {
2> backup database
3>   format '/u01/app/oracle/oradata/odlin11g/archivalbkup/%U'
4>   tag biannual_01
5>   keep until time 'sysdate+182'
6>   restore point archbup;
7> }
Starting backup at 29-AUG-10
using target database control file instead of recovery catalog
current log archived

allocated channel: ORA_DISK_1
channel ORA_DISK_1: SID=39 device type=DISK
backup will be obsolete on date 27-FEB-11
archived logs required to recover from this backup will be backed up
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting full datafile backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: specifying datafile(s) in backup set
input datafile file number=00001 name=/u01/app/oracle/oradata/odlin11g/system01.dbf
input datafile file number=00002 name=/u01/app/oracle/oradata/odlin11g/sysaux01.dbf
input datafile file number=00005 name=/u01/app/oracle/oradata/odlin11g/example01.dbf
input datafile file number=00003 name=/u01/app/oracle/oradata/odlin11g/undotbs01.dbf
input datafile file number=00004 name=/u01/app/oracle/oradata/odlin11g/users01.dbf
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting piece 1 at 29-AUG-10
channel ORA_DISK_1: finished piece 1 at 29-AUG-10
piece handle=/u01/app/oracle/oradata/odlin11g/archivalbkup/05lmiejm_1_1 tag=BIANNUAL_01 comment=NONE
channel ORA_DISK_1: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:01:56

using channel ORA_DISK_1
backup will be obsolete on date 27-FEB-11
archived logs required to recover from this backup will be backed up
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting full datafile backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: specifying datafile(s) in backup set
including current SPFILE in backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting piece 1 at 29-AUG-10
channel ORA_DISK_1: finished piece 1 at 29-AUG-10
piece handle=/u01/app/oracle/oradata/odlin11g/archivalbkup/06lmiena_1_1 tag=BIANNUAL_01 comment=NONE
channel ORA_DISK_1: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:00:01


current log archived
using channel ORA_DISK_1
backup will be obsolete on date 27-FEB-11
archived logs required to recover from this backup will be backed up
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting archived log backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: specifying archived log(s) in backup set
input archived log thread=1 sequence=13 RECID=8 STAMP=728316651
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting piece 1 at 29-AUG-10
channel ORA_DISK_1: finished piece 1 at 29-AUG-10
piece handle=/u01/app/oracle/oradata/odlin11g/archivalbkup/07lmienc_1_1 tag=BIANNUAL_01 comment=NONE
channel ORA_DISK_1: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:00:01

using channel ORA_DISK_1
backup will be obsolete on date 27-FEB-11
archived logs required to recover from this backup will be backed up
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting full datafile backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: specifying datafile(s) in backup set
including current control file in backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting piece 1 at 29-AUG-10
channel ORA_DISK_1: finished piece 1 at 29-AUG-10
piece handle=/u01/app/oracle/oradata/odlin11g/archivalbkup/08lmiend_1_1 tag=BIANNUAL_01 comment=NONE
channel ORA_DISK_1: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:00:01
Finished backup at 29-AUG-10

RMAN> 
RMAN> **end-of-file**

RMAN> 

This backup will become obsolete on February 27th 2011. If you find that this backup no longer needs to be exempt from the retention policy you can use the CHANGE command.

RMAN> change backup tag biannual_01 nokeep;

using channel ORA_DISK_1
keep attributes for the backup are deleted
backup set key=5 RECID=5 STAMP=728316642
keep attributes for the backup are deleted
backup set key=6 RECID=6 STAMP=728316650
keep attributes for the backup are deleted
backup set key=7 RECID=7 STAMP=728316652
keep attributes for the backup are deleted
backup set key=8 RECID=8 STAMP=728316657

RMAN> 

The CHANGE command can also be used on existing backup to exempt the backup from the current retention policy.

RMAN> change backup tag biannual_01 keep until time 'sysdate+182';

using channel ORA_DISK_1
keep attributes for the backup are changed
backup will be obsolete on date 27-FEB-11
backup set key=5 RECID=5 STAMP=728316642
keep attributes for the backup are changed
backup will be obsolete on date 27-FEB-11
backup set key=6 RECID=6 STAMP=728316650
keep attributes for the backup are changed
backup will be obsolete on date 27-FEB-11
backup set key=7 RECID=7 STAMP=728316652
keep attributes for the backup are changed
backup will be obsolete on date 27-FEB-11
backup set key=8 RECID=8 STAMP=728316657

RMAN> 

With the CHANGE command you alter any existing database backup to an archival backup and or alter the time in which the backup is to be exempt from the configured retention policy.