How to catalog backups / archivelogs / datafile copies / control file copies

RMAN Catalog:It is mainly used for following:

Can store database backup scripts and backup information to safe place(RMAN Repository)apart from target database control file.
Can add backup pieces and image copies of backup on disk to the RMAN repository.
Can record a data file copy as a level 0 incremental backup in the RMAN repository and that can be used foran incremental backup.
Can record latest user-managed datafile copies to RMAN repository made after the clean shutdown of database.

Limitations and Advantages of Catalog:

To connect to target database using RMAN target database must be mounted or open.

1. Catalog database must be OPEN if RMAN is connected to catalog database.
2. RMAN can only catalog a datafile copy, control file copy, archived log or backup piece if these areuser-managed copy (OS level copy).
3. Catalogis accessible on disk.
4. File belongs to another database can not be cataloged using CATALOG.
5. All user managed (File system) backups considered as an IMAGE COPIES by RMAN while cataloged.
6. RMAN does not check whether the file was correctly copied by the operating system utility; it just reads and checks the header during cataloging but file should be clean(consistent) while copying through OS utilities so .

Cataloging Backups Examples:

1. Cataloging Archived Logs:Here we assumed that archive logs have been moved to other location using operating system utilities (CP/MV/COPY) and we cataloging those moved Archiveloged to RMAN REPOSITORY.

RMAN > CATALOG ARCHIVELOG ‘?/oradata/backup/arch_1.dbf’, ‘?/oradata/backup/arch_9.dbf’;

If you need to catalog multiple archive files then use below simple script which will generate .rcv file and run newly created .rcv file.

[oracle@test ~] echo > catalog.rcv for archivelog in /u01/test/arch/* ; do echo "catalog archivelog '$archivelog';" >> catalog.rcv done

Now connect to rman promt and run .rcv using below command.

[oracle@test ~] Rman target / cmdfile=catalog.rcv

2.Cataloging consistent copy of datafile as an incremental backup:Here we are cataloging datafile copy data01.dbfas an incremental level 0 backup to RMAN repository,

This datafile copy must be consistent and can be either taken by OS copy commands or by RAMN backup as copy command:

CATALOG DATAFILECOPY ‘?/oracle/oradata/data01.dbf’ LEVEL 0;

3.Cataloging controlfile copy in the RMAN Repository tken by user:

a. Take backup of controle file by using below query:

SQL> alter database backup controlfile to ‘/u01/bkp/controlfile01.dbf’;

b. Catalog above controlfile copy to RMAN REPOSITORY using blow query:

RMAN> catalog controlfilecopy ‘oracle/oradata/control01.ctl’;

4.Cataloging all the database file copies present in one Directory:

Below example will catalog all the archivelog copied using OS command to directory /u01/bkp/archlog:

RMAN> CATALOG START WITH ‘/u01/bkp/archlog’;

5.Cataloging Files in the Flash Recovery Area:Below will catalog Flash Recovery Area without prompting to user:

CATALOG RECOVERY AREA NOPROMPT;

6. Cataloging RMAN Backup Pieces:BELOW WILL CATALOG a RMAN backup piece to RMAN Repository which is manually copied using OS commands to default backup location:

CATALOG BACKUPPIECE ‘/u01/bkp/rman/KOKTSV_ORCL_RMAN_ONL_ST’;

7.Below command will catalog the Backup Pieces present in the Location set for DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST Parameter:

RMAN> catalog db_recovery_file_dest;

Note:catalog backuppiece, catalog recovery area, catalog start with, catalog db_recovery_file_dest commands are not available in 9i.

I hope this article helped you. Your suggestions/feedbacks are most welcome.

Keep learning... Have a great day!!!