Oracle11g: Backuping backups with RMAN

The goal of this section is to show how to transfert a set of backupset to a tape (image copy could not be transfered on tape).

Transfering a copy of the database, datafile,tablespace to tape

First of all, we need for the example to configure the sbt device type to a location on the file system in order to simulate a tape.
Here we would like to ensure that when using the sbt channel all data are redirected on disk at the '/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/backupset/tape' location :

RMAN> configure channel device type sbt
parms='SBT_LIBRARY=oracle.disksbt, ENV=(BACKUP_DIR=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/backupset/tape)';

new RMAN configuration parameters:
CONFIGURE CHANNEL DEVICE TYPE 'SBT_TAPE' PARMS  'SBT_LIBRARY=oracle.disksbt, ENV=(BACKUP_DIR=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/backupset/tape)';
new RMAN configuration parameters are successfully stored
starting full resync of recovery catalog
full resync complete

Now we would like to make a backupset that is a copy of all image copies to the tape using the sbt channel (backup copy of {database|datafile|tablespace}).

RMAN> backup as backupset device type sbt copy of database delete all input;
Starting backup at 10-NOV-11
using channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: starting full datafile backup set
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: including datafile copy of datafile 00001 in backup set
input file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/datafile/o1_mf_system_7cqqswb2_.dbf
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: including datafile copy of datafile 00002 in backup set
input file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/datafile/o1_mf_sysaux_7cqqtpj6_.dbf
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: including datafile copy of datafile 00003 in backup set
input file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/datafile/o1_mf_undotbs1_7cqqvgpl_.dbf
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: including datafile copy of datafile 00004 in backup set
input file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/datafile/o1_mf_users_7cqqvoro_.dbf
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: including datafile copy of datafile 00005 in backup set
input file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/datafile/o1_mf_rcat_ts_7cqqvs26_.dbf
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: starting piece 1 at 10-NOV-11
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: finished piece 1 at 10-NOV-11
piece handle=44mrail9_1_1 comment=API Version 2.0,MMS Version 8.1.3.0
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:00:45
deleted datafile copy
datafile copy file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/datafile/o1_mf_system_7cqqswb2_.dbf RECID=26 STAMP=766855645
deleted datafile copy
datafile copy file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/datafile/o1_mf_sysaux_7cqqtpj6_.dbf RECID=27 STAMP=766855673
deleted datafile copy
datafile copy file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/datafile/o1_mf_undotbs1_7cqqvgpl_.dbf RECID=28 STAMP=766855681
deleted datafile copy
datafile copy file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/datafile/o1_mf_users_7cqqvoro_.dbf RECID=29 STAMP=766855687
deleted datafile copy
datafile copy file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/datafile/o1_mf_rcat_ts_7cqqvs26_.dbf RECID=30 STAMP=766855689
Finished backup at 10-NOV-11

remark: Using DELETE ALL INPUT ensure that all copy moved to tape are deleted from the disk.

remark: To backup a specific backup, you can use the Tag syntax

RMAN> backup device type sbt copy of database from tag 'MY_BACKUP' Tag 'TAPE_BACKUP' delete all input;

remark: To backup all archivelog to tape:

RMAN> backup device type sbt archivelog all delete all input;

Starting backup at 10-NOV-11
current log archived
using channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: starting archived log backup set
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: specifying archived log(s) in backup set
input archived log thread=1 sequence=267 RECID=96 STAMP=766855623
input archived log thread=1 sequence=268 RECID=97 STAMP=766855624
input archived log thread=1 sequence=269 RECID=98 STAMP=766855625
input archived log thread=1 sequence=270 RECID=99 STAMP=766855627
input archived log thread=1 sequence=271 RECID=101 STAMP=766855693
input archived log thread=1 sequence=272 RECID=102 STAMP=766861270
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: starting piece 1 at 10-NOV-11
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: finished piece 1 at 10-NOV-11
piece handle=4mmranun_1_1 tag=TAG20111110T170111 comment=API Version 2.0,MMS Version 8.1.3.0
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:00:01
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: deleting archived log(s)
archived log file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/archivelog/2011_11_10/o1_mf_1_267_7cqqsqln_.arc RECID=96 STAMP=766855623
archived log file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/archivelog/2011_11_10/o1_mf_1_267_7cqocxbx_.arc RECID=91 STAMP=766853133
archived log file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/archivelog/2011_11_10/o1_mf_1_267_7cqo77yt_.arc RECID=89 STAMP=766852984
archived log file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/archivelog/2011_11_10/o1_mf_1_268_7cqqsrps_.arc RECID=97 STAMP=766855624
archived log file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/archivelog/2011_11_10/o1_mf_1_268_7cqocyh3_.arc RECID=92 STAMP=766853134
archived log file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/archivelog/2011_11_10/o1_mf_1_268_7cqocw57_.arc RECID=90 STAMP=766853132
archived log file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/archivelog/2011_11_10/o1_mf_1_269_7cqqssvk_.arc RECID=98 STAMP=766855625
archived log file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/archivelog/2011_11_10/o1_mf_1_269_7cqolrj4_.arc RECID=94 STAMP=766853352
archived log file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/archivelog/2011_11_10/o1_mf_1_269_7cqok20g_.arc RECID=93 STAMP=766853298
archived log file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/archivelog/2011_11_10/o1_mf_1_270_7cqqsv0o_.arc RECID=99 STAMP=766855627
archived log file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/archivelog/2011_11_10/o1_mf_1_270_7cqqspg8_.arc RECID=95 STAMP=766855622
archived log file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/archivelog/2011_11_10/o1_mf_1_271_7cqqvxrq_.arc RECID=101 STAMP=766855693
archived log file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/archivelog/2011_11_10/o1_mf_1_271_7cqqvwjz_.arc RECID=100 STAMP=766855692
archived log file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/archivelog/2011_11_10/o1_mf_1_272_7cqxb5w9_.arc RECID=102 STAMP=766861270
Finished backup at 10-NOV-11

remark: To backup some datafile to tape:

RMAN> backup device type sbt copy of datafile 4,5 delete input;
Starting backup at 10-NOV-11
released channel: ORA_DISK_1
allocated channel: ORA_SBT_TAPE_1
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: SID=146 device type=SBT_TAPE
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: WARNING: Oracle Test Disk API
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: starting full datafile backup set
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: including datafile copy of datafile 00004 in backup set
input file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/datafile/o1_mf_users_7cqcf30k_.dbf
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: including datafile copy of datafile 00005 in backup set
input file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/datafile/o1_mf_rcat_ts_7cqprkm1_.dbf
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: starting piece 1 at 10-NOV-11
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: finished piece 1 at 10-NOV-11
piece handle=4omrao7v_1_1 comment=API Version 2.0,MMS Version 8.1.3.0
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:00:01
deleted datafile copy
datafile copy file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/datafile/o1_mf_users_7cqcf30k_.dbf RECID=21 STAMP=766842932
deleted datafile copy
datafile copy file name=/database/TEST/flash_recovery_area/TEST/datafile/o1_mf_rcat_ts_7cqprkm1_.dbf RECID=25 STAMP=766854561
Finished backup at 10-NOV-11

How to delete a copy of backup from a tape

To delete a copy of backupset from the tape, you can write :

RMAN> detele backupset <bs_key> device type sbt;

Transfering a copy of a backupset to tape

To copy a backupset to tape you can use the syntax

RMAN> backup device type sbt BACKUPSET <bs_key>;

To copy all backupset:

RMAN> backup device type sbt BACKUPSET ALL;

Transfering the recovery area to tape

It is possible to backup the recovery area to tape (not possible for device type disk)

RMAN> backup RECOVERY AREA;

note: The backup of recovery area doesn't backed up files that have been previously backed up. Use FORCE option to ensure that all files will be backed up each time the backup recovery area is called:

RMAN> BACKUP device type sbt RECOVERY AREA FORCE;

It is possible to copy all files of the recovery area even those how are not database files.

RMAN> backup RECOVERY FILES;