Applying archivelogs to test disaster recovery database

Question

Database: 10.2.0.2
OS: RHEL
Goal: (1) To test the ability to rebuild a database using backupset and archivelogs.
(2) To roll forward the test DR database by applying archivelogs from the production database.
I am using rman but not a catalog.
I restored and recovered the production database to a new, separate server, making a second database with the same DBID. I felt proud of myself for a moment.
The production database now has archivelogs past the time of the backup that was restored and recovered to the test DR database. In a simulated production database failure, I want to apply those archivelogs to the DR database in order to roll forward the DR database to the point of failure in the production database. Everyone except me seems to know how to do this. I feel a lot less proud now.
Yes I have read the rman manuals, all of them, and several times - yes, I have read through the forums and read asktom and metalink. I must be unintentionally overlooking some crucial info and concepts.
My production database has generated archivelogs passed the last sequence known to my DR database. I don't know how to tell the DR database to recover these new archivelogs.
Another post on this form directs one to use the command: "recover database until cancel". I get a syntax error. So I tried recover until time, which runs, but does not apply the new archivelogs. Must I update the DR database controlfile with a post-last-backup copy from the production database in order to apply these archivelogs? Must a catalog be used?
Thank you for any assistance.

Answer 1

What seems to work is:
1) to restore the database using the controlfile from the backup,
2) to issue the command 'alter database recover until cancel using backup control file' from sqlplus,
3) to respond to each ORA-00279 with 'alter database recover continue default' also from sqlplus and until all the archivelogs have been applied, including archivelogs with sequences subsequent to the backup, then 'alter database recover cancel'.
4) to issue the command 'alter database open resetlogs'.
The above steps allow the available archivelogs to roll the database forward beyond the point in time recorded at the time of the hot backup.
Metalink Note:161742.1 was helpful determining this information, yet it seems to conflict with Tom Kyte's statement that one should avoid using the backup controlfile whenever possible: http://asktom.oracle.com/pls/ask/f?p=4950:8:::::F4950_P8_DISPLAYID:894628342039#29824708782039
Perhaps the conflict is due to the difference between a restore/recovery and a restore/recovery to a new server?
Do the above steps seem to be the best practice for restoring/recovering a database to a new server?
Thank you.