Can we use online redo log to recover lost datafile in NOARCHIVE mode?

Question

I am working on OCA exam and confued about these 2 sample questions. (similar questions with totally different answer)
Please give me hint about the different between these 2 questions.
** If the database is in NOARCHIVELOG mode, and one of the datafile for tablespace USERS is lost, what kind of recovery is possible? (answer: B)
A. All transactions except those in the USERS tablespace are recoverable up to the loss of the datafile.
B. Recovery is possible only up to the point in time of the last full database backup.
C. The USERS tablespace is recoverable from the online redo log file as long as none of the redo log files have been reused since the last backup.
D. Tablespace point in time recovery is available as long as a full backup of the USERS tablespace exists.
** The database of your company is running in the NOARCHIVELOG mode. You perform a complete backup of the database every night. On Monday morning, you lose the USER1.dbf file belonging to the USERS tablespace. Your database has four redo log groups, and there have been two log switches since Sunday night's backup.
Which is true (answer: B)
A. The database cannot be recovered.
B. The database can be recovered up to the last commit.
C. The database can be recovered only up to the last completed backup.
D. The database can be recovered by performing an incomplete recovery.
E. The database can be recovered by restoring only the USER!.dbf datafile from the most recent backup.

Answer 1

I think Gaurav is correct, you can recover to the last commit even in NOARCHIVELOG, as long as all the changes in the redo logs have not been overwritten. So answer should be B for question 2.
Here is my test:
SQL> select log_mode from v$database;
LOG_MODE
NOARCHIVELOG
SQL> select tablespace_name, file_name from dba_data_files;
TABLESPACE_NAME
FILE_NAME
USERS
C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\ORA101RC\USERS01.DBF
SYSAUX
C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\ORA101RC\SYSAUX01.DBF
UNDOTBS1
C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\ORA101RC\UNDOTBS01.DBF
SYSTEM
C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\ORA101RC\SYSTEM01.DBF
DATA
C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\ORA101RC\DATA01.DBF
SQL> create table names
2 ( name varchar(16))
3 tablespace users;
Table created.
so this segment 'names' is created in the datafile users01.
At this point I shut down and mount the DB, then:
RMAN> backup database;
channel ORA_DISK_1: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:00:29
Finished backup at 06-OCT-07
SQL>alter database open
SQL> insert into names values ('pippo');
1 row created.
SQL> commit;
Commit complete.
SQL>shutdown immediate;
Database closed.
Database dismounted.
ORACLE instance shut down.
At this point I delete datafile users01 and restart:
SQL> startup
ORACLE instance started.
Total System Global Area 167772160 bytes
Fixed Size 1247900 bytes
Variable Size 67110244 bytes
Database Buffers 96468992 bytes
Redo Buffers 2945024 bytes
Database mounted.
ORA-01157: cannot identify/lock data file 4 - see DBWR trace file
ORA-01110: data file 4: 'C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\ORA101RC\USERS01.DBF'
restoring the backup taken before inserting the value 'pippo' in table names:
RMAN> restore database;
Starting restore at 06-OCT-07
using channel ORA_DISK_1
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting datafile backupset restore
channel ORA_DISK_1: specifying datafile(s) to restore from backup set
restoring datafile 00001 to C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\ORA101RC\SYSTEM01.D
BF
restoring datafile 00002 to C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\ORA101RC\UNDOTBS01.
DBF
restoring datafile 00003 to C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\ORA101RC\SYSAUX01.D
BF
restoring datafile 00004 to C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\ORA101RC\USERS01.DB
F
restoring datafile 00005 to C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\ORA101RC\DATA01.DBF
channel ORA_DISK_1: reading from backup piece C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\DB_1\DATA
BASE\0AITR52K_1_1
channel ORA_DISK_1: restored backup piece 1
piece handle=C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\DB_1\DATABASE\0AITR52K_1_1 tag=TAG20071006
T181337
channel ORA_DISK_1: restore complete, elapsed time: 00:02:07
Finished restore at 06-OCT-07
RMAN> recover database;
Starting recover at 06-OCT-07
using channel ORA_DISK_1
starting media recovery
media recovery complete, elapsed time: 00:00:05
Finished recover at 06-OCT-07
SQL> alter database open;
Database altered.
SQL> select * from names;
NAME
pippo
SQL>
enrico