ORA-279 signalled during: ALTER DATABASE RECOVER automatic standby databas

Question

Hi,
oracle server:8.1.7.0.0
os:solaris 5.9
we created standby server by taking coldbackup of primary server and we are using rsync to syschronize the archive log files between production and standby servers but every over we recover the standby server by executing
sql>recover automatic standby database:
but in alert log file i am getting the following error :
but when i googled for ora-279 error some people says it is default behaviour and can it be ignored and why it is asking next logfile.
Media Recovery Log /oratranslog/arch_1_1701118.arc
Wed Mar 26 21:35:34 2008
Media Recovery Log /oratranslog/arch_1_1701119.arc
Wed Mar 26 21:35:54 2008
Media Recovery Log /oratranslog/arch_1_1701120.arc
ORA-279 signalled during: ALTER DATABASE RECOVER automatic standby database...
Wed Mar 26 21:36:24 2008
ALTER DATABASE RECOVER CANCEL
Wed Mar 26 21:36:24 2008
Media Recovery Cancelled
Completed: ALTER DATABASE RECOVER CANCEL
Thanks and Regards
Prakash
juniour oracle dba

Answer 1

damorgan,
He is running 8.1.7.0. "DataGuard" scripts were initially available for 9i and then
backported (and available as a seperate download) for 8i. Many 8i implementations
did not and do not use DataGuard.
Even if it is "Jurassic" {which it certainly is NOT}, they obviously do have a good
reason for setting up a standby -- they DO have data of value. So, maybe they have
not upgraded to 9i or 10g. There could be a dozen reasons
1. Server HW/OS doesn't support 9i/10g, not budgetting for Server upgrade
2. Application using Forms 2.x or 4.5 and not tested on 9i / 10g (4.5 not certified
on 9i)
3. Low end client PCs working perfectly with Character-mode forms, not powerful
enought to run Jinitiator and Forms 6i / 9i
Just because someone hasn't upgraded to 10g doesn't mean that they are at fault
when you do NOT know the reason why they have not upgraded.
Surely, they do know that 8i is desupported. Don't you think that their management
has undertaken due diligence / cost-benefit analysis in considering whether they
should upgrade to 10g ?
Maybe they have another project implementing 10g in parallel and will be able
to shutdown this environment soon. Maybe they don't need to do so.
Do understand that people are intelligent enough to make their own decisions
considering their particular circumstances and don't go shooting off with your
assumption that anyone not running 10g is a dinosaur.