Recover Database in RMAN vs SQL*PLUS

Question

Hello,
Oracle 11.2.0.1, Oracle Linux 5.5 UEK.
I recently did a "recover database" in sql*plus, but an attempt to open the database gave ORA-01113, complaining the system tablespace requried more recovery. Then I used RMAN (nocatalog) and after the same "recover database" command I was able to open the database.
It seems there are differences between SQL*PLUS and RMAN "recover database" command. I have not been able to locate the chapter in the Oracle documentation that explains the difference. I have some ideas, but...
Thanks.
h3. Solution Summary:
The recover command in RMAN compared to SQL*Plus implements a more user friendly processing logic based on the current detected scenario. For instance, a RMAN recover database command may actually perform a "recover database using backup controlfile until cancel" and automatically apply all archived and online redo logs if available. The same can be achieved with the recover command in SQL*plus, but will have to be done manually.
Edited by: Dude on Jan 7, 2011 12:30 PM

Answer 1

Dude wrote:
I did not remove any datafiles or redo logs. it is the same restore operation as before, and again RMAN "recovery database" succeeds, whereas SQL recover has trouble. This tells me something is different between the two methods. For one, RMAN does not requrie to specify "using backup controlfile".
Maybe someting about "resetlogs" that that RMAN recover can handle and SQL recover not?No,problem is there.If you using rman execute RECOVER DATABASE it also will apply online logs(if available) also and as result you will get complete recovery however you must open database with resetlogs option due to you recovered database using backup controlfile.So also you can recover and open database applying this online logs.After executing RECOVER DATABASE USING BACKUP CONTROLFILE you have to pass full path of online log then press ENTER so log will apply and you can open database with RESETLOGS.See below
C:\Documents and Settings\chinar>rman target sys/sm
Recovery Manager: Release 10.2.0.1.0 - Production on Fri Jan 7 17:47:49 2011
Copyright (c) 1982, 2005, Oracle.  All rights reserved.
connected to target database (not started)
RMAN> startup nomount;
Oracle instance started
Total System Global Area     138412032 bytes
Fixed Size                     1247708 bytes
Variable Size                 71304740 bytes
Database Buffers              58720256 bytes
Redo Buffers                   7139328 bytes
RMAN> restore controlfile from 'D:\oracle\product\10.2.0\flash_recovery_area\T\B
ACKUPSET\2011_01_07\O1_MF_NCSNF_TAG20110107T171001_6LG48JR5_.BKP'
2> ;
Starting restore at 07-JAN-11
using target database control file instead of recovery catalog
allocated channel: ORA_DISK_1
channel ORA_DISK_1: sid=157 devtype=DISK
channel ORA_DISK_1: restoring control file
channel ORA_DISK_1: restore complete, elapsed time: 00:00:03
output filename=D:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\T\CONTROL01.CTL
output filename=D:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\T\CONTROL02.CTL
output filename=D:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\T\CONTROL03.CTL
Finished restore at 07-JAN-11
RMAN> alter database mount;
database mounted
released channel: ORA_DISK_1
RMAN> restore database;
Starting restore at 07-JAN-11
Starting implicit crosscheck backup at 07-JAN-11
allocated channel: ORA_DISK_1
channel ORA_DISK_1: sid=156 devtype=DISK
Crosschecked 1 objects
Finished implicit crosscheck backup at 07-JAN-11
Starting implicit crosscheck copy at 07-JAN-11
using channel ORA_DISK_1
Finished implicit crosscheck copy at 07-JAN-11
searching for all files in the recovery area
cataloging files...
cataloging done
List of Cataloged Files
=======================
File Name: D:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\FLASH_RECOVERY_AREA\T\BACKUPSET\2011_01_07\O
1_MF_NCSNF_TAG20110107T171001_6LG48JR5_.BKP
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 D:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\T\SYSTEM01.DBF
restoring datafile 00002 to D:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\T\UNDOTBS01.DBF
restoring datafile 00003 to D:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\T\SYSAUX01.DBF
restoring datafile 00004 to D:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\T\USERS01.DBF
channel ORA_DISK_1: reading from backup piece D:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\FLASH_REC
OVERY_AREA\T\BACKUPSET\2011_01_07\O1_MF_NNNDF_TAG20110107T171001_6LG45BXS_.BKP
channel ORA_DISK_1: restored backup piece 1
piece handle=D:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\FLASH_RECOVERY_AREA\T\BACKUPSET\2011_01_07
\O1_MF_NNNDF_TAG20110107T171001_6LG45BXS_.BKP tag=TAG20110107T171001
channel ORA_DISK_1: restore complete, elapsed time: 00:01:04
Finished restore at 07-JAN-11
RMAN> recover database;
Starting recover at 07-JAN-11
using channel ORA_DISK_1
starting media recovery
archive log thread 1 sequence 7 is already on disk as file D:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.
2.0\ORADATA\T\REDO02.LOG
archive log filename=D:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\T\REDO02.LOG thread=1 sequ
ence=7
media recovery complete, elapsed time: 00:00:03
Finished recover at 07-JAN-11
RMAN> exit
Recovery Manager complete.
C:\Documents and Settings\chinar>sqlplus sys/sm as sysdba
SQL*Plus: Release 10.2.0.1.0 - Production on Fri Jan 7 17:51:31 2011
Copyright (c) 1982, 2005, Oracle.  All rights reserved.
Connected to:
Oracle Database 10g Enterprise Edition Release 10.2.0.1.0 - Production
With the Partitioning, OLAP and Data Mining options
SQL> alter database open;
alter database open
ERROR at line 1:
ORA-01589: must use RESETLOGS or NORESETLOGS option for database open
SQL> alter database open resetlogs;
Database altered.
SQL> And above you see lines as
archive log thread 1 sequence 7 is already on disk as file D:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.
*2.0\ORADATA\T\REDO02.LOG*
archive log filename=D:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\T\REDO02.LOG thread=1 sequ
ence=7
It means RMAN apply these.So you can apply these using SQLPLUS ALSO.In additionally you can see that from alert log as
alter database recover if needed
start until cancel using backup controlfile
Media Recovery Start
parallel recovery started with 2 processes
ORA-279 signalled during: alter database recover if needed
start until cancel using backup controlfile
Fri Jan 07 17:50:34 2011
alter database recover logfile 'D:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\T\REDO02.LOG'
Fri Jan 07 17:50:34 2011
Media Recovery Log D:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\T\REDO02.LOG
Fri Jan 07 17:50:34 2011
Incomplete recovery applied all redo ever generated.
Recovery completed through change 665263
Completed: alter database recover logfile 'D:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\T\REDO02.LOG'And finally you see clearly that even if you execute RECOVER DATABASE from RMAN it actually execute RECOVER DATABASE UNTIL CANCEL USING BACKUP CONTROLFILE (from alert.log start  until cancel using backup controlfile)
And these is not any difference.
Hope that help you and you got answer.