Retention policy for specific backupset

Question

Hi,
Actually I am envolved in a Proof Of Concept for Exadata. My customer wants to set a specific rentention for one backupset. These are the steps followed and the problem:
1. Perform a "backup as backupset" for database to disk.
2. Perform a "backup backupset" to tape for the backup of step 1.
3. Change the retention policy only for the backup of step 2 and set it to be kept until sysdate+x days.
Does anyone know how can be this done?
Best regards.

Answer 1

You will need to create two different backup one to device type DISK with default retention and another backup to device type SBT_TAPE with specific retention.
The SAME backup (backupset) cannot have two different retention (even if it's a copy). The copy of backupset belongs to a Backup which already has it own retention.
see this example:
RMAN> backup current controlfile ;
Starting backup at 17-OCT-12
allocated channel: ORA_DISK_1
channel ORA_DISK_1: SID=10 device type=DISK
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting compressed full datafile backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: specifying datafile(s) in backup set
including current control file in backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting piece 1 at 17-OCT-12
channel ORA_DISK_1: finished piece 1 at 17-OCT-12
piece handle=/u01/app/oracle/flash_recovery_area/ORCL/backupset/2012_10_17/o1_mf_ncnnf_TAG20121017T145951_87xwjrjn_.bkp tag=TAG20121017T145951 comment=NONE
channel ORA_DISK_1: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:00:04
Finished backup at 17-OCT-12
RMAN> backup backupset from tag TAG20121017T145951 ;
Starting backup at 17-OCT-12
allocated channel: ORA_SBT_TAPE_1
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: SID=10 device type=SBT_TAPE
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: Data Protection for Oracle: version 5.5.1.0
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: input backup set: count=14735, stamp=796921191, piece=1
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: starting piece 1 at 17-OCT-12
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: backup piece /u01/app/oracle/flash_recovery_area/ORCL/backupset/2012_10_17/o1_mf_ncnnf_TAG20121017T145951_87xwjrjn_.bkp
piece handle=BKP_CONTROL_ORCL_14735_1_20121017_2 comment=API Version 2.0,MMS Version 5.5.1.0
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: finished piece 1 at 17-OCT-12
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: backup piece complete, elapsed time: 00:00:04
Finished backup at 17-OCT-12
RMAN> list backup;
BS Key  Type LV Size
14667   Full    1.11M
  Control File Included: Ckp SCN: 142367578    Ckp time: 17-OCT-12
  Backup Set Copy #1 of backup set 14667
  Device Type Elapsed Time Completion Time Compressed Tag
  DISK        00:00:02     17-OCT-12       YES        TAG20121017T145951
    List of Backup Pieces for backup set 14667 Copy #1
    BP Key  Pc# Status      Piece Name
    14667   1   AVAILABLE   /u01/app/oracle/flash_recovery_area/ORCL/backupset/2012_10_17/o1_mf_ncnnf_TAG20121017T145951_87xwjrjn_.bkp
  Backup Set Copy #2 of backup set 14667
  Device Type Elapsed Time Completion Time Compressed Tag
  SBT_TAPE    00:00:02     17-OCT-12       YES        TAG20121017T145951
    List of Backup Pieces for backup set 14667 Copy #2
    BP Key  Pc# Status      Media                   Piece Name
    14668   1   AVAILABLE   44531                   BKP_CONTROL_ORCL_14735_1_20121017_2
RMAN> change backuppiece 14668 keep forever logs;
using channel ORA_DISK_1
using channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-00569: =============== ERROR MESSAGE STACK FOLLOWS ===============
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-03002: failure of KEEP command at 10/17/2012 15:02:24
RMAN-06528: CHANGE ... KEEP not supported for BACKUPPIECEIn example above the BACKUPSET 14667 have two BACKUPPIECE (14667,14668) if you change retention of BACKUPSET 14667 you will change retention of both BACKUPPIECE.
I don't recommend do this ,but is a poor option:
RMAN> delete backuppiece 14667;
using channel ORA_DISK_1
using channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1
List of Backup Pieces
BP Key  BS Key  Pc# Cp# Status      Device Type Piece Name
14667   14667   1   1   AVAILABLE   DISK        /u01/app/oracle/flash_recovery_area/ORCL/backupset/2012_10_17/o1_mf_ncnnf_TAG20121017T145951_87xwjrjn_.bkp
Do you really want to delete the above objects (enter YES or NO)? yes
deleted backup piece
backup piece handle=/u01/app/oracle/flash_recovery_area/ORCL/backupset/2012_10_17/o1_mf_ncnnf_TAG20121017T145951_87xwjrjn_.bkp RECID=14667 STAMP=796921192
Deleted 1 objects
RMAN> list backup;
BS Key  Type LV Size       Device Type Elapsed Time Completion Time
14667   Full    1.11M      SBT_TAPE    00:00:02     17-OCT-12
        BP Key: 14668   Status: AVAILABLE  Compressed: YES  Tag: TAG20121017T145951
        Handle: BKP_CONTROL_ORCL_14735_1_20121017_2   Media: 44531
  Control File Included: Ckp SCN: 142367578    Ckp time: 17-OCT-12
RMAN> change backupset 14667   keep forever;
using channel ORA_DISK_1
using channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1
keep attributes for the backup are changed
backup will never be obsolete
backup set key=14667   RECID=14667 STAMP=796921193
RMAN > list backup;
BS Key  Type LV Size       Device Type Elapsed Time Completion Time
14667    Full    1.11M      SBT_TAPE    00:00:02     17-OCT-12
        BP Key: 14667   Status: AVAILABLE  Compressed: YES  Tag: TAG20121017T145951
        Handle: BKP_CONTROL_ORCL_14735_1_20121017_2   Media: 44531
        Keep: BACKUP_LOGS        Until: FOREVER
  Control File Included: Ckp SCN: 142367578    Ckp time: 17-OCT-12Edited by: Levi Pereira on Oct 17, 2012 4:02 PM