Using RMAN "copy datafile" to restore db on a different host

Question

Hi,
DB 8.1.7 (Standard Edition) on Windows Server 2000 SP4.
Database is in Archivelog mode. RMAN uses a catalog database.
The client does not want to spend money to upgrade the application (which only supports 8i - old app), therefore we have to relocate the database onto a new hardware (the machine is also old):
Here is how I backup the database every night (I also make an OS copy of archivelogs on an hourly basis):
echo run {
echo allocate channel d1 type disk;
echo backup
echo tag db_full
echo format '\\backupserver\backups\prodserver\rman\df_u%%u_s%%s_p%%p_t%%t'
echo database;
echo copy current controlfile to '\\backupserver\backups\prodserver\rman\DB_CONTROL01.ctl';
echo sql 'alter system archive log current';
echo backup
echo format '\\backupserver\backups\prodserver\rman\al_u%%u_s%%s_p%%p_t%%t'
echo archivelog all
echo delete input;
echo release channel d1;
echo resync catalog;
echo }
) | d:\orahome\bin\rman.exe target sys/***@db_ded rcvcat rman/rman@rpdb > D:\oracle_backup_db\rman_db_backup.logNow on a new 2003 server with database installed and rman catalog created, I am trying to restore my backups from the productions.
After reading some online documents forums, I noticed that if I do not have image copies of datafiles, controlfile, and archivelogs I CANNOT catalog them on this new database.
So, I want to create image copies when the database is in normal open state. What will I need to do get the new server to the same state as the production server? I know I will have to do media recovery, therefore copy and catalog the archivelogs created after the image copy was created.
What are the steps to do this?
If I create an image copy of a datafile on the production database and move that file to another location (to the new server with OS commands), will that affect a possible restore I might have to perform on the production database? I have space concerns on the production db so I do not want to keep them there and want to delete them after I test restoring them to the new server.
Is this the best method to move this database to a host with the same name same folder structure?
Thanks in advance,
Sinan

Answer 1

Hello;
I'm not a windows guy but you could move the database cold using scp.
Putty has PSCP here :
http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/download.html
You can create the scp batch file using SQL
set heading off
set feedback off
set pagesize 100
set linesize 400
select 'scp '||a.name ||' server_name:' || a.name as newname from v$datafile a;
select 'scp '||a.name ||' server_name:' || a.name as newname from v$controlfile a;
select 'scp '||a.member ||' server_name:' || a.member as newname from v$logfile a;So shutdown the database and move the files. Restart do your RMAN backup and your done.
The only issue I can is 2003 server probably does not have an SCP service like Unix.
Here's a couple links to address that :
http://mobassh.mobatek.net/
http://www.netadmintools.com/art516.html
Best Regards
mseberg