Backing Up in NOARCHIVELOG Mode: Example

Backing Up in NOARCHIVELOG Mode: Example

This script puts the database into the correct mode for a consistent, whole database backup and then backs up the database. The script performs a shutdown, startup, shutdown, and then startup again before creating multiple copies of the backup:

# Shut down database cleanly with immediate option. This type of shutdown lets
# current calls to the database complete, but prevents further logons or calls.
# If the database is not up, you receive a message saying so but RMAN will not
# treat this situation as an error.
SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATE;

# Start up the database in case it suffered instance failure or was
# closed with SHUTDOWN ABORT before starting this script.
# The script performs instance recovery if
# needed. Oracle uses the default init.ora file. Alternatively, use this form:
# STARTUP FORCE DBA pfile=filename.
# Use the DBA option because you are going to shut down again
# and do not want to let users in during the short interval. Use the FORCE
# option because it cannot hurt and might help in certain situations.
STARTUP FORCE DBA;
SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATE;

# The database is cleanly closed and ready for a consistent backup. RMAN
# requires that the database be started and mounted to perform a backup.
RMAN> STARTUP MOUNT;

# this example uses automatic channels to make the backup
BACKUP
COPIES 2
INCREMENTAL LEVEL 0
MAXSETSIZE 10M
DATABASE
INCLUDE CURRENT CONTROLFILE
TAG 'BACKUP_1'
;

# Now that the backup is complete, open the database.
ALTER DATABASE OPEN;
Note the inclusion of the current control file with the backup, and the use of the tag to identify the backup. To use this backup of the database, the control file must be restored from the same backup as the rest of the database. Adding INCLUDE CURRENT CONTROLFILE ensures that a usable backup of the control file is included with the backup and tagged in order to simplify restoring the control file with the rest of the database.

You can skip tablespaces, such as read-only tablespaces, but any skipped tablespace that has not been offline or read-only since its last backup is lost if the database has to be restored from a backup.