Keywords and Parameters

Syntax Element	Description
%a	Specifies the activation ID of the database.
%c	Specifies the copy number of the backup piece within a set of duplexed backup pieces. If you did not duplex a backup, then this variable is 1 for backup sets and 0 for proxy copies. If one of these commands is enabled, then the variable shows the copy number. The maximum value for %c is 256.
%d	Specifies the name of the database.
%D	Specifies the current day of the month from the Gregorian calendar in format DD.
%e	Specifies the archived log sequence number.
%f	Specifies the absolute file number.
%F	Combines the DBID, day, month, year, and sequence into a unique and repeatable generated name. This variable translates into c-IIIIIIIIII-YYYYMMDD-QQ, where: IIIIIIIIII stands for the DBID. The DBID is printed in decimal so that it can be easily associated with the target database. YYYYMMDD is a time stamp in the Gregorian calendar of the day the backup is generated QQ is the sequence in hexadecimal number that starts with 00 and has a maximum of 'FF' (256)
%h	Specifies the archived redo log thread number.
%I	Specifies the DBID.
%M	Specifies the month in the Gregorian calendar in format MM.
%N	Specifies the tablespace name.
%n	Specifies the name of the database, padded on the right with x characters to a total length of eight characters. For example, if the prod1 is the database name, then the padded name is prod1xxx.
%p	Specifies the piece number within the backup set. This value starts at 1 for each backup set and is incremented by 1 as each backup piece is created. Note: If you specify PROXY, then the %p variable must be included in the FORMAT string either explicitly or implicitly within %U.
%s	Specifies the backup set number. This number is a counter in the control file that is incremented for each backup set. The counter value starts at 1 and is unique for the lifetime of the control file. If you restore a backup control file, then duplicate values can result. Also, CREATE CONTROLFILE initializes the counter back to 1.
%t	Specifies the backup set time stamp, which is a 4-byte value derived as the number of seconds elapsed since a fixed reference time. The combination of %s and %t can be used to form a unique name for the backup set.
%T	Specifies the year, month, and day in the Gregorian calendar in this format: YYYYMMDD.
%u	Specifies an 8-character name constituted by compressed representations of the backup set or image copy number and the time the backup set or image copy was created.
%U	Specifies a system-generated unique filename (default). The meaning of %U is different for image copies and backup pieces. For a backup piece, %U specifies a convenient shorthand for %u_%p_%c that guarantees uniqueness in generated backup filenames. If you do not specify a format when making a backup, then RMAN uses %U by default. For an image copy of a datafile, %U means the following: data-D-%d_id-%I_TS-%N_FNO-%f_%u For an image copy of an archived redo velog, %U means the following: arch-D_%d-id-%I_S-%e_T-%h_A-%a_%u For an image copy of a control file, %U means the following: cf-D_%d-id-%I_%u
%Y	Specifies the year in this format: YYYY.
%%	Specifies the literal '%' character. For example, %%Y translates to the string %Y.

Example

Specifying an ASM Disk Group: Example This example copies the database to ASM disk group disk1:

BACKUP AS COPY DATABASE FORMAT '+disk1'; 

Specifying a Format for Datafile Copies: Example This example creates copies of three datafiles with tag 'LATESTCOPY' to directory /copies:

# Create copies of 3 datafiles with tag 'LATESTCOPY' to directory /copies
BACKUP AS COPY 
  FROM TAG 'LATESCOPY' 
  COPY OF DATAFILE 4, 6, 14 
  FORMAT '/copies/Datafile%f_Database%d';

Creating a Database Copy for Use as a Standby Database: Example This example creates an image copy of the database to instantiate a physical standby in /stby:

# Create an image copy of the database to instantiate physical standby in /stby 
BACKUP AS COPY 
  DATABASE 
  FORMAT '/stby/standby_file_%f_of_db_%I';