Dennis,
I believe that Note 73974.1 - "Restoring and RMAN Backup to Another Node" has the details you are looking for. Essentially, when you need to recover to another server that does not have mount points or file systems directory names that match in name and size, you need to rename your datafiles and then do a switch datafiles before you recover the database. If you want to, you can restore the datafiles you need to files of different names that include the different, new file directory while you are restoring them. It's pretty cool. Following is an excerpt from a restore to a different host that I was doing this weekend: run { allocate channel c1 type 'sbt_tape'; set newname for datafile 1 to '/oraprd01/DWPRD02/DWPRD02_system_01.dbf'; set newname for datafile 2 to '/oraprd01/DWPRD02/DWPRD02_rbs_01.dbf'; set newname for datafile 3 to '/oraprd01/DWPRD02/DWPRD02_rbs2_01.dbf'; set newname for datafile 4 to '/oraprd01/DWPRD02/DWPRD02_temp_01.dbf'; . . . set newname for datafile 146 to '/oraqatmp/DWPRD02/DWPRD02_exp_rpt_hdr_data_01.d bf'; set newname for datafile 147 to '/oraqatmp/DWPRD02/DWPRD02_lg_data02_21.dbf'; set newname for datafile 148 to '/oraqatmp/DWPRD02/DWPRD02_precise_temp02.dbf'; restore database; # There is no need to manually catalog any archivelogs before the recovery, # as Recovery Manager does an implicit catalog resync from the current # control file. # But, once an RMAN recover database command fails, manual restoring archivelogs # and using Server Manager to recover may be required. switch datafile all; recover database; HTH, Cherie Machler Oracle DBA Gelco Information Network DENNIS WILLIAMS <DWILLIAMS@LIFE To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> TOUCH.COM> cc: Sent by: Subject: RE: RMAN disaster recovery [EMAIL PROTECTED] m 11/30/01 03:05 PM Please respond to ORACLE-L Thanks for the input, Cherie, Kimberly, Tom The part I'm still uncertain is as follows - see the sentence in caps below: On my current system let's say I have RMAN write its backup file to a disk location "/ora01". I also have my RMAN catalog on a separate server, and have written an export to my backup tape also. After my disaster, my hardware vendor offers me the use of a comparable system at a different location. I grab my backup tape and get in the car. And if it is a real disaster, maybe it is the older backup out of the off-site vault. Let's assume that Oracle is already installed on this new system just to move the story along as Hollywood would say. I load my RMAN catalog. I START TO LOAD THE RMAN BACKUP FILE TO /ora01 AND DISCOVER THE NEW SYSTEM DOESN'T HAVE THAT DEVICE. Do I simply create a link and RMAN will be fine with that? I fire up RMAN and start the recovery process. Using the syntax Tom provided, I should be able to account for any other device naming or path naming problems. Kimberly - we aren't quite talking about the need for a standby database. This manager's point, and I feel it is a good one, is that if you have been making backups and storing them off-site, you should be able to mount those backups on a new machine and get your system back. Eventually. Given a lot of time. If something catastrophic happens and you say that because the company didn't spend the big bucks for a duplicate remote data center with a standby database, the recovery will take a week, that would be survivable. But if you say that because you switched to this really keen backup method there is just no way to ever get the data back, well you better make sure your resume was off-site as well. Naturally before we quit making weekly cold backups we are going to have to actually test this scenario. I assume that the same applies to your sites also. Dennis Williams DBA Lifetouch, Inc. [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- Sent: Friday, November 30, 2001 11:52 AM To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L Also, if that is the type of recovery he wants then sell him on a standby database. If you lose your server that severely you will only be able to get back to the last backup regardless of where your recovery catalog is (hopefully on another server or at least backed up). -----Original Message----- Killough Sent: Friday, November 30, 2001 7:11 AM To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L I have never tried to burn my servers to ash, but I usually try to put the rman catalog on a different server than the ones that it is backing up. You also need to backup the catalog, which I do w/ a nightly export. >From: DENNIS WILLIAMS <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: RMAN disaster recovery >Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2001 06:25:23 -0800 > >I am wondering how RMAN would work for disaster recovery. Our manager's >statement is "assume your server is reduced to a pile of ash. Now take your >backup tape and build me a new system on a loaner from the vendor." I am >trying to figure how that would work with RMAN. We are still at the stage >of >just using RMAN to create disk copies, and we are on Compaq Tru64 UNIX. He >wants us to demonstrate that level of recoverability, but I'm not sure how >that would work. I think we could assume that we have a database to load >the >RMAN catalog from an export. > One issue would be whether the disk location of the RMAN files might >be different, and I'm not sure how to get RMAN to accept a different >location. A more minor issue is if the database file locations are >different, but I think that is pretty well documented. > Has anyone else tried this? What am I overlooking? Any ideas will be >appreciated. >Dennis Williams >DBA >Lifetouch, Inc. >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >-- >Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com >-- >Author: DENNIS WILLIAMS > INET: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Fat City Network Services -- (858) 538-5051 FAX: (858) 538-5051 >San Diego, California -- Public Internet access / Mailing Lists >-------------------------------------------------------------------- >To REMOVE yourself from this mailing list, send an E-Mail message >to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (note EXACT spelling of 'ListGuru') and in >the message BODY, include a line containing: UNSUB ORACLE-L >(or the name of mailing list you want to be removed from). You may >also send the HELP command for other information (like subscribing). _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp -- Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com -- Author: Mike Killough INET: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Fat City Network Services -- (858) 538-5051 FAX: (858) 538-5051 San Diego, California -- Public Internet access / Mailing Lists -------------------------------------------------------------------- To REMOVE yourself from this mailing list, send an E-Mail message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (note EXACT spelling of 'ListGuru') and in the message BODY, include a line containing: UNSUB ORACLE-L (or the name of mailing list you want to be removed from). You may also send the HELP command for other information (like subscribing). -- Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com -- Author: Kimberly Smith INET: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Fat City Network Services -- (858) 538-5051 FAX: (858) 538-5051 San Diego, California -- Public Internet access / Mailing Lists -------------------------------------------------------------------- To REMOVE yourself from this mailing list, send an E-Mail message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (note EXACT spelling of 'ListGuru') and in the message BODY, include a line containing: UNSUB ORACLE-L (or the name of mailing list you want to be removed from). You may also send the HELP command for other information (like subscribing). -- Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com -- Author: DENNIS WILLIAMS INET: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Fat City Network Services -- (858) 538-5051 FAX: (858) 538-5051 San Diego, California -- Public Internet access / Mailing Lists -------------------------------------------------------------------- To REMOVE yourself from this mailing list, send an E-Mail message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (note EXACT spelling of 'ListGuru') and in the message BODY, include a line containing: UNSUB ORACLE-L (or the name of mailing list you want to be removed from). You may also send the HELP command for other information (like subscribing). -- Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com -- Author: INET: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Fat City Network Services -- (858) 538-5051 FAX: (858) 538-5051 San Diego, California -- Public Internet access / Mailing Lists -------------------------------------------------------------------- To REMOVE yourself from this mailing list, send an E-Mail message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (note EXACT spelling of 'ListGuru') and in the message BODY, include a line containing: UNSUB ORACLE-L (or the name of mailing list you want to be removed from). You may also send the HELP command for other information (like subscribing).