Gary, I second this user's comments. Is it possible to get a valid backup while the database is up? Yes, it is but it is just plain silly (at the very least), to plan to do so. Whether or not this backup is good depends on no activity and if there's no activity, why not just shut it down and do the copy. If this is a development system, you're better off shutting it down to back it up. If it is production, it should be in archivelog mode and you can leave it up but do nightly 'hot' backups by putting the tablespaces in backup mode. I agree with you, I would not routinely, as a plan, write these files to tape (unless, perhaps, your setup allows you to write these files to the same tape(s) each night). If one were to make a list of different ways to backup this database and list them in order of best to worst, this idea of online copies would honestly be near or at the bottom.
Hope this helps. Darrell >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 03/14/03 10:54AM >>> no no no no no no If he is REALLY lucky, and no one is using the database at the instant he does all the copies (and I mean the OS as well), then MAYBE, POSSIBLY, if the Tooth Fairy and Easter Bunny are present and bless the copy, he might have a valid backup. But I wouldn't bet my job on it. He needs to have either a noarchivelog "cold" backup (database shutdown) done, which will restore to that point in time, or an archivelog "cold" backup (database shutdown) which will allow you to roll forward providing you also have the archived logs or an archivelog "hot" backup (database up, tablespaces in "begin backup" mode) which will allow you to let anyone keep working while you do the backup and then allow you to roll forward providing you have the archived logs. Prove it to him: bet him something that will hurt him to lose, then do the copy the way he wants and try to start up the database. Just to ensure sure you prove your point, have some transaction that modifies data running in the database. If you can, make sure that that transaction is active enough to cycle through ALL your online logs and loop back to the first one. --- Gary Chambers <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > All... > > A developer working on a Solaris 2.6 server running Oracle 7.3.4 > desires > a nightly backup (by simply copying them to a backup directory) of > the > datafiles of an active instance. I explain that it will be a waste > of > tape because the files will be corrupt and useless. He counters, "As > long as these files are there, irrespective of their state, oracle > [sic] > provides the tools to restore the skeleton database based on these > files." > > Will this be the case? I understand that there will [most likely] be > some loss of data, but will Oracle "fix" itself to a point where it's > useful again? TIA > > Gary Chambers > > //-------------------------------------- > // Lucent Technologies ITO/Servers/Unix > // Senior Unix System Administrator > // 4 Robbins Road, Westford, MA 01886 > // 978-399-0481 / 888-480-6924 (Pager) > // Nothing fancy and nothing Microsoft > //-------------------------------------- > > > -- > Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.net > -- > Author: Gary Chambers > INET: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Fat City Network Services -- 858-538-5051 http://www.fatcity.com > San Diego, California -- Mailing list and web hosting services > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > 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). > __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Web Hosting - establish your business online http://webhosting.yahoo.com -- Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.net -- Author: Rachel Carmichael INET: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Fat City Network Services -- 858-538-5051 http://www.fatcity.com San Diego, California -- Mailing list and web hosting services --------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.net -- Author: Darrell Landrum INET: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Fat City Network Services -- 858-538-5051 http://www.fatcity.com San Diego, California -- Mailing list and web hosting services --------------------------------------------------------------------- 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).
