RMAN CATALOG

RMAN Catalog is a database schema that contains RMAN metadata for a set of target databases.

Creating a Recovery Catalog and Registering a Database

Assume that you start SQL*Plus and connect to the recovery catalog catdb with administrator privileges. You execute the CREATE USER statement as follows, replacing password with a user-specified password. The SQL statement creates a user rco in database catdb and grant the rco user the RECOVERY_CATALOG_OWNER role.

SQL> CREATE USER rco IDENTIFIED BY password
  2  DEFAULT TABLESPACE cattbs
  3  QUOTA UNLIMITED ON cattbs;
SQL> GRANT recovery_catalog_owner TO rco;
SQL> EXIT

You then start RMAN and run the following RMAN commands to connect to the recovery catalog database as rco and create the recovery catalog:

RMAN> CONNECT CATALOG [email protected]

recovery catalog database Password: password
connected to recovery catalog database

RMAN> CREATE CATALOG;

In the same RMAN session, you connect to a target database using operating system authentication and use the REGISTER DATABASE command to register this database in the catalog:

RMAN> CONNECT TARGET /
RMAN> REGISTER DATABASE;
RMAN> EXIT

Creating a Virtual Private Catalog

You create the vpc1 user and grant recovery catalog ownership as follows, replacing password with a user-specified password:

SQL> CREATE USER vpc1 IDENTIFIED BY password
  2  DEFAULT TABLESPACE vpcusers;
SQL> GRANT CREATE SESSION TO vpc1;
SQL> EXIT

You then start RMAN and connect to the recovery catalog database as the catalog owner rco. By default, the virtual catalog owner has no access to the base recovery catalog. You use the GRANT command to grant virtual private catalog access to vpc1 for RMAN operations on database prod1 (but not prod2):

RMAN> CONNECT CATALOG [email protected]
 
recovery catalog database Password: password
connected to recovery catalog database

RMAN> GRANT CATALOG FOR DATABASE prod1 TO vpc1;
RMAN> EXIT;

Now the backup operator who will use virtual private catalog vpc1 is ready to create the virtual catalog. In the following example, the backup operator connects to the recovery catalog database as vpc1 and registers the database prod1 with vpc1.

The virtual private catalog is created automatically when catalog privileges are granted to the virtual private catalog owner.

RMAN> CONNECT CATALOG [email protected]

recovery catalog database Password: password
connected to recovery catalog database

RMAN> REGISTER DATABASE prod1;
RMAN> EXIT;

Cataloging a Data File Copy as an Incremental Backup

Assume that you used a Linux utility to back up the users01.dbf data file to /disk2/backup/users01.bak. This example catalogs the data file copy as an incremental level 0 backup and then lists all copies.

CATALOG DATAFILECOPY '/disk2/backup/users01.bak' LEVEL 0;
LIST COPY;

Cataloging Multiple Copies in a Directory

This example catalogs a directory full of archived redo log files that were copied into the /disk2/archlog directory with an operating system utility. The example includes sample output.

CATALOG START WITH '/disk2/archlog' NOPROMPT; 

searching for all files that match the pattern /disk2/archlog
 
List of Files Unknown to the Database
=====================================
File Name: /disk2/archlog/o1_mf_1_10_24trtc7s_.arc
File Name: /disk2/archlog/o1_mf_1_11_24trtg7s_.arc
File Name: /disk2/archlog/o1_mf_1_12_24trtk84_.arc
File Name: /disk2/archlog/o1_mf_1_13_24trtn85_.arc
File Name: /disk2/archlog/o1_mf_1_14_24trtq84_.arc
File Name: /disk2/archlog/o1_mf_1_15_24trtt84_.arc
File Name: /disk2/archlog/o1_mf_1_16_24trtx84_.arc
File Name: /disk2/archlog/o1_mf_1_17_24trv085_.arc
File Name: /disk2/archlog/o1_mf_1_18_24trv385_.arc
File Name: /disk2/archlog/o1_mf_1_19_24trv685_.arc
cataloging files...
cataloging done
 
List of Cataloged Files
=======================
File Name: /disk2/archlog/o1_mf_1_10_24trtc7s_.arc
File Name: /disk2/archlog/o1_mf_1_11_24trtg7s_.arc
File Name: /disk2/archlog/o1_mf_1_12_24trtk84_.arc
File Name: /disk2/archlog/o1_mf_1_13_24trtn85_.arc
File Name: /disk2/archlog/o1_mf_1_14_24trtq84_.arc
File Name: /disk2/archlog/o1_mf_1_15_24trtt84_.arc
File Name: /disk2/archlog/o1_mf_1_16_24trtx84_.arc
File Name: /disk2/archlog/o1_mf_1_17_24trv085_.arc
File Name: /disk2/archlog/o1_mf_1_18_24trv385_.arc
File Name: /disk2/archlog/o1_mf_1_19_24trv685_.arc

Cataloging Files in the Fast Recovery Area

This example catalogs all files in the currently enabled fast recovery area without prompting the user for each one. As shown in the sample output, RMAN displays a message if it finds no files to catalog.

CATALOG RECOVERY AREA;
 
searching for all files in the recovery area
no files found to be unknown to the database

Cataloging a Backup Piece

Assume that you use an operating system utility to copy a backup piece from one location to another. This example catalogs the backup piece in the new location (sample output included):

CATALOG BACKUPPIECE '/disk1/c-874220581-20131128-01';

using target database control file instead of recovery catalog
cataloged backup piece
backup piece handle=/disk1/c-874220581-20131128-01 RECID=12 STAMP=607695990

IMPORT CATALOG

Importing Metadata for All Registered Databases

RMAN imports metadata for all database IDs registered in rcat into the recovery catalog owned by rco. All target databases registered in rcat are unregistered.

RMAN> CONNECT CATALOG [email protected]

recovery catalog database Password: password
connected to recovery catalog database
 
RMAN> IMPORT CATALOG [email protected];
 
Starting import catalog at 15-FEB-13
source recovery catalog database Password: password
connected to source recovery catalog database
import validation complete
database unregistered from the source recovery catalog
Finished import catalog at 15-FEB-13

Importing Metadata for a Subset of Registered Databases

Instead of importing the entire recovery catalog, it imports only the metadata for the database with DBID 1618984270.

RMAN> CONNECT CATALOG [email protected]

recovery catalog database Password: password
connected to recovery catalog database
 
RMAN> IMPORT CATALOG [email protected] DBID=1618984270;
 
Starting import catalog at 15-FEB-13
source recovery catalog database Password: password
connected to source recovery catalog database
import validation complete
database unregistered from the source recovery catalog
Finished import catalog at 15-FEB-13

DROP CATALOG

Execute this command only at the RMAN prompt.

You must be connected to the recovery catalog schema with the CATALOG command-line option or the CONNECT CATALOG command. The recovery catalog database must be open.

You do not have to be connected to a target database.

DROP CATALOG

Recovery Catalog Views

Also See:

Oracle RMAN