Interview Questions & Answer on RMAN

What is RMAN?
Recovery Manager (RMAN) is a utility that can manage your entire Oracle backup
and recovery activities.
What is the difference between using recovery catalog and control file?
When new incarnation happens, the old backup information in control file will be
lost. It will be preserved in recovery catalog.
In recovery catalog we can store scripts.
Recovery catalog is central and can have information of many databases.
Can we use same target database as catalog?
No, The recovery catalog should not reside in the target database (database should
be backed up), because the database cant be recovered in the mounted state.
How do you know that how much RMAN task has been completed?
By querying v$rman_status or v$session_longops
From where list & report commands will get input?
Both the commands command quering v$ and recovery catalog views.
V$BACKUP_FILES or many of the recovery catalog views such asRC_DATAFILE_COPY
or RC_ARCHIVED_LOG.
Command to delete archive logs older than 7days?
RMAN> delete archivelog all completed before sysdate-7;
How many times does oracle ask before dropping a catalog?
The default is two times one for the actual command, the other for confirmation.
How to view the current defaults for the database.
RMAN> show all;
What is the use of crosscheck command in RMAN?
Crosscheck will be useful to check whether the catalog information is intact with OS
level information. This command only updates repository records with the status of
the backups.

e.g. If user removes archived logs from disk with an operating system command,
the repository still indicates that the logs are on disk, when in fact they are not.

What are the differences between crosscheck and validate commands?

Validate command is to examine a backup set and report whether it can be
restored. RMAN scans all of the backup pieces in the specified backup sets and
looks at the checksum to verify that the contents are intact so that backup can be
successfully restored if necessary.
Crosscheck command is to verify the status of backups and copies recorded in the
RMAN repository against media such as disk or tape. The crosscheck command only
processes files created on the same device type as the channel running crosscheck.
Which one is good, differential (incremental) backup or cumulative (incremental)
backup?
A differential backup, which backs up all blocks changed after the most recent
incremental backup at level 1 or 0
RMAN> BACKUP INCREMENTAL LEVEL 1 DATABASE;
A cumulative backup, which backs up all blocks changed after the most recent
incremental backup at level 0
RMAN> BACKUP INCREMENTAL LEVEL 1 CUMULATIVE DATABASE;
Cumulative backups are preferable to differential backups when recovery time is
more important than disk space, because during recovery each differential backup
must be applied in succession. Use cumulative incremental backups instead of
differential, if enough disk space is available to store cumulative incremental
backups.
This is command for taking Level 0 backup.
RMAN> BACKUP INCREMENTAL LEVEL 0 DATABASE;
What is the difference between backup set and backup piece?
Backup set is logical and backup piece is physical.
RMAN command to backup for creating standby database
RMAN> duplicate target database
You loss one datafile and DB is running in ARCHIVELOG mode. You have full
database backup of 1 week/day old and dont have backup of this (newly created)
datafile. How do you restore/recover file?

Create data file and recover datafile.

SQL> alter database create datafile /u01/app/oracle/oradata/xyz.dbf size 2G;
RMAN> recover datafile file_id;
What is obsolete backup & expired backup?
A status of expired means that the backup piece or backup set is not found in the
backup destination.
A status of obsolete means the backup piece is still available, but it is no longer
needed. The backup piece is no longer needed since RMAN has been configured to
no longer need this piece after so many days have elapsed, or so many backups
have been performed.
What is the difference between hot backup & RMAN backup?
For hot backup, we have to put database in begin backup mode, then take backup.
RMAN wont put database in backup mode.

How to put manual/user-managed backup in RMAN (recovery catalog)?

By using catalog command.
RMAN> CATALOG START WITH /tmp/backup.ctl;
What are the Architectural components of RMAN?
RMAN Executables
Sercer process
Channels
Target database
Recovery catalog database (optional)
Media management Layer (optional)
Backups, backup sets and backup pieces
What are channels?
A channel is an RMAN server process started when there is a need to communicate
with an I/O device, such as a disk or a tape. A channel is what reads and writes
RMAN backup files. It is through the allocation of channels that you govern I/O
characteristics:
Type of I/O device being read or written to, either a disk or an sbt_tape
Number of processes simultaneously accessing an I/O device
Maximize size of files created on I/O devices
Maximize rate at which database files are read

Maximize number of files open at a time

Why is the catalog optional?
Because RMAN manages backup and recovery operations, it requires a place to
store necessary information about the database. RMAN always stores this
information in the target database control file. You can also store RMAN metadata in
a recovery catalog schema contained in a separate database. The recovery catalog
schema must be stored in a database other than the target database.
What is a Backup set?
A logical grouping of backup files the backup pieces that are created when you
issue an RMAN backup command. A backup set is RMANs name for a collection of
files associated with a backup. A backup set is composed of one or more backup
pieces.
What are the benefits of using RMAN?
Incremental backups that only copy data blocks that have changed since the last
backup.
Tablespaces are not put in backup mode, thus there is noextra redo log generation
during online backups.
Detection of corrupt blocks during backups.
Parallelization of I/O operations.
Automatic logging of all backup and recovery operations.
Built-in reporting and listing commands.
What are the various reports available with RMAN
RMAN>list backup;
RMAN> list archive;
In catalog database, if some of the blocks are corrupted due to system crash, How
will you recover?
using RMAN BLOCK RECOVER command
How do you enable the autobackup for the controlfile using RMAN?
Issue command at RMAN prompt.
RMAN> configure controlfile autobackup on;
Also we can configure controlfile backup format.
RMAN> configure controlfile autobackup format for device type disk to
2> $HOME/BACKUP/RMAN/ F.bkp;

How do you identify what are the all the target databases that are being backed-up
with RMAN database?
You dont have any view to identify whether it is backed up or not. The only option is
connect to the target database and give list backup this will give you the backup
information with date and timing.
How do you identify the block corruption in RMAN database? How do you fix it?
Using v$block_corruption view you can find which blocks corrupted.
RMAN> block recover datafile <fileid> block <blockid>;
Using the above statement You recover the corrupted blocks. First check whether
the block is corrupted or not by using this command
SQL>select file# block# from v$database_block_corruption;
file# block
2 507
the above block is corrupted
conn to Rman
To recover the block use this command
RMAN>blockrecover datafile 2 block 507;
the above command recover the block 507
Now just verify it..
Rman>blockrecover corruption list;
How do you clone the database using RMAN software? Give brief steps? When do
you use crosscheck command?
Check whether backup pieces proxy copies or disk copies still exist.
Two commands available in RMAN to clone database:
1) Duplicate
2) Restore.
List some of the RMAN catalog view names which contain the catalog information?
RC_DATABASE_INCARNATION RC_BACKUP_COPY_DETAILS

RC_BACKUP_CORRUPTION
RC_BACKUP-DATAFILE_SUMMARY
How do you install the RMAN recovery catalog?
Steps to be followed:
1) Create connection string at catalog database.
2) At catalog database create one new user or use existing user and give that user a
recovery_catalog_owner privilege.
3) Login into RMAN with connection string
a) export ORACLE_SID
b) rman target catalog @connection string
4) rman> create catalog;
5) register database;
What is the difference between physical and logical backups?
In Oracle Logical Backup is which is taken using either Traditional Export/Import or
Latest Data Pump. Where as Physical backup is known when you take Physical O/s
Database related Files as Backup.
What is RAID? What is RAID0? What is RAID1? What is RAID 10?
RAID: It is a redundant array of independent disk
RAID0: Concatenation and stripping
RAID1: Mirroring
How to enable Fast Incremental Backup to backup only those data blocks that have
changed?
SQL> ALTER DATABASE enable BLOCK CHANGE TRACKING;
How do you set the flash recovery area?
SQL> ALTER SYSTEM SET db_recovery_file_dest_size = 100G;
SQL> ALTER SYSTEM SET db_recovery_file_dest = /u10/oradata/school;
What is auxiliary channel in RMAN? When do you need this?

An auxiliary channel is a link to auxiliary instance. If you do not have automatic

channels configured, then before issuing the DUPLICATE command, manually
allocate at least one auxiliary channel within the same RUN command.
How do you use the V$RECOVERY_FILE_DEST view to display information regarding
the flashrecovery area?
SQL> SELECT name, space_limit, space_used,space_reclaimable,
number_of_filesFROM v$recovery_file_dest;
How can you display warning messages?
SQL> SELECT object_type, message_type,message_level, reason,
suggested_actionFROM dba_outstanding_alerts;
How do you backup the entire database?
RMAN> BACKUP DATABASE;
How do you backup an individual tablespaces?
RMAN> CONFIGURE DEFAULT DEVICE TYPE TO DISK;
RMAN> BACKUP TABLESPACE system;
How do you backup datafiles and control files?
RMAN> BACKUP DATAFILE 3;
RMAN> BACKUP CURRENT CONTROLFILE;
Use a fast recovery without restoring all backups from their backup location to the
location specified inthe controlfile.
RMAN> SWITCH DATABASE TO COPY;