NetVault Plug-in for Oracle 11.2 - User Guide

Using the Oracle® Flashback Database

Flashback Database: an overview

Introduced in Oracle® 10g, Flashback Database lets you rewind an Oracle database to a previous time to correct problems caused by logical data corruptions or user errors as long as the datafiles are intact. Flashback Database is not true media recovery because it does not involve restoring physical datafiles. Flashback Database is preferable to using the RESTORE and RECOVER commands in some cases because it is faster and easier and does not require restoring the whole database.

For more information on Flashback Database, see Configuring Oracle Flashback Database and Restore Points in the Oracle Database Backup and Recovery User’s Guide.

Flashback Logs

Flashback Database has its own logging mechanism. Flashback Logs are generated and stored in the FRA. After Flashback Database is enabled, altered datafile data blocks are copied into the Flashback Logs. These data blocks can be used later to reconstruct the datafile contents. Because Flashback Logs are captured at regular time intervals, the data blocks restored from the Flashback Logs are those blocks stored most immediately before the desired target time. After Flashback Logs are applied, the Redo Log is reapplied to Complete Recovery to the target time.

Viewing Flashback Database status

To view database details about a previously configured database ,  including whether FRA and Flashback Database are enabled , perform the following steps.