Date: June 2007
NV Version: NA
OS Version: any
Application version:Oracle 8, 9, 10, 11
Plugin version: NA
In order to use the Netvault Online or RMAN plugins, Oracle must be in ARCHIVELOG mode. From Oracle 8 onwards you can use the sqlplus interface to accomplish this.
1) First find out if ARCHIVELOG mode has been enabled, log into an Oracle SQLPLUS session as a sysdba user:
>sqlplus /nolog
SQL> connect / as sysdba
SQL> archive log list
Database log mode No Archive Mode
Automatic archival Disabled
Archive destination USE_DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST
Oldest online log sequence 11
Current log sequence 13
SQL>
2) If the Database log mode is "No Archive Mode" then you need to enable ARCHIVELOG mode:
>sqlplus /nolog
SQL> connect / as sysdba
SQL> shutdown immediate;
Database closed.
Database dismounted.
ORACLE instance shut down.
SQL> startup mount exclusive
ORACLE instance started.
Total System Global Area 180355072 bytes
Fixed Size 788028 bytes
Variable Size 145750468 bytes
Database Buffers 33554432 bytes
Redo Buffers 262144 bytes
Database mounted.
SQL> alter database archivelog;
Database altered.
SQL> alter database open;
Database altered.
SQL> archive log start;
Statement processed.
SQL> archive log list;
Database log mode Archive Mode
Automatic archival Enabled
Archive destination USE_DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST
Oldest online log sequence 11
Next log sequence to archive 13
Current log sequence 13
SQL>
3) If Database log mode is already Archive mode then you only need check the archive log destination.
4) NB. If you have only just enabled the ARCHIVELOG mode and there are no existing archive logs as yet, the Online APM backups will still fail. There needs to be at least one valid archive log in the defined directory for the backup to succeed.
To force the creation of an archive log issue the command:
SQL> alter system switch logfile;
System altered.
5) Next check the "Archive destination". When using the Oracle RMAN plugin the "Archive destination" will always be handled. However, when using Oracle Online, the "Archive destination" must be a static path - ie. not one where folders are automatically created with the date.
To check the Archive destination use the "archive log list", by default in Oracle 10 installations this is set to "USE_DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST", to find out what this is, use the command:
SQL>show parameter DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST
NAME TYPE VALUE
------------------------------------ ----------- ------------------------------
db_recovery_file_dest string c:\oracle\product\10.1.0\flash
_recovery_area
db_recovery_file_dest_size big integer 2G
If you wish to change this - use the syntax:
SQL> alter system set log_archive_dest_1='location=C:\oracle\product\10.1.0\oradata\FLASH\archive_log';
SQL> alter system switch logfile;
The logs will now appear in the new dest.
Note that there are two different scenarios for the "Archive Destination". In older versions of Oracle the archive destination was defined by the parameter "log_archive_dest", in newer versions "log_archive_dest_n" (where n is an integer between 1 & 10). The archive_log_dest_n syntax allows you to multiplex your archived redo logs, the log_archive_dest syntax allows only one destination to be configured.
The archive_log_dest or archive_log_dest_n is initially defined in the parameter file (pfile or spfile), the two types are mutually exclusive.
From the Netvault point of view, the log_archive_dest(_n) needs to be a valid path, for RMAN apm this can be dynamic or in ASM, for the online APM - this must be a static filesystem destination, i.e. not ASM.
