Tales From A Lazy Fat DBA

KEEP option with RMAN:
If you have any backup criterion set and want to override settings then there is ‘KEEP FOREVER | UNTIL TIME’ clause from recovery manager which will help you to achieve required. There are certain conditions that’s needs to be fulfilled before using FOREVER clause.

Conditions:
1. You should be connected with the CATALOG server  (If using KEEP FOREVER Clause. No need if using KEEP UNTIL TIME Clause).
2. Oracle will not allow you to save backup pieces/set’s inside the FRA. You have to change the backup directory.

Let’s take an example:

[oracle@localhost ~]$ rman target / catalog rman/oracle90@orcl;
RMAN> backup current controlfile keep forever;

Starting backup at 13-JAN-13
current log archived

using channel ORA_DISK_1
backup will never be obsolete
archived logs required to recover from this backup will be backed up
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting full datafile backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: specifying datafile(s) in backup set
including current control file in backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting piece 1 at 13-JAN-13
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-00569: =============== ERROR MESSAGE STACK FOLLOWS ===============
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-03002: failure of backup command at 01/13/2013 18:35:23
ORA-19811: cannot have files in DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST with keep attributes

Solution:
RMAN> backup current controlfile keep forever format ‘/u01/%U’;

Starting backup at 13-JAN-13
current log archived

using channel ORA_DISK_1
backup will never be obsolete
archived logs required to recover from this backup will be backed up
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting full datafile backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: specifying datafile(s) in backup set
including current control file in backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting piece 1 at 13-JAN-13
channel ORA_DISK_1: finished piece 1 at 13-JAN-13
piece handle=/u01/20nvb5gk_1_1 tag=TAG20130113T183811 comment=NONE
channel ORA_DISK_1: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:00:01

using channel ORA_DISK_1
backup will never be obsolete
archived logs required to recover from this backup will be backed up
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting full datafile backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: specifying datafile(s) in backup set
including current SPFILE in backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting piece 1 at 13-JAN-13
channel ORA_DISK_1: finished piece 1 at 13-JAN-13
piece handle=/u01/21nvb5gm_1_1 tag=TAG20130113T183811 comment=NONE
channel ORA_DISK_1: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:00:01

current log archived
using channel ORA_DISK_1
backup will never be obsolete
archived logs required to recover from this backup will be backed up
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting archived log backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: specifying archived log(s) in backup set
input archived log thread=1 sequence=66 RECID=39 STAMP=804623897
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting piece 1 at 13-JAN-13
channel ORA_DISK_1: finished piece 1 at 13-JAN-13
piece handle=/u01/22nvb5gq_1_1 tag=TAG20130113T183811 comment=NONE
channel ORA_DISK_1: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:00:01

using channel ORA_DISK_1
backup will never be obsolete
archived logs required to recover from this backup will be backed up
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting full datafile backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: specifying datafile(s) in backup set
including current control file in backup set
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting piece 1 at 13-JAN-13
channel ORA_DISK_1: finished piece 1 at 13-JAN-13
piece handle=/u01/23nvb5gr_1_1 tag=TAG20130113T183811 comment=NONE
channel ORA_DISK_1: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:00:01
Finished backup at 13-JAN-13