Tales From A Lazy Fat DBA

RMAN Scenario:
DB: Oracle 11g r2
OS: Linux – RHEL 5
Error: “ORA-01152: file 1 was not restored from a sufficiently old backup” when tried to open the database.

STATUS
==============
SQL> @db

NAME      ROLE       LOG_MODE     OPEN_MODE      DG_BROKE FORC_LGNG   CUR_SCN        CKPT_CHG        CTRLFIL_SEQ CTRLFL_CNG      ARCH_CNG       PROT_MOD
——— ———- ———— ————– ——– ———– ————– ————— ———– ————— ————– ——————–
SAIRAM     PRIMARY    ARCHIVELOG   MOUNTED        DISABLED YES         0              32913920280       795938526 32913922263     32913811789    MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE

SQL> select open_mode from v$database;
OPEN_MODE
————–
MOUNTED

This is what’s happening with the database when tried to open it.
Throwing error which reads System datafile is restored from an old backup.

SQL> alter database open resetlogs;
alter database open resetlogs
*
ERROR at line 1:
ORA-01152: file 1 was not restored from a sufficiently old backup
ORA-01110: data file 1: ‘/dbmount212/sairam/datafiles/system01.dbf’

When tried to recover the database it’s asking for sequence number 75, which is not available (Conformed, as asked sequence is not available in ARCHIVE destination).

SQL> recover database until cancel using backup controlfile;
ORA-00279: change 32913922263 generated at 01/14/2014 10:57:39 needed for thread 1
ORA-00289: suggestion : /dbmount212/oracle/sairam/archivelog/1_75_833707787.arc
ORA-00280: change 32913922263 for thread 1 is in sequence #75

Specify log: {<RET>=suggested | filename | AUTO | CANCEL}
AUTO
ORA-00308: cannot open archived log ‘/dbmount212/oracle/sairam/archivelog/1_75_833707787.arc’
ORA-27037: unable to obtain file status
Linux-x86_64 Error: 2: No such file or directory
Additional information: 3

ORA-00308: cannot open archived log ‘/dbmount212/oracle/sairam/archivelog/1_75_833707787.arc’
ORA-27037: unable to obtain file status
Linux-x86_64 Error: 2: No such file or directory
Additional information: 3

ORA-01547: warning: RECOVER succeeded but OPEN RESETLOGS would get error below
ORA-01152: file 1 was not restored from a sufficiently old backup
ORA-01110: data file 1: ‘/dbmount212/sairam/system01.dbf’

There is a possibility that the sequence might be struck inside of any redo log file and has not been archived.
Let’s query required sequence number (75) using one of the dynamic view v$log

SQL> select * from v$log where SEQUENCE#=’75’;

GROUP#    THREAD#  SEQUENCE#      BYTES  BLOCKSIZE    MEMBERS ARC STATUS           FIRST_CHANGE#
———- ———- ———- ———- ———- ———- — —————- ————-
FIRST_TIM NEXT_CHANGE# NEXT_TIME
——— ———— ———
9          1         75  524288000        512          1 NO  CURRENT             3.2914E+10
14-JAN-14   2.8147E+14

Yes,the log is inside group number 9. Let’s check the location of the related log file using v$logfile;

SQL> SELECT * FROM V$LOGFILE where group#=’9′;

GROUP# STATUS  TYPE
———- ——- ——-
MEMBER
—————————————————————————————————-
IS_
—
9         ONLINE
/var/log/oracle/redo/onlinelog/redo07.log
NO

Let’s try to recover the database again.

SQL> recover database until cancel using backup controlfile;

ORA-00279: change 32913922872 generated at 01/14/2014 11:17:33 needed for thread 1
ORA-00289: suggestion : /dbmount212/oracle/sairam/archivelog/1_75_833707787.arc
ORA-00280: change 32913922872 for thread 1 is in sequence #75Specify log: {<RET>=suggested | filename | AUTO | CANCEL}
/var/log/oracle/redo/onlinelog/redo09.log
ORA-00283: recovery session canceled due to errors
ORA-01111: name for data file 69 is unknown – rename to correct file
ORA-01110: data file 69: ‘/dbmnt12/oracle/product/11.2.0/dbhome_1/dbs/UNNAMED00069’
ORA-01157: cannot identify/lock data file 69 – see DBWR trace file
ORA-01111: name for data file 69 is unknown – rename to correct file
ORA-01110: data file 69: ‘/dbmnt12/oracle/product/11.2.0/dbhome_1/dbs/UNNAMED00069’

Alright, it’s asking for one datafile (69) which is unknown to the controlfile. Yes, this is right. As we have created a test datafile before that controlfile backup.
As it’s of no importance, we’d dropped the datafile.

SQL> alter database datafile 69 offline drop;
Database altered.

Let’s try again to recover the database using the log file ‘/var/log/oracle/redo/onlinelog/redo09.log’.

SQL> recover database using backup controlfile ;
ORA-00279: change 32913922872 generated at 01/14/2014 11:17:33 needed for thread 1
ORA-00289: suggestion : /dbmount212/oracle/sairam/archivelog/1_75_833707787.arc
ORA-00280: change 32913922872 for thread 1 is in sequence #75

Specify log: {<RET>=suggested | filename | AUTO | CANCEL}
/var/log/oracle/redo/onlinelog/redo09.log
Log applied.
Media recovery complete.

Okay, when provided exact filename of the logfile, it has accepted it and applied and came up, hence media recovery is completed.
Now we can go and try to open the database.

SQL> alter database open resetlogs;
Database altered.

SQL> archive log list;
Database log mode              Archive Mode
Automatic archival             Enabled
Archive destination            /dbmount212/oracle/sairam/archivelog/
Oldest online log sequence     1
Next log sequence to archive   1
Current log sequence           1

And we are up!
Below provided is the list of incarnation of the database and the last line with a new incarnation created on today’s date.

SQL> select * from V$DATABASE_INCARNATION;

INCARNATION# RESETLOGS_CHANGE# RESETLOGS PRIOR_RESETLOGS_CHANGE# PRIOR_RES STATUS  RESETLOGS_ID PRIOR_INCARNATION# FLASHBACK_DATABASE_ALLOWED
———— —————– ——— ———————– ——— ——- ———— —————— ————————–
1            602821 05-MAY-10                       1 12-MAR-08 PARENT     718177612                  0 NO
2         148027929 19-MAY-10                  602821 05-MAY-10 PARENT     719411741                  1 NO
3        9199856900 28-AUG-11               148027929 29-MAY-10 PARENT     760357356                  2 NO
4        1.9412E+10 11-AUG-12              9199856900 28-AUG-11 PARENT     791021290                  3 NO
5        3.2910E+10 09-DEC-13              1.9412E+10 1-AUG-12 PARENT     833707787                  4 NO
6        3.2914E+10 15-JAN-14              3.2910E+10 09-DEC-13 CURRENT    836892925                  5 YES

6 rows selected.

Hope That Helps
Prashant Dixit