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Oracle® Database Backup and Recovery Basics 10g Release 2 (10.2) Part Number B14192-03 |
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# 8.6 Changing the Status of a Backup Record

This section contains the following sections:

- Marking a Backup AVAILABLE or UNAVAILABLE

- Exempting a Long-Term Backup from the Retention Policy

## 8.6.1 Marking a Backup AVAILABLE or UNAVAILABLE

Run the `CHANGE` `...` `UNAVAILABLE` command when a backup cannot be found or has migrated offsite. RMAN does not use files marked `UNAVAILABLE` in `RESTORE`or `RECOVER` commands. If the file is later found or returns to the main site, then you can mark it available again by issuing `CHANGE` `...` `AVAILABLE`.

Note that files in the flash recovery area cannot be marked as `UNAVAILABLE`.

To mark a file's status in the repository as UNAVAILABLE or AVAILABLE:

1. Issue a `LIST` command to determine the availability status of RMAN backups. For example, issue:

       LIST BACKUP;

2. Run `CHANGE` with the `UNAVAILABLE` or `AVAILABLE` keyword to update its status in the RMAN repository. For example, enter:

       CHANGE DATAFILECOPY '/tmp/control01.ctl' UNAVAILABLE;
       CHANGE COPY OF ARCHIVELOG SEQUENCE BETWEEN 1000 AND 1012 UNAVAILABLE;
       CHANGE BACKUPSET 12 UNAVAILABLE;
       CHANGE BACKUP OF SPFILE TAG "TAG20020208T154556" UNAVAILABLE;
       CHANGE DATAFILECOPY '/tmp/system01.dbf' AVAILABLE;
       CHANGE BACKUPSET 12 AVAILABLE;
       CHANGE BACKUP OF SPFILE TAG "TAG20020208T154556" AVAILABLE;

See Also: Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Reference for `CHANGE` command syntax

## 8.6.2 Exempting a Long-Term Backup from the Retention Policy

The `BACKUP` `...` `KEEP` command can create a backup that is retained for a different period of time from that specified by the configured retention policy. The backup is still a fully valid backup, however, and can be restored just as any other RMAN backup. This type of backup is called a long-term backup.

Note: The `KEEP` `FOREVER` clause requires the use of a recovery catalog, because the control file cannot contain an infinitely large set of RMAN repository data.

Specify `KEEP` `...` `LOGS` to save archived logs for a possible incomplete recovery and `KEEP` `...` `NOLOGS` not to save archived logs for a possible incomplete recovery. Note that `NOLOGS` is not valid with an inconsistent backup.

Use the `CHANGE` command to alter the `KEEP` status of a backup that already exists. For example, you may decide that you no longer want to keep a long-term backup. The same options available for `BACKUP` `...` `KEEP` are available with `CHANGE` `...` `KEEP`.

Note that you cannot set `KEEP` attributes on files stored in the flash recovery area.

To alter the KEEP status of a backup:

Issue `CHANGE` `...` `KEEP` to define a different retention period for this backup, or `CHANGE` `...` `NOKEEP` to let the retention policy apply to this file.

This example allows a backup set to be marked obsolete by the retention policy:

    CHANGE BACKUPSET 231 NOKEEP;

This example makes a datafile copy exempt from the retention policy for 180 days (6 months):

    CHANGE DATAFILECOPY '/tmp/system01.dbf' KEEP UNTIL 'SYSDATE+180';

Note: If you use `KEEP` `UNTIL` to specify a minimum time to keep a backup, the backup can be kept longer than the time specified if it is needed to satisfy the retention policy. RMAN's `DELETE` `OBSOLETE` command does not delete backups needed to satisfy the retention policy, even if `KEEP UNTIL` has been used to set a minimum length of time for the backup to be kept.