To enable control file autobackup

RMAN> CONFIGURE CONTROLFILE AUTOBACKUP ON;

To change the default format for autobackup file name

RMAN> CONFIGURE CONTROLFILE AUTOBACKUP
   2> FORMAT FOR DEVICE TYPE disk
   3> TO '/u1/oradata/cf_ORCL_auto_%F';

where %F is mandatory and translates into c-IIIIIIIIII-YYYYMMDD-QQ being:

• IIIIIIII the DBID
• YYYYMMDD timestamp of the backup
• QQ a sequence that starts with 00 and ends with FF

Use the SHOW command to list current settings

RMAN> SHOW CONTROLFILE AUTOBACKUP FORMAT;
RMAN> SHOW EXCLUDE;
RMAN> SHOW ALL;

Use the CLEAR command to reset any persistent settings to its default value:

RMAN> CONFIGURE BACKUP OPTIMIZATION CLEAR;
RMAN> CONFIGURE MAXSETSIZE CLEAR;
RMAN> CONFIGURE DEFAULT DEVICE TYPE CLEAR;

Configure the default device type for automatic channel allocation
RMAN> CONFIGURE DEFAULT DEVICE TYPE TO sbt;

or manually allocate a channel

RMAN> RUN {
   2> ALLOCATE CHANNEL c1 DEVICE TYPE disk;
   3> BACKUP DATAFILE '/u0/oradata/user01.dbf';
   4> }

Configure parallelism

RMAN> CONFIGURE DEVICE TYPE disk PARALLELISM 3;

Specify the maximum backup piece size

RMAN> CONFIGURE CHANNEL DEVICE TYPE DISK MAXPIECESIZE 2G;

Format the name of the generated backup files

RMAN> RUN {
   2> ALLOCATE CHANNEL d1 DEVICE TYPE disk
   3> FORMAT '/disk1/backups/%U';
   4> BACKUP DATABASE PLUS ARCHIVELOG; }

Some backup options (more on Administration Workshop II 3-9)

RMAN> BACKUP device type disk tag '%TAG' database
   2> include current controlfile;
RMAN> BACKUP database plus archivelog;
RMAN> BACKUP datafile '/u0/oradata/user01.dbf';
RMAN> BACKUP AS BACKUPSET TABLESPACE hr_data;

(AS BACKUPSET can be omitted if RMAN is configured in mode BACKUPSET)

After a online backup, remember to archive current redo logs using:

SQL> ALTER SYSTEM ARCHIVE LOG CURRENT;

or all archive logs:

SQL> ALTER SYSTEM ARCHIVE LOG ALL;

or a specific redo group:

SQL> ALTER SYSTEM ARCHIVE LOG GROUP n;

More on backups at http://www.stanford.edu/dept/itss/docs/oracle/9i/server.920/a96519/backup.htm

See backup constraints at Administration Workshop II 3-10
See parallel backup commands at Administration Workshop II 3-11

To create a clone database or a standby database from backups of the target database

RMAN> DUPLICATE database to auxiliaryDb;

To flashback a database

RMAN> FLASHBACK DATABASE
   2> TO TIME = TO_DATE
   3> ('06/25/03 12:00:00','MM/DD/YY HH:MI:SS');

after you have performed flashback database you should remember to reset logs:

SQL> ALTER DATABASE RESETLOGS;

To restore/recover

RMAN> RESTORE/RECOVER database;
RMAN> RESTORE/RECOVER tablespace;
RMAN> RESTORE/RECOVER datafile;

Reporting command LIST (Administration Workshop II 3-28 )

RMAN> LIST BACKUP OF DATABASE;

RMAN> LIST BACKUP OF DATAFILE
   2> '/db01/ORADATA/u03/users01.dbf'

List backup sets and copies of any data file in a specified tablespace:

RMAN> LIST COPY OF TABLESPACE "SYSTEM";

List backup sets and copies containing archive logs for a specified range:

RMAN> LIST COPY OF DATABASE ARCHIVELOG
   2> FROM TIME='SYSDATE -7';

Reporting command REPORT (Administration Workshop II 3-29)
What is the structure of the datgabase?

RMAN> REPORT SCHEMA;

Which files need to be backed up?

RMAN> REPORT NEED BACKUP ...;

Which backups can be deleted?

RMAN> REPORT OBSOLETE;

Which files are not recoverable because of unrecoverable operations?

RMAN> REPORT UNRECOVERABLE ...;

For catalog maintenance (Administration Workshop II 3-8 )

• CROSSCHECK
• DELETE
• CHANGE
• LIST