RMAN - Extra Item Created in Backup

Question

For development purposes, I have started to use RMAN to take backups of an XE database I have.

When I back the database up using RMAN, it is adding an additional item onto my backups. In the images attached, you can see that my intended backups are all tagged as XE but this additional backup item with a unique tag also appears each time. Can someone explain to me what this is for please? I am backing up the database (the extra item appears in full or incremental level 0 mode), the archive logs and the control file.

RUN
{
    CONFIGURE CONTROLFILE AUTOBACKUP ON;
    CONFIGURE CHANNEL DEVICE TYPE DISK MAXPIECESIZE 10G;
    BACKUP AS COMPRESSED BACKUPSET TAG = 'XE Backup' FULL DATABASE FORMAT 'C:\Backups\%d_%D_%M_%Y\Database_%d_%U'
    CURRENT CONTROLFILE
    FORMAT 'C:\Backups\%d_%D_%M_%Y\ControlFile_%d_%U'
    SPFILE
    FORMAT 'C:\Backups\%d_%D_%M_%Y\SPFile_%d_%U'
    PLUS ARCHIVELOG 
    FORMAT 'C:\Backups\%d_%D_%M_%Y\ArchiveLog_%d_%U';
}
CROSSCHECK BACKUP;
DELETE NOPROMPT OBSOLETE;
DELETE EXPIRED BACKUP;
LIST BACKUP SUMMARY;

Backup Summary Report

Thanks.

Backup Detail Report

Hi, this is a programming site. Please ask questions about database administration on [dba.stackexchange.com](https://dba.stackexchange.com). — APC, Oct 08 '20 at 12:10

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 08 '20 at 12:16

0

It's your "autobackup". Just look at your detail report. It tells you what is included in that backup piece. You'll see it is the control file and the spfile, which is what gets backed up by autobackup.

BTW, I see from that, that you have enabled the FRA. That being the case, why are you trying to direct your backups to some other location?

answered Oct 08 '20 at 12:16

EdStevens

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Hi Ed. Thanks very much for your reply. Genuinely appreciated. This is my first look into RMAN, having never used it before. By setting CONTROLFILE AUTOBACKUP ON and also specifying the backup to save the CURRENT CONROLFILE in a certain FORMAT, am I effectively wasting effort? Will either do or is it best to enable AUTOBACKUP on and point it to somewhere that isn't the FRA. I have only enabled the FRA as this is an express install. Ultimately, an RMAN solution would point to somewhere else, which is why the backups are directed elsewhere. Again, any help or comments appreciated. – TMcMaster Oct 08 '20 at 12:56
If you have - as you _should_ - set autobackup on, there is no need to explicity back up the control and spfile. Any backukp that gets the system TS will generate an autobackup of those files. Why would you say "Ultimately, an RMAN solution would point to somewhere else, which is why the backups are directed elsewhere"? That's exactly what the FRA was designed for. To use the FRA, do _not_ use the FORMAT commands. – EdStevens Oct 08 '20 at 19:55

RMAN - Extra Item Created in Backup

1 Answers1