Backup & Recovery Flashcards

Which RMAN command is used to validate a backup without actually restoring it?

Answer: RESTORE DATABASE VALIDATE

RESTORE DATABASE VALIDATE checks whether RMAN has the necessary backups to restore the database without actually writing any files.

What happens to a tablespace that is taken offline with the NORMAL option before a backup?

Answer: A checkpoint is issued and the tablespace needs no recovery when brought back online

OFFLINE NORMAL forces a checkpoint so the datafiles are consistent and no recovery is required when the tablespace is brought back online.

In RMAN, which retention policy setting ensures backups are kept until they are no longer needed to recover the database to any point in the last 7 days?

Answer: CONFIGURE RETENTION POLICY TO RECOVERY WINDOW OF 7 DAYS

RECOVERY WINDOW OF N DAYS keeps backups needed to restore the database to any point within the last N days.

Which view shows the status of RMAN backup jobs currently running?

Answer: V$SESSION_LONGOPS

V$SESSION_LONGOPS tracks long-running operations including RMAN backup and restore jobs, showing estimated time remaining.

What is the purpose of the RMAN CATALOG command when used with a recovery catalog?

Answer: Registers an RMAN backup file not previously known to the catalog

CATALOG registers backup files or copies with the recovery catalog so RMAN is aware of them for future restore operations.

When using Data Recovery Advisor, which command displays a list of known failures in the database?

Answer: LIST FAILURE

LIST FAILURE in RMAN displays all currently open failures detected by the Data Recovery Advisor.

Which backup type copies only data blocks that have changed since the most recent backup of any type?

Answer: Incremental differential

An incremental differential backup captures only blocks changed since the most recent backup at any level, making it smaller but requiring more backups during restore.