Scheduling RMAN cold backup and copy controlfile

RMAN cold backup has its own advantage compare to the traditional cold backup: -

1)RMAN as we all know backup only used blocks so it is fast.Here entire Database I'm taking backup.

2)In my below script I'm copying the control file to have the latest copy with me in case of recovery.

This is because of below factors:
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"copy current controlfile"

Personally I like and use this,Because of below reasons:

*restore after total loss.

I run this command as the *final* command of my database, 

run {allocate channel c1 type disk; copy current controlfile to '/some OS location'.

Effectively,I'm backing up my "Backup Meta Data" at the end of each RMAN backup.

My RMAN shell scripts look like this:
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1)Backup database in mount State because rman expect Database to be in mount state for taking cold backup

2)copy current controlfile to some location

I'm not saying do not use these other options, just be sure we know ,What we are getting and whether we are able to recover the Database.Test your backups in competency servers and be sure that you can do restore & recovery in case of failure.

3)In my rman scripts,I've used

%U=To have unique backupset number

%T=Date of backup

4)Snapshot Controlfile:

Snapshot controlfile is used by rman to backup control file.Personal speaking not required to do so.If we have copy of current controlfile.Here I have used to save one in the current location of rman backup location.

5)Retention policy:

It is that period of time,till when you want to keep the backup in rman repository.Usually decide this policy well in advance and inform the team.In my case till 7 days I can obtain the backup for restore and recovery purpose.

Below are my scripts:

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1)run_TESTDB.txt:

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run_TESTDB.txt is for the setting I'm going to configure for RMAN.We have to create this file first than the actual shell script for taking rman backup.

-- RMAN Configured

run{

shutdown immediate;

startup mount;

allocate channel ch1 device type disk format '/u05/DB_BACKUP_TESTDB/RMAN_COLDBACKUP_WEEKLY/TESTDB_BK_SET1_%U_%T' maxpiecesize 5G;

allocate channel ch2 device type disk format '/u05/DB_BACKUP_TESTDB/RMAN_COLDBACKUP_WEEKLY/TESTDB_BK_SET2_%U_%T';

backup database TAG='TESTDB_BACKUP_WEEKLY';

allocate channel c1 type disk;

copy current controlfile to '/u05/DB_BACKUP_TESTDB/RMAN_COLDBACKUP_WEEKLY/TESTDB_ctrl_%U_%T';

Release channel c1;

configure retention policy to recovery window of 7 days;

CONFIGURE SNAPSHOT CONTROLFILE NAME TO '/u05/DB_BACKUP_TESTDB/RMAN_COLDBACKUP_WEEKLY/snapcf_TESTDB.f';

CROSSCHECK BACKUP;

release channel ch1;

release channel ch2;

alter database open;

}

2)rman_TESTDB.sh:

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rman_TESTDB.sh consist of setting Oracle Environment Variables and calling the run_TESTDB.txt file for taking the rman cold backup.

-- TESTDB RMAN COLD BACKUP

export ORACLE_SID=TESTDB

export ORACLE_HOME=/u01/oracle11g/product/11.2.0/dbhome_1

export ORACLE_BASE=/u01/oracle11g

PATH=$ORACLE_HOME/bin:$PATH

LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$ORACLE_HOME/lib

rman target sys/TESTDBdba @/u05/DB_BACKUP_TESTDB/Backup_Scipts/run_TESTDB.txt log=/u05/DB_BACKUP_TESTDB/logs/rman_cold_weekly_backup_logs/rman_TESTDB.log

Scheduling RMAN Backup job:

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If I want to schedule this backup every sunday at 9pm.The cronjob script will be:

$vi crontab.oracle

#Script for RMAN COLD BACKUP WEEKLY TESTDB DATABASE

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00 21 * * 0 /u05/DB_BACKUP_TESTDB/SCRIPTS/rman_TESTDB.sh 2>&1 >/u05/DB_BACKUP_TESTDB/logs/CRONJOBS_LOGS/testdb_rman_cron.log

$crontab crontab.oracle =>scheduling job using 'crontab' command at 9pm every sundays.

Verifying cronjob:
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$crontab -l =>List the jobs that are scheduled using Cronjob.Verify the rman job also if we have schedule as above.