Recovery Manager Command Syntax

change

Syntax

Purpose

To change the status of backups and copies in the RMAN metadata. Use this command to:

Mark a backup or copy as having the status unavailable or available.
Delete a backup or copy from the O/S and update its status to deleted.
Check whether backups, image copies, and archived redo logs are available and, if they are not, mark them as expired.

Requirements

Execute the change command at the RMAN prompt or within a run command.
Use the command only on files that are recorded in the RMAN metadata and belong to the current database incarnation.
The following options require a recovery catalog:
- available
- unavailable
- uncatalog
- crosscheck (only required for backup sets and backup pieces)
Issue an allocate channel for delete or allocate channel for maintenance command before issuing the following:
- change backupset ... delete
- change backuppiece ... delete
- change backupset ... crosscheck
- change backuppiece ... crosscheck

Keywords and Parameters

To obtain the primary keys of the records whose status you want to change, issue a list command or query the recovery catalog views.

archivelog

specifies an archived redo log by either primary_key or 'filename'.

archivelogRecord- Specifier clause

specifies a range of archived redo logs. See "archivelogRecordSpecifier".

backuppiece

specifies a backup piece by primary_key, 'media_handle', or tag_name.

backupset primary_key

specifies a backup set by primary_key.

controlfilecopy

specifies a control file copy by primary_key, 'filename', or tag_name. If you crosscheck a control file copy, you must specify a filename rather than a primary key.

datafilecopy

specifies a datafile copy by either primary_key, 'filename', or tag_name.

proxy

specifies a proxy copy by primary_key or 'filename', or tag_name.

delete

changes the status of a backup or copy to deleted and physically deletes the file from the O/S.

available

marks a backup or copy as having the status available. View the status in the list output.

unavailable

marks a backup or copy as having the status unavailable. View the status in the list output. This option is provided for cases when the file cannot be found or has migrated offsite. A file that is marked unavailable will not be used in a restore or recover command. If the file is later found or returns to the main site, then you can use the available option to reflect this change.

uncatalog

removes references to a datafile copy or archived redo log (but not a backup piece or backup set) from the recovery catalog. Use this command to notify RMAN when a file is deleted by some means other than a change ... delete command. If you attempt to use the uncatalog option on a backup piece or backup set, RMAN returns an error message.
WARNING: If you resynchronize from a backup control file, uncataloged records can reappear in the metadata.
Note: If you want to remove all records with deleted status at once, execute the prgrmanc.sql script located in the $ORACLE_HOME/admin directory. See "Deleting Backups and Copies and Updating Their Status in the RMAN Metadata" for instructions.

crosscheck

checks whether the specified backups and copies exist. If RMAN cannot find backup pieces, it marks them as having the status expired. It marks all other types of absent files--image copies and archived redo logs--as deleted.
If the files are on disk, RMAN queries the file headers. For other device types, RMAN queries the media manager to see whether the file exists in the media management catalog.
Note: RMAN considers archived redo logs as copies, so issue the change archivelog all crosscheck command if one or more logs become unavailable. If the archived logs become unavailable again, you must issue catalog archivelog to re-catalog them.
Note: If you crosscheck a control file copy, specify a filename rather than a primary key.

Examples

Deleting a Backup Piece

This example deletes a backup piece stored by a media manager and changes its status to deleted in the metadata (note that the list output does not display records with deleted status; you must access these records through the recovery catalog views):

allocate channel for delete type 'sbt_tape';
change backuppiece '$ORACLE_HOME/dbs/testdb_87fa39e0' delete;
release channel;

Marking a Backup Set as Unavailable

This example marks a backup set as having the status unavailable. You do not need to allocate a maintenance channel:

change backupset 100 unavailable;

Crosschecking Files

This example checks to see whether all of the registered archived redo logs still exist; if not, RMAN changes their status in the metadata to expired:

allocate channel for maintenance type disk;
change archivelog all crosscheck;
release channel;

archivelog	specifies an archived redo log by either primary_key or 'filename'.
archivelogRecord- Specifier clause	specifies a range of archived redo logs. See "archivelogRecordSpecifier".
backuppiece	specifies a backup piece by primary_key, 'media_handle', or tag_name.
backupset primary_key	specifies a backup set by primary_key.
controlfilecopy	specifies a control file copy by primary_key, 'filename', or tag_name. If you crosscheck a control file copy, you must specify a filename rather than a primary key.
datafilecopy	specifies a datafile copy by either primary_key, 'filename', or tag_name.
proxy	specifies a proxy copy by primary_key or 'filename', or tag_name.
delete	changes the status of a backup or copy to deleted and physically deletes the file from the O/S.
available	marks a backup or copy as having the status available. View the status in the list output.
unavailable	marks a backup or copy as having the status unavailable. View the status in the list output. This option is provided for cases when the file cannot be found or has migrated offsite. A file that is marked unavailable will not be used in a restore or recover command. If the file is later found or returns to the main site, then you can use the available option to reflect this change.
uncatalog	removes references to a datafile copy or archived redo log (but not a backup piece or backup set) from the recovery catalog. Use this command to notify RMAN when a file is deleted by some means other than a change ... delete command. If you attempt to use the uncatalog option on a backup piece or backup set, RMAN returns an error message. WARNING: If you resynchronize from a backup control file, uncataloged records can reappear in the metadata. Note: If you want to remove all records with deleted status at once, execute the `prgrmanc.sql` script located in the `$ORACLE_HOME/admin` directory. See "Deleting Backups and Copies and Updating Their Status in the RMAN Metadata" for instructions.
crosscheck	checks whether the specified backups and copies exist. If RMAN cannot find backup pieces, it marks them as having the status expired. It marks all other types of absent files--image copies and archived redo logs--as deleted. If the files are on disk, RMAN queries the file headers. For other device types, RMAN queries the media manager to see whether the file exists in the media management catalog. Note: RMAN considers archived redo logs as copies, so issue the change archivelog all crosscheck command if one or more logs become unavailable. If the archived logs become unavailable again, you must issue catalog archivelog to re-catalog them. Note: If you crosscheck a control file copy, specify a filename rather than a primary key.