OCP 1Z0 053 181

181.Your database has a backup that was taken yesterday (Tuesday) between 13:00 and 15:00 hours. 
This is the only backup you have. You have lost all the archived redo logs generated since the previous 
Monday, but you have archived redo logs available from the previous Sunday and earlier. You now need 
to restore your backup due to database loss. To which point can you restore your database? 
A. 13:00 on Tuesday. 
B. 15:00 on Tuesday. 
C. Up until the last available archived redo log on Sunday. 
D. To any point; all the redo should still be available in the online redo logs. 
E. The database is not recoverable. 
Answer: E

数据库open状态下的备份是非一致性备份，需要应用归档日志做recover。现在归档日志丢失，所以不能还原数据库。

file:///G:/book/Oracle/E11882_01/backup.112/e10642/rcmcncpt.htm#BABIHBBE

Consistent Backups

You can use the BACKUP command to make consistent and inconsistent backups of the database. A consistent backup occurs when the database is in a consistent state. A database is in a consistent state after being shut down with the SHUTDOWN NORMAL, SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATE, or SHUTDOWN TRANSACTIONAL commands. A consistent shutdown guarantees that all redo has been applied to the datafiles. If you mount the database and make a backup at this point, then you can restore the database backup later and open it without performing media recovery.

Inconsistent Backups

Any database backup that is not consistent is an inconsistent backup. A backup made when the database is open is inconsistent, as is a backup made after an instance failure or SHUTDOWN ABORT command. When a database is restored from an inconsistent backup, Oracle Database must perform media recovery before the database can be opened, applying any pending changes from the redo logs.

Note:

RMAN does not permit you to make inconsistent backups when the database is in  NOARCHIVELOG mode. If you employ user-managed backup techniques for a  NOARCHIVELOG database, then you must not make inconsistent backups of this database.

If the database runs in ARCHIVELOG mode, and you back up the archived redo logs and datafiles, inconsistent backups can be the foundation for a sound backup and recovery strategy. Inconsistent backups offer superior availability because you do not have to shut down the database to make backups that fully protect the database.