RMAN Backup Types

RMAN Backup Types

http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/B19306_01/backup.102/b14191/rcmconc1.htm#i1007616

 

As explained in Table 2-1 , RMAN backups can be classified in these ways:

• Full or incremental

• Open or closed

• Consistent or inconsistent

Note that these backup classifications apply only to datafile backups. Backups of other files, such as archivelogs and control files, always include the complete file and are never inconsistent.

 

Table 2-1 Backup Types

Backup Type	Definition
Full	A backup of a datafile that includes every allocated block in the file being backed up. A full backup of a datafile can be an image copy, in which case every data block is backed up. It can also be stored in a backup set, in which case datafile blocks not in use may be skipped, according to rules in Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Reference . A full backup cannot be part of an incremental backup strategy; that is, it cannot be the parent for a subsequent incremental backup.
Incremental	An incremental backup is either a level 0 backup, which includes every block in the file except blocks compressed out because they have never been used, or a level 1 backup, which includes only those blocks that have been changed since the parent backup was taken. A level 0 incremental backup is physically identical to a full backup. The only difference is that the level 0 backup is recorded as an incremental backup in the RMAN repository, so it can be used as the parent for a level 1 backup.
Open	A backup of online, read/write datafiles when the database is open.
Closed	A backup of any part of the target database when it is mounted but not open. Closed backups can be consistent or inconsistent.
Consistent	A backup taken when the database is mounted (but not open) after a normal shutdown . The checkpoint SCNs in the datafile headers match the header information in the control file. None of the datafiles has changes beyond its checkpoint. Consistent backups can be restored without recovery. Note: If you restore a consistent backup and open the database in read/write mode without recovery, transactions after the backup are lost. You still need to perform an OPEN RESETLOGS .
Inconsistent	A backup of any part of the target database when it is open or when a crash occurred or SHUTDOWN ABORT was run prior to mounting. An inconsistent backup requires recovery to become consistent.