About Online (Hot) Vs Offline (Cold) Backup

Offline Backup(cold backup).

the name suggests is a backup which is performed while the database instance is down.

Advantages of Offline Backup

• No Special Configuration Needed
• Offline Backup Is The Complete Backup

Disadvantages of Offline Backup

• The complete Backup
• the down time of the database.

Is Offline Backup Consistent?

An offline backup can be called consistent only when the datafiles, control files and redo logs are synced with each other when you shut down the database. This happens only when the database is shutdown in a proper manner.

But in case the database is shutdown in an incorrect manner with SHUTDOWN ABORT command then the Database redo logs, control files and data files are not synced with each other.

Thus calling an offline backup of the database consistent, when the operations were aborted abruptly, will be wrong.

Online Backup(Hot backup)

 when the database is up and running is called an Online Backup. Online backup is also known as Hot Backup.

Advantages of Online Backup

• Require Archivelog Mode
• Near Zero Down Time

Is Online Backup Consistent?

Unlike Offline backup, online backup is performed when the database instance is up and running. When the database is running (even in its normal state) it is always in inconsistent state. And, any backup performed in the inconsistent state of the database is always an inconsistent backup. Thus online backup is not consistent backup. It is always an inconsistent backup.