Hi All

I've just taken over a somewhat badly organized site and have a query about
Oracle databases on normal file systems.

At my previous position the Oracle databases resided on AIX raw logical
volumes, so I didn't have to exclude them from filesystem backups and on a
restore (say to a replaced disk) I had to arrange for the logical volumes to
be created prior to the restore process running.

At the new site the databases reside on normal filesystems.  Currently the
database files aren't excluded and so they are backed up by the BA client.
Worse, the application is up so if a checkpoint is taken Oracle touches
every file and TSM  has to resend the file currently being backed up.

Assuming that we have appropriate RMAN backups and an RMAN catalog database,
what happens when we try to restore an instance to a clean filesystem (again
assume that the disk has been replaced).  Will RMAN handle the creation of
all the underlying files - pfiles, control files, log files, and
tablespaces - or do I need to have some basic set of files already present
on disk for RMAN to work?

i.e. if I have only RMAN backups and exclude all tablespace, control  and
log files from the BA client backup can I restore the instance?


Thanks for listening

Steve Harris

AIX, ADSM Contractor
Queensland Health, Brisbane Australia