Oracle: recovery options


Standard disclaimer: Use the information that follows at your own risk. If you screw up a system, don't blame it on me...
mailto: dkoleary@olearycomputers.com

This page is designed to be a starting point. When presented with a failure, I don't want to be trying to remember the difference between flasback query vs flashback table when I really need is an rman restore.

Problem Symptom High level resolution
Controlfile loss DB crash; ORA-00205 in sqlplus on startup; ORA-00202 and ORA-27037 in alert log. Copy multiplexed control file; rman restore/recover. controlfile recovery can be either really easy or really difficult depending on the amount of prework you've done.
Loss of online redo log If all members of the current log group go away, the database will crash to preserve data (need confirmation). Otherwise, ORA-00313, ORA-00312, and ORA-27037 errors in the alert log alter system switch logfile until affected group is not current/active. alter database clear logfile group [#] to recreate the missing/corrupted member.
Datafile loss DB crash if critical datafile (system or undo tablespaces); otherwise, ORA-01116, ORA-01110, and ORA-27041 errors in sqlplus and ORA-1116 in alert log. restore/recover missing datafile
Temp space loss; Need exact errrors; sorting errors, probably. Add a new temp datafile; offline the missing/corrupted one, drop the missing/corrupted one.
Loss of index tablespace Errors on inserts/deletes Restore/recover OR ID the indecies using the damaged tablespace, offline/drop the tablespace, recreate the tablepace, and recreate the indecies.
Loss of read-only tablespace Standard query/alert log errros Restore/recover. Issues come in if TS was put read/write after the read-only backup and before the problems. You'll need all recovery logs since table initially put into read-only mode to sync up SCNs. Ensure you run backups of the tablespace after every mode switch
Dropped table Screaming/panicing, gnashing of teeth. Not an oracle error, so nothing in alert log flashback drop, flashback database, incomplete/point in time recovery, tablespace point in time recovery
Truncated table Screaming/panicing, gnashing of teeth. Not an oracle error, so nothing in alert log Flashback database, tablespace point in time recovery, database point in time recovery
Incorrectly added/deleted/modified data. Screaming/panicing, gnashing of teeth. Not an oracle error, so nothing in alert log Flashback query, flashback versions query, flashback database, tablespace point in time recovery, database point in time recovery

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