Troubleshooting Restore - Oracle RAC iDataAgent

The following section provides information on troubleshooting restores.

Browse Failures

Point in time Table Browse Failures

When you have encryption enabled for the client, point in time table browse operation fails with the following error message:

Pass-phrase protection is on for client [80], but pass-phrase was not specified.
    

Make sure that the pass phrase is exported to the MediaAgent when encryption is enabled for the client.

1. From the CommCell Browser, right-click the client, and then and select Properties.

   The Client Properties box appears.

2. On the Encryption tab, click Via Pass-Phrase, and then click Export.

3. In the Destination Computer box, select the MediaAgent.

4. In the Pass-Phrase box, type the pass-phrase used for encryption.

5. In the Re-enter Pass-Phrase box, re-type the pass-phrase to confirm.

6. Click Export.

7. Click OK.

Restore Failures

RAC0012: Validation Error When Running RMAN Scripts

Issue:

An error message containing "Provide Valid Token" is returned when an RMAN script runs.

Solution

A valid token file was not included in the request.

1. Run the qlogin command with the token file option (-f) to obtain a token file.

2. Use the CvQcmdTokenFile parameter with the token file that the qlogin command generates.

   For information on required and optional SBT parameters, see SBT Parameters.

RAC0013: User Error When Running RMAN Scripts

Issue:

An error message containing "Provide competent user" is returned when an RMAN script runs.

Solution

The user does not have the correct permissions in the CommCell Console to run the backup jo

Viewing RMAN errors

• If the system notifies you that there was an "RMAN error" during a backup or restore operation, we advise you to view the RMAN Output Log to identify which error was encountered. To view the RMAN Output Log, do the following:

  1. From the CommCell Browser, right-click the <Instance>, point to View, and then click either Backup History or Restore History.

  2. Click OK.

  3. On the Job History window, right-click the job, and then select View Log File. The RMAN Output Log will display for the job.

  Once you have identified the specific RMAN error, consult one of the following publications from Oracle Corporation for information on resolving the specific error, in conjunction with your on-site Oracle database administrator:

  • Oracle - Backup and Recovery Guide

  • Oracle - Recovery Manager User’s Guide and Reference

  • Oracle - Recovery Manager User’s Guide

CommCell Console errors

• If only command line backups have been performed, and a Browse Restore operation is subsequently attempted from the CommCell Console without first opening and closing the subclient properties, then the system will display a message indicating that no data was backed up. If this happens, ensure that you open and then close the subclient properties of the Oracle iDataAgent you are trying to restore, then try the Browse Restore operation again.

• If the line "set linesize 80" is present in the file $ORACLE_HOME/sqlplus/admin/glogin.sql, it may cause the SrvOraAgent server process on the CommServe to fail when browsing database contents or executing a backup. To avoid such failures, comment out that line from the file and re-try the browse or backup operation.

• For Oracle 10g and higher, if the instance is configured for autobackup with flash recovery, then restoring the SPFile from the CommCell Console will not work. The following work-arounds are available in this situation:

  • Work-around 1:

    Comment out the option "db_recovery_file_dest" from the PFile, then re-create the SPFile using the new PFile. Afterwards, restoring the SPFile from the CommCell Console should work.

  • Work-around 2:

    Restore the SPFile manually using RMAN with the script below:

    RMAN> run {
    2> ALLOCATE CHANNEL c1 DEVICE TYPE DISK;
    3> restore spfile from autobackup;
    4> }

Point-in-time recovery

When you recover a database to a point in time, the RMAN command ALTER DATABASE OPEN RESETLOGS is executed which will reset the SCN (System Change Number) and time stamp on every object of the database (i.e., datafiles and control files). Also, only the archived redo logs that match the RESETLOGS SCN and timestamp value will be applied to the database, thus recovering the database to a time that is not current. This is a very useful operation if the point-in-time to which you are trying to recover is certain and known, but can be counterproductive if you are guessing at the point-in-time.

If you are not sure about the point-in-time for the recovery, it is recommended to restore the data and the control files to a point in time without recovery. This method will allow you to restore the database to a state that you can make the determination whether or not you have achieved the correct point-in-time, without invoking the"ALTER DATABASE OPEN RESETLOGS" statement that would reset SCNs and time stamps on the database objects.

After determining the correct point-in-time through this method, you can recover the database to the point in time to reset your Oracle database to the desired incarnation.

Sample scripts are provided below for your Oracle database administrator to use as reference for developing custom scripts that you can run from the RMAN command line, to perform special operations apart from the CommCell Console.

Sample Script for Resetting a Database after RESETLOGS

The following example resets a database after performing an incomplete media recovery:

run {
 allocate channel dev1 type disk;
 set until logseq 1234 thread 1;
 restore database skip tablespace readonly;
 recover database;
 sql "ALTER DATABASE OPEN RESETLOGS";
 release channel dev1;
 }
reset database;
    

Sample Script for Resetting the Database to an Old Incarnation

The following command makes an old incarnation of database PROD1 current again:

# obtain primary key of old incarnation

list incarnation of database prod1;

List of Database Incarnations

shutdown immediate;

# reset database to old incarnation

reset database to incarnation 2;

# recover it
 run {
 allocate channel dev1 type disk;
 restore controlfile;
 startup mount;
 restore database;
 recover database;
 sql "ALTER DATABASE OPEN RESETLOGS";
 release channel dev1;
 }
    

Completed with one or more errors

Restore jobs from Oracle iDataAgent will be displayed as "Completed w/ one or more errors" in the Job History in the following cases:

• During a table restore, if the export or import of table fails.

• RMAN recovery is completed, but an incorrect open mode is selected for restore.

Restore completed with warnings

Restore jobs from Oracle for Oracle RAC iDataAgent will be displayed as "Completed with Warnings" in the Job History in the following case:

• When the database restore succeeds but it fails when recovering the database or opening the database.

Oracle errors

If you receive an Oracle error during an Oracle restore operation, we recommend that you follow procedures published by Oracle Corporation on resolving the specific error. We also advise you to consult with your on-site Oracle database administrator, as needed.

ORCL0044: The Oracle Wallet May Not Open after an Offline Backup and Restore

Issue:

If the Oracle Wallet is defined in the default location (ORACLE_BASE) and there are no entries to the ORACLE_WALLET location in the sqlnet.ra file, the Oracle Wallet may not open after an offline backup and restore when either of the following is true:

• The subclient is configured with no lights-out script (Subclient Properties dialog box, Advanced tab, Offline Arguments tab)

• The Switch Database Mode for Restore option (Options tab) was used for the restore.

Solution

Use one of the following options to fix this issue.

• Define the Oracle Wallet location in the sqlnet.ra file

• Configure a post-script that opens the Oracle Wallet (Subclient Properties dialog box, Pre/Post Process tab, PostBackup Process box)

RAC0016: A Restore from a Tape Library Hangs

Issue

A restore from a tape library hangs with the following error:

The medium is already reserved by some other job[s]
    

Resolution

This is due to default optimization that the software uses to enhance performance. To fix this issue, disable optimization. For more information, see Disabling Optimization for Database Restores.