How to use RMAN Catalog Command

In this post, we will learn about how to use RMAN Catalog Command, how to use catalog start with command, and how to catalog backup pieces on tapes

Table of Contents

RMAN Catalog command

You re-create the control file and you dont use the recovery catalog and use the control file only to store the RMAN data, thereby losing all RMAN repository data. You can catalog all the backups, datafile, and archivelog again with the catalog command
You copy or move a backup piece with an OS cp and mv command and want it to be usable from another location by RMAN.
Sometimes you have run cross-check and the filesystem where backups are stored is down or not accessible, The RMAN metadata for the backup piece will be expired and later removed as part of the delete expired command. Now when you restore the filesystem. you can again catalog the backup pieces with the CATALOG command
Suppose your control file auto backup is disabled, you back up the control file and then back up the archived redo logs. Now when you restore the control file and mount the database, then it will not know about the archive backups taken after that. Then you can use the CATALOG command to catalog the backup pieces containing the archived redo logs backed up after the control file.
It is also possible to use the CATALOG command for backup pieces stored in TAPE with 10.2 Onwards

What all can be catalog

backup pieces and image copies on disk
Record a datafile copy as a level 0 incremental backup in the RMAN repository, which enables you to use it as part of an incremental backup strategy.
backup pieces on Tapes
Archivelog

What cannot be catalog

CATALOG to catalog a file that belongs to a different database.

Now let’s look at various RMAN Catalog command

How to catalog archive log in RMAN

rman target /
CATALOG ARCHIVELOG '/u01/oradata/archive1_86969.dbf';

How to catalog the datafile copy

CATALOG DATAFILECOPY '/u01/oradata/system01.1' LEVEL 0;

How to catalog the backup piece

CATALOG BACKUPPIECE '/u01/oradata/fra/01dms4744_1_1.bcp';

How to use the catalog start with

Sometimes, there are multiple backup pieces or datafile copies to be cataloged, then we can use the catalog start with command. we need to specify the directory location and it will catalog all the files inside that

CATALOG START WITH '/u01/archive_logs/';

How to catalog the backup pieces on tape

Define a tape channel in the RMAN automatic configuration:

RMAN> CONFIGURE CHANNEL DEVICE TYPE 'SBT_TAPE'
PARMS 'SBT_LIBRARY=/usr/local/oracle/backup/lib/libobk.so,ENV=(OB_MEDIA_FAMILY=RMAN-DEFAULT)';

Check that channel configuration is correct

RMAN> show all;
CONFIGURE CHANNEL DEVICE TYPE 'SBT_TAPE' PARMS 'SBT_LIBRARY=/usr/local/oracle/backup/lib/libobk.so,ENV=(OB_MEDIA_FAMILY=RMAN-DEFAULT)';

Catalog the backup piece

RMAN> CATALOG DEVICE TYPE 'SBT_TAPE' BACKUPPIECE '0pivagf8_1_1';

Here is the example for Netbackup

CONFIGURE CHANNEL DEVICE TYPE 'SBT_TAPE' PARMS 'ENV=(NB_ORA_CLASS=oraclebkup, SBT_LIBRARY=/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/libobk.so)';
CATALOG DEVICE TYPE 'SBT_TAPE' BACKUPPIECE 'ujgjklij1qaa3_1_1';

Hope you like this post on how to use RMAN Catalog Command, how to use catalog start with command, and how to catalog backup pieces on tapes

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https://docs.oracle.com/cd/B19306_01/backup.102/b14192/bkup007.htm