How to restore archive logs to an alternative location when they already reside on disk (Doc ID 399894.1)

SYMPTOMS

When attempting to restore archive logs that are already located on disk using RMAN the following message will be raised:

restore not done; all files readonly, offline, or already restored

CAUSE

The message above is correct however if the archivelogs are stored within ASM you are not able to use the os copy or move command to retrieve them.

RMAN> run {
2> set archivelog destination to '/tmp';
3> restore archivelog from logseq=60 until logseq=65;
4> }

executing command: SET ARCHIVELOG DESTINATION
using target database controlfile instead of recovery catalog

Starting restore at 2006/11/17 08:51:01
allocated channel: ORA_DISK_1
channel ORA_DISK_1: sid=147 devtype=DISK

archive log thread 1 sequence 60 is already on disk as file +DGROUP2/rman/archivelog/2006_11_17/thread_1_seq_60.267.606732487
archive log thread 1 sequence 61 is already on disk as file +DGROUP2/rman/archivelog/2006_11_17/thread_1_seq_61.263.606732499
archive log thread 1 sequence 62 is already on disk as file +DGROUP2/rman/archivelog/2006_11_17/thread_1_seq_62.265.606732505
archive log thread 1 sequence 63 is already on disk as file +DGROUP2/rman/archivelog/2006_11_17/thread_1_seq_63.278.606732509
archive log thread 1 sequence 64 is already on disk as file +DGROUP2/rman/archivelog/2006_11_17/thread_1_seq_64.277.606732509
archive log thread 1 sequence 65 is already on disk as file +DGROUP2/rman/archivelog/2006_11_17/thread_1_seq_65.276.606732521
restore not done; all files readonly, offline, or already restored
Finished restore at 2006/11/17 08:51:02

SOLUTION

There are three potential solutions:

1) Use the RMAN copy command

RMAN> copy archivelog '+DGROUP2/rman/archivelog/2006_11_17/thread_1_seq_60.267.606732487' to '/tmp/archive_seq_60.arc';

If there are only a few archivelogs required then the copy command can be repeated for each log. However if there are multiple archive logs below solutions may be preferable.

2) Try to use the FORCE clause in the restore command to restore the archivelog to an alternate location even when the archvie already exists on disk:

RMAN> run {
2> set archivelog destination to '/tmp';
3> restore FORCE archivelog from logseq=60 until logseq=65;
4> }

3)  Use the RMAN uncatalog command.

RMAN> change archivelog from logseq=60 until logseq=65 uncatalog;

uncataloged archive log
archive log filename=+DGROUP2/rman/archivelog/2006_11_17/thread_1_seq_60.267.606732487 recid=64 stamp=606732490
uncataloged archive log
archive log filename=+DGROUP2/rman/archivelog/2006_11_17/thread_1_seq_61.263.606732499 recid=65 stamp=606732500
uncataloged archive log
archive log filename=+DGROUP2/rman/archivelog/2006_11_17/thread_1_seq_62.265.606732505 recid=66 stamp=606732507
uncataloged archive log
archive log filename=+DGROUP2/rman/archivelog/2006_11_17/thread_1_seq_63.278.606732509 recid=67 stamp=606732508
uncataloged archive log
archive log filename=+DGROUP2/rman/archivelog/2006_11_17/thread_1_seq_64.277.606732509 recid=68 stamp=606732511
uncataloged archive log
archive log filename=+DGROUP2/rman/archivelog/2006_11_17/thread_1_seq_65.276.606732521 recid=69 stamp=606732523
Uncataloged 6 objects

Once the archivelogs have been successfully uncataloged you are able to successfully restore the archive logs to new location.

RMAN> run {
2> set archivelog destination to '/tmp';
3> restore archivelog from logseq=60 until logseq=65;
4> }

executing command: SET ARCHIVELOG DESTINATION

Starting restore at 2006/11/17 08:57:06
using channel ORA_DISK_1

channel ORA_DISK_1: starting archive log restore to user-specified destination
archive log destination=/tmp
channel ORA_DISK_1: restoring archive log
archive log thread=1 sequence=60
channel ORA_DISK_1: restoring archive log
archive log thread=1 sequence=61
channel ORA_DISK_1: restoring archive log
archive log thread=1 sequence=62
channel ORA_DISK_1: restoring archive log
archive log thread=1 sequence=63
channel ORA_DISK_1: restoring archive log
archive log thread=1 sequence=64
channel ORA_DISK_1: restoring archive log
archive log thread=1 sequence=65
channel ORA_DISK_1: restored backup piece 1
piece handle=+DGROUP2/rman/backupset/2006_11_17/annnf0_tag20061117t084948_0.275.606732589 tag=TAG20061117T084948
channel ORA_DISK_1: restore complete
Finished restore at 2006/11/17 08:57:08

 Following the successul restore of the archivelogs you can then continue to recatalog the archivelogs back into the ASM diskgroup. Below is an example of cataloging one archivelog.

RMAN> catalog archivelog '+DGROUP2/rman/archivelog/2006_11_17/thread_1_seq_60.267.606732487';

cataloged archive log
archive log filename=+DGROUP2/rman/archivelog/2006_11_17/thread_1_seq_60.267.606732487 recid=76 stamp=606733388