TRANSPORT TABLESPACE

Purpose

Use the TRANSPORT TABLESPACE command to create transportable tablespace sets from RMAN backups instead of the live data files of the source database.

See Also:

Oracle Database Backup and Recovery User's Guide to learn how to transport tablespaces with RMAN

Prerequisites

The limitations on creating transportable tablespace sets described in Oracle Database Administrator's Guide apply to transporting tablespaces from backup, except the requirement to make the tablespaces read-only.

The SYSAUX tablespace must not be part of the recovery set, which is the set of tablespaces to be transported. RMAN enforces inclusion of the SYSAUX tablespace in the auxiliary set, which contains data files and other files required for the tablespace transport.

TRANSPORT TABLESPACE does not convert endian formats. If the target platform has a different endian format, then after running TRANSPORT TABLESPACE use the CONVERT command to convert the endian format of the transportable set data files.

If you drop a tablespace, then you cannot later use TRANSPORT TABLESPACE to include this tablespace in a transportable tablespace set, even if the SCN for TRANSPORT TABLESPACE is earlier than the SCN at which the table was dropped. If you rename a tablespace, then you cannot use TRANSPORT TABLESPACE to create a transportable tablespace set as of a point in time before the tablespace was renamed.

Backups and Backup Metadata

You must have a backup of all needed tablespaces (including those in the auxiliary set) and archived redo log files needed to recover to the target point in time.

If you do not use a recovery catalog, and if the database has re-used control file records containing metadata about required backups, then the command fails because RMAN cannot locate the backups. You may be able to use CATALOG to add backups to the RMAN repository, but if the database is overwriting control file records, you may lose records of other backups.

Data Pump Export and Import

Because the RMAN uses the Data Pump Export and Import utilities, you cannot use TRANSPORT TABLESPACE if the tablespaces to be transported use XMLType. In this case you must use the procedure in Oracle Database Administrator's Guide.

If a file under the name of the export dump file exists in the tablespace destination, then TRANSPORT TABLESPACE fails when it calls Data Pump Export. If you are repeating a previous TRANSPORT TABLESPACE job, then make sure to delete the previous output files, including the export dump file.

Tablespace and Column Encryption

The following database encryption features both use the Oracle software keystore: Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) column encryption, which functions at the column level, and TDE tablespace encryption. Note the following restrictions for tablespaces that are encrypted or contain encrypted columns:

  • If you are transporting an encrypted tablespace, then you must manually copy the keystore to the destination database.

  • If the destination database has an existing keystore, then you cannot copy the keystore from the source database to the destination database. Thus, you cannot transport encrypted data to a database that already has a keystore. If you encrypt columns with TDE column encryption, then you can export them into an export file that is password-protected and import the data into the destination database.

See Also:

Oracle Database Advanced Security Guide to learn about TDE

Usage Notes

Because RMAN creates the automatic auxiliary instance used for restore and recovery on the same node as the source instance, there is some performance overhead during the operation of the TRANSPORT TABLESPACE command.

If RMAN is not part of the backup strategy for your database, then you can still use TRANSPORT TABLESPACE if the needed data file copies and archived redo log files are available on disk. Use the CATALOG command to record the data file copies and archived redo log files in the RMAN repository. You can then use TRANSPORT TABLESPACE. You also have the option of using RMAN to back up your database specifically so you can use TRANSPORT TABLESPACE.

Syntax

transpt_tbs::=

Description of transpt_tbs.gif follows
Description of the illustration transpt_tbs.gif

(transpt_tbs_optlist::=)

transpt_tbs_optlist::=

Description of transpt_tbs_optlist.gif follows
Description of the illustration transpt_tbs_optlist.gif

(untilClause::=)

Semantics

transpt_tbs

Syntax Element Description
tablespace_name Specifies the name of each tablespace to transport.

You must have a backup of all needed tablespaces (including those in the auxiliary set) and archived redo log files available for use by RMAN that can be recovered to the target time for the TRANSPORT TABLESPACE operation.

transpt_tbs_optlist

This subclause specifies optional parameters that affect the tablespace transport.

Syntax Element Description

AUXILIARY DESTINATION
'location'		 Specifies the location for files for the auxiliary instance.

You can use SET NEWNAME and CONFIGURE AUXNAME to override this argument for individual files. If using your own initialization parameter file to customize the auxiliary instance, then you can use the DB_FILE_NAME_CONVERT and LOG_FILE_NAME_CONVERT initialization parameters instead of AUXILIARY DESTINATION.

See Also: Oracle Database Backup and Recovery User's Guide for details on the interactions among the different techniques for naming the auxiliary instance files

DATAPUMP DIRECTORY
datapump_directory		 Specifies a database directory object where Data Pump Export outputs are created (see Example 3-72). If not specified, then RMAN creates files in the location specified by TABLESPACE DESTINATION.

See Also: Oracle Database Utilities for more details on Data Pump Export and database directory objects
DUMP FILE 'filename' Specifies where to create the Data Pump Export dump file. If not specified, the export dump file is named dmpfile.dmp and stored in the location specified by the DATAPUMP DIRECTORY clause or in the tablespace destination.

Note: If a file under the name of the export dump file exists in the tablespace destination, then TRANSPORT TABLESPACE fails when it calls Data Pump Export. If you are repeating a previous TRANSPORT TABLESPACE job, then make sure to delete the previous output files, including the export dump file.
EXPORT LOG 'filename' Specifies the location of the log generated by Data Pump Export. If omitted, the export log is named explog.log and stored in the location specified by the DATAPUMP DIRECTORY clause or in the tablespace destination.
IMPORT SCRIPT 'filename' Specifies the file name for the sample input script generated by RMAN for use in plugging in the transported tablespace at the destination database. If omitted, the import script is named impscript.sql. The script is stored in the tablespace destination.

TABLESPACE DESTINATION
tablespace_destination		 Specifies the location of the data files for the transported tablespaces after the tablespace transport operation completes.

TO RESTORE POINT
restore_point_name		 Specifies a restore point for tablespace restore and recovery, with the SCN at which the restore point was created as the upper, inclusive limit. Because the limit is inclusive, RMAN selects only files that it can use to restore or recover tablespaces up to and including the SCN corresponding to the restore point.
untilClause Specifies a past time, SCN, or log sequence number (see Example 3-71). If specified, RMAN restores and recovers the tablespaces at the auxiliary instance to their contents at that past point in time before export.

If you rename a tablespace, then you cannot use this command to create a transportable tablespace set as of a point in time before the tablespace was renamed. RMAN has no knowledge of the previous name of the tablespace.

Tablespaces including undo segments as of the UNTIL time or SCN for TRANSPORT TABLESPACE must be part of the auxiliary set. The control file only contains a record of tablespaces that include undo segments at the current time. If the set of tablespaces with undo segments was different at the UNTIL time or SCN, then TRANSPORT TABLESPACE fails. Thus, if you use RMAN in NOCATALOG mode and specify UNTIL, then the set of tablespaces with undo segments at the time TRANSPORT TABLESPACE executes must equal the set of tablespaces with undo segments at the UNTIL time or SCN.

Examples

Example 3-71 Using TRANSPORT TABLESPACE with a Past Time

In this example, the tablespaces for the transportable set are example and tools, the transportable set files are to be stored at /disk1/transport_dest, and the transportable tablespaces are to be recovered to a time 15 minutes ago:

TRANSPORT TABLESPACE example, tools
  TABLESPACE DESTINATION '/disk1/transportdest'
  AUXILIARY DESTINATION '/disk1/auxdest'
  UNTIL TIME 'SYSDATE-15/1440';

Partial sample output follows:

Creating automatic instance, with SID='egnr'
 
initialization parameters used for automatic instance:
db_name=PROD
compatible=11.0.0
db_block_size=8192
.
.
.
starting up automatic instance PROD
.
.
. 
executing Memory Script
 
executing command: SET until clause
 
Starting restore at 07-JUN-13
allocated channel: ORA_AUX_DISK_1
channel ORA_AUX_DISK_1: SID=44 device type=DISK
 
channel ORA_AUX_DISK_1: starting datafile backup set restore
channel ORA_AUX_DISK_1: restoring control file
.
.
.
output file name=/disk1/auxdest/cntrl_tspitr_PROD_egnr.f
Finished restore at 07-JUN-13
 
sql statement: alter database mount clone database
 
sql statement: alter system archive log current
 
sql statement: begin dbms_backup_restore.AutoBackupFlag(FALSE); end;
 
starting full resync of recovery catalog
full resync complete
.
.
.
executing Memory Script
.
.
.
 
Starting restore at 07-JUN-13
using channel ORA_AUX_DISK_1
 
channel ORA_AUX_DISK_1: starting datafile backup set restore
channel ORA_AUX_DISK_1: specifying datafile(s) to restore from backup set
channel ORA_AUX_DISK_1: restoring datafile 00001 to /disk1/auxdest/TSPITR_PROD_EGNR/datafile/o1_mf_system_%u_.dbf
datafile 1 switched to datafile copy
.
.
.
starting media recovery
.
.
. 
Finished recover at 07-JUN-13
 
database opened
.
.
.
executing Memory Script
.
.
.
sql statement: alter tablespace EXAMPLE read only
Removing automatic instance
shutting down automatic instance
Oracle instance shut down
Automatic instance removed
auxiliary instance file /disk1/auxdest/cntrl_tspitr_PROD_egnr.f deleted
.
.
.

Example 3-72 Using TRANSPORT TABLESPACE with Customized File Locations

This example illustrates the use of the optional arguments that control the locations of Data Pump-related files such as the dump file. The DATAPUMP DIRECTORY must refer to an object that exists in the target database. Use the CREATE DIRECTORY SQL statement to create a directory object.

TRANSPORT TABLESPACE example
  TABLESPACE DESTINATION '/disk1/transportdest'
  AUXILIARY DESTINATION '/disk1/auxdest'
  DATAPUMP DIRECTORY mypumpdir
  DUMP FILE 'mydumpfile.dmp'
  IMPORT SCRIPT 'myimportscript.sql'
  EXPORT LOG 'myexportlog.log';