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Selecting Volumes ManuallyLocate this document in the navigation structure

Prerequisites

  • Make sure that initialized volumes are available for the backup.

  • Determine whether the required expiration period has been configured in profile parameter expir_period and change the value when necessary.

Context

You can select the volumes for an Oracle database backup manually. You can do this if the BRBACKUP or BRARCHIVE automatic volume management is deactivated by using the reserved volume name SCRATCH. However, BRBACKUP or BRARCHIVE still checks the expiration period of the volume, and only allows you to use volumes for which the expiration period has ended.

For more information, see Scratch Volume.

Procedure


  1. You can start the backup with BRBACKUP or BRARCHIVE in one of the following ways:

    • Using the profile init<DBSID>.sap

      1. Enter one of the following parameter values in profile init<DBSID>.sap:

        volume_archive = SCRATCH

        volume_backup = SCRATCH

        For more information, see volume_backup and volume_archive.

      2. Start BRBACKUP or BRARCHIVE.

    • Using the option -v SCRATCH

      Leave the profile unchanged (a volume pool can be defined).

      Start BRBACKUP or BRARCHIVE with the option -v SCRATCH.

Results

BRBACKUP and BRARCHIVE request the number of scratch volumes needed for the backup (message BR0104I), expired volumes with any name. The volume names in the labels are not changed by the backup operation. Any expired BRBACKUP or BRARCHIVE volumes are accepted. See Volume Expiration Period.

Note

If you use scratch volumes, it might make sense to include the weekdays or days of the month in the volume names. This helps to make the names more meaningful.