SET

Syntax

set::=

Text description of set

setRmanOption::=

Text description of setRmanOption

setRunOption::=

Text description of setRunOption

Purpose

To configure settings that apply only to the current RMAN session. The SET command contrasts with the CONFIGURE command, which configures persistent settings that apply to all RMAN sessions.

You can use the SET command either at the RMAN prompt or within a RUN block. Within a RUN block, the SET command sets attributes that persist until the end of the RUN block. The specified attributes affect all statements within RUN that follow the SET command. When you use SET outside of a RUN block the attributes you set persist until you exit the RMAN client.

Use the SET command outside a RUN block to:

Display executed RMAN commands in the message log.
Specify a database's database identifier (DBID) when restoring a control file or server parameter file.

Use SET specified within a RUN block to:

Specify new filenames for restored datafiles
Specify the filenames for the auxiliary database during TSPITR or database duplication.
Specify a limit for the number of permissible block corruptions.
Override default archived redo log destinations.
Set an end time, SCN, or log sequence number for recovery.
Specify that backup sets should be duplexed, that is, multiple copies should be created of each backup piece in the backup set.
Determine which server session corresponds to which channel.
Turn RMAN's automatic location feature on or off.
Override the default format for control file autobackups at the session level.

Restrictions and Usage Notes for SET Command Within RUN

The following restrictions apply to SET when issued within a RUN command:

The SET BACKUP COPIES command affects all backups in the RUN block after issuing the command and is in effect until explicitly disabled or changed. The SET BACKUP COPIES command does not affect previous backups.
SET BACKUP COPIES does not apply to the BACKUP AS COPY command.
Include the %F substitution variable in the autobackup format.
You cannot use SET NEWNAME TO NEW when creating a duplicate or standby database or performing RMAN TSPITR.

Restrictions and Usage Notes for the SET DBID Command

You should only run the SET DBID command in the following specialized circumstances:

You are not connected to a recovery catalog and want to restore the control file or server parameter file.
You are connected to a recovery catalog and want to restore the control file, but the database name is not unique in the recovery catalog.
The server parameter file is lost and you want to restore it.

See Also:
Table 2-27 for RESTORE CONTROLFILE usage notes.

Keywords and Parameters

setRmanOption

Syntax Element	Description
`AUXILIARY INSTANCE PARAMETER FILE TO` `'``filename``'`	For use in customizing TSPITR with an automatic auxiliary instance. Specifies the path (on the host running the RMAN client) to the client-side parameter file to use in starting the instance. See Also: Oracle Database Reference for more on `V$SESSION.CLIENT_INFO`
`COMMAND` `ID` `TO` `'``string``'`	Enters the specified string into the `V$SESSION.CLIENT_INFO` column of all channels. Use this information to determine which database server sessions correspond to which RMAN channels. The `SET` `COMMAND` `ID` command applies only to channels that are already allocated. The `V$SESSION.CLIENT_INFO` column contains information for each RMAN server session. The data appears in one of the following formats: `id=``string` `id=``string`, `ch=``channel_id` The first form appears in the RMAN target database connection. The second form appears in all allocated channels. When the current job is complete, the `V$SESSION.CLIENT_INFO` column will be cleared. See Also: Oracle Database Reference for more on `V$SESSION.CLIENT_INFO`
`CONTROLFILE` `AUTOBACKUP` `FORMAT` `FOR` `DEVICE` `TYPE` deviceSpecifier `TO` formatSpec	Overrides the default filename format for the control file autobackup on the specified device type. The override occurs at the session level only. You can run this command either in `RUN` or at the RMAN prompt. The order of precedence is as follows: `SET` `CONTROLFILE` `AUTOBACKUP` executed within a `RUN` block `SET` `CONTROLFILE` `AUTOBACKUP` executed at the RMAN prompt `CONFIGURE` `CONTROLFILE` `AUTOBACKUP` `FORMAT` Note that the %F substitution variable is required to be in the new `formatSpec`, and that no other substitution variable is legal in a control file autobackup `formatSpec`. See Also: "formatSpec" for the semantics of the `%F` substitution variable.
`DBID` `integer`	Specifies the DBID, which is a unique 32-bit identification number computed when the database is created. RMAN displays the DBID upon connection to the target database. You can obtain the DBID by querying the `V$DATABASE` view or the `RC_DATABASE` and `RC_DATABASE_INCARNATION` recovery catalog views. See Also: "Restrictions and Usage Notes for the SET DBID Command"
`ECHO` `{ON` `\|` `OFF}`	Controls whether RMAN commands are displayed in the message log. When reading commands from a command file, RMAN automatically echoes those commands to the message log. When reading commands from standard input, RMAN does not echo those commands to the message log. To force RMAN to echo the commands, run the `SET` `ECHO` `ON` command before running your command file. The command is useful when `stdin` and `stdout` have been redirected. For example, in UNIX you can redirect RMAN's input and output in this manner: % rman TARGET sys/pwd@prod1 CATALOG rman/rman@rcat < in_file > out_file By running `SET` `ECHO` `ON`, you enable the commands contained in `in_file` to be visible in `out_file`.

setRunOption

Syntax Element	Description
`NEWNAME` `FOR` `DATAFILE` datafileSpec `TO`	Sets the default name for all subsequent `RESTORE` or `SWITCH` commands that affect the specified datafile. If you do not issue this command before the datafile restore operation, then RMAN restores the file to its default location. After you restore a datafile to a new location, then you can run `SWITCH` to rename the file in the control file to the `NEWNAME`. If you do not run `SWITCH`, then the restored file functions as a datafile copy and is recorded as such in the repository. Note: The `SET` `NEWNAME` command supports Automatic Storage Management disk groups. See Also: "datafileSpec"
`'``filename``'`	Specifies a user-defined filename or Automatic Storage Management disk group for the restored datafile. If you set the `NEWNAME` to a disk group and run a `RESTORE`, then RMAN restores the file i If the original file is an Oracle Managed File or is on an Automatic Storage Management disk group, then RMAN attempts to delete the original file so that it will not be orphaned.
`NEW`	Creates an Oracle-managed file in the directory specified in `DB_CREATE_FILE_DEST`. If the original file is an Oracle Managed File or is on an Automatic Storage Management disk group, then RMAN attempts to delete the original file so that it will not be orphaned. You cannot use this option when using the `DUPLICATE` command or performing RMAN TSPITR. See Also: Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for information about Oracle Managed Files
`MAXCORRUPT` `FOR` `DATAFILE` datafileSpec `TO` `integer`	Sets a limit on the number of previously undetected physical block corruptions that the database will allow in a specified datafile or list of datafiles. If a `BACKUP` or `CREATE CATALOG` command detects more than the specified number of corruptions, then the command terminates. The default limit is zero, meaning that RMAN tolerates no corrupt blocks. Note: If you specify `CHECK` `LOGICAL`, then the `MAXCORRUPT` limit applies to logical corruptions as well. See Also: "datafileSpec"
`ARCHIVELOG DESTINATION` `TO '``log_archive_dest``'`	Overrides the `LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_1` initialization parameter in the target database when forming names for restored archive logs during subsequent `RESTORE` and `RECOVER` commands. RMAN restores the logs to the destination specified in `'``log_archive_dest``'`. Use this parameter to restore archived redo logs that are not already on disk. Use this command to stage many archived logs to different locations while a database restore is occurring. RMAN knows where to find the newly restored archive logs; it does not require them to be in the destination specified by `LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_1`. For example, if you specify a different destination from the one in the parameter file and restore archived redo log backups, subsequent restore and recovery operations will detect this new location. RMAN always looks for archived redo logs on disk first before restoring them from backup sets.
untilClause	Specifies an end time, SCN, or log sequence number for a subsequent `RESTORE` or `RECOVER` command. See Also: "untilClause"
`BACKUP` `COPIES` `=` `integer`	Specifies the number of copies of each backup piece that the channels should create: 1, 2, 3, or 4. The `SET` `BACKUP` `COPIES` command, which affects only the `BACKUP` command, affects all channels allocated in the session. The order of precedence is as follows, with settings higher on the list overriding settings lower on the list: `BACKUP` `COPIES` `SET` `BACKUP` `COPIES` `CONFIGURE` `...` `BACKUP` `COPIES` The names of the backup pieces are dependent on the `FORMAT` clause in the `BACKUP` command. You can specify up to four `FORMAT` strings. RMAN uses the second, third, and fourth values only when `BACKUP` `COPIES`, `SET BACKUP COPIES,` or `CONFIGURE` `...` `BACKUP` `COPIES` is in effect. When choosing which format to use for each backup piece, RMAN uses the first format value for copy 1, the second format value for copy 2, and so on. If the number of format values exceeds the number of copies, then the extra formats are not used. If the number of format values is less than the number of copies, RMAN reuses the format values, starting with the first one. Note: `BACKUP COPIES` option is not valid when files are created in flash recovery area. Backups to the flash recovery area cannot be duplexed.. Note: Control file autobackups on disk are a special case and are never duplexed: RMAN always writes one and only copy.
`COMMAND` `ID` `TO` `'``string``'`	Enters the specified string into the `V$SESSION.CLIENT_INFO` column of all channels. Use this information to determine which database server sessions correspond to which RMAN channels. The `SET` `COMMAND` `ID` command applies only to channels that are already allocated. The `V$SESSION.CLIENT_INFO` column contains information for each RMAN server session. The data appears in one of the following formats: `id=``string` `id=``string`, `ch=``channel_id` The first form appears in the RMAN target database connection. The second form appears in all allocated channels. When the current job is complete, the `V$SESSION.CLIENT_INFO` column will be cleared. See Also: Oracle Database Reference for more on `V$SESSION.CLIENT_INFO`
`CONTROLFILE` `AUTOBACKUP` `FORMAT` `FOR` `DEVICE` `TYPE` deviceSpecifier `TO` formatSpec	Overrides the default filename format for the control file autobackup on the specified device type. The override occurs at the session level only. You can run this command either in `RUN` or at the RMAN prompt. The order of precedence is as follows: `SET` `CONTROLFILE` `AUTOBACKUP` executed within a `RUN` block `SET` `CONTROLFILE` `AUTOBACKUP` executed at the RMAN prompt `CONFIGURE` `CONTROLFILE` `AUTOBACKUP` `FORMAT` Note that the %F substitution variable is required to be in the new `formatSpec`, and that no other substitution variable is legal in a control file autobackup `formatSpec`. See Also: "formatSpec" for the semantics of the `%F` substitution variable.

Examples

Restoring the Control File When Databases Share the Same Name: Example

The following example uses the DBID to restore the control file because multiple target databases share the same DB_NAME in the catalog. After you have restored the target control file, you can mount the database to restore the rest of the database:

rman TARGET / CATALOG rman/rman@catdb 
RMAN> STARTUP FORCE NOMOUNT;
RMAN> SET DBID = 862893450; # needed to distinguish target from others with same DB_NAME
RMAN> RESTORE CONTROLFILE; # assuming catalog has automatic channel allocation information
RMAN> ALTER DATABASE MOUNT;

Setting the Command ID: Example

This example sets the command ID, backs up the users tablespace, then archives the online redo logs:

RUN
{
  ALLOCATE CHANNEL t1 DEVICE TYPE DISK FORMAT '/disk1/%U';
  ALLOCATE CHANNEL t2 DEVICE TYPE DISK FORMAT '/disk2/%U';
  SET COMMAND ID TO 'rman';
  BACKUP INCREMENTAL LEVEL 0 MAXSETSIZE 5M TABLESPACE users;
  SQL 'ALTER SYSTEM ARCHIVE LOG ALL';

}

Duplexing a Backup Set: Example

Assume that you have used the CONFIGURE command to set duplexing as follows:

CONFIGURE ARCHIVELOG COPIES FOR DEVICE TYPE sbt TO 4;
CONFIGURE DATAFILE COPIES FOR DEVICE TYPE sbt TO 3;

The following example overrides these configurations and makes two copies of each datafile and archived log in the backup:

RUN
{
  ALLOCATE CHANNEL dev1 DEVICE TYPE sbt;
  SET BACKUP COPIES = 2;
  BACKUP DATAFILE 1,2,3,4,5;
  BACKUP ARCHIVELOG ALL;
}

Overriding the Autobackup Format During a Restore: Example

This example sets the DBID, sets a boundary time for the restore, then restores a control file autobackup with a nondefault format. First start RMAN and then run:

CONNECT TARGET / NOCATALOG
STARTUP FORCE NOMOUNT
SET DBID 676549873;
RUN
{
  SET UNTIL TIME '10/10/2001 13:45:00';
  SET CONTROLFILE AUTOBACKUP FORMAT FOR DEVICE TYPE DISK TO '?/oradata/cf_%F.bak';
  RESTORE CONTROLFILE FROM AUTOBACKUP MAXSEQ 100;
}
ALTER DATABASE MOUNT;

Restoring the Server Parameter File: Example

This example restores a lost server parameter file:

CONNECT TARGET / CATALOG rman/rman@catdb
SET DBID 676549873;  # set dbid so rman knows the database name
STARTUP FORCE NOMOUNT # rman starts database with a dummy server parameter file
RESTORE SPFILE;
STARTUP FORCE; # needed so that RMAN restarts database with restored server parameter file