Restore Points in Oracle SQL

Restore Points in Oracle SQL

A restore point in Oracle SQL is a named marker that allows administrators to roll back the database to a specific state without performing a full restore from backup. Restore points are used with Flashback Database, which relies on the Fast Recovery Area (FRA) to store necessary flashback logs.

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Types of Restore Points in Oracle

1. Normal Restore Point

A standard restore point that allows rolling back changes if flashback logs are available.

If the database needs space, Oracle may delete flashback logs, making the restore point unusable.

Creating a normal restore point:

CREATE RESTORE POINT before_upgrade;

Dropping a normal restore point:

DROP RESTORE POINT before_upgrade;

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1. Guaranteed Restore Point

Ensures that Oracle retains flashback logs until the restore point is dropped.

Useful for critical changes like patching, data migrations, or major updates.

Requires Flashback Database to be enabled.

Creating a guaranteed restore point:

CREATE RESTORE POINT before_migration GUARANTEE FLASHBACK DATABASE;

Dropping a guaranteed restore point:

DROP RESTORE POINT before_migration;

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Using Restore Points for Flashback in Oracle

Step 1: Enable Flashback Database (if not enabled)

ALTER DATABASE FLASHBACK ON;

Step 2: Check Available Restore Points

SELECT NAME, GUARANTEE_FLASHBACK_DATABASE, TIME
FROM V$RESTORE_POINT;

Step 3: Perform Flashback to Restore Point

1. Shutdown the database:

SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATE;

1. Mount the database:

STARTUP MOUNT;

1. Flashback to a restore point:

FLASHBACK DATABASE TO RESTORE POINT before_migration;

1. Open the database with resetlogs:

ALTER DATABASE OPEN RESETLOGS;

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Key Use Cases of Restore Points in Oracle SQL

1. Before Major Upgrades or Patch Applications

Quickly roll back if an upgrade fails.

1. Before Schema or Data Migrations

Revert back if data migration causes unexpected issues.

1. Testing and UAT Environments

Restore the database to a consistent state after running tests.

1. Emergency Recovery

If an accidental deletion or corruption occurs, restore points allow quick recovery.

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Best Practices

Use guaranteed restore points for critical operations to ensure logs are retained.

Monitor the Fast Recovery Area (FRA) to avoid running out of space.

Drop restore points once they are no longer needed to free up storage.

Regularly check restore points using V$RESTORE_POINT to track their status.