Cold Backup

Brief Description "

Cold backup are also know as offline backups and are performed when the database has been brought down. Importantly – the database must be shutdown without the ABORT command , eg: Do not use the shutdown abort command. You may either use a shutdown immediate or a shutdown normal command instead.

A Cold backup is also known as the consistent backup since there are no changes made to the database during a cold backup. A cold backup allows you to perform a backup in both cases during an ARCHIVELOG MODE and as well as during the NOARCHIVE MODE.

Use the commands below to query to know the physical files of your database that are to be backed up

SQL> SELECT NAME FROM V$DATAFILE;

SQL> SELECT NAME FROM V$CONTROLFILE;

SQL> SELECT MEMBER FROM V$LOGFILE;

SQL> SELECT NAME FROM V$TEMPFILE;


Operation of a cold backup

Step 1: Shutdown the database without the ABORT option

Step 2: Use your operating system command to copy the physical files (Datafiles, 

Redolog files, Control files along with the Password file and parameter file.

Step 3 : Bring up the database after the backup has been taken.

Over