Best way to maintain a set of test databases.

Jining Han · *nix forums addict Joined: 03 Feb 2005 Posts: 97

In 9.2, PIT tablespace restore would still require that you do imp/exp
because the tabespaces have to be restored into a different instance.

transportable tablespaces sound like a winner

Jining Han

Jim Smith · *nix forums Guru Wannabe Joined: 21 Mar 2005 Posts: 134

I need to setup and maintain a set of test databases and I am wondering
what the best way to do it would be.

Given the following scenarios

1 Create database
2 Install application schema
3 Load test data set 1
4 Back it up (A)
5 Load test data set 2
6 Back it up (B)
7 Install application upgrade
8 Load test data set 3
9 Back it up (C)

etc.

At the start of a test cycle one of the backups at A,B or C needs to be
loaded into the database.

The possibilities I am aware of are

exp/imp - may be a bit slow with the data volumes involved
rman backup/restore of the relevant tablespace. Looking through the rman
manual, tablespace point-in-time recovery looks very complicated. Is
there a simpler way?
transportable tablespaces - can I remove and reattach the same
tablespace at different 'ages'?

Any suggestions are welcome.

Oracle 9.2

TIA
--
Jim Smith
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