Backup types and the default configuration

This section lists a few definitions that will need to be referred to for understanding the recommended backup strategy:

• Backup sets: Default type of RMAN backup that contains what you want backed up, which can be datafiles, controlfiles, archived redo logs, or spfiles. Each backup set consists of pieces, which can be subsets (a backup of a large datafile cut up into small chunks) of the item you want backed up. You cannot cut up a large datafile across different backup sets or mix different types of files into the same backup set, but you can multiplex several database files into a single backup piece.

• Image copy: Type of backup that is a bit-for-bit copy of the original—the same as creating a copy at the OS level (with Unix cp or dd commands), but is known to the RMAN utility. Making it known to RMAN means that the location and header file information has been recorded in either the control file or, optionally, the RMAN catalog. Archived redo...