DELETE INPUT vs DELETE ALL INPUT in RMAN

 

1. DELETE INPUT




• How it works:
  RMAN deletes only the archived logs from the destination it used for the backup.

• Example with multiple destinations (/dest1, /dest2, /dest3):
  If RMAN backed up the logs from /dest1, it will delete only the logs in /dest1. Logs in /dest2 and /dest3 will remain untouched.

• Use Case:
  When you want to clean up only the archive log files from the specific destination used in the backup.

BACKUP ARCHIVELOG ALL DELETE INPUT;

In this example, RMAN backs up all archived logs and then deletes only the logs that were successfully backed up.

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2. DELETE ALL INPUT

• How it works:
  RMAN backs up one copy of each log sequence and then deletes all copies of the backed-up logs from all destinations.

• Example with multiple destinations (/dest1, /dest2, /dest3):
  If RMAN backs up a log sequence, it will delete the log from /dest1, /dest2, and /dest3, clearing all copies.

• Use Case:
  When you want to remove all duplicate copies of the archived logs after confirming they are backed up.

BACKUP ARCHIVELOG ALL DELETE ALL INPUT;

In this example, RMAN backs up all archived logs and then deletes all logs matching the backup criteria from the disk, regardless of whether they were used in the backup.

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Key Differences Between DELETE INPUT and DELETE ALL INPUT

1. DELETE INPUT:

   • Behavior: Deletes archived logs only from the location (one of the LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_n) that RMAN used for the backup.
   • Use Case: Use when you want to remove only the archived logs from the specific destination that was backed up.
   • Impact: Other destinations remain untouched.

   Example:

   • LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_1 = '/dest1'
   • LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_2 = '/dest2'
   • If RMAN backs up logs from /dest1 and you use DELETE INPUT, only logs in /dest1 will be deleted.

   Command:

   BACKUP ARCHIVELOG ALL DELETE INPUT;

2. DELETE ALL INPUT:

   • Behavior: Deletes archived logs from all configured destinations (LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_n), regardless of which destination RMAN used for the backup.
   • Use Case: Use when you want to clean up archived logs across all destinations after they have been backed up.
   • Impact: Removes all copies of the archived logs from all destinations.

   Example:

   • Logs from /dest1 and /dest2 will both be deleted after the backup.

   Command:

   BACKUP ARCHIVELOG ALL DELETE ALL INPUT;

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Key Notes

• Both commands ensure the logs are backed up before they are deleted.
• Use DELETE ALL INPUT carefully, as it will remove all copies of the backed-up logs.