Sync the Physical Standby Using RECOVER FROM SERVICE in Oracle 12c

Oracle Introduce new commands RECOVER FROM SERVICE for make the database sync if dataguard out of sync by reducing the steps.
In previous version we have to do the following steps:
1. Create standby control file from PROD and move to standby
2. Note down the SCN number of Secondary DB and start the RMAN backup from that SCN on Primary
3. Copy the backup to Standby
4. Mount the standby DB with new standby control file created.
5. Apply the incremental RMAN backup on Standby.
6. Start managed recovery of standby DB.

But with new command “RECOVER … FROM SERVICE” following steps done automatically

1. Creating the incremental back of RMAN from Primary site of the SCN at standby DB.
2. Transfer the incremental backup at Standby
3. Apply the incremental backup at standby to make them sync.

Following steps done for Recovery the Standby database to make them sync with RECOVER .. FROM SERVICE Command:
1. Identified the gap between both Primary and Standby Site:
Run the following command on both primary and standby DB to identified the out of sync.

-- On Standby and primary both
-- Check SCN difference of DB
SELECT CURRENT_SCN FROM V$DATABASE;

--Check SCN difference of Files
select HXFIL File_num,substr(HXFNM,1,40),fhscn from x$kcvfh;


On Standby DB:
1. Stop the replication service MRP on Standby Database:

-- On Standby
ALTER DATABASE RECOVER MANAGED STANDBY DATABASE CANCEL;


2. Shutdown the database and open in mount state:

-- On Standby
Shutdown immediate
Startup mount


3. Connect with the Standby Server through RMAN

-- On Standby
[oracle@localhost ~]$ rman target user/pwd
Recovery Manager: Release 12.1.0.1.0 - Production on Mon Mar 9 18:22:52 2015
Copyright (c) 1982, 2013, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
connected to target database: PRIM (DBID=4165840403, not open)

4. After connected to Standby Start the recover command:
Note: Verified the Service name with tnsping command go to primary Server.

--On Standby with Tnsnames of Primary DB
RMAN> recover database from service prim noredo using compressed backupset;


5. After completion, check the SCN for the files for both production and Standby Server:

-- On Both Primary and Standby
--Check SCN difference of Files, it should be equal.
select HXFIL File_num,substr(HXFNM,1,40),fhscn from x$kcvfh;


6. Now SCN number of control file is lower than Primary DB, for sync them open standby in nomount state.

--On Standby
SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATE;
STARTUP NOMOUNT;


7. Restore standby control file at nomount stage by using service PRIMARY.

-- On Standby
-- RESTORE STANDBY CONTROLFILE FROM SERVICE ;
RMAN> restore standby controlfile from service prim;


8. After restore control file, Verify the path is same as primary control file as present in Standby Server:

-- On Standby
alter database mount;
--Verfied the path of data files
report schema;


9. If location/name of data file is different in Primary than standby. If same location then skip this steps.
If path is different then you have to catalog new location and run SWITCH command for update location.
Note: For different path, Use the CATALOG command and the SWITCH command to update all the data file names.

-- On Standby
-- catalog start with '';
RMAN> Catalog start with '/u01/app/oracle/oradata/clone/';
-- Fixes the location
SWITCH DATABASE TO COPY;


10. If any data files is added after upgrade in Primary then you have to replicate that.
If not then skip this step.

-- Check the last SCN changes happen at DB on STep 5
SELECT file# FROM V$DATAFILE WHERE creation_change# >= 1984232;

-- If you find any file id then you need to restore it.
RUN
{
SET NEWNAME FOR DATABASE TO '//clone';
RESTORE DATAFILE 21 FROM SERVICE prim;
}


11. If you need to rename the redo log files then use following commands:
ALTER DATABASE CLEAR command to clear the log files in all redo log groups of the standby database.
ALTER DATABASE RENAME FILE command to rename the redo log files.

12. Start the recover process at standby database

ALTER DATABASE OPEN READ ONLY;
ALTER DATABASE RECOVER MANAGED STANDBY DATABASE DISCONNECT FROM SESSION;