IT42260: ORACLE ARCHIVE LOG BACKUP JOB UNEXPECTEDLY PURGES LOGS IN SECONDARY LOCATION

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Oracle log backups end by purging the
  log files eligible for deletion as defined in the SLA.
  If a secondary location is defined on the Oracle server for the
  archive logs, the log backup job will also unexpectedly purge
  these log files if that secondary location path starts with the
  same string up to the name of the last directory.
  For example :
    Primary log location : /dir1/dir2/dir_arch_logs
  Secondary log location : /dir1/dir2/dir_arch_logs_secondary
  
  The expectation is that only logs located in the primary
  location should be purged.
  
  | MDVREG 10.1.7.2-TIV_5737SPLUS |
  
  IBM Spectrum Protect Plus Versions Affected:
  IBM Spectrum Protect Plus 10.1.7 and later
  
  Additional Keywords: SPP, SPPLUS, TS010561476, logs, truncate,
                       purge, delete
  

Local fix

• Update the log locations in Oracle to be different.
  From the above example, a possible change is to use :
    Primary log location : /dir1/dir2/dir_arch_logs
  Secondary log location : /dir1/other_dir/dir_arch_logs_secondary
  Or, if the start of the path cannot be changed and naming
  conventions are making difficult to change the names, add a
  slash at the end of the primary log path :
    Primary log location : /dir1/dir2/dir_arch_logs/
  Secondary log location : /dir1/dir2/dir_arch_logs_secondary
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:                                              *
  * IBM Spectrum Protect Plus level 10.1.7, 101.8, 10.1.9,       *
  * 10.1.10, 10.1.11, and 10.1.12                                *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:                                         *
  * See ERROR DESCRIPTION                                        *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  * Apply fixing level when available. This problem is currently *
  * projected to be fixed in IBM Spectrum Protect Plus level     *
  * 10.1.13.                                                     *
  ****************************************************************
  

Problem conclusion

• This problem has been fixed so that if Oracle secondary log path
  starts with the same prefix(s) as primary, and the primary path
  does not have a trailing slash, Oracle secondary logs are not
  purged unexpectedly.
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Modules/Macros

• Oracle
  

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  SP PLUS

• Fixed component ID

  5737SPLUS

Applicable component levels