How to check ArchiveLog Status

1.5K Oracle as an Enterprise database, provides multiple mechanisms to prevent data losses and ensure that data is consistent. therefore, one of its critical features is “redo logs”. This enables Oracle instance to store all changes made to the database as they occur to preallocated files. This article explains the Redo Logs, archive Logs and what is need for ARCHIELOG, How to check ArchiveLog Status This feature allows RDBMS to reconstruct all changes made to the database When you recover the database using redo data.

What is ARCHIVELOG? Why enable it?

The redo log of a database consists of two or more redo log files. as the database requires at least two files. This causes size constraints for the amount of data saved by the Redo Logs. See “Oracle Managing Archived Redo Logs”. When the current redo log file fills, LGWR begins writing to the next available redo log file. When the last available redo log file fills, LGWR returns to the first redo log file and writes to it, starting the cycle again. Filled redo log files become available for reuse depending on archiving status.

• If archiving is disabled (the database is in NOARCHIVELOG mode), a filled redo log file is available after the changes recorded in it have been written to the datafiles.
• If archiving is enabled (the database is in ARCHIVELOG mode), a filled redo log file is available to LGWR after the changes recorded in it have been written to the datafiles and the file has been archived.

Check ArchiveLog Status ?

Login to Server CMD with DBA user (usually is Oracle)  $ export ORACLE_SID=<Database SID> Connect to your database as sysdba $ sqlplus / as sysdba If it didn’t work, try: $ sqlplus /nolog SQL> connect / as sysdba Check the ARCHIVELOG mode status. execute the following SQL command:  SQL> archive log list ; The output should be one of the following: ARCHIVELOG enabled:

Database log mode 		Archive Mode
Automatic archival 		Enabled
Archive destination		/u01/oracle/oradata/<MYDB>/arch
Oldest online log sequence 	5011
Next log sequence to archive 	5013
Current log sequence  		5013

ARCHIVELOG disabled

Database log mode      No Archive ModeAutomatic archival     Disabled

Conclusion

Enabling, archive log logs has its pros in case of your database has large transactions. On the other hand, if you enabled it you should watch the server storage, otherwise, you might face the error ORA-19809.

• To enable Archive log or stop archiving mode read This article.