Backup Retention Policy of RMAN

•Setting the RETENTION POLICY in RMAN keep track about the backup files and tells the report whether they are obsoleted and whether it is needed to backup the database or datafile.

•If you have flash recovery configured then the database automatically deletes unnecessary files from the flash recovery area based on its internal disk quota rules. The disk quota rules are distinct from the backup retention policy rules, but the database will never delete files in violation of the retention policy to satisfy the disk quota.

•If you don't have flash recovery configured then the database does not delete any file even they are obsolete.

•The configuration parameter RETENTION POLICY can be set by CONFIGURE RETENTION POLICY ....

•A backup becomes obsolete based on retention policy, that it is not needed for recovery.A backup becomes expired only when RMAN perform CROSSCHECK and can't find the file. (A most common is file is deleted by OS). Obsolete means "not needed," whereas expired means "not found."

•There is two mutually exclusive options for setting a retention policy; redundancy and recovery window.

To set Recovery Window of 3 days,
RMAN>CONFIGURE RETENTION POLICY TO RECOVERY WINDOW OF 3 DAYS;

To set Recovery Window of redundancy 2 copies,
RMAN> CONFIGURE RETENTION POLICY TO REDUNDANCY 2;

Whenever retention policy is set to recovery window of 3 days then rman retains all information and backup data though which it can go to any point within 3 days from current date. The backup data which is not needed to go back any point within 3 days from current date are termed as obsolete. Suppose before 5 days ago I took an incremental level 0 backup and then I took incremental level 1 backup, now the backup before 5 days ago level 0 backup is not obsolete. Because this is base backup and needed if I want to back any point within 3 days. However, if I took a backup right 4 days ago then backup before 5 days ago become obsolete.


Whenever retention policy is set to redundancy of 2 copies the rman at least retains latest 2 copies of each datafile. If I took 3rd backup of datafile 3 then 1st backup of datafile 3 become obsolete.

•The default retention policy is REDUNDANCY = 1

•You can disable the retention policy by setting,

CONFIGURE RETENTION POLICY TO NONE;

If the retention policy is configured to NONE, then REPORT OBSOLETE and DELETE OBSOLETE do not consider any backups to be obsolete.