Oracle EE 10.2.0.4 on OEL 5
This should be an easy syntax issue, right?
Practicing some flashback scenarios, and looking at the syntax at
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/B19306_01/backup.102/b14194/rcmsynta032.htm#sthref515
In the examples, they show a
RMAN> FLASHBACK DATABASE TO TIMESTAMP
TO_TIMESTAMP('2002-03-11 16:00:00', 'YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS');
but the actual syntax flow chart does not show a "TO TIMESTAMP" option, just "TO TIME" and "TO BEFORE TIME".
Pressing on, let's try a simple test
RMAN> flashback database to time = '18-MAY-2010 12:50:00';
Starting flashback at 18-MAY-2010 13:10:00
using channel ORA_DISK_1
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-00569: =============== ERROR MESSAGE STACK FOLLOWS ===============
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-03002: failure of flashback command at 05/18/2010 13:10:00
ORA-01830: date format picture ends before converting entire input string
Hmm, okay, so what format does it want? It actually reported back in two different formats:
Starting flashback at 18-MAY-2010 13:10:00
and
RMAN-03002: failure of flashback command at 05/18/2010 13:10:00
So pressing on some more, let's try what should be a no-brainer:
RMAN> flashback database to time = to_date('05/18/2010 12:50:00','mm/dd/yyyy hh24:mi:ss')
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-00569: =============== ERROR MESSAGE STACK FOLLOWS ===============
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-00558: error encountered while parsing input commands
RMAN-01009: syntax error: found "identifier": expecting one of: "double-quoted-string, single-quoted-string"
RMAN-01008: the bad identifier was: to_date
RMAN-01007: at line 1 column 30 file: standard input
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-00569: =============== ERROR MESSAGE STACK FOLLOWS ===============
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-00558: error encountered while parsing input commands
RMAN-01009: syntax error: found "(": expecting one of: "allocate, alter, backup, beginline, blockrecover, catalog, change, connect, copy, convert, create, crosscheck, configure, duplicate, debug, delete, drop, exit, endinline, flashback, host, {, library, list, mount, open, print, quit, recover, register, release, replace, report, renormalize, reset, restore, resync, rman, run, rpctest, set, setlimit, sql, switch, spool, startup, shutdown, send, show, test, transport, upgrade, unregister, validate"
RMAN-01007: at line 1 column 37 file: standard input
RMAN>
Casting about the docs and other web resources, I find several variants on the theme but all end up throwing one of the above errors.
I can't believe I've been reduced to asking what should be a doc question, but in this case it's the examples from the docs that are throwing the errors .... Am I going blind? Was the brain cell killed by that beer I had last week the critical one? ;-)