Oracle Database 11.2.0.1 Standard Edition
I am attempting a database point-in-time recovery using image copies of DBF files and a limited amount of archivelogs. I just need to get the database to the next consistent point (i.e. I don't need a full recovery). Note this is to stand up a database to a test environment, so it's (fortunately) not a disaster recovery scenario.
From RMAN, I can determine the minimum SCN required to clear datafile fuzziness. On a small test system with a few recent logs, it reports the following :
RMAN> recover database preview;
Starting recover at 2014-12-06 09:20:43
using channel ORA_DISK_1
using channel ORA_DISK_1
List of Archived Log Copies for database with db_unique_name ORCL
=====================================================================
Key Thrd Seq S Low Time
------- ---- ------- - -------------------
4 1 8 A 2014-12-04 17:36:53
Name: /u01/app/oracle/flash_recovery_area/ORCL/backup/archivelog/bak1.1/o1_mf_1_8_b81743jo_.arc
Media recovery start SCN is 966806
Recovery must be done beyond SCN 966806 to clear datafile fuzziness
Finished recover at 2014-12-06 09:20:44
It is then possible to recover to SCN 966806 (or possibly 966806+1), and the database is consistent.
However, on the production system, the same command reports the following.
List of Archived Log Copies for database with db_unique_name ORCL
=====================================================================
Key Thrd Seq S Low Time
------- ---- ------- - ---------
21941 1 5278 A 04-DEC-14
Name: /opt/oracle/archive01/archive/1_5278_860928426.arch
Media recovery start SCN is 10901453278
Recovery must be done beyond SCN 281474976710655 to clear datafile fuzziness
Finished recover at 06-DEC-14
Because of this, I can't figure out a consistent recovery point. I've tried applying a few hundred archivelogs, but it continues to report that more recovery is required :
ORA-01547: warning: RECOVER succeeded but OPEN RESETLOGS would get error below
ORA-01194: file 1 needs more recovery to be consistent
ORA-01110: data file 1: '/opt/oracle/data01/orcl/system01.dbf'
What does it mean by "Recovery must be done beyond SCN 281474976710655"? I believe this is the maximum possible SCN (2^48), so is this suggesting that a point-in-time recovery is not possible?