Hi
I am looking at improving the way that we perform database refreshes from our live database into either a development or qa database.
Assumptions:
We are using Oracle 11g R2 but are migrating to 12c.
We are using ASM (we aren't but I am hoping that will change soon).
We are using partitioning on our larger tables (we aren't but I am hoping that will change soon).
The table partitions are in two tablespaces - one for data < 3 years old, and one for data >= 3 years old.
Data > 3 years old will get "touched" by the application - not updated, not necessarily even read, just selected for update (because the application is.... not great).
We are only interested in the latest 3 years of data in the development and QA environments for speed reasons - this will work with the application.
I have performed many RMAN based database refreshes before on other databases, but have never tried to do a refresh featuring a restore of only the latest partitions of a table.
I am hoping that there is some way of only restoring the partitions I need, but my guess is that I would have to restore the entire table and then either drop the partitions I don't need, or truncate them?
Would a "drop tablespace including contents and datafiles" be sufficient? I imagine I would have to drop the partitions first, then drop the tablespace?
Thanks
Simon