Database Software

Hi,

I am trying duplication process from host A to Host B where host B has same OS, etc except different drive structure and space only for database files. I cannot copy the backup files to Host B. Host A has the RMAN backup files kept across 4 drives. I am running Oracle services/listeners on both Hosts under domain account which is administrator on both hosts. I have created shares on the 4 drives on Host A while logged in with the account on which Oracle is running. I logged into host B with same domain account which is running Oracle srvices and mapped the SAME drive letters(as host A where backup files are kept) on host B to the shares on host A. I can access all backup files from host B using DOS prompt dir m:\ , SQL Plus -> Host dir m:\ and even RMAN -->Host 'dir m:' (where M:\ is the mapped drive on host A whoch points to share on host B).

When I run duplication from either host A or host B, it always failes while trying to access backup file son Host B, giving the error:

RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-00569: =============== ERROR MESSAGE STACK FOLLOWS ===============
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-03002: failure of Duplicate Db command at 07/05/2004 22:41:32
RMAN-03015: error occurred in stored script Memory Script
ORA-19505: failed to identify file "M:\ORACLE\ARIESPRD\BACKUP\RMAN\RMANDATA\DF_T530374869_S37950_P1.DAT"
ORA-27041: unable to open file
OSD-04002: unable to open file
O/S-Error: (OS 3) The system cannot find the path specified.

I worked with Oracle rep (TAR 3871234.996) and we could not resolve the issue. So we decided to use UNC names. I performed 'backup backupset' to rename a few backupsets using UNC name in format of path for backup files. Duplication started working for the UNC backup files and failed at the network mapped drive backup files. This proves UNC works.

The issue with UNC is that on windows it is 3 to 4x times slower to run a RMAN backup than using a drive letter (its a known fact in Windows by design). With 2.5TB database, it takes 50 hours which is unacceptable.

Please provide inputs on

1. Why the mapped drive does not work
2. What alternate method is available other than UNC
3. Even if i do not use Duplicate method, how do I get my Host B to get the Host A database restored with backup files on host A.
4. Is there a way to use backup files on tape so that drive letters is not an issue for RMAN.

Thanks

Satish