7 Performing Flashback and Database Point-in-Time Recovery

It it sometimes necessary to return some objects in your database or the entire database to a previous state, following the effects of a mistaken database update. For example, a user or DBA might erroneously delete or update the contents of one or more tables, drop database objects that are still needed for a risky operation such as an update to an application or a large batch update might fail.

In addition to point-in-time restore and recovery of the entire database, Oracle provides a group of features known as Oracle Flashback Technology, that are often faster than point-in-time recovery, and less disruptive to database availability.

This chapter presents a guide to investigating unwanted database changes, and selecting and carrying out an appropriate recovery strategy based upon Oracle Flashback Technology and database backups. It includes the following topics: