[EN] ORA-00245 control file backup failed; target is likely on a local file system

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-- ERROR --
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At the end of a full backup of our database we got the following error during control file and spfile file autobackup;

piece handle=TRYY_ARCH.9up06jbt_1_1 tag=TAG20140209T130029 comment=API Version 2.0,MMS Version 1.1.0.0
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_1: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:00:10
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_2: finished piece 1 at 09-FEB-14
piece handle=TRYY_ARCH.9vp06jc0_1_1 tag=TAG20140209T130029 comment=API Version 2.0,MMS Version 1.1.0.0
channel ORA_SBT_TAPE_2: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:00:07
Finished backup at 09-FEB-14

Starting Control File and SPFILE Autobackup at 09-FEB-14
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-00569: =============== ERROR MESSAGE STACK FOLLOWS ===============
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-03015: error occurred in stored script GLOBAL_TRYY_FULL_BACKUP
RMAN-03009: failure of Control File and SPFILE Autobackup command on ORA_SBT_TAPE_1 channel at 02/09/2014 13:00:58
ORA-00245: control file backup failed; target is likely on a local file system

Recovery Manager complete.


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-- SOLUTION --
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Beginning with 11gR2 on a RAC database, you need to configure snapshot control file to a shared location accessible by all nodes. If it is on local locations on all nodes; we experienced that, the control file and spfile file autobackup was sometimes successfull and sometimes not.

So you can configure snapshot control file to a shared location with the following commands;

[TRYY2]/u01/app/oracle/admin $ rman

Recovery Manager: Release 11.2.0.3.0 - Production on Sun Feb 9 14:35:49 2014

Copyright (c) 1982, 2011, Oracle and/or its affiliates.  All rights reserved.

RMAN> connect target  rman/xxx@TRYY2;

connected to target database: TRYY (DBID=146589341)

RMAN> connect catalog rman11gr2/yyy@RMAN;

connected to recovery catalog database

RMAN> show snapshot controlfile name;

RMAN configuration parameters for database with db_unique_name TRYY are:
CONFIGURE SNAPSHOT CONTROLFILE NAME TO '/u01/app/oracle/product/11.2.0/db_1/dbs/snapcf_TRYY2.f'; # default

RMAN> configure snapshot controlfile name to '+TRYY/snapcf_TRYY.f'; # This change affects all nodes.

new RMAN configuration parameters:
CONFIGURE SNAPSHOT CONTROLFILE NAME TO '+TRYY/snapcf_TRYY.f';
new RMAN configuration parameters are successfully stored
starting full resync of recovery catalog
full resync complete

RMAN> exit