Create a new virtual machine using Oracle database 12.1.0.1 and Oracle Linux 6.4 (without creating a database). Set up the virtual machine with a proper IP and HOSTNAME.

Follow the Oracle installation guide for Linux (http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E16655_01/install.121/e17720/toc.htm), and prepare this machine for the installation of the Oracle database. When creating the Oracle user, please create it to use the password oracle.

Clone the newly created virtual machine and give to it a new IP and HOSTNAME. It will be used as the auxiliary server (target).

Create a non-CDB database called (in the Virtual Machine created in step 1) orcl using DBCA. This will be the source database.

If the source database is open, archiving must be enabled. If the source database is not open, the database does not require instance recovery.

In the auxiliary server, create the same directory structure used by the source database created in step 3. For example:

In the auxiliary server (target), create a new password file to be used by the cloned database (connected as the OS user Oracle).

$ orapwd file=/u01/app/oracle/product/12.1/db_1/dbs/orapworcl password=oracle entries=10

Add the auxiliary database information to the source database TNSNAMES.ORA file (located at $ORACLE_HOME/network/admin). For example:

ORCL_DEST = 
  (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP) (HOST=172.28.10.62) (PORT = 1521)
    (CONNECT_DATA)
      (SERVER = DEDICATED)
      (SERVICE_NAME = orcl)
    )
  )

Create the LISTENER.ORA file in the auxiliary server. For example:

SID_LIST_LISTENER =
  (SID_LIST =
    (SID_DESC =
      (ORACLE_HOME = /u01/app/oracle/product/12.1/db_1)
      (SID_NAME = orcl)
    )
  )
LISTENER = 
  (DESCRIPTION_LIST =
    (DESCRIPTION =
      (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP) (HOST = 172.28.10.62) (PORT = 1521))
    (DESCRIPTION =
      (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = IPC) (KEY = EXTPROC1521))
    )
  )
ADR_BASE_LISTENER = /u01/app/oracle

Add source and auxiliary databases to the auxiliary TNSNAMES.ORA file. For example:

LISTENER_ORCL =
  (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP) (HOST = 172.28.10.62) (PORT = 1521))
ORCL = 
  (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP) (HOST = 172.29.62.11) (PORT = 1521))
    (CONNECT_DATA = 
      (SERVER = DEDICATED)
      (SERVICE_NAME = orcl)
    )
  )

ORCL_DEST = 
  (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP) (HOST = 172.28.10.62) (PORT = 1521))
    (CONNECT_DATA = 
      (SERVER = DEDICATED)
      (SERVICE_NAME = orcl)
    )
  )

Create a basic PFILE for the auxiliary database. To make it easy, create a PFILE from SPFILE in the source database and copy it to the auxiliary database.

Using SQL*Plus, start up the auxiliary database in NOMOUNT mode; for example:

SQL> STARTUP NOMOUNT

Start the LISTENER for the auxiliary database; for example:

$ lsnrctl start

In the auxiliary server, start your RMAN session connecting to the source database and the auxiliary database; for example:

$ rman TARGET sys/oracle@orcl auxiliary sys/oracle@orcl_dest

Run the DUPLICATE command to make the magic happen, for example:

RMAN> DUPLICATE DATABASE TO ORCL
FROM ACTIVE DATABASE 
SPFILE
NOFILENAMECHECK;

Take an RMAN backup of the USERS tablespace:

  RMAN> BACKUP TABLESPACE users;

Create a new directory called abc in the disk group DATA. Once you create the directory, create an alias called +DATA/abc/users.f. This alias will point to the ASM datafile in which the USERS tablespace is stored:

  ASMCMD> mkdir +DATA1/abc
  ASMCMD> mkalias TBSJFV.354.323232323   +DATA1/abc/users.f

Backup the ASM metadata for the DATA disk group:

  ASMCMD> md_backup –g  data1

The md_backup command will produce a restore script named ambr_backup_intermediate_file in the current directory. You'll need this file to perform the restore operation later.

Drop the disk group DATA to simulate the failure. You can use the dismount force clause to dismount the disk group and then force drop it:

SQL> ALTER DISKGROUP data1 DISMOUNT FORCE;
SQL> DROP DISKGROUP data1 FORCE INCLUDING CONTENTS;

Edit the ambr_backup_intermideate_file to remove the au_size entry. Once you make the change and save the restore file, run the md_restore command to restore the ASM metadata for the dropped disk group:

  ASMCMD> md_restore –b ambr_backup_intermediate_file –t full –g data

Once you restore the ASM metadata for the disk group, you must restore the USERS tablespace that was in the dropped disk group. You can use the backup that you made earlier of the USERS tablespace for this:

  RMAN> RESTORE TABLESPACE users;

Connect to RMAN:

$ rman target / 

Start your DB in mount mode and restore your SYSTEM tablespace:

RMAN> STARTUP MOUNT; 
RMAN> RESTORE TABLESPACE SYSTEM;

Recover and open your DB:

RMAN> RECOVER TABLESPACE SYSTEM; 
RMAN> ALTER DATABASE OPEN; 

Create a copy backup of your database.

Let's first put the datafile offline to simulate that we lost the datafile:

SQL> ALTER DATABASE DATAFILE 7 OFFLINE;

Now let's do the trick; we will switch to the copy of the datafile available on our FRA:

$ rman target /
RMAN> SWITCH DATAFILE 7 TO COPY;
RMAN> RECOVER DATAFILE 7;

All you need to do now is to put the datafile online and you are ready to go, without losing your time waiting for a backup to be retrieved from tape.

RMAN> ALTER DATABASE DATAFILE 7 ONLINE;

$ rman target /
RMAN> BACKUP AS COPY DATAFILE 7 FORMAT '/Data/data/test3_tbs_01.dbf';
RMAN> SWITCH DATAFILE 7 TO COPY;
RMAN> RECOVER DATAFILE 7;
RMAN> ALTER DATABASE DATAFILE 7 ONLINE;