--- title: Unusual Use of the RMAN uncatalog Command description: Learn how to fix warning messages in the RMAN level 0 backup log file with Pythian's Suresh Karthikeyan --- [Blog | Pythian ](https://www.pythian.com/blog) # [Unusual Use of the RMAN uncatalog Command](https://www.pythian.com/blog/unusual-use-of-the-rman-uncatalog-command) Written by [Suresh Karthikeyan](https://www.pythian.com/blog/author/suresh-karthikeyan) | Jan 18, 2022 5:00:00 AM ## Handling RMAN mismatched status errors *A fresh year is the perfect time to learn something new. Recently, I have come across warning messages in the RMAN level 0 backup log file and this post describes how I dealt with them.* The file contents went as follows: ``` RMAN-06207: WARNING: 1 objects could not be deleted for DISK channel(s) due RMAN-06208: to mismatched status. Use CROSSCHECK command to fix status RMAN-06210: List of Mismatched objects RMAN-06211: ========================== RMAN-06212: Object Type Filename/Handle RMAN-06213: --------------- --------------------------------------------------- RMAN-06214: Datafile Copy +RECOC1/prod/snapcf_prod.f specification does not match any backup in the repository ``` ## Initial troubleshooting steps We took disk-level backups without a recovery catalog schema and the associated command failed with this error: “delete noprompt expired backup;”. So, I executed the commands like “crosscheck backup;” and “crosscheck copy;” but found no expired records. Finally, the control file copy pieces showed validation failed messages as follows: ``` RMAN> crosscheck copy of controlfile; released channel: ORA_DISK_1 released channel: ORA_DISK_2 released channel: ORA_DISK_3 released channel: ORA_DISK_4 released channel: ORA_DISK_5 released channel: ORA_DISK_6 allocated channel: ORA_DISK_1 channel ORA_DISK_1: SID=5663 instance=PROD2 device type=DISK allocated channel: ORA_DISK_2 channel ORA_DISK_2: SID=6290 instance=PROD2 device type=DISK allocated channel: ORA_DISK_3 channel ORA_DISK_3: SID=6601 instance=PROD2 device type=DISK allocated channel: ORA_DISK_4 channel ORA_DISK_4: SID=6915 instance=PROD2 device type=DISK allocated channel: ORA_DISK_5 channel ORA_DISK_5: SID=325 instance=PROD2 device type=DISK allocated channel: ORA_DISK_6 channel ORA_DISK_6: SID=631 instance=PROD2 device type=DISK validation failed for control file copy control file copy file name=/backups/PROD/snapcf_prod.f RECID=60 STAMP=1025510159 Crosschecked 1 objects validation failed for control file copy control file copy file name=+RECOC1/prod/snapcf_prod.f RECID=65 STAMP=1055956089 Crosschecked 1 objects ``` ## Force deletion attempts So, I started the delete command with the “force” option, which was executed successfully. But I still saw those pieces in the list command as follows: ``` RMAN> delete force expired copy of controlfile; released channel: ORA_DISK_1 released channel: ORA_DISK_2 released channel: ORA_DISK_3 released channel: ORA_DISK_4 released channel: ORA_DISK_5 released channel: ORA_DISK_6 allocated channel: ORA_DISK_1 channel ORA_DISK_1: SID=5663 instance=PROD2 device type=DISK allocated channel: ORA_DISK_2 channel ORA_DISK_2: SID=6290 instance=PROD2 device type=DISK allocated channel: ORA_DISK_3 channel ORA_DISK_3: SID=6601 instance=PROD2 device type=DISK allocated channel: ORA_DISK_4 channel ORA_DISK_4: SID=6915 instance=PROD2 device type=DISK allocated channel: ORA_DISK_5 channel ORA_DISK_5: SID=325 instance=PROD2 device type=DISK allocated channel: ORA_DISK_6 channel ORA_DISK_6: SID=631 instance=PROD2 device type=DISK List of Control File Copies =========================== Key S Completion Time Ckp SCN Ckp Time ------- - --------------- ---------- --------------- 65 X 08-NOV-20 281674038070 08-NOV-20 Name: +RECOC1/prod/snapcf_prod.f Tag: TAG20201108T170807 60 X 28-NOV-19 253807915757 28-NOV-19 Name: /backups/PROD/snapcf_prod.f Tag: TAG20191128T075552 Do you really want to delete the above objects (enter YES or NO)? YES deleted control file copy control file copy file name=/backups/PROD/snapcf_prod.f RECID=60 STAMP=1025510159 Deleted 1 EXPIRED objects deleted control file copy control file copy file name=+RECOC1/prod/snapcf_prod.f RECID=65 STAMP=1055956089 Deleted 1 EXPIRED objects RMAN> list copy of controlfile; List of Control File Copies =========================== Key S Completion Time Ckp SCN Ckp Time ------- - --------------- ---------- --------------- 65 X 08-NOV-20 281674038070 08-NOV-20 Name: +RECOC1/prod/snapcf_prod.f Tag: TAG20201108T170807 60 X 28-NOV-19 253807915757 28-NOV-19 Name: /backups/PROD/snapcf_prod.f Tag: TAG20191128T075552 ``` ## Using change uncatalog as a solution The individual delete commands were failing with “RMAN-06159: error while looking up backup set,” which is expected as these backup pieces are no longer available. To my surprise, the ‘change..uncatalog’ option helped here: ``` RMAN> delete backupset 65; using channel ORA_DISK_1 using channel ORA_DISK_2 using channel ORA_DISK_3 using channel ORA_DISK_4 using channel ORA_DISK_5 using channel ORA_DISK_6 RMAN-00571: =========================================================== RMAN-00569: =============== ERROR MESSAGE STACK FOLLOWS =============== RMAN-00571: =========================================================== RMAN-03002: failure of delete command at 01/02/2022 21:10:34 RMAN-20215: backup set not found RMAN-06159: error while looking up backup set RMAN> delete backupset 60; using channel ORA_DISK_1 using channel ORA_DISK_2 using channel ORA_DISK_3 using channel ORA_DISK_4 using channel ORA_DISK_5 using channel ORA_DISK_6 RMAN-00571: =========================================================== RMAN-00569: =============== ERROR MESSAGE STACK FOLLOWS =============== RMAN-00571: =========================================================== RMAN-03002: failure of delete command at 01/02/2022 21:10:55 RMAN-20215: backup set not found RMAN-06159: error while looking up backup set RMAN> change controlfilecopy '/backups/PROD/snapcf_prod.f' uncatalog; uncataloged control file copy control file copy file name=/backups/PROD/snapcf_prod.f RECID=60 STAMP=1025510159 Uncataloged 1 objects RMAN> change controlfilecopy tag 'TAG20201108T170807' uncatalog; uncataloged control file copy control file copy file name=+RECOC1/prod/snapcf_prod.f RECID=65 STAMP=1055956089 Uncataloged 1 objects RMAN> crosscheck copy of controlfile; released channel: ORA_DISK_1 released channel: ORA_DISK_2 released channel: ORA_DISK_3 released channel: ORA_DISK_4 released channel: ORA_DISK_5 released channel: ORA_DISK_6 allocated channel: ORA_DISK_1 channel ORA_DISK_1: SID=638 instance=PROD2 device type=DISK allocated channel: ORA_DISK_2 channel ORA_DISK_2: SID=6290 instance=PROD2 device type=DISK allocated channel: ORA_DISK_3 channel ORA_DISK_3: SID=4726 instance=PROD2 device type=DISK allocated channel: ORA_DISK_4 channel ORA_DISK_4: SID=6286 instance=PROD2 device type=DISK allocated channel: ORA_DISK_5 channel ORA_DISK_5: SID=6606 instance=PROD2 device type=DISK allocated channel: ORA_DISK_6 channel ORA_DISK_6: SID=6915 instance=PROD2 device type=DISK specification does not match any control file copy in the repository RMAN> list copy of controlfile; specification does not match any control file copy in the repository ``` ## Conclusion I usually use this ‘change..uncatalog’ command while cloning/refreshing a database. So, this new usage clause was very surprising. I discovered more about this command from this URL: ``` https://docs.oracle.com/en/database/oracle/oracle-database/19/bradv/maintaining-rman-backups.html ``` I hope you found this post helpful.  Feel free to drop any questions in the comments and don’t forget to [**sign up for the next post**](https://blog.pythian.com/)**.** ## Oracle Database Consulting Services Ready to optimize your Oracle Database for the future?   [View full post](https://www.pythian.com/blog/unusual-use-of-the-rman-uncatalog-command) ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Suresh Karthikeyan" }, "dateModified" : "2026-02-01T01:47:32.219Z", "datePublished" : "2022-01-18T05:00:00Z", "headline" : "Unusual Use of the RMAN uncatalog Command", "image" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 387, "url" : "https://resources.pythian.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_529364008.jpg", "width" : 585 }, "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://www.pythian.com/blog/unusual-use-of-the-rman-uncatalog-command", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 60, "url" : "/hs/hsstatic/content_shared_assets/static-1.4092/img/default-amp-logo.png", "width" : 60 }, "name" : "Pythian Blog" } } ```